Forgotten 90s Horror Movies That Will Give You The Creeps

The 90s were an incredible time for horror, but for every Scream and The Blair Witch Project, there are plenty of great film films that slipped through the cracks. These forgotten gems might not have achieved mainstream success, but they still offer plenty of thrills and chills for horror fans. If you think you’ve seen it all, these movies are definitely worth adding to your watchlist.

Directed by Abel Ferrara, The Addiction is a unique vampire film that focuses on the existential terror of being a bloodsucker while dealing with the very real human emotions of regret and guilt. Lili Taylor plays a graduate student bitten by a vampire and spirals into addiction as she struggles to balance her academic life with her newfound bloodlust. Shot in black and white, Ferrara provides a suitably gritty take on the most romantic monster in recent memory.

A strange and unsettling film, The Reflecting Skin blends coming-of-age drama with gothic horror. Set in a rural 1950s America, the film follows a young boy who suspects his mysterious neighbor is a vampire, but the real horror comes from the bizarre and tragic events that unfold around him. If you’re looking for a traditional horror movie, go somewhere else. However, if you’re willing to settle in for an atmospheric and disturbing evening this will leave a burnscar on your brain.

John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness is a meta-horror film that plays with the idea of fiction becoming reality. The film follows an insurance investigator who is sent to find a missing horror author, only to discover that the author’s fictional creations are coming to life. While Carpenter is known for his earlier classics like Halloween and The Thing, In the Mouth of Madness is for some reason overlooked. This deeply unsettling film has an all-time performance from Sam Neill, and it offers a fresh take on Lovecraftian storytelling and Cosmis Horror.

Directed by Wes Craven, The People Under the Stairs is a darkly comedic horror film that tackles themes of class, race, and greed. The story follows a young boy who breaks into a wealthy couple’s home, only to discover that they’re hiding something terrifying in the basement. Though the film was mildly successful at the time, people don’t really talk about it in the same breath as Craven’s masterworks. This is a truly weird movie that you won’t forget – especially once you meet Mommy and Daddy.

Clive Barker’s Nightbreed is a visually stunning film that explores the world of monsters in a way few horror films do. The story follows a man who discovers an underground city populated by outcast creatures. While Nightbreed was a box-office disappointment, it has since gained cult status, particularly after the release of the director’s cut, which restores much of Barker’s original vision. It’s a unique take on the horror genre, offering a sympathetic view of the monsters typically feared in horror films.

The Relic is a creature feature set in a museum, where a monstrous entity terrorizes scientists and visitors alike. While it didn’t receive the same attention as other 90s monster movies, The Relic delivers suspense, solid special effects, and an intriguing mystery. Based on the novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, it offers a blend of science fiction and horror that will satisfy fans of both genres. It’s a forgotten gem for anyone who enjoys creature-driven horror films.

As the third film adaptation of the classic sci-fi horror novel The Body Snatchers, this 1993 version flew under the radar despite being a solid entry in the invasion genre. Another Abel Ferrara classic, the film updates the original story of alien pods that replace humans with emotionless duplicates, placing the action on a military base. The film wasn’t a box office success, but it’s an intense, paranoid thriller that holds up surprisingly well and offers a fresh take on a story that we’ve seen time and time again.

Let’s get this out of the way, Event Horizon was a major flop at the box office, but holy cow were people wrong at the time. This cult classic has a small but devoted fanbase who are all in for its version of Hellraiser in space. There may not be Cenobites in Event Horizon but if you know you know. The story follows a crew investigating a spaceship that has returned after disappearing into a black hole, only to discover it’s brought something sinister back with it. The film’s nightmarish visuals and disturbing atmosphere are still hard to watch, so don’t let the kids see this one until they’re ready.

The original Candyman is a tour-de-force horror film that gets into the nitty gritty of racism in America while offering one of the most endearing “monsters” of the 20th century. Its 1995 sequel, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, isn’t as powerful but it’s still a lot of fun. The film gives a backstory to the iconic villain while providing enough gloomy Nawlins atmosphere to fill a whole bowl o’ gumbo. If you liked the first film you’ll definitely get a kick out of Farewell to the Flesh.

Directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, Castle Freak is a low-budget horror film about a family who inherits a castle with a dark secret. As strange occurrences unfold, the family discovers a hideous creature living in the dungeon. Even though the movie was dead on arrival at the box office (if it even went to theaters, the cult of Castle Freak has continued to grow.