10 Critically Panned Horror Movies That Are Actually Good

Horror is among the most versatile and popular genres in modern cinema. Just this year, countless horror movies came out, both in theaters and streaming, with many, including Longlegs and A Quiet Place: Day One, becoming major hits with critics and audiences. Indeed, throughout its long history, horror has produced many movies that have both been embraced by critics and audiences.

Sadly, not every horror movie has the same fate. In fact, some are outright panned by critics, who take gleeful aim at everything from their lack of originality (a recurring issue, especially in horror) to their uneven tone and disconnected performances. Yet, many horror movies that were widely criticized upon release have been reclaimed by fans, who can appreciate them for what they are. These critically panned horror movies are actually great for what they are and can be not only quite enjoyable but memorable, to the point where they might be iconic in their own right.

10 ‘House of Wax’ (2005)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

The mid-2000s produced several slasher movies, many of which were remakes of classic horror movies from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. One such example is House of Wax, directed by a then-unknown Jaume Collet-Serra and starring an ensemble including Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, and Paris Hilton. The plot centers on a group of friends who stumble upon a ghost town hiding a horrifying secret.

As is the issue with most remakes, House of Wax was unfavorably compared to the iconic original starring horror icon Vincent Price. However, other than the title, both movies share very little in common. It’s best to judge 2005’s House of Wax as its own thing: a chill and competent slasher that might not be a masterclass in filmmaking but remains an entertaining horror exercise with enough gore and gnarl to satisfy hardcore and casual audiences alike.

Release Date

April 30, 2005

Runtime

105

Writers

Charles Belden , Chad Hayes , Carey Hayes

9 ‘Black Christmas’ (2006)

Directed by Glen Morgan

2006’s Black Christmas is one of those noughties movies starring a cast of very familiar faces who should really be more famous today: Katie Cassidy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michelle Trachtenberg, Lacey Chabert, and Crystal Lowe. The plot sees a group of sorority sisters stalked by a deranged killer on Christmas Eve. Black Christmas is actually inspired by real-life crimes, giving it an additional, discomforting layer.

A (very) loose remake of the 1974 eponymous film, 2006’s Black Christmas is more of a reinterpretation than an outright adaptation. The story is more overt, abandoning all subtext and opting for a straightforward approach to violence and gore. However, the result is quite effective; indeed, Black Christmas doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how unsettling it is, providing a truly disturbing origin story for its villain and featuring some of the most original kills for its unsuspecting ensemble.

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8 ‘Prom Night’ (1980)

Directed by Paul Lynch

In many ways, Jamie Lee Curtis is the ultimate scream queen. Her work in 1980s horror cemented her reputation as such, even if some received quite a negative reception upon release. Take 1980’s Prom Night, which sees her as prom queen-bound and future final girl Kim, who becomes the prey of a deranged killer seeking revenge for a past crime.

In retrospect, many of the things that contemporary critics disliked about Prom Night are what make it great. It’s funny, both intentionally and unintentionally, and favors instant payoff over atmospheric dread. However, that approach is arguably best for a slasher, and Prom Queen understands it. It is among the first proper entries into the subgenre and does a wonderful job summarizing what makes slasher movies so entertaining.

Prom Night

Release Date

July 18, 1980

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis , Leslie Nielsen , Eddie Benton , Antoinette Bower

Runtime

93 minutes

Writers

William Gray

7 ‘Halloween II’ (1981)

Directed by John Carpenter

And speaking of Jamie Lee Curtis, the sequel to her genre-defining, game-changing, outright iconic 1978 horror masterpiece Halloween did a lot worse with critics. Halloween II picks up immediately where its predecessor left off and sees Michael Myers tracking Laurie Strode to the hospital, killing anyone on his path to get to her.

Halloween II received near-instant backlash for its controversial choice of turning Michael Myers into Laurie Strode’s brother — Quentin Tarantino went as far as to call it “fruit from the poison tree!” Whether you like the twist or not, it’s undeniable that Halloween II succeeds as an atmospheric descent into darkness accompanied by some brutal violence. Curtis is at her final girl best, while Michael Myers effortlessly walks his way into horror icon territory, one slow, firm step at a time.

Halloween II

Release Date

October 30, 1981

Runtime

92 minutes

6 ‘Lady in a Cage’ (1964)

Directed by Walter Grauman

The “psycho biddy” subgenre of horror, also derogatorily known as “hag horror” or “hagsploitation,” rose to prominence in the mid-60s following the success of 1962’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The subgenre features older women, often stars from Classic Hollywood, and places them in situations of increasing mental distress, either terrorizing or being terrorized by those around them.

Although the subgenre features many questionable tropes, it’s also much better than given credit for. Take 1964’s Lady in a Cage, starring two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland. At the time of its original release, it received lackluster reviews from critics who considered it insulting for an actress of de Havilland’s status to be so mistreated. However, when analyzed as a psychological horror, Lady in a Cage is a genuinely distressing exercise in frustration and the disturbing quality of human nature, the sheer desire to dominate for the sake of it. It’s also a great reflection of the troubled time in which it came about, capturing the chaotic journey from Hollywood’s Golden Age into the grittier and more violent days of New Hollywood.

Rent on Amazon

5 ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (2003)

Directed by Marcus Nispel

Any remake of such a seminal film as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was always going to pale in comparison; even the film’s sequels couldn’t live up to its legacy. However, 2003’s remake did a stellar job of updating the story, respecting the essence while still reinvigorating it to fit the sensibilities and appetites of 2000s audiences. Jessica Biel leads an ensemble in this update about a group of friends who become the target of Leatherface and his deranged family.

2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a great horror movie. It’s violent, hectic, often very disturbing, and quite distressing. Biel makes for an excellent final girl, and the supporting cast is also up to the task, especially the familiar but vastly overrated Mike Vogel. Those looking for the same generation-defining impact as the 1974 original will not find it, but those who are after a great horror film will surely leave satisfied.

Release Date

October 17, 2003

Runtime

98 Minutes

Writers

Scott Kosar

Rent on Amazon

4 ‘Sorority Row’ (2009)

Directed by Stewart Hendler

2009’s slasher Sorority Row gets a very bad reputation. It’s often disregarded as an uninspired and lazy slasher that does nothing original with its premise and instead sticks to the subgenre’s most basic tropes. In a way, these criticisms are correct: Sorority Row does indeed nothing new and instead settles for the bare minimum. And yet, it does so in the best way possible.

This film about a group of sorority sisters who cover an accidental crime and become haunted by it, is so funny and entertaining that it’s hard to fault it for wanting to keep things on the safe side. Leah Pipes is particularly strong as the dominating and outright unlikable Jessica, stealing every scene she’s in and elevating the whole thing almost single-handedly. Sorority Row is a great slasher movie because it embraces the genre’s inherent absurdity; many more should follow suit.

Rent on Amazon

3 ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’ (1957)

Directed by Ed Wood

Infamous cult director Ed Wood is behind many of cinema’s all-time worst movies, but none is more notorious than 1957’s Plan 9 from Outer Space. The film follows a group of extraterrestrials who come to Earth to stop humanity from building a doomsday weapon that can destroy the universe. Thus, they execute “Plan 9,” meaning to awaken the death.

If anything, Plan 9 from Outer Space is quite original. The film is poorly made and often in questionably bad taste, but man, is it entertaining. No one can claim they got bored when watching it; in fact, no one would even claim to have turned their eyes away from the screen, even for a moment. Plan 9 from Outer Space is the ultimate enjoyable bad movie, and there’s genuine cinematic value in that. Who cares if it’s “good” or “bad?” It is what it is, and it’s all the stronger for it.

Plan 9 From Outer Space

Release Date

July 22, 1959

Cast

Béla Lugosi , John Breckinridge , Duke Moore , Tor Johnson , Tom Keene , Vampira

Runtime

79

Writers

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Watch on Tubi

2 ‘Event Horizon’ (1997)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson

Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne joins Sam Neill in Paul W. S. Anderson‘s Event Horizon. A sci-fi horror, it follows a crew of astronauts sent to investigate the sudden reappearance of the missing vessel Event Horizon. However, they will soon discover a sinister force surrounding it.

The film received considerable criticism for its seeming style-over-substance approach and overreliance on horror tropes. However, Event Horizon doesn’t nearly get enough credit for its near-flawless balance of horror and science fiction, a delicate act that not many movies can pull off. The stunning, instantly iconic imagery and strong sense of anxiety and uncertainty contribute to building a film that is as rewarding as it’s thought-provoking. Event Horizon has aged beautifully, cementing itself as one of the best R-rated movies of the ’90s.

Event Horizon

Release Date

August 15, 1997

Runtime

96 minutes

Writers

Philip Eisner

1 ‘The Grudge’ (2004)

Directed by Takashi Shimizu

The J-horror craze of the early 2000s produced many films; some, like The Ring, were widely embraced, while others, like The Eye, were utterly reviled. 2004’s The Grudge was unqualified as uninspired and lacking in the story and ambiance, but it’s safe to say that assessment was overly harsh. The film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and follows several characters who enter a cursed house in Tokyo, succumbing to the vengeful spirits within.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say The Grudge is among the scariest movies of the 2010s. It popularized many of the main tropes related to J-horror and created some of the most iconic horror imagery of the new millennium thus far. Yes, the story is often needlessly convoluted, especially for such a simple premise, but The Grudge more than makes up for any perceived flaw with an abundance of horrifying chills that are still effective twenty years later.

The Grudge

Release Date

October 22, 2004

Runtime

91

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