The ’90s were a golden era for movies and a decade of innovation. That’s why the 1990s have brought us so many spectacular films which still hold up and have become instant classics. Grab some popcorn and be ready to be entertained and terrified instead of watching comedies or gambling at a legit real money casino! ’90s horror movies are much different than the grotesque and artistic 1980s film like The Thing, The Shining, Videodrome and Evil Dead 2. The economic recession of the 1990s, fears about the end of the millennium, criminality, and religious cults also had an impact on the cinematic industry: horror films shifted from artistic and grotesque films to mysterious psychological thrillers with elements of horror.
Popular themes of ’90s horror movies are skepticism and serial killers. In the ’90s, a completely different type of horror emerges, which is no less disturbing, but it becomes much less bloody and violent. The postmodernism ideology also had its influence on the movie industry and some filmmakers decided to remake old ones. Here is a list of ’90s horror movies that can be consider the best of the decade.
Misery (1990)
One of the most brilliant thrillers in cinematic history, Misery is based on Stephen King’s novel. There are no supernatural creatures, however, the film shows how casual-looking the true evil may be. The protagonist of the movie, Paul Sheldon is a famous author, who gets in a dangerous car crash and is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a fan of his novels. A woman seems to be very nice and caring and brings Paul to her house after the accident. However, her affection for the writer seems to have a dark side: she takes everything he writes extremely seriously, and when she learns that one of his heroines is dying, shows Paul her hidden evil side.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The success of this iconic film about serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. in many ways set a new trend in the genre of horror films about maniacs. In addition, the atmosphere itself contributed to it: the world was stirred up by the story of the head hoarder Jeffrey Dahmer, The Silence of the Lambs is the art-house horror about Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), who does her investigation of the crime, and the caged cannibal and serial killer Dr. Lecter. A smartly directed film gives you an atmosphere of suspense and fear. This movie redefined the portrayal of serial killers in horrors: the 1980s killers and maniacs were more grotesque and goofy, and Dr. Hannibal Lecter is an intelligent, nearly supernatural creature, a civilized sociopath.
Candyman (1992)
Candyman is based on a short story by Clive Barker, “The Forbidden”, about an African-American who was a victim of racism and turned into a creepy immortal creature, eager for bloody revenge. It is a heartbreaking tale of revenge in which white society finally feels retribution for years of killing African Americans. The main hero of the film, graduate student Helen (Virginia Madsen) gets interested in the urban legend about Candyman. The film is a mix of masterful horror elements, including a terrifying portrayal of Candyman, and suspense with important social issues.
The Faculty (1996)
It is undeniable that The Faculty, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is one of the most iconic teen slashers in the cinematic industry. A group of troubled teenagers suspect that something sinister is happening within the walls of their school – teachers begin to behave extremely strangely and attack others. The teenagers find a strange and seemingly alien organism and then, must find out the cause of the eerie events. The movie stars Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Our list would be incomplete without this film, which became the highest-earning horror movie of all time until 2017. The Sixth Sense was the debut of M. Night Shyamalan who is now famous for his psychological thrillers (Split, Glass, Unbreakable, and Visit. The Sixth Sense is a film balancing between horror movies, ghost stories, and psychological thrillers and it centers on the story of young boy Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), who has a supernatural ability to see people who are dead.
Many movie fans hold the 90s as a decade for poor horror films, but given the list above and more, there are plenty of great films. The last decade of the 20th century was truly remarkable for unique horror films and thrillers. As we have decided to put in our list only 5 films, here are some other ’90s horror movies worth mentioning: Night of the Living Dead (1990), Scream (1996), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Exorcist III (1990), In The Mouth of Madness (1995), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995), Lord of Illusions (1995), Village of the Damned (1995), Thinner (1996), Mimic (1997), Ravenous (1999), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Se7en (1995), Whispering Corridors (1998), Body Parts (1991), Tremors (1990), Army of Darkness (1992).
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