8 best horror movies of the 1990s

Some of the greatest horror movie franchises were sparked in the 1990s. One of my all-time favorites is Scream, which currently has six films (and counting), a TV series, and a cultural phenomenon called Ghostface. That said, I went through all the horror movies that were released in the '90s and narrowed that list down to what I believe are the eight best of the decade.

The definition of "horror" has been discussed and sparked many debates throughout history. You have movies like It, which have a scary-looking clown that actually scares you, or you have a film like Seven, which instills the fear of reality within you. Either way, horror movies have scared kids, teenagers, and adults for generations.

Scream (1996)

Director: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, and Matthew Lillard
Plot: A year after her mother was murdered, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer and finds herself and her friends in a deadly game featuring scary movie tactics.

Wes Craven’s masterful Scream is one of the greatest slashers of all time. It brought an extra layer of super-aware horror films that keep you on the edge of your seat while you laugh. Of course, this sparked many sequels, a TV show (that’s underrated), spoof films, and much more. While the entire cast is great, Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard as Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, deliver some of the best work in any horror movie ever.  

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Directors: Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick
Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard
Plot: With the usage of found footage, three young filmmakers are revealed to have gone missing while in the process of trying to produce a documentary on the legendary murderer, the Blair Witch

No list would be complete without The Blair Witch Project. While the film didn’t work for me personally, the found footage aspect of filmmaking was revolutionary for its time and sparked a new wave of horror films for the generations that followed. Made on a mere $60,000 budget, the film went on to make over $240 million at the box office, becoming one of the biggest hits of all time. 

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Director: Jim Gillespie
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Ryan Phillippe
Plot: Four friends bound by an accident are reunited and find themselves being stalked by a maniac in their small town.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a slasher film that doesn’t get enough credit for how great it is. Some say it’s a paint-by-numbers horror film, but for me, it was an absolute blast. The element of surprise comes within the relatability to the script that allows you to insert yourself into the movie. Plus, the cast was fantastic.  

Blade (1998)

Director: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson
Plot: A half-mortal, half-vampire man becomes the protector of the mortal race while slaying vampires.

How great is Blade? They’ve been trying to replicate it to introduce it into the world of the MCU for years and have failed to bring it to the big screen. Wesley Snipes as Blade ranks amongst one of the greatest comic book castings ever. Snipes made a reappearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, which was one of the biggest highlights of the film.

The Crow (1994)

Directors: Alex Proyas
Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson
Plot: The night before their wedding, Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally murdered by a violent gang. On the anniversary of their death, Eric rises from the grave as the Crow, a supernatural avenger.

The Crow is the definition of a cult classic, and every year, the film finds a new audience. There is a level of mystique around this movie because of what transpired on set with Brandon Lee, who gave his life for the role. It’s haunting, thrilling, gruesome, and everything you'd want from a horror movie.

It (1990)

Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Starring: Harry Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Richard Masur, Annette O'Toole
Plot: Seven preteen outcasts fight an evil demon that poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the clown once and for all when it returns to their hometown.

Look, I know It is a horror miniseries instead of a horror movie, but I just had to include it on the list. Pennywise sparked a generation of kids who were scared to even look at the sewers. After all the years getting cozy with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pennywise still haunts us to this day. The film has sparked many sequels, spin-offs, and TV shows. This child-killing clown even ranks among the scariest horror villains of all time.

The Craft (1996)

Director: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
Plot: A new girl at a Catholic prep high school befriends a trio of outcast teenagers who practice witchcraft. The group conjures up spells and curses against those who anger them.

The Craft is the definition of camp. I love this movie and rewatch it every year during Halloween because of the campiness of it all. Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, and Rachel True are all a blast in their own right throughout the entire movie.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Plot: A new FBI cadet Clarice Starling must receive help from an incarcerated cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer.

There is always this balance of what is a horror movie and what is not. The Silence of the Lambs might not be your prototypical horror movie, but Anthony Hopkins's Oscar-winning turn as Dr. Hannibal Lecter scares you in a realm of reality. Even within the brief screen time he does have, Lecter scares you more than 90% of the horror movies that come out. This film belongs on this list and is one of the greatest movies ever made.

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