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If you’re a lover of ’90s horror movies, you’re probably already familiar with Scream, The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, and Silence Of The Lambs. Recent announcements of remakes and sequels set to be created for underrated ’90s horror movies have got horror fans turning their attention to older movies — and something about ’90s horror movies seems to stand out.
The era was big for scary children’s movies and television shows that weren’t really meant to be too scary but wound up being horrifying. As a child of the late ’90s and early 2000s, I can attest to some of the most terrifying movies that I probably watched way too early on in life. It has fed my horror addiction that still exists today. When I feel nostalgic, I always turn back to some of my favorite and unintentionally terrifying ’90s horror movies.
This year has been a big year for media consumption. When you’ve exhausted all of the new horror films on Netflix and Hulu, it might be time to turn your attention to some unexpectedly spooky ’90s horror movies. Here’s a list of five highly suggested and seriously underrated movies from the decade.
1. Don’t Look Under The Bed (1999)
This first suggestion on my list of ’90s horror movies might come as a surprise seeing as it was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, but when I say this movie still haunts me to this day, I mean it. The movie itself is categorized as a fantasy horror meant for children, but this movie is not for the faint of heart.
I was barely four-years-old when this movie came out, and I’m not sure how I stomached it at such a young age. This ’90s horror movie tells the story of a high school girl named Frances, who starts to see another teenager doing strange things around her hometown. She witnesses the shenanigans like the stranger vandalizing the high school or wreaking havoc in the hallways. The weird thing about it is that nobody else seems to see him doing these things.
The story takes a turn towards the worst when it is revealed that the boogeyman himself is framing the boy. The story unravels into a tall tale about believing in imaginary friends, or else you doom them to becoming the boogeyman. It’s a pretty dark plot for a children’s movie, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Even as an adult, I have a hard time watching this movie. If you are looking for a quality ’90s horror movie with a unique plot and a fun spin for the younger generation, this movie is definitely for you. Just please, don’t look under your bed after watching it.
2. Candyman (1992)
The next movie on my list of ’90s horror movies is the original Candyman (1992). The anticipated Jordan Peele sequel of Candyman may have been pushed to release in 2021, but that doesn’t mean audiences shouldn’t enjoy the original ’90s classic. Most people didn’t know about the movie until Peele announced his sequel being in production, but the movie is certainly worth more attention than a second thought.
The story itself dives into the classic folklore trope where children summon the boogeyman in the mirror, believing it isn’t a real threat, but in Candyman, the boogeyman is very real. Tony Todd depicts the candyman in the movie and adds a horrific yet classic spin on the movie with his acting. This ’90s horror movie tells the story of a skeptical grad student researching urban legends in a housing project when she hears about the Candyman’s legend.
She is a nonbeliever up until she starts being stalked by a man who matches the exact description of the candyman. While the movie doesn’t have any intense effects or terrifying soundtracks like horror movies today, it is still worth watching to remind yourself where the original candyman really comes from.
3. The Witches (1990)
Based on the recent announcement of a remake, The Witches (1990), being next on my list of ’90s horror movies shouldn’t come as a surprise. Witches have been unbelievably popular in media lately, and another recent announcement has been the remake of Roald Dahl’s book The Witches. Anne Hathaway is set to star in The Witches reboot, but a true horror lover wouldn’t forget the original performance by the queen of ’90s horror films herself, Anjelica Huston.
Fans might know Anjelica Huston from her performance as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family, another ’90s horror movie classic. Not as many people remember her as the Grand High Witch in the 1990 adaptation of The Witches. The movie itself was produced by puppet master Jim Henson, making for an iconically ’90s experience. This movie combines everything ’90s kids loved about the decade and everything adults need to feel nostalgic about the era. If you haven’t already, you can watch the movie on Netflix right now — and even if you have, why not watch it again?
4. It (1990)
Despite this movie being 192 minutes long, this classic still made it on my top list of underrated ’90s horror movies. Stephen King’s It is another movie audiences would recognize as being remade recently. While the remake itself did pretty well in theaters, nothing can really come close to Tim Curry’s depiction of Pennywise The Clown.
Technically speaking, this was a miniseries released in 1990, but It can certainly be turned into a long horror movie night’s feature film. The movie stands at just over three hours long, and every minute of it is worth the watch. Tim Curry is an enormously talented actor and watching him dominate as Pennywise The Clown is more satisfying than you might expect.
The classic ’90s horror movie came out prior to big-box special effects and relied mainly on the cast’s ability to give a convincing and terrifying performance. This movie is borderline, not underrated, but in my opinion, not enough people know about the original. Go ahead and give it a spin — I promise, we all float down here on the other side of watching this 1990 classic.
5. Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island (1998)
The last movie on my list of underrated ’90s horror movies might be especially surprising, seeing as it is an animated Scooby-Doo movie. Hear me out: I was born in the mid-nineties, which consequently left me watching the remnants of ’90s children’s television while my sister binge-watched Digimon. I was admittedly a pretty spooky child and always had an affinity for all things meant to be scary, like the children’s show Courage The Cowardly Dog.
All of that being said, this Scooby-Doo movie is genuinely terrifying. It is animated, and I get it; nobody thinks they’re going to be spooked by a children’s movie. However, it takes a lot to scare me, and I will not watch Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island without a light turned on.
In this ’90s horror movie, the Scooby gang finds themselves on Zombie Island, investigating a haunted house. After a few run-ins with spooky locals, the gang comes to find out that there is a curse on the island. The story unfolds with terrifying zombies and even musical she-wolves who live on the island.
Still not convinced? Parents probably saw Scooby-Doo in the title and threw it on for kids without a second thought, but this movie should not be marketed for children. It is a terrifying mix of she-wolves, zombies, and a spooky house with a terrifying curse. Even the thought of it truly incites fear in me, and if you saw it as a kid, I highly encourage you to head to Netflix and give it a second watch. At the very least, you’ll have a nostalgic time.
Canonically ’90s Horror Movies
When I think about the ’90s, like most people, I think about terrible snack commercials, ridiculous outfits, and, most notably, some surprisingly terrifying movies. Its pre-special effects movie flavor characterizes the decade, making every movie on this list charming and somehow even more terrifying than they might be with big Hollywood effects.
While some of the movies on this list might be scarier than others, each one is underrated and canonically ’90s and guaranteed to give you a retro blast to the past. Maybe if you’re lucky, they’ll give you a good spook in the process, too. You’ll probably want to check under your bed before you sit down to watch any of these movies; the fear factor might take you by surprise.