Underrated Horror Films from the 90s

Though they may be nothing like A Nightmare on Elm Street or Silence of the Lambs, these underrated horror films from the 90s have been overlooked for a variety of reasons and tend to be ignored, even though deserving of far more acclaim than they have actually acquired. Either way, they're still historical pinpoints in a rather interesting decade that had proved to be, itself, a blending of various controversies. Likewise, these films stuck to meshing themes of sci-fi and humor with that of some quality horror, yet still fell by the wayside upon release due to either disinterest from various viewers, or simply poor returned reviews by critics.

Despite this, they've evolved into icons of interest within horror and will always instill fear into whoever dares to view them. Not all of these films pertain to horror as a whole, as some are blended genres, like that of the psychological thriller with a hint of fantasy, and still others are of their own kind of terror entirely. Be warned, not all of these movies are for everyone, as most tend to be either extremely gory or involve controversial topics that will do more than rip your mind to shreds; they'll send you to the depths of hell and back. For reasons we still cannot explain, these titles have remained some of the most undervalued horrors of the 90s, but I'm here to prove of their unlimited and unbridled fear factor: an escapism through horror.

My absolute favorite, and honestly one of the most sickening sci-fi horrors ever released, Event Horizon had been initially met with a myriad of poor reviews for having somewhat of an atypical storyline and utilizing subpar special effects. Now, though, it's become a cult classic and remains one of the most underrated horror films from the 90s.

When a distress beacon is received from a long-lost spacecraft and prototype, known as the Event Horizon, the Lewis and Clark rescue expedition is sent to investigate the seemingly random reappearance of the ship just outside of Neptune's orbit. The rescue team no sooner discovers that nothing on the Event Horizon is good, or as it seems, and whatever happened to it and its still missing passengers might be better left unanswered.

Jacob's Ladder didn't do poorly in theaters, but it didn't do great either. That being said, it's no surprise that it remains as one of the most underrated horror films from the 90s for its inclusion of disturbing themes and an overall psychological thriller of a story unlike ever before rendered on-screen. Akin to the 1993-released Trauma, Jacob's Ladder also seems to look into the degradation of one's psychological makeup and how this swirl into mindlessness is, almost, as terrifying for the viewer as it is for the actual recipient.

The story showcases the dark and desolate mind of Tim Robbins' Jacob, a Vietnam war veteran struggling with PTSD and avid bouts of mixed hallucinations. Adrian Lyne's masterful directing made this that much more of a worthwhile watch for introducing a variety of aspects pertaining to Jacob's mind and his still unhinging reality.

The OG classic horror that inspired the 2002 film, Ringu finds itself among the most underrated horror films from the 90s, if only for being a foreign entry. Based on the Koji Suzuki novel with the same name, Ringu explored dark and demented themes that had made many on the verge of complete madness, leading to a whole berth of sequels and a franchise that eventually gave life to the Western remakes themselves.

Ringu revolves around an eerie videotape said to kill the viewer within 7 days of watching it. The movie mostly follows a reporter named Reiko Asakawa, who is by herself investigating the popular videotape curse after the death of her niece and three friends occurred all on the same night. As the story progresses, the darker and more demonic forces begin to unfold, revealing an extreme plethora of fear that is simply not suitable for all audiences.

Taking on Lovecraftian themes and psychological thrills of 90s fame, In the Mouth of Madness is one of the more renowned entires among underrated horror films from the 90s. Though it doesn't directly pertain to the previous titles, the movie is third in John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy, which is kicked off by The Thing and proceeded by Prince of Darkness.

More so a kind of "what the fuck" movie than it is a horror, In the Mouth of Madness obviously looks to psychological thrills and the detailing of unreality with somewhat terrifying qualities. It surrounds a psychiatric patient, John Trent, as he undergoes a retelling of his story to Dr. Wrenn following an unspecified disastrous event.

Taking into account the variety of urban legends that inspired horror movies, Urban Legend literally implemented the concept of slasher into a feature length film about 6 friends who fall victim to a number of terrorizing urban legend iterations.

Starring a young Jared Leto before he started donning the Joker's menacing scowl, Urban Legend remains a horror classic that eventually spawned the likes of two follow up sequels (to much the chagrin of fans alike). It's a different kind of horror flick that tries to spin the concept of the urban legend in the most terrifying way possible, yet seemingly comes up short since it's among underrated horror films from the 90s.

Based on the HP Lovecraft short story The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, Dan O'Bannon's 1992 The Resurrected proved worthy of bearing the Lovecraftian theme, despite later being deemed one of the most underrated horror films from the 90s. It has since been regarded as one of the most insightful, if not terrifying renditions of the Lovecraft name, even though few have actually seen it.

The story follows a detective played by John Terry who journeys far and wide in search of the missing Charles Ward, a man who can conjure the dead back into life. Chris Sarandon's performance as Ward is spellbinding, to say the least, and proves that this movie deserves far more viewership than it has thus far received.

As a captivating, nightmarish dream of a film in of itself, the Clive Barker-made Nightbreed gave life to an increasingly terrifying group of characters, in addition to drawing up a world so perverse you simply just have to watch the film to make any sense of this crazy thrill ride.

Taken directly from Barker's 1988 Cabal novella, Nightbreed assumes the story of an unstable mental patient (Craig Sheffer) who, encouraged by his own psychiatrist (David Cronenberg), begins to believe himself a serial killer. It's a dark tale that even involves a bit of fantasy mixed with extreme gore and psychological concepts that will make your head spin on a dial. That's probably why it's still considered among underrated horror films from the 90s.

Dust Devil is something of a cult classic among the most underrated horror films from the 90s, much like that of Event Horizon. It surrounds an on-the-run wife, Wendy Robinson (Chelsea Field), who seemingly comes across a hitchhiker with an extraordinary ability: shapeshifting.

Something reminiscent to the likes of Supernatural or It, Dust Devil is unlike any of the other monster movies around, for it showcases the human as the monster, despite having a number of variations to his overall appearance. Robert Burke's portrayal of the Dust Devil is superb, to say the least, yet the overall story is something of an original hit that simply can't be redone in the same light.

Reiterated from the mind of one of the best horror writers of all time, The Dark Half is a Stephen King masterpiece rendered for the big screen that unfortunately never received the acclaim it truly deserved, as most of the underrated horror films from the 90s have proven.

The Dark Half is a story about a fiction writer's slow descent into untimely madness. Timothy Hutton plays Thad Beaumont, a writer who grows more and more tortured by a physical incarnation, which plays out in a number of ways and gives credit to George Romero's immense storytelling techniques in directing this classic 90s horror that ended up being mostly ignored upon release in 1993.

Richard Stanley's 1990 sci-fi horror, Hardware, is a most terrifying example of what can be possible with near-future technological advances and the makings of a robot militia. It's not your typical horror flick, since it does examine a variety of sci-fi traits and is based in a post-apocalyptic world, which is probably why it's among the most underrated horror films from the 90s.

The movie stars Dylan McDermott and Stacey Travis as Mo and Jill, a couple who struggles to survive following a killer robot's self-reassembly within their shared flat. Apparently, even though it's already absurdly gory, Hardware had to endure major cuts just to achieve an R-rating for movie theater release. If you're a fan of The Terminator, you'll love Hardware for its terrific blending of sci-fi and horror elements.

More often than not simply coined the "Tales from the Crypt movie," Demon Knight was impressively underrated for it being based on a classic horror TV show, which is probably why it's so underrated to begin with. The movie draws on the same traits as the show, this time showcasing one man's run from an evil demon known as the Collector.

While it may not be a classic like the TV series before it, Demon Knight is still among the most underrated horror films from the 90s, since the practical effects designed by Todd Masters were superior for the time, in addition to a cast that killed every role available.