90s Horror Movies With Awful Reviews That Are Actually Worth Watching

Ah, the 1990s. Perhaps the peak of the moviegoing experience. Theaters consistently showed classics such as the special effects marvel "Jurassic Park," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Pulp Fiction," "Fargo," and "Titanic." The decade also featured an abundance of outstanding horror films like "The Sixth Sense," "Scream," "Misery," and "Interview with the Vampire," all boasting big-name stars and top-tier directors.

However, playing at the opposite end of the cineplex were thrillers you may have never heard about or skipped simply due to bad reviews or scathing word of mouth. Some of Hollywood's top talent attached themselves to such projects, thwarted by ornery critics or moviegoers seeking higher-end entertainment. That's a shame. 

While there are undoubtedly plenty of terrible horror films from the 90s, the decade was also ripe with lower-tier entries that have aged surprisingly well. Many don't reset the bar established by esteemed pictures like "The Silence of the Lambs," which proved less is more, or "Se7en," which took away David Fincher from directing "Blade," but each is worth checking out, despite what the score on Rotten Tomatoes says. Which 90s horror films are better than their reviews might indicate? Well, you're about to find out.

I caught this mid-90s classic when it aired on TV during my teenage years and was shocked to discover that it ranks among Eddie Murphy's biggest flops. "Vampire in Brooklyn" certainly pales in comparison to Murphy's other works, namely "48 HRS" and "Beverly Hills Cop," but this Wes Craven production satisfies like a late-night bucket of ice cream.

Murphy plays Maximillian, a long-haired vampire who arrives in Brooklyn to find Detective Rita Veder (a terrific Angela Bassett). Rita is the child of a vampire from Maximillian's homeland in the Caribbean, but she is unaware of her lineage, which is crucial for Maximillian to continue his bloodline and gain more power.

Marketed as a comedic farce, "Vampire in Brooklyn" contains far more horror than expected, all shot via Craven's capable hands. Still, moments of humor occasionally pop up, notably when Maximillian morphs into various characters, including a free-spirited reverend. The bit where he walks into a church and drops a blasphemous line when his hair catches fire is a hoot.

Not all of it works, mind you, but sitting at a pitiful 12% on Rotten Tomatoes feels like a crime. Again, "Vampire" doesn't rank alongside Murphy or Craven's greatest hits, but this dark, dreary horror comedy has enough bite and originality to warrant a reassessment.

"Tales From the Crypt" remains a lost relic of the 1990s, a bizarre, often terrifying collection of R-rated stories hosted by a wisecracking skeleton called the CryptKeeper. After a remarkably successful run on HBO (which was once going to be rebooted by M. Night Shyamalan), the franchise headed to the big screen in search of even more success. Unfortunately, the ambitious venture led only to 1995's "Demon Knight" and 1996's "Bordello of Blood." Each flopped at the box office after earning scathing reviews from critics.

"Bordello," in particular, was a surprising dud considering the talent on both sides of the camera. "Back to the Future" filmmakig team Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis concocted the story about a bordello full of vampires, while popular "Saturday Night Live" alum Dennis Miller starred alongside Erika Eleniak, Angie Everhart, Chris Sarandon, and Corey Feldman. What could go wrong? Miller apparently hated the script and decided to improvise much of his dialogue, leading to production issues and a tonally inconsistent product that audiences and critics disregarded.

Bollocks! "Bordello of Blood" offers good campy fun. Miller's on-brand performance remains the best part — "I'm not going to tell you those aren't the Breasts of the Century, but I'm not digging the owner, so why don't you put those away; you're just not my type!" 

"From Dusk Till Dawn" tackled similar themes more effectively earlier in the same year. However, "Bordello" is more enjoyable than one might expect and far better than its putrid Rotten Tomatoes score suggests.

"Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" gets a bum rap because it was released when the franchise had grown stale in the eyes of critics and moviegoers. Truthfully, it's no better or worse than any of the Freddy sequels, and at the very least, wraps up the franchise — at least until it was revived a few years later by Wes Craven.

Directed by Rachel Talalay, the sixth entry in the long-running series takes place in a dystopian future where Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund in a role inspired by a frightening stranger from Wes Craven's life) has already killed all the children in Springwood, leaving it nearly devoid of young people. A therapist named Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane) stumbles upon the Freddy lore and dives deep into the icon's origins, leading to more grisly murders and ghastly deaths.

Viewed in conjunction with the first five "Elm Street" movies, "Freddy's Dead" feels like one scoop too many of the same dish. However, separated from its predecessors, this "final" installment does its job admirably, dispatching characters with ingenuity. At one point, Freddy uses a hearing aid to cause a victim's head to explode. In another, the villain turns a young man into a puppet and cuts his strings, causing him to fall to his death.

I'll be the first to say "The Final Nightmare" is a little too contrived and generic to rank alongside the original or the fantastically dark "Dream Warriors," but I still consider this late chapter a solid entry in the Freddy saga.

Nearly 30 years later, I can still recall listening to critics slam "Mary Reilly" as a stale horror drama that — gasp! — doesn't allow Julia Roberts to flash the dazzling smile that appeared in almost all of her movies. At this point in her career, the superstar was venturing into uncharted territory and flexing her acting muscles in more complex roles. While "Mary Reilly" isn't nearly as captivating as we'd like, a handsome cast, solid production design, and Stephen Frears' assured direction make this unique take on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story worth a look.

The story ostensibly tells the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (both played by John Malkovich), albeit from the perspective of the good doctor's maid. As such, we get a semi-gothic love story that admittedly never settles in an appropriate direction. Instead, "Mary Reilly" gets bogged down with far too many ideas shoved into Christopher Hampton's screenplay, leading to several critics, including the San Francisco Chronicle's Peter Stack, describing the picture as "glum," "dour," and "stuffy."

I won't venture to call "Mary Reilly" an under-appreciated gem, but it's far from the dull drama many label it as. Frears' drama is fascinating and anchored by one of Roberts' best non-comedic performances. Perhaps the striking contrast between the star's previous work in plucky romantic comedies was too great for general audiences. No matter. I appreciate the ambition and hope more people discover this curious tale in the years ahead. 

Like "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare," 1998's "Urban Legend" endured flack merely because it pales in comparison to "Scream," a genuine classic that singlehandedly revitalized the slasher genre. Imagine stepping up to the plate following a Mitch Garver grand slam and getting booed off the field for only hitting a double. Yeah, "Urban Legend" is kind of like that.

Really, "Urban Legend" doesn't present anything you haven't seen before. Indeed, the slasher about a group of teenagers fending off a sadistic killer whose murders resemble famous urban legends dutifully ticks all the boxes. Good looking cast? Check. Gory kills? Check. Foul-mouthed teens shouting at a mysterious killer over bulky cordless phones? Check. Absurd plot twists? Double check. And yet, I have a soft spot for this surprising misfire, primarily due to the abundant homages to previous films and the ridiculously bloody kills. Dogs get blown up in microwaves, a man dies from consuming too many Pop Rocks (albeit with Drano), and another gets run over by a car while lying atop tire spikes. Even poor Tara Reid (one year before her breakout role in "American Pie") gets slashed to bits. It's all goofy, gory fun, and while the results are predictable, I guarantee you'll never be bored.

Ultimately, "Urban Legend" benefits from solid direction from Jamie Banks, a great cast of up-and-comers, including Jared Leto, Joshua Jackson, Rebecca Gayheart, and Michael Rosenbaum, and a handful of solid set pieces. Just don't expect "Scream."

I recall seeing "The Bone Collector" with my dad when it hit theaters in 1999. After watching the thriller directed by Phillip Noyce, we agreed that it was formulaic but still enjoyable. The outstanding performances of Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie were the highlight of the movie, and it actually ranks decently among their best movies.

Years later, I was shocked that only 28% of critics gave the film a positive review. What? Films hovering around that number are damn near unwatchable. "The Bone Collector" may not transcend the genre, but Noyce and Co. deliver where it counts. Also, where else are you going to see Washington strapped to a hospital bed for two hours? Lincoln Rhyme remains one of the talented actor's most challenging roles, and he naturally shines despite playing a person with quadriplegia unable to move any of his extremities.

Jolie, likewise, displays a natural charisma in an early winning performance that allows her to lean on the same physicality and emotional vulnerability that would define her career. Together, the pair make a remarkable team tasked with finding a violent serial killer. Following the usual pattern seen in films of this nature, the journey proves far more engaging than the ultimate resolution. Still, "The Bone Collector" offers an enjoyable ride worth experiencing.

Another high-caliber picture that failed to attract audiences or critics, "Village of the Damned," sees John Carpenter in perfect B-movie form to tell this Stephen King-esque tale about a town run amok with evil children possessing psychic powers. Based on the 1957 novel "The Midwich Cuckoos" by John Wyndham and a similarly titled 1960 film starring George Sanders and Barbara Shelley, "Village of the Damned" remains one of Carpenter's most overlooked pictures, despite a clever premise, a few silly special effects (the glowing eyes effect is hilarious even by 90s standards), and a terrific cast. Like other films on this list, I wouldn't call the horror drama high art, but I would wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of Carpenter's previous work.

The director effectively incorporates an alien invasion element to create tense situations that result in violence. Carpenter would brush the film off as a contractual obligation, dismissing it as his least favorite vehicle. Stop it.

"Village of the Damned" gets under the skin better than most pictures of its ilk and makes the most of its absurd premise. Plus, as stated, the cast is stellar. Christopher Reeve (in the final film before his tragic accident, which is chronicled in a documentary about the actor), Kirstie Alley, and Mark Hamill? That's enough talent to recommend to genre fans searching for a few hours of mindless fun. 

A majority of Stephen King's stories (including those that have been turned into movies) follow a similar pattern. An inexplicable evil throws a quiet Maine town into chaos and causes the locals to lose their minds. Religion often plays a key role, with many characters questioning their beliefs, all the while committing acts of violence they previously thought impossible. See "The Mist," "Storm of the Century," "IT," and "The Stand."

That's not a knock against the acclaimed writer. I rather enjoy his works, regardless of their flaws. However, I find it hilarious that critics blast efforts like "Needful Things" while applauding other King pictures for doing the same thing. 

Granted, director Fraser C. Heston is a far cry from Frank Darabont. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, his handling of the material is a bit one note. "Needful Things" isn't terrifying, but it does present a unique examination of the human condition via a story about a small Maine town that goes to war with itself after Satan himself arrives and pits everyone against each other. We are, by design, selfish creatures all pining for material objects. A slight nudge is all it requires to succumb to our most negative tendencies.

In other words, this is classic Stephen King, warts and all. Somehow, it sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a meager 32%. Give me a break! If you like other King adaptations, there's no reason "Needful Things" won't fulfill expectations. 

Like "The Bone Collector," "Kiss the Girls" gets a bad wrap because it mostly sticks to formula. Any Morgan Freeman serial killer film (and there are a handful of them) invites comparisons to David Fincher's "Se7en," an exceptional suspense thriller unlikely to be duplicated. If you decide to take the plunge with the first of three films featuring James Patterson's Detective Alex Cross, appreciate the production for what it offers rather than focusing on what it lacks.

Freeman stars as Detective Cross, who sets out to stop a maniacal serial killer called "Casanova." Aiding the situation is Ashley Judd's Dr. Kate McTiernan, who managed to escape the killer's clutches and teams with Cross to hunt him down.

Predictably, Freeman and Judd are acceptable, while director Gary Fleder keeps the story moving smoothly. The big twist typically leads to more questions than answers and may induce more shrugs than gasps. Still, the production is solid, and the acting is top-notch. "Kiss the Girls" does just enough to sneak past its ludicrous 32% Rotten Tomatoes score. While it may not reach the heights of "Silence of the Lambs," it certainly doesn't deserve a score below films like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," a category in which "Kiss the Girls" decidedly does not belong.

"Deep Rising" marked my first foray into the manic mind of director Stephen Sommers one year before he delighted audiences with the good, old-fashioned, dumb fun of "The Mummy" starring Brendan Fraser. While ultimately a thriller, "Deep Rising" contains the same sense of jubilant fun as Sommers' monster epic and co-stars Kevin J. O'Connor to boot.

Starring Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald, and Wes Studi, this gory "Alien" knockoff leans hard on its B-movie trappings and packs as many one-liners and set pieces into its two-hour runtime as humanly possible. Performances are mixed, with Williams notably struggling as an action hero, yet that's part of the charm. "Deep Rising" is delirious fun, albeit with a darker tone than Sommers' later works.

Here, he blends elements of sci-fi horror with the disaster epic, namely "Titanic" and "The Poseidon Adventure," and a few aspects of "Jaws." It plays out like a half-cocked compilation of superior films, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Plus, take a gander at those very 90s special effects! Sommers made goofy action movies before goofy action movies were cool. Tip of the hat, sir.

Yes, Denzel Washington makes a second appearance on the list. Deal with it. Gregory Hoblit's "Fallen" rocks! A diabolical serial killer-cum-horror drama, this late 90s entry follows a detective named John Hobbes (Washington), who must stop and kill a serial killer whose murders mimic those of a recently executed maniac. Plot twist: the soul of the deceased bad guy resides in a new body (or bodies), thus allowing him to complete his work.

Novel concept, eh? Critics rolled their eyes, with only 40% offering a positive review on Rotten Tomatoes. What movie did they watch? I saw a clever, often scary, well-acted thriller that held me in its grasp from beginning to end. The star power alone is worth the price of admission: Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, James Gandolfini, and Elias Koteas? Talk about a murderer's row of talent, all playing their parts to perfection.

Honestly, I'm baffled at the low score. Glancing at the mini-reviews, many critics found "Fallen" boring and convoluted. The film has its slower moments, and the plot does push the limits of credibility, but that's par for the course in this specific genre. If you buy into the core concept found in Nicholas Kazan's script, "Fallen" delivers the goods.

Another John Carpenter vehicle that sadly gets frowned upon, "Vampires," remains a delightfully campy, gory B-movie treat for fans of the iconic director's work. Dismissed as "a suspense-free snark-fest," Carpenter's "Vampires" sees James Woods' Snake Plissken-esque hunter, Jack Crow, battling an evil demon known as Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) in New Mexico. A series of violent confrontations ensues as Jack and a ragtag group of warriors led by Daniel Baldwin and Sheryl Lee attempt to stop this ancient evil from taking over the world.

"Vampires" may not be among the filmmaker's best movies, but it features Carpenter's trademark directorial flourishes, right down to the odd pacing and clunky dialogue. I find it as good as most of his works. Critics thought otherwise. Roger Ebert described the film as "one gory showdown after the another," while CNN's Paul Tatara came right out and said it "stinks."

Nonsense. Carpenter knows his audience well and gives them everything they could want. Action, violence, horror, suspense, and humor are all stuffed into a low-budget production that relies more on atmosphere and stylized action than state-of-the-art special effects. Carpenter doesn't hold back, relying on everything from old-school vampire lore to psychic superpowers to stitch his plot together, and it works like a charm.

I enjoyed "Vampires" when I first saw it in theaters in 1998, and subsequent viewings only reinforced my appreciation. They honestly don't make 'em like this anymore.

Maybe I'm biased due to my love for any film starring the great Christopher Walken, but I always dug "The Prophecy" franchise, even the schlocky later entries. Here is a movie about the battle between Heaven and Hell played utterly straight, albeit with Walken's atypical gonzo presence. The actor goes for broke, dialing up the camp to play the murderous Archangel Gabriel, a powerful being attempting to locate a soul that will stop the war in Heaven.

Walken's performance and a handful of flashy special effects are the main reasons to watch this dark and moody horror flick. Where else are you going to see Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer? Toss in a great supporting cast consisting of Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen, and Eric Stoltz, and "The Prophecy" (which is much different from the mutant killer bear movie with a similar title) works better than other films in the Heaven v. Hell genre. I fully admit the final product lacks imagination, but I'm still appalled at the critics who scoffed at the final product.

Moviegoers enjoyed "The Prophecy" enough to warrant a handful of sequels and a 64% fresh audience rating on RT. That's about right. "The Prophecy" isn't God-level cinema, but it doesn't belong in purgatory.

Finally, Joel Schumacher's psychological thriller "Flatliners" is another early '90s romp that deserves more recognition. At the time of its release, critics were impressed by the handsome cast — Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt — Schumacher's visuals and the film's overall concept, but found the production too timid and safe. "Except for the performances by Roberts and Bacon, which occasionally redeem it, 'Flatliners' is exasperating, a compelling concept unfulfilled," wrote Philadelphia Inquirer's Carrie Rickey.

With all due respect to Rickey, I found "Flatliners" rather engrossing as a morality tale with shades of edge-of-your-seat horror. Sure, portions of the picture feel episodic. Each episode offers unique rewards and propels the plot forward like a good book.

For those unaware, the story follows a group of medical students on their quest to take a peek at the other side of the veil. To accomplish this, they "flatline" for a minute and then return to the living to recount their experience. Naturally, their visions come with unexpected consequences that push them to the brink as they deal with dark moments from their past.

Schumacher attacks audiences from all directions as he did with "The Lost Boys" a few years prior, despite a reduced budget. "Flatliners" is silly but also scary, fascinating, and fun to watch. It holds your attention, and while it does fumble its concept, the ambition alone should be enough to propel it beyond its middling 50% Rotten Tomatoes score.