The ’90s was a decade known for epic dramas and goofy but beloved comedies. However, the ’90s also produced a slew of bone-chillinghorrormovies. While the decade is often considered a dark time for the genre, the contrary is actually true. There was a strong mix of big-budget epic horror spectacles based on classic literature likeBram Stoker’s DraculaandSleepy Hollowmixed alongside slasher deconstructions like Scream and New Nightmare in addition to some groundbreaking films that would get horror movies so much needed Oscar attention.
Update July 10, 2025: In honor of Halloween, this article has been updated by Danilo Raúl with even more great horror films from the 1990s.
This decade saw filmmakers like established horror names like Sam Raimi and Wes Craven delivering the goods while then up-and-coming filmmakers like David Fincher and M. Night Shyamalan were finding their voice. Horror movie fans are in for a delight, for it’s time to indulge in all things creepy, cynical, uncanny, gory, and terrifying with a look at the twenty best horror films from the ’90s.
20Darkman (1990)
There is nothing better to kickstart this era of horror than one of the best offerings of Sam Raimi. Taking a cue from the pulp heroes of the 1950s,Darkmanis a character created by Raimi and Chuck Pfarrer. Both men worked on the script, and Sam directed the feature with the star power of Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, and Larry Drake.
Darkman is the story of Dr. Peyton Wilder, who is working on a new skin grafting technology when a mob boss is tasked to take him out by a rival corporation. Scarred in body and mind, Peyton undergoes a procedurethat cuts off his sensory nerves so he doesn’t feel any pain. He escapes from the hospital and retakes his work by becoming the phantom avenger Darkman, and he won’t stop until justice is dispensed for everything he’s lost. The film is the perfect mixture of the classic Universal Monster vibe with the traditional superhero formula to make something unique in both genres.
19Army of Darkness (1992)
Army of Darknessis the final chapter in the original Evil Dead trilogy; the film is written and directed by Sam Raimi and stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. The fearless adventurer has been sent back to medieval times, where he’s captured by Lord Arthur, whose kingdom is being raided by Deadites while at war with a rival Lord.
Ash is asked to retrieve the Necronomicon, but an evil copy of himself takes command of the Deadites, so he must do everything in his powerto get rid of the copycat and exterminate the Deaditesonce and for all, so he can be sent back to his proper timeline. The final entry in the trilogy is plagued with the absurdity and gore that have been the series' trademark.
18Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
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 inScooby-Doo on Zombie Island.
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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 from theScooby-Doofranchise.
17Audition (1999)
Proceed with caution, this 1999 Japanese horror/thriller film is difficult to stomach. Based on the 1997 novel by Ryu Murakami, Takashi Miike’sAuditionfollows a lonely widower named 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. Asami is a jealous and vindictive wife, who violently turns on her new man after he wrongs her. She brutally tortures him and leaves him wishing he was dead, much like the previous men in her life.Auditionhelped usher in a wave of incredibly violent and gory films that became known as “torture porn” to genre fans.
16Blade (1998)
In the 1990s, Marvel Comics filed for bankruptcy. The comic company had to sell the right to make films to studios for almost all their IPs. Given the resounding success of theBatmanfranchise, many studios were scratching to get the next best thing. In a twist no one saw coming, a minor character likeBladegot his first major motion picture.
Mixing horror with action,Bladeis a film directed by Stephen Norrington with a screenplay by David S. Goyer and starring Wesley Snipes. The Daywalker is a one-man mission to rid the world of vampires with the help of father figure Abraham Whistler.Blade must confront the vampire clan of Deacon Frostand uncover the secret behind the death of his mother. It was the first Marvel superhero film to make it to the big screen, paving the way for a barrage of Marvel characters being adapted over the years.
15Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Wes Craven truly did something remarkable when he first conceived a continuation of theNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise.Wes Craven’s New Nightmarewas a film that was like no other, and it could still be part of the finished franchise.
The film relied on the meta aspect of real fear being so powerful that demons from the screen can transcend and cross over to the real world.Wes Craven’s New Nightmarefollowed actress Heather Langemkamp, who played Nancy in the originalNightmare on Elm Streetfranchise. Freddy Krueger sets his sights on Langenkamp’s son as his new vessel so he could be as real as the nightmares he used against his victims, furthering the horror movie slasher’s dark legacy.
14Ravenous (1999)
1999’sRavenoussurprised fans when it was released due to the uncomfortable content and graphic imagery. Thankfully, the impressive performances and fantastic production still allowed the unique horror to stand out on its own.Ravenoustells the story of a team of rescuers in the 19th-century United States.
They encounter a mysterious man who tells a terrifying story of cannibalism. However, everything changes when the group discovers that the man is actually the hungry cannibal, and they are all in danger of becoming his next meal. When it comes to films that are unexpectedly gory,Ravenousmight sit near the top. The cast ensemble was also incredibly impressive and featured names like Robert Carlyle, Guy Pearce, David Arquette, Jeremy Davies, John Spencer, and Neal McDonough.
13Candyman (1992)
While researching local myths and legends, graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) learns about the legend of theCandyman(Tony Todd), a knife-wielding maniac believed to be responsible for a recent murder. Legend says that when you speak “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror, he 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,Candymanwas remade in 2021, with both films exploring racial prejudice and gentrification in unique and horrific ways. The originalCandymanalso kicked off its own franchise of sequels that further explored the man behind the legend and the tragic history of his dark transformation as well.
12Stephen King’s It (1990)
An entire generation of movie lovers developed an intense fear of clowns after viewing the 1990 ABC TV movie that adapted Stephen King’s iconic horror novelIt. Tommy Lee Wallace adapted the bestselling novel as a two-part mini-series calledStephen King’s It.
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While the TV adaptation is definitely a product of the early ’90s, it still stands as an intense psychological horror limited series. The 1990 horror masterpiece features a brilliant performance by the legendary Tim Curry asPennywise the Clown, a sadistic shapeshifter who targets childrenin the dark town of Derry, Maine. The book and TV adaptation were so popular with fans that a new adaptation in 2017 broke horror movie records.
11Interview with the Vampire (1994)
1994’sInterview with the Vampirestars 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) featured an interview with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt).
He recounted the events of the past two hundred years since he had been turned by the evil vampire known as Lestat, the main character of Anne Rice’s extended book series. Louis recalled tales of cruel betrayals and his struggle living with an unquenchable thirst for blood as he traveled the world to try and find a place for himself.Interview with the Vampireis romantic and sensual but ultimately terrifying.
