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Ranking Every '90s Horror Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best

See what the critics thought about these iconic '90s scary movies.

scream 2
Paramount Pictures

Do you like scary movies? If you do, there's a good chance you recognize that classic '90s film quote. It's from Scream, a movie that reignited the slasher genre and defined horror for a new generation. But Wes Craven's beloved classic is far from the only notable horror film of the '90s. There were a slew of memorable entries in the genre—not to mention some more forgotten cult classics. That's why we're celebrating the start of Halloween month with this ranking of every '90s horror movie, based on their reviews.


From memorable monster movies to slasher sequels to hilarious horror comedies, we put together a list of the 60 most significant horror films of the '90s, then ranked them by their scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Did critics prefer Scream or Scream 2? Which remakes got panned? And what reigns supreme as the greatest scary movie of the decade? Read on to find out all that and more. And if you need more recommendations for movies to watch this October, start with The 50 Best Horror Films of All Time, According to Critics.

60 | Leprechaun 2 (1994)

leprechaun 2Lionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0 percent

And for more movies that earned this dubious distinction, These Are the Movies on Rotten Tomatoes With 0 Percent Ratings.

59 | An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

an american werewolf in parisBuena Vista Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 7 percent

58 | I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

I still know what you did last summerColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 7 percent

And for follow-ups worth watching, check out these 20 Movie Sequels Better Than the Original.

57 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

halloween the curse of michael myersParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 9 percent

56 | Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

vampire in brooklynParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10 percent

And for more classic horror fare, revisit Every Alfred Hitchcock Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.

55 | Thinner (1996)

still from thinnerParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15 percent

54 | Idle Hands (1999)

still from idle handsSony Pictures Releasing

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15 percent

And to see how the critics felt about more '90s teen flicks, check out our Ranking of Every '90s Teen Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.

53 | The Haunting (1999)

the hauntingDreamWorks Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15 percent

52 | Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

freddy's dead the final nightmareNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 19 percent

51 | Leprechaun (1993)

still from leprechaunLionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 21 percent

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50 | Urban Legend (1998)

urban legendSony Pictures Releasing

Rotten Tomatoes score: 21 percent

49 | Sleepwalkers (1992)

still from sleepwalkersColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25 percent

48 | Wishmaster (1997)

still from wishmasterLionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28 percent

47 | Event Horizon (1997)

event horizonParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28 percent

46 | Child’s Play 3 (1991)

child's play 3Universal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29 percent

45 | House on Haunted Hill (1999)

house on haunted hillWarner Bros.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 30 percent

44 | Needful Things (1993)

needful thingsColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31 percent

43 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

buffy the vampire slayer movie20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 35 percent

42 | Hocus Pocus (1993)

still from hocus pocusBuena Vista Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 37 percent

41 | Psycho (1998)

still from psychoUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38 percent

40 | Nightbreed (1990)

nightbreed20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 39 percent

39 | I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

I know what you did last summerColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 42 percent

38 | Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)

tales from the darkside the movieParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43 percent

37 | Alien 3 (1992)

alien 320th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43 percent

36 | Species (1995)

still from speciesMGM

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43 percent

35 | Child’s Play 2 (1990)

child's playUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44 percent

34 | Bride of Chucky (1998)

bride of chuckyUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46 percent

33 | Ravenous (1999)

still from ravenous20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47 percent

32 | Lake Placid (1999)

lake placid20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47 percent

31 | Flatliners (1990)

flatlinersColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 48 percent

30 | The Faculty (1998)

still from the facultyParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52 percent

29 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

halloween h20Paramount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52 percent

28 | Alien Resurrection (1997)

alien resurrection20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54 percent

27 | The Craft (1996)

still from the craftColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 55 percent

26 | The Dark Half (1993)

the dark halfMGM

Rotten Tomatoes score: 58 percent

25 | The Exorcist III (1990)

the exorcist iii20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 59 percent

24 | In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

in the mouth of madnessNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 59 percent

23 | Deep Blue Sea (1999)

deep blue seaWarner Bros.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 59 percent

22 | Lord of Illusions (1995)

lord of illusionsMGM

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60 percent

21 | Cemetery Man (1994)

cemetery manAnchor Bay

Rotten Tomatoes score: 61 percent

20 | From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

from dusk till dawnPhoto 12 / Alamy Stock Photo

Rotten Tomatoes score: 62 percent

19 | Cube (1998)

still from cubeLionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63 percent

18 | Interview With the Vampire (1994)

interview with the vampireWarner Bros.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63 percent

17 | The People Under the Stairs (1991)

the people under the stairsUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64 percent

16 | The Frighteners (1996)

the frightenersUnited Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64 percent

15 | Night of the Living Dead (1990)

night of the living deadColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66 percent

14 | Sleepy Hollow (1999)

sleepy hollowParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69 percent

13 | Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

bram stoker's draculaColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent

12 | Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

gremlins 2Warner Bros.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71 percent

11 | Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

jacob's ladderLionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72 percent

10 | Army of Darkness (1993)

army of darknessUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73 percent

9 | Candyman (1992)

still from candymanTriStar Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75 percent

8 | Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

wes craven's new nightmareNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent

7 | Scream (1996)

still from screamParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent

6 | Scream 2 (1997)

scream 2Paramount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81 percent

5 | Audition (1999)

still from auditionChimera

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82 percent

4 | Tremors (1990)

still from tremorsUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent

3 | The Blair Witch Project (1999)

the blair witch projectLionsgate

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent

2 | Misery (1990)

still from miseryColumbia Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent

1 | The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

the silence of the lambsMGM

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96 percent