The ’90s was a decade known for epic dramas like Titanic, Braveheart, and Schindler’s List, along with goofy but beloved comedies like The Wedding Singer and Groundhog Day. Besides those well-known favorites, the ’90s also produced a slew of bone-chilling movies like Sleepy Hollow, Dracula, and Frankenstein in addition to many other horror masterpieces. These films relied less upon endless sequels and unoriginal ideas, opting instead for unique, creative approaches as international horror became more popular and films within the genre were increasingly lauded and awarded. Horror movie fans delight, for it’s time to indulge in all things creepy, cynical, uncanny, gory, and psychotic. These are the best horror films of the 1990’s.
10 Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
Warner Home Video
This ’90s horror movie list wouldn’t be complete without a classic Scooby-Doo movie, and the Mystery Gang is at it again in this tale-thumping tale of zombies and curses in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake, Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, and Scooby-Doo visit a remote island with a dark, twisted secret. After solving the same old case and unmasking a fake fiend, Daphne dreams of finding a real monster. However, the Mystery Gang finds more than they bargained for when they visit Zombie Island in one of the most delightful and genuinely creepy films of the Scooby-Doo franchise.
9 Audition
American Cinematheque
Proceed with caution, this 1999 Japanese horror/thriller film is difficult to stomach. Based on the 1997 novel by Ryu Murakami, Audition follows a lonely widower, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), who stages an audition for a fake movie with the hopes of finding a new wife. When he meets, Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) he is drawn to her beauty and mystery. However, he soon discovers that she isn’t as innocent as she appears to be.
8 Scream
Dimension Films
Most people will recognize the classic black and white mask of Ghostface from this 1996 satirical slasher/horror/mystery film about a teenage girl terrorized by a killer. Scream combines black comedy, “whodunit” mystery, and all the gore of a typical slasher to mock recent horror clichés found in classic films like Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Scream sparked a movie franchise that includes four current movies and a fifth one reportedly in the works for 2022.
7 Candyman
TriStar Pictures
While researching local myths and legends, graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) hears talk of the Candyman (Tony Todd), a knife-wielding manic believed to be responsible for a recent murder. Legend says that when you utter Candyman five times in front of a mirror, the Candyman will return and murder his summoner. When a mysterious man begins stalking Helen, she believes the ghost story may be real. In addition to the original 1992 classic, Candyman was remade again in 2021, with both films exploring racial prejudice and gentrification in unique and horrific ways.
6 It
Warner Bros. Television Studios
If you weren’t afraid of clowns before, you will be after watching this ABC miniseries. Based on the bestselling novel by acclaimed writer Stephen King, It is a psychological horror drama miniseries. This 1990 horror masterpiece is told in two parts and features a brilliant performance by the legendary Tim Curry who plays Pennywise, a sadistic clown who targets children. It was so popular that it was successfully remade again in 2017 for Part I and 2019 for Part II.
5 Interview with the Vampire
Warner Bros. Pictures
No horror movie list is complete without a vampire movie. Interview with the Vampire stars notable names like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Kirsten Dunst in one of her earliest performances This 1994 American gothic horror film (based on the classic novel by Anne Rice) follows an interview with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) as he recounts the events of the past two hundred years. He recalls tales of cruel betrayals and his struggles living with an unquenchable thirst for blood in this romantic, sensual but terrifying film.
4 Misery
Columbia Pictures
Another movie on this list based on a Stephen King novel, Misery tells the tale of novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan). After a serious car crash, Paul is rescued by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who claims to be his biggest fan. She takes Paul to her remote cabin to recover. When Annie discovers that Paul plans on killing her favorite character in his novels, her obsession takes a dark and violent turn. For her twisted portrayal of Annie Wilkes, the (at the time) relatively unknown Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
3 The Sixth Sense
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
The Sixth Sense was M. Night Shyamalan’s third film but his first to turn the twist-loving filmmaker into a household name. Written and directed by Shyamalan, this ghost film follows child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), whose young patient Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) claims to be able to see ghosts. Dr. Crowe tries to help Cole discover the truth behind his supernatural abilities and learns a dark secret in the process. The Sixth Sense earned Shyamalan critical acclaim and immediately identified him as a master of suspense.
2 The Blair Witch Project
Artisan Entertainment
If you’re a fan of found-footage documentary-style horror movies, then you’ve probably seen or heard of its popular progenitor, The Blair Witch Project. This movie follows three film students who travel to a small town with the hopes of collecting documentary footage on the Blair Witch, a legendary local serial killer. Circumstances soon turn amiss for the three friends as they discover that things are not always what they seem. While not the first found-footage horror movie to be made, The Blair Witch Project made this low-budget filmmaking style incredibly popular, with many movies like As Above So Below, The Gallows, and Unfriended following suit. The film was an international sensation, sparking a series of Blair Witch movies including the documentary Curse of the Blair Witch which was released the same year.
1 The Silence of the Lambs
Orion Pictures
The Silence of the Lambs claims the number one position for its excellent direction and incredible performances. It features stunning and chilling performances from legends Sir Anthony Hopkins as the psychopathic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster, who plays an FBI student assigned to question Lecter. Their performances were so good that both Hopkins and Foster won an Oscar for Best Actor and Best Actress. In addition, the film won several other Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director (the incredible Jonathan Demme). Due to its Academy Award-winning success, The Silence of the Lambs became the third film in Academy history to win the “Big Five” awards which are for acting (actor and actress), directing, producing, and screenwriting, joining the ranks with It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). Today, this movie still ranks at the top of its genre.
