The horror genre is so thrilling because every year, more and more releases come out that feature strong performances, interesting concepts, and filmmaking decisions that feel interesting, artistic, and elevated. When reflecting back on every decade, some might say that the ’90s wasn’t a time of excellent and well-made scary films. But it’s still possible to find some gems within this time period, fromScream(1996) toJacob’s Ladder(1990).
Since ’90s horror movies are famous for having corny moments and cheesy dialogue, it makes sense that some scary films aren’t as good as others. These horror movies from the decade of morning cartoons and scrunchies don’t hold up as well when watched today.
RELATED:5 Memorable ’90s Horror Movie Quotes
Slumber Party Massacre III (1990)
Slumber Party Massacre IIIis the final installment in the trilogy, coming after 1982’sSlumber Party Massacreand 1987’sSlumber Party Massacre II. Each movie features a group of teenage girls who are, as the title suggests, having a sleepover, with Jackie Cassidy (Keely Christian) looking forward to hosting a sleepover in the third film.
The movie has a lot ofhorror movie tropes, including “Sex equals death” as Juliette (Lulu Wilson) sleeps with Ken Whitehouse (Brittain Frye) and is then murdered. The reveal of Ken being the movie’s villain is problematic as Ken was abused by his uncle when he was younger, and the movie doesn’t approach this topic carefully. The overall concept also feels sexist.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)
One of theworst teen horror movies,Buffy The Vampire Slayeris a ’90s film that doesn’t hold up well, as current audiences will want more from the story and characters. When compared to the TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, this version of Buffy Summers offers up little to get excited about. TV Buffy is tough, funny, and always has something smart to say. Kristy Swanson’s Buffy doesn’t feel as unforgettable and there’s a bit of a sexist tone to the movie as she’s presented as a ditzy character.
There’s something off-putting about Buffy’s slang in this movie, as she says in one scene, “All I want to do is graduate from high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater, and die. Now it may not sound too great to a sconehead like you, but I think it’s swell. And you come along and tell me I’m a member of the hairy mole club so you may throw things at me?” Sarah Michelle Gellar’s version of the character mixes her ditzy comments with humor and wisdom.
Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil (1992)
While the 1980 movieProm Nightis a fun slasher starring Jamie Lee Curtis as Kim, the fourth movie in theslasher franchiseisn’t as entertaining at all. The story of four friends having a party after their prom feels like it has been done so many times before and it doesn’t hold up today.
Even the titleProm Night IV: Deliver Us from Evilfeels dated, and the premise that a priest is looking for the teenage characters so he can punish and kill them for their sins also feels predictable. While even the 2008 remake ofProm Nightis anunderappreciated horror movie about teenagers, the fourth film in the original franchise can be completely forgotten about. The idea of people being killed for sinning is really overdone at this point.
Leprechaun (1993)
Jennifer Aniston has spoken aboutLeprechaun, the ’90s horror movie that got her started in Hollywood. Even Aniston herself knows that the movie is really cheesy and not the most interesting or terrifying horror movie to watch by today’s standards.
There is one scene where the movie tries to show Tory Reding as a feminist character, as Nathan Murphy (Ken Olandt) says “I just think it’s funny the way girls are always afraid of spiders and stuff” and Tory says, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, wait a minute. Did I misplace my 1950’s calendar, here? ‘Girls’? Listen, Bud, okay? This is the 90’s. Women are treated equal.” But even though Tory says this, she is an otherwise weak character who doesn’t really stand out that much.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
It can be argued thatThe Blair Witch Projectstarted viral marketingas people were told that this was a totally real story and audiences really did think that correct. But while the marketing campaign for the film was smart and interesting, the movie itself doesn’t hold up well.
The movie’s core elements (shaky camerawork, heavy breathing that tells the audience that the characters are scared, and the main setting of the woods) don’t work that well when fans realize that the movie isn’t actually based on a true story. Instead, the movie just feels dated, and current horror fans will wish for more story. The concept of the “Blair Witch” isn’t quite scary enough to make people want to keep watching this film.
