There might not be a more interesting decade for horror movies than the ’90s. The ’70s and ’80s saw the rise of the slasher subgenre and introduced the world to many legendary horror villains, while the more modern 2010s and beyond have seen several franchises revitalized and some great, unique films in the genre.
When it comes to the ’90s, it started with some years that had critically acclaimed horror films before the genre kind of fizzled out. It had a rebirth of sorts in the back half of the decade, thanks to some now-iconic movies and filmmakers. Each year of the ’90s is intriguing when it comes to horror movies.
1990: Misery
The decade got off to a strong start with horror films. Jacob’s Ladder was well-received, Tremors is a cult classic, and both Flatliners and The Witches are held in high esteem. We were also treated to sequels in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Child’s Play, and Gremlins franchises.
The best of them all is Misery, one of the better Stephen King adaptations in history. The film follows an acclaimed novelist (James Caan) who is rescued by a nurse (Kathy Bates) after a car accident, only for it to be revealed that she’s a dangerous, obsessed fan who holds him captive.
Misery was a critical darling and a large reason for that was Kathy Bates. Her performance as Annie Wilkes is unsettling in the best possible way. Her performance made history as Bates won Best Actress at the Oscars, becoming the only King adaptation to earn an Academy Award.
1991: The Silence Of The Lambs
A lot of the horror releases in 1991 were forgettable, from Child’s Play 3 to Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. A lot of the better movies in the genre were lesser-known or leaned into the comedy genre, like The People Under the Stars.
Even if 1991 was loaded with strong horror movies, though, The Silence of the Lambs would top them all. Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of the 1988 novel is stellar and holds up incredibly well over three decades later. The story sees a young detective work with an imprisoned cannibal to hunt a killer who skins his female victims.
The back and forth between Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) and Clarice (Jodie Foster) hooks you and never lets you go. The Silence of the Lambs was a massive success commercially but even bigger critically. It made history as the only horror movie to sweep the “big five” Oscars categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
1992: Candyman
1992 was a nice rebound for horror. Nothing reached the highs of The Silence of the Lambs, but there were several strong entries like Braindead and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A few great horror comedies also arrived in Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Death Becomes Her.
When picking the best, it’s difficult but Candyman is the choice. An entry into the slasher subgenre that also mixes in supernatural aspects, Candyman is a Clive Barker adaptation that follows a grad student who summons the titular character, a hook-handed ghost of a Black man who was murdered for his relationship with a white woman.
The film plays on the “Bloody Mary” urban legend as Candyman is summoned by his name being said five times in the mirror.Candyman holds a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has aged well due to its commentary on themes like social class and race.
1993: Body Snatchers
The toughest year of the ’90s to pick out the best horror film is 1993. Most of the major releases were disappointments like Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, while others leaned more into genres like comedy (Leprechaun) and thriller (The Good Son).
Body Snatchers ends up being the best option for 1993, which is loosely based on the 1955 novel, The Body Snatchers. It’s the third iteration of this adaptation, and faced an uphill battle because the 1978 version is held in very high regard.
While Body Snatchers doesn’t match up to the 1978 film, it received positive reviews from critics. Most of the praise went to the special effects, as the plot isn’t great, but it’s a memorable film with moments that stick with you for a while.
1994: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
1994 was a better year for horror thanks to some impressive releases. Interview with the Vampire and In the Mouth of Madness are the standouts, while there were also strong international films like Cemetery Man and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
In a surprise, it was the return of a long-running franchise that topped 1994. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare brought back Freddy Krueger but in a new and interesting way. It portrays Freddy as a fictional movie villain who haunts the cast and crew of the films about him.
That allowed New Nightmare to get meta in a way that felt ahead of its time, especially considering where the horror genre went in the coming years. Though it flopped commercially, this is considered one of the best Nightmare on Elm Street movies and one of Wes Craven’s best films.
1995: The Addiction
The up and down ’90s for horror continues as 1995 was something of a mixed bag. Films like Copycat, Vampire in Brooklyn, and Species are well known but veer into different subgenres more than horror at times.
That means the little-known indie film The Addiction is the year’s best. Although not a major release, The Addiction boasts a great cast that includes Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Edie Falco, and Michael Imperioli, to name a few.
The Addiction is a hidden gem vampire movie, focusing on a student who becomes a vampire and struggles with her new addiction to human blood. The film was nominated for Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, and the black-and-white visuals remain great.
1996: Scream
1996 was a much better year for horror movies. The Craft remains one of the better witch films ever made, while From Dusk Till Dawn stands the test of time as a great vampire flick. There’s also Peter Jackson’s underrated The Frighteners.
That said, it’s tough to top Scream. Wes Craven took what worked in New Nightmare and doubled down, delivering a stellar slasher that was meta and played on the tropes of the genre. Scream did it better than anyone else.
Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, and the rest of the cast are iconic, Ghostface is now one of the most recognizable horror villains, and the opening scene with Drew Barrymore is one of the best in horror history. The Scream franchise is still going on today, maintaining a remarkably consistent quality level.
1997: Funny Games
The success of Scream in 1996 set the table for 1997. We were treated to Scream 2, an impressive sequel, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, a fun copycat. There was also Cure, The Devil’s Advocate, and Wishmaster, making for a good year.
We have to look to Austria for the best of the year, though. Funny Games is an unsettling psychological horror movie, focusing on two men who take a vacationing family hostage and torture them with sadistic games.
What makes Funny Games such a good horror movie is how realistic it feels and how there’s no rhyme or reason for the events. The two men are seemingly just doing these heinous acts because they enjoy it, which is chilling. A shot-for-shot remake arrived a decade later, to lackluster reviews.
1998: The Faculty
Scream did enough for horror that slashers were prominent again in 1998, with I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, and the return of Michael Myers in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. There’s also Bride of Chucky and Vampires, making for a varied year.
The acclaimed Robert Rodriguez put out the year’s best horror movie with The Faculty. It leans into the sci-fi genre as well, but the scares are legitimate. The film follows a group of high school students who must deal with an alien invasion at their school.
The Faculty was met with mixed reviews upon arrival but has since gained a cult following. Time has been kind to it, with praise going to the special effects, Rodriguez’s direction, and the talented cast, including Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Josh Hartnett, and more.
1999: The Sixth Sense
The last year of the decade was kind to the horror genre, with some great releases. The Blair Witch Project took the world by storm and terrified audiences everywhere, while Audition, Sleepy Hollow, Idle Hands, and Deep Blue Sea are among the hits.
However, The Sixth Sense is something special. In many ways a psychological thriller, The Sixth Sense tells the story of a child psychologist who deals with a patient who claims he can see ghosts. There’s a chilling sense of something uneasy throughout.
The Sixth Sense was a huge commercial hit that made M. Night Shyamalan a household name, was nominated for six Academy Awards, and features one of the best plot twists in the history of cinema. It’s in the conversation for the best horror film of the ’90s in total.
