Historically, horror hasn’t been critics’ favorite genre, and sometimes even those who are fans can get it wrong. Take Jennifer’s Body, for example, a film that was critically trashed upon its release and is not revered as the smart, feminist cult classic it is. John Carpenter-directed sci-fi horror The Thing was also met with poor critical reception, and called things like “instant junk” and “wretched excess,” but now critics love it, and it boasts an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Sometimes critics don’t get it necessarily wrong, but it doesn’t mean a movie still isn’t worth watching.
The 10 critically panned horror movies on this list definitely deserve your time. Some were misunderstood by critics and are actually brilliant works. Others might not be the greatest of films, but are uniquely entertaining and are essential viewing for horror fans. Then, there are the overly hated scary flicks that fans will defend to death.
10
‘Let’s Scare Jessica to Death’ (1971)
After Jessica (Zohra Lampert) is released from a psychiatric institution, she and her husband, Duncan (Barton Heyman), move to an isolated island for a fresh start, along with their friend Woody (Kevin O’Connor). When they arrive at the rundown farmhouse that’s to be their new home, they find it occupied by a hippie named Emily, who Duncan invites to stay. Unnerved by her husband’s clear attraction to Emily and a local legend of a vampire, Jessica finds it increasingly difficult to discern what’s real.
An Eerie, Hazy Gothic Horror of Uncertainty
John Hancock’s debut, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death is one of the most underrated horror films of the 1970s. The movie received bad reviews upon release, and currently sits at a low 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite not being embraced by critics, it has rightly developed a cult following. Like Jessica, the audience is constantly left wondering what’s real, even in its ending. The movie never fully reveals whether it’s painting a portrait of a psychotic break, a ghost story, or gaslighting, and therein lies its brilliance.
9
‘Prom Night’ (1980)
Directed by Paul Lynch, the 1980s slasher Prom Night opens with a group of 11-year-olds who unintentionally kill 10-year-old Robin Hammond (Tammy Bourne) while taunting and teasing her in an abandoned building. After making a pact swearing each other to secrecy, a local man is blamed for her death. Six years later, they’re targeted on prom night by a masked killer who knows their secret. Jamie Lee Curtis stars as the prom queen, Kim, and Robin’s older sister.
A Must-Watch 1980s Slasher
After its release, the movie drew negative comparisons to Halloween and Carrie, with many calling it a poor imitation of the two. While it may not be as great as many of its contemporaries, Prom Night is definitely worth your time, especially if you enjoy fun slasher romp. It truly is one of the most overlooked horror movies of its decade. The film is followed by three sequels and a 2008 reboot starring Brittany Snow.
8
‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1999)
House on Haunted Hill is a reimagining of the 1959 movie of the same name starring Vincent Price. A group of strangers are invited to a party at an abandoned psychiatric hospital, rumored to be haunted, by amusement park mogul Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) to celebrate his wife Evelyn’s (Famke Janssen) birthday, neither of whom any of them have ever met before. Each guest has been offered one million dollars if they stay and survive the night.
A Fun and Campy Ride
The film wasn’t well received, bringing in negative review after negative review. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics consensus reads: “Unsophisticated and unoriginal film fails to produce scares.” Despite being critically panned, House on Haunted Hill deserves a watch. As a campy, escapist horror flick with colorful characters, it gets the job done and entertains. Severely underrated for its chilling atmosphere and gruesome kills, viewers are in for a real treat. The movie deserves its flowers for ushering in the onslaught of remakes that came in the 2000s.
7
‘House of Wax’ (2005)
House of Wax wildly reimagines the 1953 film of the same name, which itself is a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. In this story, a group of college friends become stranded in Ambrose, a place that is practically a ghost town. While looking around, they wander into the only place that’s open, Trudy’s House of Wax. Too late, they discover that the figures inside the wax museum hide something incredibly disturbing beneath the surface.
A Slasher Brimming With Atmosphere and Mystery
Despite what its negative reviews and low score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes might have you believe, House of Wax is a competent slasher. It delivers on both atmosphere, mystery, and gore. Elisha Cuthbert’s Carly Jones is one of the most underrated final girls of all time, and is long overdue her praise.
6
‘Black Christmas’ (2006)
Black Christmas stars a remarkable and familiar cast of leading ladies: Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, and Crystal Lowe. In this reinterpretation of Bob Clark’s eponymous holiday slasher, a group of sorority sisters stranded on campus during a snowstorm are stalked and hunted by the house’s previous occupant, who has just escaped from a psychiatric prison hospital and returned home after 15 years.
A Delightfully Campy Holiday Essential
No one thought that a classic masterpiece like Black Christmas needed a remake, and it wasn’t received well by fans or critics. The movie has an abysmal score of 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it things like “a colossal mess” and “barely even a movie.” The film has gained a cult following over the years, becoming a holiday horror staple. While it isn’t perfect by any means, this noughties update of Black Christmas is certainly enjoyable. Delving into the killer’s background is an interesting take, for one. The ensemble cast is severely underrated. It’s precisely what critics hated that makes it such a delight — it’s outrageously gory, mean-spirited horror schlock.
5
‘Dead Silence’ (2007)
After the first three Saw movies, Leigh Whannell and James Wan teamed up once again for this forgotten and criminally underappreciated gem. Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) stars as Jamie Ashen, a man whose wife is murdered one night after the mysterious delivery of a ventriloquist dummy called “Billy” to their home, with the doll at the scene of the crime. After finding a message in Billy’s box about Mary Shaw, a dead ventriloquist and local legend from his hometown, Jame returns home to Raven’s Fair seeking answers.
A Ghost and Her Creepy Dolls in a Haunted Town
Dead Silence was met with horrible critical reception, scoring a low 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics, and getting “generally unfavorable” reviews on Metacritic. However, the film brings to life a truly epic, creepy story that deserves a look by horror aficionados. It plays like a dark, giallo-esque fairy tale, immersing the viewer in a rich atmosphere and captivating them with the lore surrounding the villainous Mary Shaw. What can be more creepy than a tale about a ghost ventriloquist in a haunted town? Definitely give this movie your time, and remember, “be sure to never, ever scream.”
4
‘As Above, So Below’ (2014)
As Above, So Below is presented as the found footage of a crew of explorers traversing the mysterious catacombs of Paris. It centers around Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks), who is dead-set on completing the archaeological search her late father dedicated his life to: the whereabouts of the Philosopher’s Stone. A clue leads her and her team beneath the grounds of the capital of France, where they enter a maze that becomes their personal hell.
A Terrifying Found Footage Horror Movie With Twist and Turns
It was widely trashed by critics, who called it mediocre, unoriginal, and clichéd. Currently, the movie sits at a low 28% on Rotten Tomatoes, but you shouldn’t let this bad score deter you from giving it a shot. Despite what you might have read in reviews, the film is a truly unique found footage story with an intriguing premise and effective esoteric theming. It excels in creating a sense of dread and claustrophobia, utilizing a truly creepy setting to its advantage. The catacombs of Paris? No one would want to get stuck there.
3
‘Hell Fest’ (2018)
At a Halloween haunted attraction one night, a young woman is brutally stabbed to death by a masked murderer and hung to look like a prop. For three days, no one realized it was a real body. Two years later, Natalie (Amy Forsyth) and her friends visit Hell Fest, a horror-themed park filled with haunted houses, mazes, dark rides, and all things creepy. Throughout the night, she spots someone constantly on their trail. At first, they think it’s one of the park’s masked employees scaring them, but it’s a killer hunting his prey.
An Underrated Slasher That Delivers on Atmosphere, Scares, and Kills
Hell Fest was torn apart by critics who said it was unimpressive and didn’t add anything new to the genre. While it’s not exactly a smart slasher, it is a fun one, and makes for ideal viewing during Halloween season. The movie’s setting is immersive, with a fascinating backdrop, fabulous set pieces, and menacing lighting. It’s definitely worth your time when you’re looking to get in the macabre spirit in October.
2
‘Malevolent’ (2018)
Florence Pugh stars in this overlooked Netflix original horror movie from the UK. Set in Scotland, Malevolent follows two siblings, Angela (Pugh) and Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Huges), who make a living running off a ghost-busting scam, pretending to investigate the paranormal in clients’ homes. On a new job at a countryside estate with a dark history, the siblings and their team discover a real evil.
For Fans of Pugh and Haunted House Tales
The movie wasn’t a hit among critics or audiences, despite being well-made and featuring an excellent performance from Pugh, who was cementing herself as one of the greatest talents of her generation, even before Midsommar. It makes the most of its minimalist setting of an old, spooky house. Although it has its faults, the movie delivers on atmosphere and suspense. It’s worth a watch, especially for those looking to explore all of Pugh’s filmography.
1
‘The Strangers: Prey at Night’ (2018)
The second installment of The Strangers film series stars Bailee Madison, Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson, and Lewis Pullman as a family who stop at a secluded and deserted mobile home park while on a road trip. Over the course of the night, they’re stalked by three masked killers — the iconic Pin-Up Girl, Dollface, and Man in the Mask — hell-bent on taking their lives before the sun rises the next morning.
A Truly Impressive, Brutal Slasher
The film was met with poor critical reception, with many condemning it for vastly deviating from its predecessor, and trading in atmosphere for action. What makes it so great is precisely this — that it doesn’t try to be anything like the original. The Strangers: Prey at Night deserves to be appreciated in its own right. Tense from start to finish, the movie evokes ’80s slasher thrills, adopting a stylized visual approach and synth score to create a unique atmosphere.
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