The Worst Horror Movies Of The 90s

Not every 90s horror movie was a winner. And that’s totally fine. The decade may have produced some of the scariest and most innovative films of the genre, but it also saw a good amount of straight up busted horror movies that just don’t work. From bad acting to ridiculous plots, these horror films missed the mark and earned their place as some of the worst of the 90s.

Troll 2 is widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made. Not only does it feature laughably bad dialogue, a nonsensical plot, and acting that would be more at home in a high school theater, but it’s not even a sequel to the original Troll. Oh, and there’s no trolls. Instead, the plot revolves around vegetarian goblins who turn people into plants to eat them. Troll 2 is a must-see film, just don’t expect to find a hidden gem.

The Leprechaun series was never known for high-quality filmmaking, but by the time Leprechaun 4: In Space was released, the franchise had fully descended into absurdity. The idea of taking the mischievous, murderous leprechaun into space was as ridiculous as it sounds, and the film’s low-budget effects, cheesy one-liners, and nonsensical plot make it one of the worst horror films of the decade. While it might provide some unintentional laughs, Leprechaun 4 is an example of a franchise running out of ideas and leaning into the ridiculous for all the wrong reasons.

As the ninth film in the Friday the 13th franchise, Jason Goes to Hell attempted to shake up the formula by turning Jason Voorhees into a body-hopping entity rather than the traditional masked slasher. There are some members of the Friday the 13th fandom who will fight for this movie, but with its convoluted plot, inconsistent tone, frankly a lack of Jason, this is one of the weakest entries in the long-running series.

A loose sequel to the 80s classic An American Werewolf in London, An American Werewolf in Paris fails to capture the magic of the original in every single way. The thing that made its prededesor special, the incredible practical effects, have been replaced with subpar CGI. On top of that, the movie has a weak plot, and it criminally underutilizes Julie Delpy. The horror-comedy balance that worked so well in the original falls flat here. It’s a movie that’s best left forgotten in the shadow of the superior original.

The Rage: Carrie 2 is a sequel that no one really asked for. Following in the footsteps of Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic, this film tries to recreate the telekinetic terror of Carrie with a new protagonist, but it falls short in almost every way. The story is uninspired, the characters are forgettable, and the attempt to modernize the plot for a 90s audience feels forced. With little of the emotional depth or suspense of the original, The Rage: Carrie 2 is a sequel that feels unnecessary and fails to stand on its own.

The Children of the Corn franchise is notorious for its declining quality, but even so, Urban Harvest is a brutal watch in all the worst ways. This third installment takes the creepy rural cult of children and inexplicably moves them to the city, resulting in a movie that’s more confusing than scary. The acting is subpar, the plot is convoluted, and the attempts to bring horror into an urban setting feel forced and awkward. It’s a forgettable entry in an already tired franchise, with little to offer in terms of genuine horror or suspense.

Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Mangler follows the ridiculous premise of a haunted industrial laundry machine that begins killing people. Despite having a story from a horror master and a cast that includes Robert Englund (of Freddy Krueger fame), the film fails on nearly every level. The plot is laughably absurd, the scares are nonexistent, and the special effects are more goofy than frightening.

The follow-up to the super successful I Know What You Did Last Summer tries to capitalize on the 90s teen horror craze, but what we get here is nothing more than a lackluster sequel. The plot, which revolves around the survivors from the previous film and their new buddies being stalked by the same killer, is essentially a rehash of the first film with less suspense and more predictability. The characters make illogical decisions, the scares are formulaic, and the twist ending falls flat. While the original film was a solid entry in 90s horror, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is just a drag.

The Dentist is a horror film that takes a phobia many people have—fear of the dentist—and turns it into a bizarre, over-the-top slasher. This movie about a a psychotic dentist should be fun, but it just doens’t work. The film’s attempts to blend psychological horror with gory kills fall flat, resulting in a movie that’s more gross than scary. While it might appeal to fans of campy horror, The Dentist is far from quality.

Not to be confused with the family-friendly holiday film, Jack Frost is a horror-comedy about a serial killer who is transformed into a murderous snowman. The concept is absurd, and the execution is even worse, with cheap special effects, awful one-liners, and a complete lack of genuine horror. While it has since gained a cult following for its “so bad it’s good” appeal, Jack Frost is undeniably one of the worst horror films of the 90s. Seriously, you will not forget the shower scene.