Sometimes, the scariest thing about a horror movie is its reputation. The type of horror movies that were never going to win Oscars, but poor word-of-mouth from audiences, critics, or both, leave them radioactive to the touch, destined for bargain bins. But what if some of those same horror movies aren’t quite as bad as people say?
Let’s be clear: this isn’t an argument that the listed horror movies are modern masterpieces, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also be enjoyable with the right attitude. The following over-hated horror movies may be primarily known as notorious misfires, but they deserve a second chance from fans looking for a fun watch. To keep this simple, these horror misfits aren’t ranked in any particular order; they’ve been judged enough as it is.
10
‘Anaconda’ (1997)
Directed by Luis Llosa
In Anaconda, a crew of documentary filmmakers on the Amazon River have their work interrupted when they take on an aquatic hitchhiker, Paul Serone (Jon Voight). Serone offers to help the group, but what he’s actually doing is leading them on a hunt for a legendary Anaconda snake that is impossibly large. Trapped between a madman and a deadly predator, the crew must rely on their wits and courage to leave the Amazon alive.
Anaconda was a hit upon release and developed a cult following in the years to follow, but the snake vs. human story sits with a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the audience score is in the 20s, proof that the film is still widely considered a mess. Don’t let those reviews fool you, though, because Anaconda is a silly creature feature with a packed cast of stars like Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, and Voight’s accent that makes occasional appearances.
9
‘Jason X’ (2002)
Directed by James Isaac
Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) killed many people at camp, but he never beheaded anyone at space camp until Jason X. In the distant future of 2455, the cryogenically frozen body of Jason is thawed on a spaceship, and he proceeds to wreak havoc as only he can. The crew learns their technology has drawbacks, especially when it makes Jason an indestructible cyborg.
Jason X was marketed as Jason goes to space, and that’s exactly what they did, so anyone who bought tickets to this particular circus shouldn’t be disappointed. It’s a campy mess that is there for pure eye-rolling fun, and in that regard, it delivers. Honestly, Jason X didn’t go far enough with the ludicrous concept; have Jason stumble upon a time machine and kill cowboys in the Old West. Send him to medieval England and hack at the Knights of the Round Table, or have him crash the French Revolution and effortlessly blend in. No matter where he goes or what he does, it will never be as bad as Jason Goes to Hell.
8
‘The Stuff’ (1985)
Directed by Larry Cohen
A B-horror movie favorite that doesn’t get enough audience appreciation is The Stuff. The film follows the growing popularity of “The Stuff,” a yogurt-like dessert that becomes an obsession for anyone who eats it. When a young boy discovers that “The Stuff” appears to be a living organism, he finds an ally in Mo (Michael Moriarty), a man hired to investigate the secret behind the snack’s appeal.
The Stuff currently sits at a tepid audience score of 50%, which is lower than the movie deserves. Inventive and stylistic, The Stuff is a surprisingly sharp satire of consumerism with a healthy amount of inspiration from the sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers to structure the story. The plot of The Stuff goes in unpredictable directions, and while it may be cheesy to modern audiences, it’s never boring.
7
‘The Mummy’ (2017)
Directed by Alex Kurtzman
First of all, this is not a defense of The Mummy. No one is doing that — not even Tom Cruise is defending The Mummy. The movie that was intended to kick off a future franchise of big-budget Universal monster movies would have been a career killer for most, but Cruise happens to be one of the biggest stars on the planet with Teflon skin. No, this is not a defense, but it is a suggestion that instead of hating The Mummy, it’s possible to have some fun with it.
For many, The Mummy is a top contender for the worst movie remake of all time, and the film deeply strayed from the subject matter, in part due to the alleged struggle over creative control. Rather than be a throwback to the legendary days of Universal’s monster movies, the film became a Cruise action vehicle that played more like Mission: Impossible – Mummy Protocol. However, if the movie is watched with the same expectations given to a Fast and Furious movie, The Mummy is popcorn silliness with a few decent action set-pieces.
6
‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1999)
Directed by William Malone
The late ’90s remake of House on Haunted Hill follows a group of strangers who have been invited to a birthday party in an ominous-looking house. The strangers don’t know each other, nor the guest of honor, but they’ve been offered one million dollars by host Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) if they can survive the night. The offer intrigues the confused partygoers to stay, but that’s because they don’t know about the vengeful ghosts lurking in the shadows.
Critics were less than kind about the House on Haunted Hill’s “just go with it” plot and how it failed to do justice to the original horror film starring Vincent Price. Accepting that both points are valid doesn’t take away from the campy escapism of the remake. House on Haunted Hill will occasionally surprise you with creepy moments, such as its violently memorable opening scene, and although the special effects have aged poorly (they weren’t really good at the time either), the cast keeps the movie enjoyable throughout.
5
‘Thirteen Ghosts’ (2001)
Directed by Steve Beck
A bizarre house contains supernatural terrors of all shapes and sizes in Thirteen Ghosts. When widower Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) inherits a house from a distant relative, he brings his children Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts) to inspect the property, unaware he’s walking into a trap. An odd structure of inscription-covered glass, the house is actually a prison for a collection of violent ghosts looking for their next victims.
Thirteen Ghosts received a sizable amount of hate when it was first released, and then it kept receiving hate as people continued to watch it, but time has a funny way of reshaping perception. Years after its release, Thirteen Ghosts became a cult classic that was celebrated for its silliness instead of being judged. The artistic design of the ghosts has held up beautifully (loose use of the word), and if anything, the movie could have used more time with them on screen.
4
‘House of Wax’ (2005)
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
A dangerous killer has access to a copious amount of wax in the horror remake House of Wax. Starring a group of talented actors and Paris Hilton, House of Wax follows a group of young adults as their planned trip receives a deadly detour into a seemingly deserted town filled with lifelike wax figures. When a homicidal recluse begins to kill them one by one, they’ll have to run for safety before they become part of the next attraction.
Comparing the remake of House of Wax to the original Vincent Price classic is like comparing a steak dinner to a hot pocket, but as a throwaway slasher with some creepy visuals, it’s a fun way to pass the time. The wax-figure population of the town is effectively creepy, and its newest member, Jared Padalecki, as the ill-fated Wade, might be the subject of one of the most painful-looking deaths in the 2000s era of horror. House of Wax didn’t reinvent the genre, but it didn’t need to either.
3
‘Black Christmas’ (2006)
Directed by Glen Morgan
An escaped killer terrorizes a sorority house on Christmas Eve in Black Christmas. Violent and unstable killer Billy Lenz (Robert Mann) escapes from his psychiatric cell to return to his childhood home, but the site of his youthful trauma is now a sorority house filled with college students preparing to go home. Billy begins a methodical attack on those inside, leaving Kelli (Katie Cassidy) and her friends defenseless and scared.
The 2006 version of Black Christmas is a by-the-numbers slasher, but it also might have one of the most underrated casts assembled for the genre. When you take a horror movie that teeters on the line of so-bad-it’s-good territory and add a lineup of talent like Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Katie Cassidy, Lacey Chabert, Andrea Martin, and the late Michelle Trachtenberg, it’s going to make for an interesting watch. Black Christmas might be a rewatch only for hardcore slasher fans, but it arguably stays closer to the roots of the original than the 2019 version.
2
‘Halloween III: Season of the Witch’ (1982)
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
After two movies starring the horror icon Michael Myers, the Halloween franchise decided to take a risk by putting the character on the shelf to tell a new story in Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Not only did the third installment remove its well-known killer, but it also swapped the slasher genre for something more akin to science fiction. Halloween III: Season of the Witch would focus on an evil conspiracy perpetrated by the Silver Shamrock Novelties company that involved Halloween masks designed to kill thousands when a signal was transmitted to them.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch can start an argument faster than almost any other horror movie, with fans saying it’s the worst film of the series and contrarians saying it’s the best (granted, a small group of people), but the reality is it sits somewhere in the middle. Michael Myers and his love for cutlery will always be the star attraction of the Halloween franchise, but he’s been front and center for many bad sequels. As time goes by, Halloween III: Season of the Witch is getting a warmer reception from fans who enjoy the ’80s campiness of the plot.
1
‘Child’s Play’ (2019)
Directed by Lars Klevberg
Image via United Artists Releasing
Chucky the Killer Doll has been a fixture in horror since the ’80s, but the series received a divisive reboot when Child’s Play premiered in 2019. Mark Hamill replaced Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky in a movie that reimagined the toy, a Buddi Doll, as not only a child’s best friend but a walking, talking Alexa that controlled the electronics in the house. When a Buddi doll has its safety protocols removed, the defective toy first befriends, then terrorizes, a young boy, Andy (Gabriel Bateman), and his single mother, Karen (Aubrey Plaza).
There was immediate resistance to Dourif not playing the role he made famous, which is understandable, but the remake works in many ways. The relationship between Andy and Chucky is compelling as the doll implicates the boy in grisly murders that he tries to cover up, adding a unique tension to the story. Child’s Play is extremely well cast, and the warm chemistry between them makes any of their deaths feel impactful. There’s a chance that if this movie had not borrowed the Child’s Play name and invited comparison, it could have launched a franchise of its own. It kind of did, actually, this time under the name M3GAN.