That said, if you want to check out 32 movies where almost no one makes it out alive, stick around because we’re about to break it all down…

Titanic (1997)

Rose DeWitte Bukater (Kate Winslet) and several historical figures who survived the real-life 1912 sinking survived Titanic, but the vast majority of the characters we met during James Cameron’s massive box office hit sank with the doomed ship. Only if the epic’s protagonist had saved some room for her third-class lover on the infamous door.

Scarface (1983)

As soon as Al Pacino’s Tony Montana was introduced in Scarface, we all knew this rags-to-riches story was going to end in a hail of gunfire. And it did just that, as the film’s antihero is massacred alongside most of his men in his massive Miami estate in the film’s explosive and bloody final scene. Tony wasn’t alone, as all but a few of the characters introduced in this iconic crime film bite the dust before it’s over.

Much like the book on which they are based, the various adaptations of All Quiet on the Western Front have all been dark, terrifying, and heartbreaking antiwar films that show the true cost of combat. Edward Berger’s 2022 take on Erich Maria Remarque’s landmark novel is particularly harrowing, especially in the final moments when a last-minute charge of death and destruction shatters hope and survival.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, one of the best movies in the franchise, is admittedly a little bleak with its depiction of a doomed band of spies trying to steal the plan for the Death Star, but there is some hope in their act of sacrifice. The blast of an operational battle station in the final moments is an awesome show of power and a dreadful end for characters we came to know and love.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a masterclass in tension and paranoia, with its story about a remote research base being taken over by a mysterious shape-shifting alien. If that wasn’t bad enough, the main characters begin getting picked off one by one as the survivors (it ends up only being two in the end) are left trying to make sense of the madness and not knowing if they can trust each other or themselves.

Night Of The Living Dead (1967)

George A. Romero put himself on the map in 1967 with the transformative zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead. On top of introducing heroes that go against the status quo in ‘60s Hollywood, the start of Romero’s legendary horror franchise ended with one of the bleakest moments in horror history.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

It’s hard to say how many of the thieves from the ill-fated diamond heist in Reservoir Dogs make it out alive, but we know that the vast majority of the color-coded crew don’t make it out alive. Either at the hands of their former partners or the police chasing them down, these lowly criminals meet a violent yet unsurprising end in Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut.

The Grey (2011)

Joe Carnahan’s 2011 survival thriller, The Grey, is honestly one of the most intense movies to come out in the 2010s. Starring Liam Neeson as a sharpshooter at an oil facility in Alaska, the movie follows the grieving man and a group of other roughnecks as they attempt to survive a plane crash in a remote part of the state. If that’s not bad enough, the wounded and weary men are targeted by a pack of hungry wolves.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Thanks to a clever and very impressive marketing campaign, The Blair Witch Project felt less like a found-footage horror movie and more like a documentary about a trio of filmmakers getting lost and dying in the woods. With one of the most shocking endings in horror history, this trailblazing 1999 movie left no one alive.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1968)

Though we never see Paul Newman or Robert Redford’s characters die in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it’s all but guaranteed that these two outlaws die in the final shootout. With figures like this, did anyone expect there to be survivors?

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime epic is a remake of a Hong Kong movie called Internal Affairs, but it totally feels like a modern take on a Greek tragedy. Before this one comes to a close, all but a couple of the main characters are in the grave. Heroes, villains, and random characters in one or two scenes, they are all taken down in this Oscar-winning classic.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

A movie primarily set in one location, The Hateful Eight doesn’t hold back with the violence and mayhem. Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 Western introduces and kills characters at such a high rate of speed that you’ll find yourself pausing and rewinding to make sense of all the carnage.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

One of the best examples of a disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure follows a group of survivors as they attempt to escape a capsized cruise ship. Though there are thousands aboard the ship before a wave tips it over, only a handful of passengers and crew make it out of this race against time.

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead introduces some of the best zombie movie characters of all time, but going in, you know most are going to either die or turn into an undead ghoul. By the time everything is said and done, only two survivors make it out, which is far cheerier than what Romero originally had planned.

The Northman (2022)

Based on the ancient legend that inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Robert Eggers’ 2022 epic revenge film, The Northman, is a bloody, violent, and mind-bending experience. And just like any tale of vengeance, it’s not one with a happy ending or a lot of survivors.

Alien (1979)

One of the best things about Ridley Scott’s Alien is how the crew of the Nostromo is picked off one by one by the mysterious and deadly xenomorph after each of the Weylan-Yutani employees is introduced and given time to shine on screen. In fact, it’s only Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and Jones the cat who make it out alive.

Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine, an oft-forgotten collaboration by director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, follows eight astronauts as they try to reignite a dying sun. Though the movie does give you some hope that the core cast – Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, and Michelle Yeoh – will survive the mission, it becomes clear that this is a one-way trip to save humanity.

Hereditary (2018)

Ari Aster’s Hereditary is one of the most traumatizing and terrifying horror movies of the past decade, and one that doesn’t leave a whole lot of survivors. In fact, pretty much the entire Graham family is killed in some bloody, fiery, or devastating fashion by the time this is over and done with.

Cloverfield (2008)

When it comes to disaster films with the largest body count, Cloverfield has to be up there on the list. Not only do all the main characters get squashed, eaten, mutated, or killed by the invading alien creatures, but pretty much all of New York City is wiped off the map once the military gets involved.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Don’t let Don’t Look Up’s darkly comedic tone fool you; the 2021 Netflix satirical end-of-the-world disaster film is full of death, destruction, and heartbreak. Even as the members of the ruling class learn centuries after the destruction of Earth, there’s no escaping death.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the funniest satirical dark comedies of all time. It’s also a political movie with a whole lot of death, especially with the whole ending sequence of atomic warheads detonating around the world, sending what survivors are left into a nuclear winter of epic proportions.

The Alamo (2004)

Before even pressing play on The Alamo back in 2004, we all knew how John Lee Hancock’s historical drama was going to end. One of the most told stories in American history, the Battle of the Alamo in the Texas Revolution, has become the stuff of legends (just don’t ask about the basement). Some 200 Texans, including Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), Jim Bowie (Jason Patric), and Bill Travis (Patrick Wilson), sacrifice themselves for freedom in this epic.

300 (2007)

Few movies kill off the main character like 300, which sees Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas (and his Spartan soldiers) go out looking awesome. Yeah, it’s sad to see these brave warriors get defeated by the Persian army, but it took A LOT to bring down this king.

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

The Return of the Living Dead has to be one of the best horror comedies of all time, as well as a movie that doesn’t end on the happiest of notes. After a zombie outbreak turns Louisville, Kentucky, into a wasteland of brain-eating ghouls, the military gets involved in an attempt to sweep it all under the rug.

Knowing (2009)

Blending elements of sci-fi, thrillers, and disaster films, the 2009 Nicolas Cage movie, Knowing, centers on the discovery of a manuscript that can help predict various disasters in the future. Those familiar with this setup know that survival isn’t likely in this scenario, and that’s what happens when a solar flare turns everyone on the planet into ash.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is one of the wildest, silliest, and most unique horror movies of the 21st century, and one that kills a lot of people. One by one, a group of college students is killed off by different monsters as they unknowingly become part of a plan to save the world from old gods.

Open Water (2003)

Inspired by true events, Open Water follows a couple as they are mistakenly left behind while scuba diving on vacation. Left alone in shark-infested waters and deteriorating conditions, the couple attempts to survive the situation, which is no easy task.

Silent Night (2021)

Camille Griffin’s Silent Night is one of the funniest, strangest, most brutally honest, and unsettling dark comedies of the past decade. When a deadly fog rolls into England and offers no chance at survival, a group of friends decides to have one final holiday party before dying. But there’s a twist…

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Like its predecessors, Final Destination 5 is a movie about cheating death and what happens if you evade the grim reaper’s touch. Well, in this 2011 installment, a group of survivors think they’ve cheated death for good when they board a plane. However, it’s not just any plane but instead the doomed flight from the first movie.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)

With a title like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, it should be no surprise that this 2012 romantic comedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley was going to end with everyone dying. Despite the obvious ending, this charming little movie has a whole lot of heart and soul.

Melancholia (2011)

There are disaster movies and then there’s Melancholia, Lars von Trier’s 2011 drama about two sisters coming to terms with their lives and past decisions days, hours, and minutes before a planet crashes into Earth. With a heavy focus on the inner and more psychological aspects of impending doom, opposed to the collapse of society outside their picturesque escape, this frightening yet awe-inspiring meditation on life and death is a sight to see.

This Is The End (2013)

This is the End, an over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster film starring Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and some of the biggest comedians of the late 2000s and early 2010s, is an absolute bonkers movie. Going in, you know everyone and their mother is going to die. But it’s what comes after death in this one that’s so much fun.

Superman II (Clark Gives Up His Powers)

In 1980's Superman II, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) believes he can only have a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) by becoming human, which he achieves by entering a device at the fortress of solitude. Soon after, he realizes the error of this decision when General Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his allies take over the White House.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (The Jedi Council Hires Anakin To Protect Padme)

In the second Star Wars movie (in chronological order), when Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) life is threatened, the Jedi Council chooses none other than trainee Anakin Skywalker to be her bodyguard. They should have known better, given his obvious emotional connection to her, which would eventually lead to a forbidden affair and marriage. Silver lining: the birth of Luke and Leia in the next movie.

Inglourious Basterds (Lt. Hicox Flashes The American Three)

One of the most intense moments from one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, sees a disguised Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) accidentally reveal to Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) that he is not German by merely holding up the wrong fingers when asking the bar for three drinks. Perhaps this one is really on the British Army for not teaching him that the German Three is made up of the thumb, index, and middle finger but who could have known when that would come in handy?

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Tony Stark Creates Ultron)

Wanting to create a "suit of armor for the entire world," Tony "Iron Man" Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) teams with Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to develop a powerful computer program that could do their work for them. Little did he know that this creation would become the eponymous villain of 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron (voiced by James Spader), providing another cautionary lesson against relying on AI.

Scream (Sydney Runs Upstairs Away From Ghostface)

Minutes after condemning the slasher movie trope of women running upstairs from the killer instead of out the front door, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does the same exact thing after Ghostface first attacks her. The star of the Scream movies is still one of our favorite horror final girls but it almost makes you wonder how she manages to survive as long as she would with a blemish like that on her track record.

Prometheus (Meredith Vickers Runs From A Rolling Spacecraft In A Straight Line)

Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel, Prometheus, is one of the most divisive sci-fi movies ever made but even its strongest supporters cannot argue against one character's uproarious miscalculation. Why Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not choose to easily run out of the way of the alien spaceship rolling toward her and, instead, keep running straight until it crushes her is a mystery that may remain unsolved.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Drax Summons Ronan)

In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a few drinks make Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) confident enough to fight Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) himself, so he sends the tyrant to his current location. As a result, he gets his butt handed to him and Ronan gets away with The Power Stone.

Shrek Forever After (Shrek Makes A Deal With Rumpelstiltskin)

If there is one downside to Shrek (Mike Myers) finding love with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), she may have made him more willing to let his guard down a bit, potentially leading to his disastrous decision in 2010's Shrek Forever After. His nostalgia for his swamp-dwelling days clouds the ogre's judgment when speaking with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who convinces him to wish himself into an alternate reality where the trickster rules Far Far Away.

Bee Movie (Barry Sues Humanity)

Writer Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie stars the comedian as an insect named Barry B. Benson, who becomes angry at humans profiting off of their honey and seeks legal action. He succeeds and bees no longer work in favor of the human race but it ends up causing an environmental disaster.

Avengers: Infinity War (Star-Lord Punches Thanos)

By putting Thanos (Josh Brolin) under Mantis' (Pom Klementieef's) trance, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and the remaining Guardians come super close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. However, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that the Titan killed Gamora and punches Thanos in anger, breaking the trance and allowing him to get away. This is one moment from 2018's Avengers: Infinity War that understandably prevents some fans from calling it one of the best Marvel movies.

The Descent (Juno Chooses An Unmapped Cave To Explore)

We are not sure if we can count Juno (Natalie Mendoza) as a hero of 2005's The Descent, due to the idiotic stunt she pulls in the otherwise great horror movie. Her friends learn that she chose an unexplored cavern for their spelunking trip only after they get trapped inside with man-eating, nocturnal mutants.

Hancock (Hancock Fights Mary)

It is revealed in Hancock that Will Smith's eponymous superhuman gets weaker the longer he stays in contact with Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be part of his kind, too. That does not stop him from engaging in a cataclysmic fight with her near the end of the superhero movie not based on a comic book from 2008.

The Blair Witch Project (Mike Throws The Map In The River)

It is not unusual for horror movie characters to make questionable decisions but when Mike (Michael C. Williams) tosses the map to the Black Hills Forest in The Blair Witch Project is simply unforgivable. He argues in the 1999 found footage thriller that the map was ultimately useless, and he may have been right, but discarding the one chance you may have of reaching safety is never the right move.

Skyfall (Q Connects Silva's Computer To MI6's Mainframe)

There is a reason they say you should go through IT before you investigate a suspicious piece of equipment at the office yourself and Q (Ben Whishaw) demonstrates why in 2012's Skyfall. Perhaps the older version of the tech wizard from previous James Bond movies would have been smarter about hooking up Silva's (Javier Bardem) laptop to MI6's main system, which causes the organization to lose control of their tech to the villain.

Army Of Darkness (Ash Speaks The Wrong Incantation)

Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams becomes increasingly dumber in each of the Evil Dead movies, leading up to his absolute worst mistake while trapped in the Middle Ages in 1992's Army of Darkness. He does not even bother to properly memorize a set of words that will take him back to modern times when he finds the Necronomicon and, in attempting to fake his way through it, ends up unleashing more evil forces.

The Big Lebowski (Walter Destroys A Stranger’s Car)

Suspecting that teenage Larry Sellers used stolen ransom money to purchase a hot Corvette, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) smashes it repeatedly with a crowbar, only to discover it belongs to Larry's angry neighbor. It is easily one of the funniest moments from one of the best movies of the 1990s, The Big Lebowski, but also makes us sad for The Dude (Jeff Bridges) that he is best friends with such an impulse-driven dolt.

Jeepers Creepers (Darry Tries To See Into The Creeper's Pipe)

In Jeepers Creepers, witnessing the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) shoving dead bodies down a large pipe sticking out of the ground, Darry (Justin Long) tries to investigate by looking down the pipe himself but ends up sliding right into the killer's lair. If only he had listened to his sister, Trish's (Gina Philips), meta warning: "You know the part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates them for it? This is it."

The Flash (Batman Sacrifices Himself To Destroy Zod's Ship)

While Michael Keaton's return as Batman in 2023's The Flash was awesome, one not-so-stellar moment sees him attempting to save the day by crashing the Batwing into Zod's ship. Unfortunately, the otherwise valiant effort caused very little damage to the craft and only the Dark Knight fatally succumbed to the crash.

Moana (Maui Steals The Heart Of Te Fiti)

The opening scene of the modern Disney animated movie classic, 2016's Moana, explains how Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole and misplaced the heart of Te Fiti, which he insists was for humanity's benefit. It is not until he meets the title character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) that he realizes that the artifact's absence caused damage to the Hawaiian Islands and their locals.

Jumanji (Peter Tries To Cheat The Game)

In the original 1995 adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, Jumanji, Peter (Bradley Pierce) tries to end the wild board game's reign of terror by dropping the dice at the right number to finish. Unfortunately, the game knows better and punishes him for trying to beat it by reverting the evolutionary process, turning him into a monkey.

Iron Man 3 (Tony Stark Gives The Mandarin His Address)

One of the major issues fans have with Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) rash decision to challenge The Mandarin to a one-on-one duel, going as far as revealing where he lives on a video recorded by a press member. Well, the fearsome terrorist clearly got the message, based on the violent attack on Stark's home, which forced him to jump ship and get stuck in Tennessee.

Paranormal Activity (Micah Breaks Out A Ouija Board)

If we were to make a list of the worst significant others in horror movie history, there would definitely be a place for Micah (Micah Sloat) from the first Paranormal Activity movie, released in 2009. Exhibit A: after a medium warns against using a Ouija board, as that would make his and Katie's (Katie Featherston) haunting situation much worse, Micah decides to bring one into the house and makes their haunting situation much worse.

Sleeping Beauty (Flora And Merryweather Fight Over Aurora's Dress Color)

In 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Aurora's fairy guardians want to make a dress just for her but Flora wants it to be pink and Merryweather is dead set on making it blue. Despite being advised not to, they use magic to change the dress' color over and over, which ends up alerting Maleficient of their location and putting Aurora in danger.

Evil Dead (Eric Reads From The Necronomicon)

Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror movie remakes of its time but is certainly not without its flaws. In fact, the demonic carnage is caused when Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), for no reason at all, reads aloud from the Necronomicon, ignoring blatant warnings written into the flesh-bound, blood-inked book to leave it alone.

Deadpool (Wade Leaves His Ammo Bag Behind)

Twice in the 2016's Deadpool does the Merc with the Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) leave behind a huge duffle bag full of weaponry that certainly would have really come in handy against his foes. Instead, he is forced to rely on "maximum effort"... and his immortality, of course.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Peter Gives Mysterio E.D.I.T.H.)

In 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, feeling that he has found a trusted friend in Quentin "Mysterio" Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter Parker (Tom Holland) decides to give him full control of E.D.I.T.H. – an augmented reality security, defense, and artificial tactical intelligence system designed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, that is exactly what the disgruntled former Stark Industries employee wanted him to do, planning to use it to launch an attack on London.

Annabelle Comes Home (Daniela Explores The Warrens' Artifact Room Alone)

Whether or not you believe in the stories behind the Conjuring Universe movies, we imagine no one wants to be caught dead where Ed and Lorraine Warren keep their collection of haunted heirlooms. However, Daniela (Katie Sarife) braves the forbidden room in hopes of making contact with her late father but ends up unleashing the demon that possesses the eponymous doll in Annabelle Comes Home.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Clark Fails To Properly Explain His Situation To Bruce)

In the moments leading to the climactic battle of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) takes way too long to explain to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is holding his mother (Diane Lane) captive and, instead, resorts to doing exactly what the evil billionaire wants him to do and fight the Dark Knight. When he finally gives an explanation, with Batman seconds away from killing him with a Kryptonite spear, he says, "Save Martha," instead of the more matter-of-fact, "Lex is going to kill my mom."

The Marvels (Carol Destroys The Supreme Intelligence)

In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is forced to work with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) after their powers become linked but the hero otherwise known as Captain Marvel is reluctant to rope her friends into the battle against Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). This is because she is personally responsible for their enemy's vengeful motivation, having created a Civil War among the Kree after destroying their A.I. leader.

Fantastic Four (Reed And Others Test Their Teleportation Device While Inebriated)

The 2015 Fantastic Four adaptation was widely disliked for a multitude of reasons, including the dumb decision that leads to the four main characters gaining their superpowers. After a few too many drinks, the designers of a groundbreaking teleportation device decide to test it out themselves, changing their lives forever.

Thor: Ragnarok (Loki Summons The Bifrost To Escape Hela)

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, when he and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) are confronted by their sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tries to make a quick getaway with the Bifrost. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but Hela ends up chasing after them, ultimately leading her right to Asgard while the half-brothers get stranded on Sakaar.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (Austin Keeps The Receipt For His Special Pump)

In the spy movie parody, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, when the titular agent (Mike Myers) is collecting the belongings he left behind before being cryogenically frozen, he claims that a certain special, Swedish-made pump does not belong to him. However, a credit card receipt for the item, a warranty slip with his name on it, and a book about his experiences using the product found with his stuff prove otherwise.

And, that's only because it didn’t really scare me as much as I hoped that it would. While I do consider the Exorcist series as one of the better horror franchises, I definitely think the first movie is a little overrated…

Which is just how I'm sure this younger generation feels about 1999's found-footage horror movie, The Blair Witch Project. Directed and written by (Though, we didn't know that at the time) Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, and starring (which we also didn't know at the time) Michael Williams, Heather Donahue, and Joshua Leonard, many people today may view TBWP as just a movie. But let me just tell you. I don’t think I've ever experienced a bigger horror phenomenon in my entire life than when this movie first came out. You really did have to be there to truly understand the unprecedented hype. With that said, here's what it was like when The Blair Witch Project turned the horror genre on its head.

First Of All, Because Found Footage Horror Wasn't A Genre In The '90s, Many Of Us Believed The Movie Was Actually Real

Laugh all you want, but back in 1999, found footage horror movies weren’t really common. A cursory search online will tell you that 1961’s The Connection was the very first of its kind, but after that, you really didn’t have much besides something like, say, Cannibal Holocaust, a movie so controversial that mainstream audiences weren't so readily familiar, or 1992's darkly comedic mockumentary Man Bites Dog.

So, when the promotional material for The Blair Witch Project started to roll out, a lot of us went all rube-minded and fully believed it! Months before the movie came out, we were told that in October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared while filming a documentary about a local curse, and that the movie hitting theaters compiled the footage the trio shot.

Granted, this sounds really silly today in 2024, especially considering BWP spawned an entire found footage subgenre with franchises like Paranormal Activity. But, back in 1999, we didn’t know that. If you looked online back then, there was nothing on the world wide web telling you that it was all fake, since the filmmakers employed crafty web designers to make everything seem legit.

Remember when Spider-Man: No Way Home was still in production, and there were shots of Andrew Garfield on set? People lost their minds, right?

Well, we didn’t have anything like that for The Blair Witch Project, though we did get a Syfy docu-special that doubled down on providing (fake) video evidence. Honestly, the marketing for the movie is probably the greatest I’ve ever seen, since it was fundamental in getting us to want to watch this movie. And, by the spooky end of the flick, a lot of us were genuinely perplexed (and frightened) for the people’s lives. Especially since the ending is so inconclusive.

When We Learned It Was All An Act, There Was Actually A Huge Sigh Of Relief That The Actors Were Okay

Now, you would think that when news broke that the whole Blair Witch mythos was all a hoax, that people would be upset. But, guess what. We weren't! Or at least, I feel like most of us weren’t.

In fact, I feel like the general consensus was that we were all quite relieved that the three actors were okay. At least at first, before the self-reflective shame of being duped took over.

Because, like I said before, a lot of us thought that these three young people died, as the general terror in the film felt genuine. But, when we learned that it was all just pretend, it actually made a lot of us happy, like phew. Thank God it wasn’t real.

Ah. Different times.

I Remember A Lot Of People Getting Physically Ill Watching The Movie Since It Was So Shaky

Okay, so now for the movie itself. Found footage films have come a long way since The Blair Witch Project. Nowadays, a movie like Late Night With the Devil (which we've discussed the meaning of on this site) uses the found footage concept as a form of storytelling, rather than as a budgetary necessity.

Sure, the found footage concept of The Blair Witch Project is essential to the overall plot (again, it’s what sold the film as being realistic in the first place). But, its usage seemed like it was mostly for cost-cutting purposes, and it was super rudimentary back in 1999. So much so, that the film is almost hard to watch, since all that shaking made quite a few people sick to their stomachs at the time.

I remember people telling me that they had to shut their eyes at all the parts where the characters would be running in the forest due to motion sickness. People definitely had similar complaints with a film like Cloverfield, but by that time, people knew what to expect from a found footage film.

But, back in 1999? Man, people were getting sick left and right watching TBWP.

I Also Remember People Leaving The Theater Since They Were So Scared

Now, honestly, The Blair Witch Project never scared me. It was more the idea that people died (and we were watching their impending demise) that set me on edge.

In fact, my reaction to TBWP is probably similar to how many people felt about the indie film, Skinamarink, as that was a film I admired, but I didn't really think it was as terrifying as some people did.

But, speaking of those “some people," there are moviegoers who had the everloving crap scared out of them byThe Blair Witch Project, both before and after the reality of the situation was unveiled.

For instance, I remember when I first saw the movie in theaters. When it started getting really intense in that famous night scene, there were like four or five teenage girls (back then, they were just letting anybody into R-Rated movies), who got up, shaking, and just left.

I thought it was strange that all of them would go to the bathroom together, but by the time the movie reached its admittedly creepy conclusion, I realized that they had left completely, probably too petrified to see the movie to the very end.

And, I've heard similar stories of people who didn't see the film in theaters, but saw it at home. TBWP is one of those rare examples where the small screen is arguably a better fit for a movie than the big screen since it makes the film feel claustrophobic. And I knew people in high school who said they had nightmares after watching it. And, this was after we all knew it was a hoax.

That's just the power of The Blair Witch Project, baby.

It Set A Brand New Standard For Independent Filmmaking And Marketing Hype

Do you know what the original budget was for The Blair Witch Project? Around $60,000. Do you know how much it made at the worldwide box office? Almost $250 million dollars, which is over 4,000 times its original budget.

I recently wrote about Robert Rodriguez and how important he is to cinema, where I talked about how his first movie, El Mariachi, was made for a paltry $7,000, and wound up making over $2 million.

And honestly, I’m not sure what’s a more impressive feat. Rodriguez making a movie for $7,000 and making over 2 mil, or The Blair Witch Project costing $60,000, and becoming a global phenomenon. I want to say the former, but I think I’m going to have to go with the latter, and that’s only because the marketing for TBWP was so much a part of the film itself.

There have been other interesting marketing campaigns (I particularly love the movie Chronicle’s flying people stunt), but I don’t think anything matches the marketing campaign for TBWP where many of us believed that a studio would release a movie where people actually died. The fact that it made so much money as a result is just icing on the cake.

So, that’s what it was like to be there when The Blair Witch Project released. Were you there when it happened? For more news on all things horror-related, be sure to swing by here often!

Clerks

According to Box Office Mojo, Clerks made a little over $3 million in theaters. While that might seem like much, consider how little it cost Kevin Smith to make. $27,000. That's it. The lore is that first-time writer/director/star Smith maxed out his credit cards and enlisted his friends as actors to make the movie. Of course, it looks like it doesn't have much of a budget, but it's so funny and well done it doesn't matter, the movie is a bonafide cult classic still.  

The Blair Witch Project

There is no better example of a small budget having a huge impact than 1999's The Blair Witch Project. The movie was made for just $60K, but when the word spread virally around the country in the early days of the internet, it started packing theaters. When all was said and done, it made just $1.5 million, more than 25 times its budget. Just incredible. 

American Graffiti

Four years before he redefined what science fiction could be with Star Wars, George Lucas made a movie much closer to reality, at least how he saw reality in his formative years. American Graffiti didn't have the smallest budget on this list, it was around $770,000, but it still had an outsized impact. The movie made $115 million in total. 

28 Days Later

Director Danny Boyle has had some big-budget movies in his career, but he's proven again and again that he doesn't need a monster budget to make a great film. 28 Days Later is one of his most beloved movies and it was made for just £8 million. It took in over ten times that in box office receipts and has spawned multiple sequels. 

Mad Max

When you think about how huge the Mad Max franchise has become, it's important to remember how small it started. The original Mad Max starring Mel Gibson was made for about $250K in 1979. It made almost $9, but it spawned a franchise that has raked in cash over the decades since. 

El Mariachi

The lore of El Mariachi runs deep. According to most reports, director Robert Rodriguez originally made the film for under $7,000. While this may be technically true, another couple hundred thousand eventually went into post-production when Columbia Pictures bought the film. Still, it was made on a shoestring budget either way. 

Get Out

Until Get Out was released in 2017, director Jordan Peele was mostly known for his comedic work. The horror movie he made wasn't comedy, but it was box office gold. It did have a budget of around $4.5 million, but when you consider it made over 50 times its budget at the box office, that number looks pretty darn small. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere and becomes a massive hit. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a classic example. The rom-com wasn't perfect, but it was made for just $5 million in total, and it ended up grossing well over $350 and spawned two successful sequels. 

The Conjuring

2012's The Conjuring had a more robust budget than some of the movies on this list, at $20 million, but since it made well over 10 times that budget in theaters, it's safe to call it a sound investment. It also led to a franchise that has released a slew of modestly budgeted films that have made big money. 

Napoleon Dynamite

One movie that no list like this would be complete without is Napoleon Dynamite. The 2004 surprise hit was made on a meager budget of just $400K, but audiences adored it and it raked in over $100 million at the box office and is still beloved decades later. 

Pi

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky burst onto the scene with a tiny movie he made with a budget of just $34K, but Pi ended up bringing in over $3 million in theaters. It's a wild movie and looks very much like the small-budget movie it is, but it's exciting and fast-paced. In it, you can see the blueprint for Aronofsky's later movies like Requiem for a Dream.

Swingers

Swingers was soooo money. Literally. Not only did the 1996 film launch the careers of Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Ron Livingston, as well as director Doug Liman, it made $4.5 million in theaters and oodles more on home media. All that on a budget of just $200K.

Paranormal Activity

The horror genre has always made the most of its budgets. Some of the most successful films, in terms of ROI, have been horror flicks. Paranormal Activity is a great example of this. The 2007 release was made for just $17,000 but took in nearly $200 million upon its release! It also led to multiple sequels.

Godzilla Minus One

It seems all the best Godzilla movies are made on tight budgets. Godzilla Minus One is no exception. While its budget was in the $10+ million range, it's still astonishing what director Takashi Yamazaki was able to get out of that. It looks like its budget could be ten times that number, which is about how much money the movie made. 

Rocky

In 1976, Sylvester Stallone introduced the character of Rocky Balboa to the world. The original movie, Rocky, had a budget of around $2 million and it crushed at the box office to the tune of $117 million. Of course, it spawned one of the most successful franchises of all time with a total box office gross in the neighborhood of $2 billion. 

Nomadland

The 2021 Oscar winner for Best Picture was the indie film Nomadland. The stirring movie was made for just $5 million but on the strength of its reviews and its award haul, the movie brought in nearly $40 million. Not a bad ROI for a movie about people living in vans. 

Hoodwinked!

2005's animated indie flick Hoodwinked! was made for right around $8 million according to director Cory Edwards. It took in over $150 million at the box office. It was the first time an animated indie had ever done those kinds of numbers and none have done it since, either.

The Usual Suspects

1995's The Usual Suspects had a bit of a slow burn at the box office. It started modestly, making just $645K when it first opened. As word of mouth spread about the mystery thriller, more and more people started seeing it. In total, it made $23 million on a $6 million budget, but it also was very successful on home media and is considered a stone-cold classic with an incredible plot twist at the end. 

Sling Blade

Written, directed, and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade was made for just around $1 million. Thornton was nominated for two Oscars, one for Best Actor and one for Screenplay, winning for the latter. The movie's box office haul of about $36 million looks modest compared to big blockbusters, but with that kind of ROI, you can't say it wasn't a massive success. 

Black Swan

Director Darren Aronofsky is a master of getting more for less. One great example is 2010's Black Swan. On the surface, a movie about the ballet might seem like a risky bet, but that bet paid off big time when the movie brought in over $300 million against a $13 million budget. It also garnered five Oscar nominations with Natalie Portman winning for Best Actress. 

Memento

In 2023, director Christopher Nolan released the phenomenally successful Oppenheimer. It made nearly a billion dollars on a $100 million budget. A couple of decades early, Nolan showed just what he could do with a tight budget as well. His first film, 2000's Momento, was made for under $10 million and made about $50 million in theaters. 

Garden State

Director and writer Zach Braff's very personal 2004 movie Garden State was an indie darling when it was released. Made for a budget under $3 million, it brought in $35.8 in theater receipts. While some people make fun of it, it was a seriously buzzy film when it was released and still has huge fans today. 

Halloween

John Carpenter's Halloween is one of the most influential horror movies of all time. While the franchise has made hundreds of millions over the years, it all started with that one film in 1978. Made on a shoestring budget of just over $300K, it grossed $47 upon its release and the rest is horror history. 

Searching

2018's Searching by first-time filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty was a surprise hit. Made for just $880,000, the thriller raked in over $75 million at the box office. Chaganty has made two more movies on modest budgets, 2020's Run which had mixed results financially, and 2023's Missing, which, while not as successful in terms of ROI as Searching, still made an impressive $48 million on a $7 million budget. 

The Whale

Nobody saw The Whale coming in 2022, but once again director Darren Aronofsky hit a home run with a modest budget. The movie took home a slew of awards including a Best Actor Oscar for Brendan Fraiser, leading to the "Brenaissance" for the veteran actor. Made for just $3 million, it made $57 million in theaters.

Insidious

When it comes to small-budget horror, Blumhouse Productions really knows what it is doing. One of the best examples is Insidious. The 2010 movie was made for about $1.5 million, and it took home a massive $100 million at the box office. It also launched a franchise that racked up more than $700 million in total. Just insane numbers. 

Pulp Fiction

You might be surprised to see such an iconic film as Pulp Fiction on this list, but remember, it was Quentin Tarantino's second film. Miramax financed the film with about an $8 million budget, far less than some of his future movies. Of course, it's gone on to be a cultural touchstone and one of the most beloved movies of all time. When it was released, it brought in over $200 million at the box office. 

Once

It's common to see horror movies and comedies have huge ROIs on small budgets, but it's very uncommon to see off-beat musicals do it. 2007's Once is a massive exception. The movie, directed by John Carney, with original music by its stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, was made for $150K. Not only did it make $23 million in theaters, it led to a successful Broadway musical that won eight Tony Awards. 

Trainspotting

1996's Trainspotting wasn't director Danny Boyle's first movie, but it was the one that made him a star. The brutal movie about addicts in Scotland became a huge hit, making £48 million against a £7 million budget. It also helped launch the careers of Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, and Kelly Macdonald. Not bad for an indie. 

Open Water

For anyone with hydrophobia, Open Water is an impossible movie to watch. Even viewers who don't suffer that affliction might after seeing it. The horror thriller, released in 2003, was a surprise hit at the box office, making $55 million. All that for a movie with a budget well under one million bucks. Talk about swimming with sharks, wow. 

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola's 2003 hit Lost in Translation was the movie that officially brought her out from behind her father's shadow. Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson brought their immense talent to the small-budget flick ($4 million) and helped Coppola make a masterpiece that made over $100 million in theaters. 

Saw

The Saw horror franchise is an unstoppable monster. With a collective box office haul of over $500 million, it's crazy to think it all started with the original movie with a budget of right around $1 million. All this from a series that many people simply won't watch at all because of the goriness. Amazing. 

Rest assured, readers, we have the solution to that. Today, I’ll review several great picks for horror movies for beginners, whether you want something with a little less horror or maybe a little more. Let’s get into it. 

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a classic horror movie from the 1980s that Steven Spielberg co-wrote. The film follows a family who has to find a way to save their daughter when vengeful spirits kidnap her in their own home. Out of most horror movies, this one is very light on the jumpscares and mainly builds fright through suspense – mixed in with some pretty okay-ish CGI. 

Halloween (1978)

You can’t get more of a classic horror movie villain than Michael Myers. Halloween was released back in 1978 and told the story of a young woman acting as a babysitter the night of Halloween and how she has to survive the wrath of Michael Myers, an escaped killer from a mental facility. Halloween isn’t gorey but has excellent music, suspense, and an unforgettable villain. Out of all the Halloween movies, this one is still the best. 

The Fog (1980)

The Fog is a horror movie directed by John Carpenter that makes you question what you see in the fog. It focuses on a group of strangers who all have to survive this strange fog that takes over their town, which seems to contain evil forces. The movie isn’t scary, but it is a nice entrance into a more suspenseful horror. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s best movies often involve some horror, and The Sixth Sense follows that. The film mainly focuses on a child psychologist with a patient who can see dead people, but of course, the classic Shyamalan twist makes this movie all the better. It’s not scary, per se – just exciting. 

Psycho (1960)

I mean, yes. I have to put Psycho on here. Directed by Hollywood legend Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is based on the novel of the same name and follows the story of an investigator looking into the strange life of Norman Bates at the Bates Motel and how one interaction with a young woman and her disappearance changes everything. It’s black and white with no gore, but it's a great horror movie to start on. Trust me. 

Friday The 13th (1980)

The Friday the 13th movies were essentially some of the films that began the subgenre of slasher within horror, but the first movie isn’t even that bad. It focuses on a group of teenage counselors trying to survive a serial killer at their summer camp after a tragedy occurred years prior. While there are some messier scenes, it’s not that bad and has some great music. 

Beetlejuice (1988)

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing, it’s the perfect time to watch the first film. Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character, a “bio-exorcist” contacted by two ghosts to get humans to leave their home – but he has tricks up his sleeves. Look, Beetlejuice, truthfully, is probably the best entrance into horror. This movie is way more funny than scary, but it has enough creepy moments to dip your toes in horror. 

The Black Phone (2022)

Starring Ethan Hawke, The Black Phone is an excellent horror film that follows the story of a teenager who is abducted by a child murderer and can use a rotary dial phone to speak to past victims to find a way out. This film has a few gorier moments, but they’re pretty tame. And truthfully, the plot alone is so creative you’ll be sucked in. 

Happy Death Day (2017)

There are plenty of fantastic horror comedies, and Happy Death Day is one of them. The film follows a young woman who, when she is killed, is forced to relive the day over and over again to find the murderer. Yes, this is a horror version of Groundhog Day, and it’s the best. 

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins is a comedy horror film that everyone has seen at least once. The film follows the story of a man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai. At first, it seems fine, but once they get fed past midnight, they turn into monsters that wreak havoc. The movie isn’t scary, but it has some good makeup and will make you chuckle at the monsters. 

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is a classic comedy zombie movie directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg. The film follows a salesman who must survive the zombie apocalypse with his friends when the entirety of London falls. The zombies can sometimes be creepy, but trust me when I say you’ll be laughing a heck of a lot more than screaming. 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead essentially created the zombie genre as a whole. This classic horror film from the 1960s, directed by George A. Romero, follows a group of survivors in Pennsylvania who must try to survive when they are all attacked by corpses that have come back to life. The movie features the slowest zombies ever, but they’re still pretty creepy – and powerfully told. 

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s movies are always hits; Get Out was his first big one. The movie follows a young Black man who travels to his Caucasian girlfriend’s house for the first time to meet her family, only to discover that they hold much darker secrets than ever before. There’s barely any gore in here—all the horror is in the storytelling and how evil humans can be. 

The Ring (2002)

Have you ever heard the phrase “Seven days?” Because it comes from here. Directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Japanese horror film and novel of the same name, this movie follows the story of a journalist who discovers that when she watches a cursed tape, she will die in seven days—and now she must find a way to survive. Yes, the girl can be a little creepy, but truthfully, the movie isn’t that bad.

Insidious (2010)

When it comes to horror movies about demons, Insidious is pretty much the best you can get because it’s not “poop your pants” scary, but it’s effective in the way it scares. Directed by James Wan, the film follows a married couple who must find a way to save their son when he enters into a coma, and his body becomes host to several vengeful spirits and demons. There are a few jumpscares, but it’s nothing an average person can’t handle. 

Scream (1996)

This film isn’t scary, and I stand by it. Scream is the first in the Scream franchise, and it follows Sidney Prescott as she tries to avoid getting killed by Ghostface, a serial killer in her town. This movie is just a trope city, and there are undoubtedly bloody moments, but not enough to truly scare you. If anything, it’s a love letter to horror movies from decades before. 

Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland was one of the first zombie movies I ever watched, and I think it’s a great horror comedy for first-time viewers. It mainly follows four survivors as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse, but it’s the comedy that keeps you coming back for more. It’s so funny, and some of the ways the zombies are killed are hilarious. It’s one of Emma Stone’s best films. 

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Starring David Naughton, An American Werewolf in London tells the story of two American backpackers who are attacked by a werewolf. One of them gets bitten, turning him into a werewolf when the moon rises. The scariest thing about this film is the realistic werewolf transformation, but other than that, it’s a great horror movie to start on. 

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

While the found-footage horror genre has only gotten bigger, I often credit The Blair Witch Project as the first to really set it off. The film focuses on a group of film students who are trying to make a documentary about a local legend, only to vanish. Their footage is found a year later—hence the name, “found footage.” The movie has a few scary movies but builds its scares on suspense. 

Jaws (1975)

Will you be scared of sharks a little after this? Sure, but Jaws is iconic for a reason. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a marine biologist and a shark hunter working together to take down a man-eating great white shark. Yes, the score is as iconic as you think it is.

Alien (1979)

To me, the original sci-fi horror movie was always Alien. The movie, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the space crew as they have to survive aliens that make their way into their vessel. Truthfully, I don’t see the aliens as too creepy—the only thing that’s truly scary is the alien popping out of someone’s chest, but it’s not that bad. 

The Shining (1980)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations is The Shining. Based on the novel of the same name, The Shining follows a family in which a writer takes on the position of off-season caretaker in a hotel, only for him to lose his mind while he’s there. The movie itself is built on suspense and doesn’t really have that many gory or scary moments—it’s just a greatly shot film.

Old (2021)

Old is an M. Night Shyamalan movie that follows a group of vacationers who realize that they are aging inexplicably quicker on a beach, to the point where they grow closer and closer to death with each passing hour. I enjoy this film a decent amount and think it’s excellent for first-time horror viewers, mainly because there’s barely any gore, and it’s an exciting concept. 

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019)

For all my PG-13 peeps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a great first-time horror movie. Based on novels of the same name, the film follows how horror stories written in an ancient book come to life, and it’s up to three teenagers to figure out how. The movie is creepy, eerie, and so much more – but it doesn’t quite cross the line of unwatchable. I love it. 

Carrie (1976)

Carrie is hands-down one of the best horror films to start watching. The film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, follows a young woman who is bullied at school. She later finds out that she has telekinetic powers—ones she uses to exact revenge when she’s pushed too far. The film isn’t gory but expertly acted and brilliantly told. 

The Cabin In The Woods (2013)

This sci-fi comedy is everything. The Cabin in the Woods follows a group of close friends who go away to a remote cabin for a weekend. There, they all fall victim to different kinds of killers—only to find out that these killers aren’t who they thought they were. The twist is excellent; you have to watch it. It’s not scary at all. 

A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is a great horror movie to start on. The film follows a family who are trying to live in a world where man-eating but blind monsters have taken out much of humanity. They have incredible hearing, and you're dead if you make a sound. The monsters can be a little creepy, but there’s so much more that makes this movie so good. 

Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps is an excellent PG-13 pick on here. Based on the R.L. Stine books of the same name, the film follows a group of kids and a fictionalized Stine as they struggle to capture all the monsters in the Goosebumps books when they come to live and terrorize their town. It stars Jack Black and is silly, goofy, and just a little scary – perfect for first-timers. 

The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds follows the sudden invasion and attack of birds that look to kill in California and how it came to be. Yes, I know the premise sounds goofy, but it’s a well-shot film and a classic for a reason. 

Child’s Play (1988)

Child’s Play may sound like it’s for children, but it’s not. The film follows a widowed mother who gifts a doll to her son, unaware that a serial killer’s spirit possesses it and is looking to kill again. Look, this movie is goofy as heck. It is. It’s about a doll killing people – you’re not going to have nightmares after. Just make sure the kids don’t see it. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Everyone needs a horror musical sometimes. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, is based on the musical of the same name and follows an engaged couple who take refuge in a castle when their car breaks down, only to see that it’s occupied by several interesting and enigmatic people. That’s all I’ll say. Now, let’s do the Time Warp!

Mama (2013)

Starring Jessica Chastain, Mama tells the story of two girls who are brought home by their uncle after their parents die and are haunted by a strange entity. The spirit follows them to their new house. The film certainly focuses more on the love a mother can bring than anything else, but it’s perfect for first-time horror fans. 

With all these options, now I feel like watching some of the best horror movies ever – I think it’s time for a horror movie marathon. 

Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael Williams, the original stars of the cult horror classic, recently made a public appeal to Lionsgate. Following the studio's announcement of a reboot in collaboration with Blumhouse, the trio united to issue several requests. At present, they seek retroactive and future residual payments and have a few other demands regarding the future of projects related to The Blair Witch franchise.

The OG Cast Releases A List Of "Asks"

Besides retroactive and future residual payments, the OG cast has expressed a strong desire to be involved in future projects related to the franchise, including reboots, sequels, prequels, and even merchandise like toys, games, rides and escape rooms. They emphasize the importance of their involvement whenever their names or likenesses might be used for promotional purposes. The trio’s statement, which they shared on Joshua Leonard's Facebook account, highlights their frustration with past adaptations:

Following the worldwide success of the first movie, there was a fast-tracked follow-up, 2000’s Book of Shadows, which some consider to be a sequel that never should have been made. Then, in 2016, a reboot by the title of Blair Witch was also a box office disappointment, making only $45.2 million worldwide. Neither attempts to revitalize the franchise included consultation from Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard or Michael Williams, despite the fact that the three actors were heavily influential in the creation of the first movie. The performers notably improvised their roles over a week with a minimal budget while using their real names for their characters. Each actor earned $300,000 from selling their stakes in the film, which ultimately grossed $248 million worldwide.

The trio of actors have also proposed the creation of "The Blair Witch Grant," echoing the original film's budget with a $60,000 prize. This grant would support an unknown or aspiring genre filmmaker in producing their first feature film. Notably, this would be a proper grant, not a development fund, meaning Lionsgate would retain no rights to the resulting project.

The Original Blair Witch Production Team Share Their Perspective

Alongside the cast list of "asks" and statements, Eduardo Sánchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello, directors and producers of The Blair Witch Project, also shared their perspectives. They expressed respect for Lionsgate's management of intellectual property but emphasized the need to acknowledge the foundational contributions of Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams. It read, in part:

The Blair Witch Project first hit theaters in 1999, released by Artisan Entertainment. Lionsgate later acquired Artisan in December 2003. As of this writing, neither LG nor Blumhouse have formally commented on the statements. Details on the upcoming reboot, which was announced at CinemaCon this month, also remain scarce.

While you wait for updates on this situation, those interested in experiencing what made The Blair Witch Project awesome can stream the first film for free on The Roku Channel or with an Amazon Prime subscription. Also, remember to check out our 2024 movie schedule to discover other upcoming horror films coming soon to theaters near you.

The Ending (The Mist)

Yeah, I don't need to explain why The Mist's ending was traumatizing. If you've seen it, you know. If you haven't, consider yourselves lucky. Let's say many people die, and it's not a fun experience.

Michael Hiding In The Closet (Halloween)

There's nothing quite like a classic horror movie villain, and Michael Myers is about as classic as you can get. The film itself is all about Myers on a killing quest, which leads him to Laurie Strode. He chases her throughout her house, and just when we think he's dead, he rises from the floor in one motion, clearly not. This scene remains chilling to this day. 

Andre Realizing Where He Is (Get Out)

Jordan Peele's movies surprisingly have many scenes that really stick with you. One I have to mention is in Get Out when Andre realizes where he is and tries to warn Chris to leave Rose's family's house. He screams and yells at him when the flash goes off on a camera, and his yelling at Chris will always live in my head. 

Regan's Seizure (The Exorcist)

If we're being honest, there are plenty of moments in The Exorcist that I could put on this list. But the one I have to name is when Regan has a seizure due to the demon in her body flailing her up and down. Whether it's the chilling nature of the shot or the fact that the actress suffered severe injuries because of it, it sat with me for a long time. 

Pennywise Gets Georgie (IT)

The IT films are some of the best Stephen King adaptations, but that opening death in IT let me know exactly what I was getting myself into. We all knew Georgie had to die in IT, but in the first film, we are shown how graphic it will be when Pennywise lures him into the sewer and ends him quite violently. 

The First Time We See The Demon (Insidious)

There are plenty of moments in the Insidious films that we could discuss, but I have to point out the red demon—you and I both know which one I'm talking about—that randomly appears behind Josh's head. It's such an effective jumpscare, but my god, does it haunt you. 

The Entirety Of The Human Centipede (2009)

Yeah, I won't even get into this. Just don't watch the movie—or movies—if you don't want to be scarred for life. Ew. 

Justine Biting Her Own Arm (Raw)

Many people forget about Raw in many ways, and I'm not sure why. It was a great film that explored an excellent horror topic and was told brilliantly; somehow, we never got a sequel. Plenty of scenes stand out, but the one I'll never forget is when Justine, instead of biting the flesh of her lover, bites her arm. Yeah, it's pretty gross – but it's a great shot. 

Mike Facing The Wall (The Blair Witch Project)

While The Blair Witch Project might be getting rebooted, there's nothing quite as haunting as the original, where film students are capturing footage in the woods, and they get lost – while their footage is found. In the last shot, Mike is facing the wall, doing nothing, as evil forces surround them. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking of it. 

The First Ceremony (Midsommar)

Ari Aster's films always have moments that make you want to squirm, but the one I have to point out from Midsommar is the first ceremony they do during the festival. The two eldest of the group jump off a cliff, and their lives end rather quickly, but the slow-motion and graphic way they pass sits with you. 

The Scream Of The Innocent (Nope)

Of Peele's three directed features, Nope is arguably the least scary. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have haunting moments, including this one. When Jean Jacket finds its way over Jupiter's Claim, it kills everyone there, sucking them up into its mouth. It's horrifying when you hear the screams of everyone there. 

The Logs (Final Destination 2)

Yeah, the log scene in Final Destination 2 scarred an entire generation from riding behind any truck that has anything that could potentially fall out of it – especially logs. We all know what happens. I'm not going to relive that while writing this, no siree. 

David's First Wolf Transformation (An American Werewolf In London)

There are plenty of great werewolf movies, but An American Werewolf in London is hands down one of the best. The movie isn't scary, but you want to know what it is? When David becomes a werewolf for the first time – that shakes you to your core. His werewolf transformation is genuinely out of this world. 

Seok-woo Realizes He's Bit (Train To Busan)

Train to Busan is one of the best zombie movies out there, and the scene that haunts me the most is definitely Seok-woo realizing he was bitten. It happens so quickly, but through it all, he finds a way to keep his daughter safe despite dying. It's sad as heck and will make you sob. 

Every Torture Scene (Hostel)

I watched Hostel and regretted it immensely, but you know what? You have to live through the pain with me. The film is all about tourists taking shelter in a hostel only to be kidnapped and tortured, and every torture scene in this film made me squirm and still haunts me to this day. 

Freddy Gets Glen (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

Out of Freddy Kreuger's most gruesome kills, this one stands out amongst the rest. Glen, played by Johnny Depp, accidentally falls asleep, but Freddy gets him good – and turns him into a geyser. It's disgusting and still sits with me to this day. 

Chest Popper (Alien)

I mean, obviously. If we're talking about some of the best sci-fi horror movies, Alien is undoubtedly up there. While there aren't that many terrifying moments, the Alien coming out of a person's chest will certainly sit with you for years. 

Casey's Death (Scream)

I see the Scream movie as almost a love letter to former horror movies, but there's no denying some haunting moments. Casey's death in the first Scream film is probably the most prominent because the young woman was innocent and strung up a tree with her insides hanging out. Not the best way to go. 

Katie Lunges Towards The Camera (Paranormal Activity)

There are plenty of great found-footage horror movies out there that I could point to as haunting, but the last scene of Paranormal Activity possibly made everyone in the world jump out of their seats. It concludes with Katie, fully possessed, lunging at the camera before everything cuts to black, and yes, it still makes me jump to this day. 

Redrum (The Shining)

The Shining is great for so many reasons, but one of the best moments is when Danny writes "Redrum" on a door while saying it in a raspy voice, over and over and over again, obviously with "Redrum" spelling "Murder" backward. It's a great foreshadowing of the horrors to come, but also a fantastic haunting moment. 

Red Looking At Jason (Us)

Us is a great Jordan Peele horror movie about doppelgangers, and the ending scene of Us is one of the best for many reasons. Red somehow survives until the end, revealing that she was always a doppelganger who fights to keep her place in the world, trapping the real her below. Jason realizes that at the very end, the last look she gives her son is chilling to the bone. 

The Aftermath Of Charlie's Death (Hereditary)

Hereditary is one of those Ari Aster movies that makes you squirm in your seat, and while I won't get into details of what exactly happens to Charlie, I will say that the aftermath of what we see is enough to make you barf. Flies, dead skin, and much more on the side of the road – and let's not forget the scream of her mother. 

The Lawnmower Scene (Sinister)

The lawnmower scene in Sinister is less than a minute long in a film full of haunting moments, but man, it isn't fun. It shows someone with a camera holding a lawnmower that ends a girl lying on the ground without getting into too much detail. I could have gone my whole life without seeing that. 

The Truth About Norman Bates' Mother (Psycho)

You can't get more well-known horror than Psycho. Obviously, by the end of the film, we all find out the truth about Bates' mother and how he killed her, but it's that chilling smile, the iconic one, that still haunts our nightmares every time. You can't get creepier than that. 

Gage's Death (Pet Sematary)

In many ways, Pet Sematary is the scariest film on this list because it sometimes feels like something a normal person would do out of desperation to bring their loved ones back. The following events in the film happen because of Gage's death, but nothing beats the screams of his family when they realize it. 

Pearl's Final Bow (Pearl)

Both X and Pearl are great films within the same universe, but that last shot of Pearl—otherwise known as the Pearl ending—is haunting. In it, she welcomes her husband home after literally killing so many people and just smiles at the camera for a good couple of minutes. Oof, it just sits with you. 

The Blood Eagle (Midsommar)

Midsommar has so many moments that could be on this list, but The Blood Eagle has to be one to point out. Without going into too much detail so I don't scar whoever is reading this, a tourist at the festival, who had been brought in, is taken out due to an ancient torture ritual called the Blood Eagle. I won't talk about what it is – look it up if you dare, and then get haunted all over again. 

The Spider-Head (The Thing)

The Thing is terrifying in many ways because literally anyone could be the imposter alien. But out of all the haunting moments, the spider-head stands out. Yeah, I'm getting nauseous just writing about it. Ew. 

The Final Transformation (The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum's best movies include The Fly for a good reason: his acting is awesome. However, that last transformation—where his character, fully ingrained with the fly's DNA, fully transforms—yeah, that part is gross and still haunts me to this day. The flesh and the effects—ugh, I'm about to vomit. Be right back. 

Kayako Goes Under The Sheets (The Grudge)

I have to point out this scene from The Grudge. Kayako pops out from underneath a bed and kills someone, dragging them under the covers. It's terrifying, and to this day, I'm still freaked out by it. 

Gabriel Comes Out Of Madison's Skull (Malignant)

Malignant is one of the best movies to watch on Max, and it still freaks me out. The twist comes at the very end when it's revealed Madison had a former twin who ingrained himself in her skull, and then he suddenly emerges from her skull at the very end. It's disgusting and will haunt you for the rest of your life. 

Riley's Possession (Talk To Me)

Talk to Me was one of the scariest films in years and deserved all the praise it got, and of course, I have to point out Riley's possession. It's so violent and quick and sad that you can hardly remember to feel scared once you're traumatized out of your mind. Let's not even get into how he injures himself so badly. 

These are all some incredibly haunting scenes, but maybe I'll go watch some of the best romantic comedies now to feel happier about something. Goodness gracious, I need a palette cleanser. 

The 1999 supernatural horror film The Blair Witch Project was a massive success thanks to the creative geniuses of ​​Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. It became a sleeper hit and one of the most profitable indie films with a gross of nearly $250 million worldwide. Unfortunately, the sequels that followed didn’t do so hot as 2000’s Book of Shadows was a followup that never should have been made, banking only $47.7 million. Blair Witch bombed at the box office too at $45.2 million. Production designer of the OG hit, Ben Rock, spoke to THR about his theory on why the sequels didn’t “connect” with audiences. 

What helps a sequel become a success truly is when the original people are invited to talks about what people love about the original. After The Blair Witch Project became a huge success, Artisan wanted to take advantage of the found footage film’s popularity and produce a sequel. But, Haxan Films who were responsible for the original wanted to wait until the buzz died down. So, Artisan bought the film rights and went on without Haxan to create Book of Shadows. 

Considering this sequel got mediocre reviews and bombed at the box office, Ben Rock hopes Blumhouse will speak to The Blair Witch Projects OG crew members before going forth with production.

While celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2009, creator Daniel Myrick did say he had hope for more films as long as sequels respect the mythology he and Eduardo Sánchez made. All the more reason why Artisan’s sequel failed in not involving the original filmmakers in the sequel project and having very little to do with the clever mythology they created.

Ben Rock wasn’t the only Blair Witch Project OG member hurt to be left out of the franchise’s future films. One of the film’s leads Joshua Leonard took to Facebook to express his frustration of not being told Blumhouse was remaking the franchise. He instead found out through a friend who sent him a media report of the announcement that had his picture in it. 

Using Joshua Leonard’s face without his permission to announce the upcoming horror film is similar to a legal battle the actor previously faced with Artisan Entertainment. He revealed he and his other co-stars had to file a lawsuit against Artisan for profiting off their names and likeness without their permission considering they were a huge reason for The Blair Witch Project’s profitability. They each only won a reported $300,000 compared to allegations they were paid $4 million. 

Based on Ben Rock and Joshua Leonard’s claims, the cautionary advice for the franchise's success going forward is to involve The Blair Witch Project's OG creators. Rock said he has no idea if a modern-day found footage film will connect with today’s audiences, but he sees hope as long as his film’s creative team is included in future conversations to know what made the sleeper hit awesome. Until then, you can watch the first film of the franchise that started it all for free on The Roku Channel and your Amazon Prime subscription.

It’d be an understatement to say that Blumhouse Productions has been making some serious noise in the movie business over the past decade or so. Producer Jason Blum and co. have truly carved out a space for themselves by delivering a vast array of horror offerings. They’ve delivered original offerings like The Purge, Get Out and M3GAN but have also rebooted some beloved IPs. Among those are the Halloween series as well as The Exorcist. Now, it seems the company is preparing to revive yet another famous piece of work, and it’s definitely a biggie. 

During Lionsgate’s presentation at CinemaCon, it was confirmed that Blumhouse is officially set to reboot The Blair Witch Project. This not only marks yet another major release for the entertainment brand, but it also signifies the beginning of a multi-picture deal between BH and Lionsgate. CinemaBlend was present at the panel, during which the film studio’s Motion Picture Group chair, Adam Fogelsen, discussed the production. As he put it, this will be a “new vision” for the franchise “that will reintroduce this horror classic for a new generation.” In a statement, he also said: 

Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum also shared some sentiments on this new venture, and he seems excited to be moving forward. While expressing his enthusiasm, he also spoke to the impact of the classic scary movie:

The Blair Witch Project, which hit theaters in 1999, still stands as one of the scariest and most influential horror flicks of all time. The found-footage production centers around three aspiring filmmakers, who trek across the Black Hills of Maryland to make a documentary about the movie’s titular myth. In time, the trio meet ambiguous ends and, as explained, their footage is what makes up the feature film itself. The Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez-directed independent movie grossed over $248 million worldwide against a production budget that reportedly didn’t exceed $750,000.

On paper, this production is a smart move on Blumhouse’s part for a few reasons. First off, it aligns with its business model, as this is yet another film that can be made on a shoe-string budget. Secondly (and most obviously), this IP is very popular and, if handled with care, it could indeed win over both longtime fans of the OG movie and newbies. That’s certainly a big “if,” though Jason Blum and co. have taken major swings before and been met with positive results. 

Unsurprisingly, story details were not revealed during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon spiel. That begs the question of whether this will serve as a full-blown remake or a legacy sequel of sorts. The latter route was taken with the most recent Halloween and Exorcist installments, and those were met with varied responses. At this point, there are also two sequels to The Blair Witch Project, including 2000's Book of Shadows and 2016's Blair Witch, which bombed at the box office.

There may still be a number of variables to consider here, but the prospect of a Blumhouse-produced third installment is intriguing, at the very least. We’ll have to see if Jason Blum and his cohorts manage to recapture the sheer terror that audiences experienced in theaters over two decades ago. Here’s hoping the right pieces come together to create a truly entertaining film. 

Right now, you can check out Blumhouse’s recently released 2024 movie schedule, Imaginary, as it’s playing in theaters now. The Blair Witch Project, which has a killer ending, is also available to stream with a Prime Video subscription. Also, anyone who loves scary fare should keep an eye on the schedule of upcoming horror movies.

From great ‘90s sci-fi movies like Jurassic Park to beloved ‘90s family films like Toy Story to chilling thrillers and hilarious comedies, just about any genre fan can feel represented by the era's best. Can the same be said for music, TV and literature? (I'll be too busy watching Speed again to research that.) So grab your long-dead Tamagotchis and scented markers and join us in celebrating the best of the best that the ‘90s had to offer.

• This list was compiled by the bulk of CinemaBlend's editors and writers, who gave 0-5 scores to an overall list of around 300 movies, with all of the final scores averaged out to determine the final ranking of 100.

How We Put This List Together

• Around 300 entries from a vast variety of 1990s films , which fit the bill of being culturally relevant and critically respected, were gathered using a combination of staff recommendations, movie guides and further research. The entries were tracked in a spreadsheet, where the majority of our staff then went through a multi-level voting process, with scores assigned based on personal opinions. A base number of viewers was also required for entries to make the cut, and lowest scores were then eliminated, in the style of scoring figure skating. The movies were then ordered from 1-100 based on the final average scores, with a variety of staff members writing the movie-celebrating entries. 

100. The Fifth Element (1997)

Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is a seriously wild movie. The sci-fi adventure has become a bona fide genre classic. Even though parts of the film were frustrating to make, those efforts clearly paid off, leaving us with one of the most fun space rides to date with an A-level cast including Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker in arguably his spaciest performance. Anyone who may have forgotten how fun and bonkers it is should grab a multi-pass and return immediately. 

99. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Jim Carrey may have enjoyed the most successful year for any comedian in 1994, and Dumb and Dumber is a major part of that unprecedented run. After the wildly successful Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, the Saturday Night Live reject gave an iconic performance as Lloyd Christmas in the Farrelly Brothers’ breakout comedy alongside Jeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne. Everything about the movie simply works in spite of itself. The chemistry between its stars, the balance of over-the-top humor and more subtle jokes, and the most annoying sound in the world work together to create an unparalleled and game-changing experience. 

98. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project may not have been the first to bring a cinéma vérité approach to the horror genre, but through extremely savvy marketing and lore-building, the no-budget flick became one of the most profitable films of all time, spawning a franchise of film sequels, comics, a video game, and beyond. And all without an actual “witch” to tease in the trailers. One of the ‘90s most polarizing efforts, BWP’s “something from nothing” approach makes it as influential as anything else from the decade.

97. Mulan (1998)

What can be said about Mulan that has yet to be talked about? Released at the tail end of the famed Disney Renaissance through the ‘90s, Mulan was the animated film that defined a generation of young women, inspiring many to always fight for their honor and never back down, even when everyone in the world says otherwise. The music is excellent as the voice-acting takes you to another world, and the animation easily pulls viewers in, but it’s the themes that stay with audiences forever.

96. The Wedding Singer (1998)

More than just a wonderful romantic comedy, The Wedding Singer is a standout title in Adam Sandler’s early career. In the 1990s, Sandler was known for his goofy characters on Saturday Night Live and in goofy movies like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Airheads, but The Wedding Singer was an opportunity for him to show he could do work with a bit more gravity. There’s an argument to be made it paved the way for him excelling in films like Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems. And the power of Sandler + Drew Barrymore can never be denied.

95. Death Becomes Her (1992)

There’s a scene in Death Becomes Her that pretty much sums up the Robert Zemeckis film’s greatness – as Goldie Hawn’s Helen sits and leans back, the handle of a shovel slips perfectly through the hole in her torso. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep’s Madeline gracefully takes a seat while clutching her hair atop her head, in order to keep it from flopping forward against her broken neck. It’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s hilarious, and for 1992, the special effects are impressive. Bruce Willis’ Ernest being dragged along for the ride caps off the excellent trio of characters, in this eternally underrated comedy.

94. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Four years after already penning one of the all-time great romantic comedies (Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally), the late Nora Ephron directed a landmark rom-com of her own with Sleepless in Seattle. The second of three movies co-starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this genre staple features an incredible story about a woman who goes to great lengths to be with the man she loves, a man whom she’s never met and only knows from a call-in radio show. It’s charming, witty, earnest, and the best kind of enchanted realism. 

93. Jackie Brown (1997)

Quentin Tarantino’s third directorial effort, Jackie Brown kicks off with Pam Grier’s money-smuggling flight attendant trekking to work to the tune of Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” helping it stand apart from the testosterone-enhanced violence of his first two features. And while the star-studded flick does dip into the filmmaker’s favored crime genre tropes, Jackie Brown hinges more on character study than sheer plot machination, and provides career-high performances from Bridget Fonda, Robert Forster, and Grier herself. And in that way, it’s arguably the most empathy-worthy project from Tarantino’s career.

92. Happy Gilmore (1996)

Depending on who you talk to, Adam Sandler’s '90s comedies are either near the peak of the genre or near the pits of low-brow comedy. We know where Shooter McGavin's opinions would lie, but we lean toward raising our clubs and pucks to Sandler’s story about a failed hockey player taking the world of professional golf by storm, all for his grandma. I’ll always laugh at Happy Gilmore’s titular hero going toe-to-toe with the late game show host Bob Barker, and the wild story of how he got involved is as great as the on-screen fisticuffs.

91. Casino (1995)

It’s hard to pick a favorite when talking about the best mob characters that Robert De Niro has played, though I’d argue Sam "Ace" Rothstein is as good as it gets. Unlike many other gangster movies tethered to dark alleys, Casino zeroes in on the mafia’s stranglehold of the glitzy and glamorous Las Vegas in the 1970s. It’s further bolstered by excellent directing from master craftsman Martin Scorsese and a supporting cast with legends like Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. A fantastic movie that doesn't shy away from deeply upsetting moments. 

90. Forrest Gump (1994)

Despite all the cringey and parody-fueling moments in Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump --- never forget the Weird Al classic "Gump" --- Tom Hanks' history-making and country-crossing simpleton remains one of the 1990s most enduring movie heroes. With a stacked cast of pros, from Sally Field to Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump's popularity was evident from both its boffo box office, its huge success at the Oscars and beyond, and just how many quotes from this movie have permanently nestled themselves into pop culture. 

89. A Few Good Men (1992)

Courtrooms are a natural fit for high drama, and A Few Good Men has some of the best courtroom scenes in cinema history. Aaron Sorkin’s first screenplay, based on his own stage play, is missing many of the elements that would later define his writing, but that’s not a bad thing here. The battle between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson has become iconic, but even outside of that near-perfect scene, A Few Good Men is full of incredible characters, smart dialogue, and memorable moments. It’s perhaps one of Cruise’s most criminally overlooked performances.

88. Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman is definitely one of Julia Roberts's best movies in a wildly impressive career, but it's also one of the best ‘90s rom-coms. The film's sleazy-on-paper tale, which follows a rich businessman hiring a Hollywood escort to be his date to several social events, is a charmer thanks to its stellar leads. The film vaulted Roberts into an even bigger star, while making romantics everywhere swoon at the idea of a wealthy millionaire like Richard Gere coming out of nowhere to sweep them off their feet – if only, amirite?

87. As Good As It Gets (1997)

I miss Jack Nicholson. I miss James L. Brooks. I miss emotional, character-driven comedies that excelled thanks to outstanding performances from A-list talent. Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear weave magic in this sweet story about strangers forming friendships over low-stakes but relatable dramas. Studios craving IP don’t back movies like this anymore. But when they did, and when actors could sink their teeth into the material, this one was as good as they got. 

86. The Sandlot (1993)

There are ‘90s sports movies that are kid-pleasers, and then there is The Sandlot, the 1993 coming-of-age story about a ragtag group of kids living what could be the best summer of their lives. There's so much to love about this small-stakes baseball tale, from its timelessness to its life lessons to incredible characters like Scotty Smalls, Benny Rodriguez, Ham Porter, and so many others, there’s just so much to love about this classic sports film. To quote the Great Bambino, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” In this case, we're calling our shot: The Sandlot is one of those legends. 

85. Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

Can’t Hardly Wait combines an "everybody's recognizable" ensemble cast with the classic house party setting and a killer soundtrack to give us one of the most epic teen movies of all time. The plot centers around Ethan Embry’s Preston, who needs to profess his love for Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) at the graduation party, now that she is finally single after being dumped by Mike (Peter Facinelli). But plots are for dorks, and the 1998 comedy epitomizes the teen angst of the late 20th century in an honest and hilarious way.

84. You've Got Mail (1998)

You’ve Got Mail arrived in 1998 when just about everybody would have recognized the title as the AOL greeting message. This was the third movie to pair Tom Hanks with Meg Ryan, with writer/director Nora Ephron bringing her magic romantic comedy touch to the story of two business rivals who unwittingly fall in love via online chat. Hanks and Ryan channel the same chemistry that was a hit years earlier with Sleepless in Seattle, and it doesn't require having lived through the AOL era to appreciate the level of classic rom-com energy that makes this a winner. 

83. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

In a decade filled with all-time great Robin Williams movies, there’s something particularly tender and very much unforgettable about Chris Columbus’ Ms. Doubtfire. Underpinned by the heartbreak of having less time than ever with his three kids as his divorce looms, voiceover actor Daniel Hillard hatches a plan to form a new character in an elderly housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire to get more time with them. Not only does his new secret identity make for some hilarious moments that very much play to Williams’ strengths as a comedy actor, Mrs. Doubtfire is also a touching film that takes a grounded approach to parent separation. 

82. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The most Tim Burton movie ever to Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is, on one bladed hand, a weirdly heartwarming horror movie, but on the other bladed hand, an endlessly frightening family film. The suburban Frankenstein homage is bolstered by stellar performances from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Weist, with each bringing grounded authenticity to this wildly fantastical fable. (Yes, even the pity-provoking Depp.) The cherries on top of this macabre cake are Vincent Price, in his final major film role, and Burton-familiar composer Danny Elfman. And the eye-popping hedge art and ice sculptures don’t hurt.

81. American History X (1998)

Long before debates about The Snyder Cut, star Edward Norton, director Tony Kaye, and New Line Cinema engaged in a very loud and sometimes public squabble over American History X. The final cut we got, which Kaye publicly disavowed, is a brutal, almost two-hour look at modern white supremacy that’s shot partially in black and white. It netted Norton an Oscar nomination and has individual moments as strong as anything on this list, but it also occasionally loses pace and has always left fans wanting to see Kaye’s original 95-minute cut, which remains unreleased following the film’s disastrous production

80. Aladdin (1992)

It’s easy to look at Aladdin and celebrate the work of the great Robin Williams, and justifiably so. Only animation could truly uncork the man’s absolutely manic comedy style. But focusing only on Williams overlooks the work of amazing animators who created the Genie and everything else, since it's a testament to their skill that the animation is able to keep up with Williams and the high-flying scenes. Musical sequences like “A Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World” show another form of animated beauty and have become just as iconic on their own as the Genie himself.

79. That Thing You Do! (1996)

By the time he wrote, directed, and co-starred in 1996’s That Thing You Do, Tom Hanks was already an acting powerhouse. So it was a bit of a surprise to see the Academy Award-winning actor delivering a tale about the wild ride that so many one-hit wonders of the ‘60s endured. Initially, the story of The Wonders (Johnathon Schaech, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, and Tom Everett Scott) and their roller-coaster journey wasn’t a smash success, but decades later, That Thing You Do is a well-regarded mini-cult classic that can still leave audiences with songs in their hearts.

78. Trainspotting (1996)

While it wasn’t his directorial debut, Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting was the flick that put the man on the map. Following the lives of a group of Scottish drug addicts and friends, a cast including Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly MacDonald landed their start as the stars of tomorrow. Through a narrative that’s both darkly comic and frightfully serious, Trainspotting ushers its heroin addicts through life's struggles in grounded and trippy ways. Establishing Boyle’s skills in telling a conventional story through unconventional means, it’s a powerful statement for its director and the message he’s trying to convey.

77. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

The Die Hard formula survived the transition to the “buddy cop” genre (at least initially) with Bruce Willis’ iconic John McClane being forced to team up with a good samaritan (Samuel L. Jackson) and solve a bunch of riddles around Manhattan to prevent bombs from going off. Many consider With a Vengeance to be the best in the Die Hard series, though it’s blasphemy to put ANY of them ahead of John McTiernan’s original. Still, this one moves like a freight train, Willis and Jackson have remarkable chemistry, and Jeremy Irons is a sinister villain with a satisfying twist of a motivation to take McClane down. 

76. Titanic (1997)

Titanic was an event in itself when it arrived in theaters, with James Cameron’s film ambitiously bringing to screen the story of the ill-fated ship, depicting the journey across the Atlantic with incredible visuals that give us a sense of what it might have been like aboard the ship during that terrible night. At the center of it all is the love story of Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), who manage to find each other, despite their differing social classes, and never let go. Considering how many millions of dollars it earned from repeat audience viewings, its "classic" status is unsinkable.

75. Men in Black (1997)

One of the biggest sci-fi hits of the decade, Men In Black holds a special place in the hearts and minds of both space and comedy nerds. Even though it initially took some convincing to land Will Smith for the role of Agent J., Steven Spielberg (as producer) managed to re-catch lightning in a bottle with the actor coming off of Independence Day. And as unpredictable as it seemed at the time Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made for an extremely fun and combative pairing in the rest of the Men in Black film franchise.

74. The Fugitive (1993)

When it comes to movies based on old TV shows, it doesn’t get much better than The Fugitive. There’s no way around it, this 1993-defining film straight-up rocks and is still just as great more than 30 years after its release. Watching one of Harrison Ford’s most iconic characters go to great lengths to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife never gets hold, and the same can be said about Tommy Lee Jones’ Academy Award-winning performance as the U.S. Marshal tasked with capturing the elusive fugitive.

73. Run Lola Run (1998)

Outside of sci-fi adventures, time loops aren’t often used as storytelling devices, and 1998’s thriller Run Lola Run absolutely proves why this is a shame. While the story isn’t explicitly a looping band of time, we do get three different versions of writer/director Tom Twyver’s story. Centered around lovers Lola (Franke Potente) and Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), each variation has one thing in common: they have 20 minutes to score 100,000 Deutschmarks, or Manni is dead. New twists and pitfalls arrive, keeping that premise fresh each time, right up until the end. 

72. Swingers (1996)

Long before he directed major projects like Iron Man and The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau wrote and starred in the Doug Liman-directed Swingers. This comedy follows Favreau’s Mike Peters, a comedian who’s getting over a bad breakup and moves to Hollywood to find success in the midst of the ‘90s swing revival. The witty back-and-forth dialogue between Favreau and his co-stars, including Vince Vaughn and Heather Graham, and the simple, yet effective story of moving on to better horizons make Swingers one of the most underrated comedies of this decade. It's just so money, baby. 

71. Malcolm X (1992)

For his 1992 “Spike Lee Joint,” the legendary Do The Right Thing filmmaker made his dream come true to make a biopic about one American Civil Rights Movement figure, Malcolm X. It not only remains among the best works of Lee’s incredible filmography, but it’s flat-out one of the best biography movies ever made. That’s all without mentioning a particularly powerful performance by Denzel Washington, who disappears into the figure and brings great intrigue and nuisance to Malcolm X across decades of his life. Spike Lee’s biopic stands tall as an enduring portrait of an important man in a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

70. Friday (1995)

Franchise lead and rap legend Ice Cube teamed up with Chris Tucker to create one of the best "sit back and kick it" movies in movie history. Spawning a line of sequels, the O.G. Friday boasts an awesome cast that also includes the late John Witherspoon, and understandably caught on with a certain kind of stoner comedy-loving crowd, but has become an all-encompassing cult classic. Even beyond its on-screen greatness, Friday also turned "Bye, Felicia" into everyday jargon. 

69. Miller's Crossing (1990)

Joel and Ethan Coen didn’t waste time demonstrating their eclecticism in their careers, breaking out with the phenomenal neo-noir Blood Simple in 1984 ahead of a 180-degree tonal pivot with 1987's gonzo comedy Raising Arizona. Then they kicked off the 1990s with one of the great modern gangster movies in Miller's Crossing. Gabriel Byrne’s Tom Reagan leading John Turturro’s Bernie Bernbaum into the woods to be murdered is the movie’s iconic moment, but it’s the brilliant chaos that spins out from Tom’s decision at the end of the sequence that cements this tense slice of art's place on this list.

68. Rushmore (1998)

Rushmore is often referenced for a lot of things. It was the first Wes Anderson movie to find more mainstream success. The critical acclaim Bill Murray received for his performance helped push him toward the more independent, critically acclaimed movies that defined his later career. It was the debut of Jason Schwartzman. All of those are reasons to celebrate the movie, but none are reasons why it’s on this list. It’s here because it’s an endlessly watchable slice of weirdness that holds up decades later. It’s some of the best career work of everyone referenced, and in its own offbeat way, it’s downright hysterical. 

67. South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut (1999)

In 1999, with South Park at the height of its cultural powers, Matt Stone and Trey Parker took one of the biggest gambles anyone could have ever imagined. Producing the R-rated, animated musical that was South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, the pair doubled down on their uniquely dirty humor. Everything from parenting culture to Les Miserables got sent up, thanks to songs that were catchy but also not safe for work. Not every TV show survives a feature-length expansion, but South Park thrived in theaters, especially when it called the very parental uproar its release would inspire to a tee.

66. Misery (1990)

What does a creative owe to their fans? It’s a complex question that author Stephen King horrifyingly examined with his remarkable 1987 novel Misery, and three years later, director Rob Reiner adapted the work into a remarkable and unsettling film. The Oscars don’t typically support the horror genre, but Kathy Bates’ turn as Annie Wilkes was unignorable – as she remains one of the meanest villains of the ‘90s.. Though in Bates’ shadow, James Caan delivers an equally excellent turn as captive author Paul Sheldon, and the weaving of tension as he keeps his mind on options for escape is perfection.

65. Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith famously maxed out credit cards and stretched a production budget of just $27,000 to make his first movie, 1994’s Clerks. Sure, the acting is hit or miss, and the editing isn’t perfect, but that only adds to the charm of the movie. It’s also really, really funny. It’s got some of the most quotable lines of any movie from the era, and they all shine through, despite the limitations of the budget. Clerks has become the stuff of legend in Hollywood, sparking dreams of would-be filmmakers everywhere and with good reason. 

64. Galaxy Quest (1999)

What if you found out that the fantastic adventures in your favorite sci-fi TV weren't so fake after all, such as in Galaxy Quest? Tim Allen plays a washed-up actor who, along with his former co-stars (played by Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and more), experience their cancelled, cult favorite series for real, thanks to an alien race that believes their televised adventures are "historical documents" and are desperate for their help. The concept makes for a clever, hilarious commentary on Trekkie culture, but also manages to be just as exciting as any Star Trek episode or movie spin-off could ever be.

63. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis have made dozens of memorable movies, but even if they had just made Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, they’d have a space carved out for them in cinema history. It’s regarded as a keystone title in the history of feminism in film, and it makes you fall in love with the titular leads as they go on the run from the law. And it should go without saying that the final moments will forever be remembered as an indomitable moment of 1990s pop culture.

62. Primal Fear (1996)

Courtroom dramas were big in the ‘90s, and Primal Fear in 1996 is a prime example of why. Richard Gere plays the pompous attorney Martin Vail, who volunteers to represent a young Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton in his first screen role) after he is accused of brutally murdering a beloved archbishop. The movie takes an unexpected turn when Aaron is discovered to have a split personality named Roy, and the dark twist that comes to light after an explosive courtroom scene remains one of the wildest movie endings ever.

61. Home Alone (1990)

I'm pretty sure Home Alone has hit classic Christmas movie territory because you always know it's the holiday season when this movie is causing a clatter on your TV screen. Following a child accidentally left home alone during Christmas and who has to defend his home from burglars, Home Alone captures the happiness of the season while adding a bit of chaos – especially with all those serious injuries that probably would have killed Marv and Harry in the real world. It'd be a fun time even without Catherine O'Hara and John Candy's SCTV reunion, but is all the better for it.

60. Leon (The Professional) (1994)

Luc Besson seems to be motivated by big sci-fi ideas in films such as The Fifth Element, Lucy, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. On the flip side of Besson’s coin, though, are these stripped-down crime thrillers (Nikita, The Family), and none were more effective than Leon. The film heralded the arrival of young Natalie Portman, who proved she could appear convincingly as basically anything on screen. But also, Gary Oldman walks away with the picture, playing an unhinged and drug-addicted DEA agent looking to kill Portman’s character, much to the chagrin of professional hitman Jean Reno.  

59. Office Space (1999)

There’s a scene in Office Space where all the workers are assembled for an all-hands meeting. Above the boss’ head, there’s a banner printed that says Is This Good for the COMPANY? The question is underlined and COMPANY is in weird light blue font for unclear reasons. It’s somehow both utterly ridiculous and one of the most relatable things I’ve ever seen. In a way, it’s a perfect explanation for why some people, myself included, love Office Space so much. It’s one long series of hysterical if-you-know-you-know-moments, and watching other people live through and comment on that same misery feels so cathartic. 

58. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

There are few filmmakers in cinematic history who made as an audacious splash with their first feature as Quentin Tarantino, who was immediately recognized as a tremendous upstart talent following the premiere of Reservoir Dogs at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. With its spellbinding non-linear storytelling, sharp-as-knives dialogue, and violent shocks, it is recognized as a perfect archetype of Tarantino’s strengths as a writer/director, and it is remembered for inspiring a whole generation of filmmakers and its lasting impact on genre cinema.

57. Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13 may be best remembered in pop culture for the iconic line “Houston, we have a problem," but the 1995 film accumulated nine Academy Award nominations for a reason. Boasting a stacked cast that includes Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan, the movie dramatizes the true story of the failed 1970 lunar mission, and the ending sequence is no less suspenseful nearly thirty years later than it was in the ‘90s. The effects mostly stand up to this day; but even where they don’t, the performances sell the story entirely.

56. The American President (1995) 

Before Aaron Sorkin created The West Wing, he wrote The American President, which saw one of the most respected movie presidents, Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), fall for feisty environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). Could a widowed president ever court a girlfriend in an election year? Sorkin’s snappy dialogue shows why it wouldn’t be easy, as the two become tabloid fodder, and even bigger trouble awaits when their political agendas don’t align. Both lead actors give absolutely charming performances in this 1995 political rom-com directed by Rob Reiner.

55. True Romance (1993) 

The first screenplay Quentin Tarantino ever sold in Hollywood was 1993’s True Romance, and it became an offbeat cult classic when combined with Tony Scott’s slick direction. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are perfect as the flawed lovers and the rest of the cast, which includes Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Michael Rappaport, Val Kilmer, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Sizemore, James Gandolfini, just to name a few, are all brilliant. It’s one scene, however, between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken, that steals the whole show and deserves its own placement in cinema history.

54. Unforgiven (1992)

This might be the quintessential Clint Eastwood Western – which says a lot when you realize that the man helped to define the genre, dating all the way back to his days on television (in Gunsmoke). With Unforgiven, an older Eastwood figured out how to comment on the evolution of the Western, and reflect on the moral quandaries several cowboys faced over the course of their lawless lives. This marked the beginning of a contemplative stage of Eastwood’s career, and redefined the boundaries of the Western for storytellers that followed. 

53. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Not only is The Nightmare Before Christmas one of the best stop-motion movies of all time, but it was also a game-changer within the animation industry. The movie -- following the story of Jack Skellington turning Halloween Town into Christmas Town and trying to take over the role of Santa Claus -- has become a cultural icon. Not only is the movie celebrated during the Halloween season, but it's also become one of the best animated Christmas movies and has a wildly popular fan base – go to Disney World during Halloween and Christmas and see how popular this movie is. 

52. Natural Born Killers (1994)

Few movies in the last decade of the 20th century caused a stir quite like the big screen adventure of Mickey and Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone’s demented crime saga Natural Born Killers. Fans of the TV show Cheers got to witness a whole new side to Woody Harrelson, and he makes for one-half of an absolutely ferocious on-screen pair partnered with Juliette Lewis. Though it was only released in 1994, it is a title to point to when aiming to epitomize a certain spirit in 1990s pop culture.

51. The Rock (1994)

It is still totally bonkers to think that the mid-’90s gave us a Michael Bay action movie in which Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage got to mesh their wildly different talents. A movie that helped pencil in the blueprint for what we know as modern Bayhem, The Rock is a solid cocktail of action, comedy, and drama tied together with a surprisingly poignant message. None of that gets lost in the shuffle, either, even as the shuffle keeps viewers glued to their seats until the very last scene. You can bet this quotable, adrenaline-charged classic is still friendly with the prom queen.

50. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Relatively few directors made great movies on their first try, and the late John Singleton did just that with 1991’s Boyz n the Hood. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film centers on three young men, whose paths begin to diverge as they steadily approach adulthood. Singleton, who also wrote the Oscar-nominated drama, provided a nuanced look at life in a low-income neighborhood. 

In doing so, he shed light on gang violence, systemic racism, and other elements that still negatively impact many communities today. For better or worse, this well-acted and directed film is as timeless and relevant as they come.

49. The Sixth Sense (1999)

While the ending twist may have helped put the film and its director, M. Night Shyamalan, on the map near the close of the decade, The Sixth Sense is so much more than those final, incredible moments where all of the pieces fall into place (in a scene that comes after we think the story has been mostly resolved). 

What elevates The Sixth Sense to ‘90s movie greatness is the combined efforts of the stellar performances of Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, and Olivia Williams; of the music combined with the fantastic shots; of the use of the Philadelphia backdrop. Every scene taps into something dark, scary, heartbreaking or humorous, and the best go for a little bit of all of those things at once. 

48. Get Shorty (1995)

What is the best Elmore Leonard adaptation? There are many candidates that qualify for consideration, including Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, Steven Soderbergh’s Out Of Sight and the TV series Justified, but Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty is my uncontested contender for the title. 

It’s a dark, cynical, and hilarious take on the film industry where a shylock finds himself right at home in Los Angeles, and it brims with exceptional characters – from John Travolta’s Chili Palmer to Gene Hackman's skeezy producer Harry Zimm, to James Gandolfini's stuntman-turned-heavy Bear. The sequel that came out a decade later, 2005’s Be Cool, is dreadful, but that has thankfully not tainted its predecessor’s stellar legacy as one of the great “Hollywood on Hollywood” movies. 

47. The Rocketeer (1991) 

Believe it or not, The Rocketeer is a comic book movie. In the wake of the blockbuster success that was Batman, studios scrambled to get their own piece of that four-paneled pie; leading a pre-Marvel Disney to adapt Dave Stevens’ pulpy ‘30s throwback. Hoping this movie would be the studio’s answer to Bat-mania, director Joe Johnston’s picture suffered in the obscenely crowded summer of 1991. 

Over time, fate has been kinder to the Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connolly adventure, as it developed into a cult classic much like the original Tron. Even if audiences didn’t flock to it at first, the message was never lost, because the quality was always there. Best experienced with a heart full of nostalgia and courage, The Rocketeer's mere existence is worth celebrating. 

46. Audition (1999)

Few movies start off as unassuming as the psycho-horror Audition, whose first half sits among the legendarily prolific Takashi Miike’s most restrained directorial efforts. The story begins with Ryo Ishibashi’s widower Shigeharu Aoyama re-entering the dating world in the least natural way possible: via auditions with women who believe they’re vying for an acting role. 

Things progress in an almost mundane manner as Shigeharu becomes more attracted to the quiet and seemingly reserved Asami (Eihi Shiina), but with enough peeks into her home life to send red flags waving. What makes Audition a unique ‘90s treasure is when the wheels fall off for its dread-flooded final act, in which Asami teaches Shigeharu a torturous lesson in stringing women along. Don't try this at home.

45. Point Break (1991)

Comically manly, but in the best ways possible, Point Break is the 1990s encapsulated. Clean-cut FBI agent Johnny Utah (tremendous character name) loses himself undercover when he tries to infiltrate a gang of surfers (tremendous plot twist) who may be posing as former presidents of the United States and robbing banks. What an awesome plot. And what an awesome movie. 

Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze are the Yin and the Yang of Southern California cool, tapping directly into the “Brah” of it all while also delivering unforgettable action set pieces – notably, a skydiving chase without parachutes. Credit most of this to director Kathyrn Bigelow, who eventually won her Best Director Oscar for 2010’s The Hurt Locker. 

44. Clueless (1995)

We’ve seen movies put a new spin on old classics before, but rarely has the result been as entertaining as Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s take on Jane Austen’s Emma. Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher, a beautiful and rich Beverly Hills high school fashionista who decides she wants to use her popularity for the betterment of humanity. 

The 1995 coming-of-age comedy — which also stars Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd and more — still stands up today with its iconic looks and quotable dialogue (not to mention Cher’s inspiring speech comparing refugees to guests at her father’s garden party). And has there ever been a movie takedown more savage than Tai calling Cher “a virgin who can’t drive”? As if! 

43. L.A. Confidential (1997)

Once upon a time, the noir detective story was a staple of film, but fewer and fewer examples have emerged with each decade that passes. So when a movie like Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential comes around, you really begin to wonder why we don’t see more of these. 

It’s an absolutely incredible film that likely would probably be better remembered if it hadn’t come out the same year as Titanic. On top of everything else, the film introduced Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce to U.S. film audiences, and for that alone, it should be recognized, but it also won Kim Basinger an Oscar for a reason.

42. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

While The Hunt for Red October was a huge success when it hit theaters in 1990, it took years for people to see it as a classic. It’s not a flawless movie. Sean Connery, as amazing as he is, plays what appears to be a Scottish Russian, not changing his accent at all. The underwater scenes of the special effects submarines, while praised at the time, have not aged well, either. Accents aside, the actors are all superb here. 

Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan, Tim Curry, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Stellan Skarsgård, Fred Thompson, Courtney B. Vance, and everyone else are all amazing, and John McTiernan’s direction is snappy and perfectly paced. This is THE submarine movie. 

41. The Green Mile (1999)

Considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, The Green Mile is a fantasy drama directed by Frank Darabont, telling the story of a wrongly convicted man and his time at a prison in the 1930s and the strange supernatural events that follow his arrival. 

I feel like The Green Mile is just one movie everyone should watch at least once. It's a classic for a reason, featuring all-time career performances from Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Clarke Duncan. The Green Mile will capture your heart and crush it into a million pieces by the end – and might just make one admire the horror-driven Stephen King all the more for writing such an emotional story. If you're not ugly sobbing by the end of this, you may not be watching it right. 

40. The Truman Show (1998)

Easily considered one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, The Truman Show – which is about a man who realizes his reality isn’t real – uses its star’s signature over-the-top sense of humor and physicality to make you laugh. Then his dramatic skills come to the forefront as you take this journey with Truman, and you feel all the emotions as it becomes clear that this comedy is more of a searing satire.

Overall, this film is about Truman coming to terms with the fact that the world’s been watching him live in a simulated reality, and it gives us all an example of how exploitative social media can be. That’s why The Truman Show is not only one of the best movies of the ‘90s, but it’s also one of the more relevant films when it comes to the present. 

39. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Waiting for Guffman is mockumentary gold. Christopher Guest and his group of comedic geniuses — Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, etc. — bring the sleepy berg of Blane, Missouri to life, with the audience watching as a motley crew of community theater actors put on a musical about their town. 

The stakes get higher when Guest's Corky St. Clair tells everyone a Broadway production house is coming, and "we may be going to Broadway." The songs are insane, the cast is unhinged, and this movie is heaven; even more so for those who are personally familiar with the madcap process of staging plays. 

38. Dazed and Confused (1993)

It’s really hard to make a comedy that stands the test of time, yet as we get older, Dazed and Confused stays the same age, er, quality. Director Richard Linklater’s love letter to his teen years in Texas transcends generations and keeps fans coming back again and again. Sure, it’s the 1970s, but teenagers (and adults) of any generation can relate. 

Of course, it also helps that so many huge stars got their first big break in the movie, including Matthew McConaughey in his first role. Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, Nicky Katt, and the rest of the cast are amazing. Everyone can point to one character and say “I knew someone just like that in high school!”

37. The Matrix (1999)

It’s hard to put into words just how mindblowing The Matrix was when it first came out. Of course, the successive sequels somewhat diminished the franchise’s legacy as a whole, though make no mistake, the first movie is just as much of a thrill in the modern era as it was back in 1999. 

Keanu Reeves is the ultimate leading entity in the Wachowskis' game-changing mega-blockbuster, making every move look as cool as can be. Because of the filmmakers' work on this neo-classic (no pun), people will forever be cursed with the idea that everything we’re doing in life is a simulation, and that we’re all slowly and secretly being harvested in pods for energy by robotic overlords. Great movie, though.

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Two years after Jim Henson’s death, son Brian Henson directed arguably the only truly great Muppets release of the entire 1990s: The Muppet Christmas Carol. (Excluding the final two years of Muppet Babies.) Based on the Charles Dickens novel that has spawned countless numbers of adaptations, the holiday film is anchored on the human side by Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge, and on the felt-covered side by Kermit and Miss Piggy’s Bob and Emily Cratchit, with Gonzo as Dickens himself. 

Though it doesn’t offer any huge adjustments to the source material, the Muppets make everything twenty-fold more charming, and Statler and Waldorf’s ghostly jam “Marley and Marley” is among the best of any original Muppet tunes. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without this movie.

35. City Slickers (1991)

There are plenty of laughs to be had in Ron Underwood’s Western comedy City Slickers, and while that’s a safe bet for any of Billy Crystal’s best movies, what sets this one apart is its enormous heart. 

Crystal’s Mitch Robbins, along with pals Phil and Ed (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, respectively) are all suffering midlife crises of sorts when they embark on a cattle drive across the Southwest. It was refreshing to see the men open up to each other about their childhoods, relationships, and what matters most in life. Jack Palance gives an Oscar-winning performance as Curly, and the $124 million it earned at the domestic box office made it one of the top 5 movies of 1991.

34. The Birdcage (1996)

Robin Williams was a brilliant comedian, a supernova of personality that could command our attention with his hysterical stream-of-conscious thoughts. But Williams, to me, truly shined bright when he downplayed his natural comedic energy to either try serious drama (Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society), or to support an equally brilliant comedic performance – as he did with Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.

While broad and flamboyant at times, The Birdcage captures the heart of a family rallying behind their beautiful son (Dan Futterman) who is getting engaged to a Conservative girl (Calista Flockhart). Williams and Lane, as an on-screen couple, are tender, touching, funny, sweet, and perfectly paired in this special gem of a film.

33. Princess Mononoke (1997)

As someone who has watched every single Hayao Miyazaki movie, there's something about Prince Mononoke that speaks deeply to my soul. While I possibly think Spirited Away is Miyazaki's best film, and I have a love for Howl's Moving Castle, this is a movie that has changed the way I view the world. 

Princess Mononoke follows the story of a young prince who discovers that the gods of the forest are upset at the humans for consuming their precious resources. While the anime film itself has breathtaking animation and a story that pulls you in; both are equally sating while leaving a desire for more. Truthfully, this is the one movie that speaks on human consumption in simple ways that everyone should be required to watch.  

32. Groundhog Day (1993)

By all accounts, the creative process behind Groundhog Day was not easy. The film was originally conceived as a darker, more philosophical movie with independent sensibilities. That’s what Bill Murray liked. Director Harold Ramis saw it as more of a good-natured and broad comedy. So they fought about it, plaguing the shoot with delays, rewrites and enough acrimony to sever their friendship for decades. 

Amidst that disharmony, or perhaps even because of that disharmony, the two comedy masters compromised and created a perfect blend of the two: a broad and funny romantic comedy that’s weird enough and dark enough to feel totally original. 

31. Scream (1996)

With A Nightmare on Elm Street and its two best sequels already under his belt (among many other frightfests), Wes Craven made horror franchise lightning strike twice with the post-modern whodunit slasher Scream, and it kept striking across two eras of sequels. Led by one of the ‘90s greatest scream queens in Neve Campbell, the 1996 classic became such a blueprint for Hollywood horror that the inciting film doesn’t feel anywhere near as novel as it did when audiences first sat down thinking they were about to watch “a Drew Barrymore movie.” 

But that opening remains chilling AF, David Arquette’s Deputy Dewey remains a loveable dork alongside Courteney Cox’s hardcore bitch Gail Weathers, and Ghostface’s pop culture-tinged massacre has only become more relevant in an ever-connected world.

30. Cape Fear (1991)

I was way too young when I watched Cape Fear for the first time. I was experienced with plenty of slasher or jump scare style horror movies and figured I’d be fine. Wrong. Cape Fear is an entirely different type of scary than what I was used to. 

With a prime Martin Scorsese at the helm and a fantastic all-in performance from Robert De Niro, it’s a relentlessly creepy and unnerving take on slow-burn vengeance. It haunted my sleep for weeks as a kid, and during an adult rewatch decades later, its themes of religion, underage sexuality, criminal justice and moral relativism were every bit as disturbing. 

29. Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovich may not be the very best ‘90s movie, but it may very well be the strangest that still qualifies as a great time. The premise itself — that a door exists allowing others to enter the mind of another person — is odd enough, but for the person whose brain is invaded to be celebrated actor John Malkovich? 

That brilliant choice somehow gives the otherwise impossible story a slight jolt of realism, and it all comprises a cinematic experience that should not be missed. It’s also a movie full of incredible performances, as Malkovich plays a fantastic version of himself, while John Cusack and Cameron Diaz play against type about as much as possible.

28. Dave (1993)

Probably the funniest movie that uses the presidential line of succession as a plot device, Ivan Reitman’s Dave is a hilarious, charming, and oddly sentimental exploration of politics in the early 1990s. There’s just something about Kevin Kline’s portrayal of Dave Kovic that makes this movie about a presidential impersonator becoming the Commander-in-Chief so innocent and pure, especially when compared to the political climate we live in 30-plus years later. 

Whenever I revisit Dave every couple of years, it feels like opening a time capsule to the final decade of the 20th century with its optimism and promise of a better future. 

27. A League of Their Own (1992)

A League Of Their Own is too busy with meaningful character development and telling an awesome baseball story to go for jokes all the time, but on a per-attempt basis, I would put it up against almost any comedy ever made. Director Penny Marshall has a wonderful tonal sense of when her actors should play it straight, when they should add in a little humor, and when they should drunkenly pee for thirty seconds. 

The result is one of the best sports movies of all time, one that delivers all those laughs but also plays it straight enough to give viewers fantastic and relatable plots about friendship, sisterhood, and what it means to thrive and find your own space.

26. The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant is Brad Bird's heartstrings-pulling story about a young boy who befriends a massive alien robot in 1957, and it proves that a movie bombing at the box office doesn’t mean it can’t still become a cinematic classic. Though its theatrical run didn’t even make back the initial budget, thanks to its home video rollout and stellar word-of-mouth buzz, it’s now considered one of the best animated movies of all time. Rightly so, because this is one of those movies that remains timeless no matter when it’s being viewed. 

Watching Hogarth teach the Giant about life on Earth and urge him to overcome his original purpose of being a weapon never gets old. The Iron Giant remains arguably Vin Diesel’s best movie from before the Fast & Furious franchise's launch, and co-stars like Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Christopher McDonald also shine.

25. Toy Story 2 (1999)

I remember that Toy Story 2 was the first film that made me uncontrollably sob – like fat tears rolling down my face and having a stuffy nose for hours afterward, and I'm sure I'm not alone there. A sequel to Toy Story, which took the world by anthropomorphic storm with its industry-revolutionizing animation, the follow-up adventure was released in 1999, and follows Woody after he is accidentally sold to a toy collector. There, he meets companions from a former TV show that he had no idea about – a show all about him. (And Joan Cusack's Jessie, of course.)

The Toy Story 2 voice cast is stellar, and the animation was a huge step forward in CGI films, but the heart-wrenching story of love, friendship, and so much more is what made Toy Story 2 one of the best Pixar films out there – and yes, I still cry during, "When Somebody Loved Me."

24. Election (1999)

How did Reese Witherspoon not win an Oscar for her performance as Type-A goodie two-shoes Tracy Flick, the textbook overachiever who bites off more than she can chew by running for student government president? It’s possible that we have come to realize that Witherspoon might just BE Tracy Flick in real life. 

But at the time, she was a tornado of talent matching Matthew Broderick beat for beat, bringing to life the sharp school-set satire in director Alexander Payne’s screenplay. Election has as much to say about the greed and immaturity powering politics many years after its release – at every level – as it did back in 1999, which is yet another reason why it remains special.

23. Magnolia (1999)

While not the highest-ranked Paul Thomas Anderson film on this list, Magnolia is a film to be marveled at for its phenomenal ambition. The Los Angeles-based epic juggles the stories of nearly a dozen protagonists who are not only dealing with a wide variety of personal conflicts and demons but are all linked to one another in the stunning cinematic tapestry. 

As the hyper-misogynist motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise delivers one of his most brilliant turns, and Julianne Moore’s pharmacy monologue is flooring, but the reality is that every member of the ensemble – including Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and many more – deliver some of the best work of their respective careers. Further considering the frogs and the stunning performance of Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up,” it’s indelible cinema.

22. Tombstone (1993)

I don’t think you could ask for a more star-studded cast for any genre of film, much less a Western. 1993’s Tombstone is blessed by a top-notch cast including Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, the late Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Stephen Lang, the late Powers Boothe, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston, and many more, making it an instant classic in the Western genre. 

The story behind how this film came to be, along with many behind-the-scenes facts, is bizarre enough, but the struggles resulted in one of the best cowboy films of all time. And one that has stood the test of time against a similar movie released around the same time, Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp.  

21. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and decades later, it’s still clear that was the right call. The movie is beautiful, with early computer animation enhancing some of the most visually stunning hand-drawn shots in the medium’s history. It also has one of the best soundtracks of any Disney musical, if not any musical, full stop. This is Howard Ashman’s greatest achievement as a songwriter. 

But beyond even that, the two title characters are about as three-dimensional as any animated characters ever were. It may be a tale as old as time, but Beauty and the Beast is one the audience gets wrapped up in from the first notes to the last. It’s the definition of Disney magic.

20. The Usual Suspects (1995)

No one saw the twist ending coming. Trust me. No one. It caught audiences off guard completely, exactly the way it crashed down like a ton of bricks on Chazz Palminteri's cop. He finally understood who Keyser Soze was, and we all rushed right back into theaters to watch the puzzle snap into place all over again. 

But The Usual Suspects is more than just its “dropped shoe,” miraculous as that reveal is. The cast of colorful criminals assembled by director Bryan Singer played off of each other wonderfully, with many of them defaulting to the natural leader in Gabriel Byrne, but still finding ways to steal the spotlight every now and then. (Benicio Del Toro mumbling under his breath in the jail lineup belongs in the conversation of funniest five-minute performances, ever). As twisty crime thrillers go, few are tighter and more entertaining than this.

19. Boogie Nights (1997)

Introductions can make or break anything in this world. Careers, reputations, even the flow of a movie can be bungled if you don’t know how to open. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson must have known that when he made Boogie Nights, because when he introduced that picture to the world, he gave himself one hell of a calling card. 

Following young Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) in his journey through the underground of porn films, we see a man still growing up in an industry that feels as young as he is. An ensemble drama boasting the likes of Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Boogie Nights is a cautionary tale with style and tension to burn. Good luck ever listening to “Sister Christian” without having flashbacks to this big, bright, shining star that still manages to break hearts and crack jokes with everyone it meets.

18. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Good Will Hunting is one of those films that changes you forever once you watch it. Starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams, the drama follows a young janitor at MIT who's discovered to be a secret math genius. The premise itself isn't as catchy as some of the other big-time blockbusters of the 1990s, without aliens, robots or crazy action fights, but Good Will Hunting is a film that leaves its message imprinted on audiences long after the credits roll. 

A story of perseverance, hope, and so much more, this movie gave movie fans one of Robin Williams's best roles and catapulted the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (You gotta like them apples.) This kind of film teaches you that sometimes, the people you meet turn you into your best self, so we just have to be fearless enough to go out there and find them. 

17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins is fantastic in The Silence Of The Lambs, and every positive thing you’ve ever heard about his performance is deserved and probably an understatement. He’s that engrossing, but with all due respect, The Silence Of The Lambs isn’t his movie. It’s Jodie Foster’s movie, hingeing on her career-best performance here as Clarice Starling, which just gets better with every rewatch. 

Foster finds the perfect balance between uncertain and determined. She lets her FBI trainee lead character feel the weight of every obstacle, whether it be sexism, personal loss or physical danger, and then she pushes forward. With relentless determination, she just keeps going and that one step at a time, careful momentum gives the film its narrative structure and allows director Ted Demme to create one of the 90s best and most memorable movies.

16. Fargo (1996)

Joel and Ethan Coen have crafted films both stoically grounded and ludicrously fantastical in their long and storied careers, with Fargo possibly the one straddling both of those lines with the greatest of ease. The faux-kidnapping-gone-wrong and the ensuing investigation are smart story beats, and were enough to win the Coens the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if fairly rote for the genre in general. But it’s the cast, the Minnesota location, and the singular nature of being a snow-white noir that make Fargo one of the greatest films of the decade. 

The always affable William H. Macy is aces as a man being eaten alive by guilt, opposite the gosh-darn excellent police skills of Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson, with Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare as the pair of amoral criminals making everyone’s lives (and deaths) worse. Fargo is a chilling masterpiece, and it’s got nothing to do with the weather. 

15. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Even though one of my colleagues claims her testimony was incorrect in the film, I will still stand before the court and argue that Marisa Tomei, Joe Pesci, and their cast of supporting characters make My Cousin Vinny guilty as hell of being one of the best comedies of all time.

The film is widely used in an educational capacity to showcase one of the few times that a court case is mostly portrayed accurately through a film, and to be honest, the wordplay coupled with the main character/judge dynamic is something to write home about.

14. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

For years, veterans would be the first to say that cinema's depiction of combat — especially that of World War II — is a cakewalk compared to the real thing. Because few films offered a truly accurate portrayal of the hellish, soul-crushing conditions soldiers faced, at least before the release of Saving Private Ryan.

This story of a U.S. military captain (played by Tom Hanks) tasked with leading his crew on a mission to bring a family's last living son home is easily one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies (the second to earn him a Best Director Oscar) and is widely considered to have been unjustly robbed of the Best Picture honor (which went to Shakespeare in Love that year). From the landmark D-Day sequence to the heartbreaking final act and every unforgettable moment in between, it is one of the harshest films you could ever experience, but the passion and craftsmanship put into makes for a grand reward. 

13. The Big Lebowski (1998)

I’m a Lebowski, you’re a Lebowski, we’re all Lebowskis who love the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, even if its massive fandom wasn’t automatic. It was only a moderate success in the spring of 1998 when it sauntered into theaters on the heels of the Coen’s winning their first writing Oscar for Fargo a year earlier. Reviews at the time were middling, as was the audience reaction. 

Then, over the next couple of years, The Big Lebowski turned into a bonafide cult craze. Pages have been written about its status as such, but too often overlooked is what makes the movie so lovable. It’s quotable, it’s silly, and the plot is the ultimate shaggy dog story with a ridiculous McGuffin — the Dude’s rug — but as it goes for the Dude’s living room, the whole movie ties together just brilliantly. It’s world-class storytelling and the performances from Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and the rest of the cast are perfect.  

12. Schindler's List (1993)

Sometimes what makes a movie from a particular era great is how it represents its time, but some movies would be considered an important work of art in any decade. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is one of those that transcends eras. The film is great in all the traditional ways: Liam Neeson gives a career-making performance as Oskar Schindler, an Industrialist who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II. The supporting performances are equally strong. It’s beautifully filmed. 

But beyond that, Schindler’s List is an important movie, offering audiences a sobering look at the tragic events of World War II through a character based on a real-life survivor that many were not even aware of before the movie's release. Schindler’s List is one of those movies that you don’t forget after having seen it, and it may be Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievement.

11. Toy Story (1995)

More than 25 years after moviegoers were first introduced to Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, and the rest of Andy’s collection, it can be easy to forget just how big the impact John Lasseter’s Toy Story had when it hit theaters in 1995. It’s the film that put Pixar on the map, and while it sadly helped kickstart the downfall of hand-drawn animation in lieu of CGI, it also paved the way for three of the greatest Hollywood sequels to ever be produced. Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz are an all-time great animated duo, sharing hallowed space with Bugs & Daffy and Tom & Jerry, though obviously with a lot more heart than what short-form characters are allowed.

The Toy Story franchise hinges a lot on childhood memories, nostalgia, and maintaining a sense of fun in life as one gets older, and this first film delivers the most distilled take on that idea, with Andy still attached in some way to his inner child. Life, as it were, gets way more depressing for the toys as he gets older, which perhaps is why Toy Story rewatches are all the more enjoyable in comparison.

10. Philadelphia (1993)

 Philadelphia is not only a well-made movie, but is first and foremost an important movie. LQBTQ+ rights were non-existent at the time, as the movie highlights and one cannot discount the role this movie, directed by Jonathan Demme, had in awakening the general public not only to the plight gay people faced at the time but the discrimination people with HIV/AIDS faced as well when it was released in 1993. Tom Hanks’ portrayal of a gay man with AIDS who is fired from his job won the actor his first Oscar and for good reason, he’s amazing. Equally amazing is Denzel Washington, who plays Hanks’ character’s (Andrew Beckett) lawyer, Joe Miller. 

Miller, like most people in 1993 when Philadelphia was released, is scared of Beckett and AIDS, because he, like many, didn’t understand it. It’s Miller’s reaction that resonates with audiences. After watching Beckett get asked to move to a “private room” at a library, Miller realizes the discrimination is similar to that faced by African-Americans in the United States, and by the end of the film, he touches Beckett’s lesion-covered face, after learning the truth about AIDS. It’s a powerful moment that still reverberates today. 

9. Fight Club (1999)

So many “futuristic” sci-fi movies from years past have failed to successfully depict modern society and behavior, but David Fincher’s Fight Club now feels it was adapted from some of Nostradamus’ naughtier quatrains, instead of Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel. Seemingly both a love letter to, and a cautionary tale about, nihilistic anti-consumerism and anarchy, Fight Club features one of cinema’s most convoluted love triangles in Edward Norton’s spine-lacking unnamed narrator, Brad Pitt’s ultra-male Tyler Durden, and Helena Bonham Carter’s impulsively erratic Marla Singer. A demented character study in part, the movie oozes testosterone both before and after the titular underground brawls come together, and maybe even oozes a bit of estrogen when Meat Loaf’s Bob is around. 

For all of the smart and discussion-worthy topics that are tackled with face-pounding glee, Fight Club is, unfortunately, the kind of movie whose natural sheen has been somewhat tarnished by a fanbase who lost the point of the satire, but still holds so many visual and verbal treasures for those outside such bubbles. Especially for any new viewers who manage to go into it without knowing what kicks off the final act. It’s hard to think of a ‘90s movie with a more story-heightening ending, and The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” remains an inarguably perfect needle drop.  

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction changed the rules of Hollywood moviemaking. That’s no exaggeration. Before Quentin Tarantino fired a shotgun blast through the screen with his nonlinear gangster picture, there was a chasm separating big-budgeted studio films and independent cinema that usually thrived on the film festival circuit before making its way to art house theaters. In the years following Pulp Fiction, studios, actors and audiences chased talent and inspiration, wherever it could be found. 

The irony of Pulp Fiction blazing so many trails is that the movie itself is a pastiche of well-worn genres that Tarantino pored over while working the counter of a video shop. He’s paying homage to countless, gratuitous stories that had come before it. Only, Pulp Fiction built on the buzz created with Reservoir Dogs to attract a constellation of stars: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, and Bruce Willis. Pulp Fiction remains one of the best scripts you will ever read, crisscrossing itself at various intersections and packing repeated surprises (usually of the violent nature). But it was Tarantino’s powerful voice, and his use of soundtrack, that had clones copying his style for decades… and still, to this day.  

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

Anticipation for Jurassic Park began years before its release in the summer of 1993. Michael Crighton sold the rights to the film before he finished the book and because Steven Spielberg was the director who acquired it, the hype started early. Then, in June 1993, it finally hit theaters and was an absolute cultural sensation. Critics loved it, praising the unbelievable special effects and realism of the dinosaurs. Speilberg and the team at ILM broke so much new ground in creating the creatures that it changed how movies were made. Audiences loved it even more and showed up at theaters in hordes. Jurassic Park broke every box record there was to break. It had the biggest opening day, the biggest opening weekend, and finally, it became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Jurassic Park also earned a slew of awards, mostly for its technical achievements, but that doesn’t mean the acting performances were bad, they were fantastic. Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Sir Richard Attenborough are all perfect in their roles. Finally, there’s the score by John Williams, which remains one of the most iconic of all time. 

6. Se7en (1995)

The film that rescued David Fincher’s career from the stench of Alien 3, and proved that the versatile music director could apply his grungy, moody, techno-acid style to a feature-length nightmare. It’s easy to say now that Fincher was destined to be a contemporary, visionary genius of a filmmaker. But prior to The Social Network, Zodiac, and Fight Club, we needed to see some evidence. Consider this disturbing plunge into the moral sewers to be Exhibit A in the case for Fincher’s mastery. 

Se7en is routine in many ways. It’s set in a rainy and nondescript city, which feels like San Francisco but could be anywhere. It follows odd-couple cops (Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt) tracking a mysterious serial killer who cunningly stays one step ahead of them. But the performances are remarkable, including Gwyneth Paltrow as Pitt’s loving and innocent newlywed, plucked and moved to the grimy city so her husband can do his job. The film’s riveting conclusion – which benefits from the icy calm delivery of Kevin Spacey as John Doe – elevated Se7en above most others in the genre. Now, when someone asks, “What’s in the box?” you don’t have to say, “Gwyneth’s head.” Just tell them the box contains an unforgettable masterpiece. 

5. Heat (1995)

Look at just about every list breaking down the best heist films ever made and the movie you’re probably going to see the most is Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. With some of the most iconic (and loudest) robbery and shoot-out sequences, the first on-screen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (both were in The Godfather Part II but appeared in different timelines), and an incredible cat-and-mouse story that uses Los Angeles as a backdrop better than any other film, there’s so much to love about this legendary film.

On top of all of that, Heat has become one of the most influential films of all time in the nearly 30 years since its theatrical release. Watch movies like The Town, Widows, and even The Dark Knight, and you’ll see how Mann’s thriller was so influential. Hell, even the Grand Theft Auto franchise has taken aspects of the movie to create some of the most action-packed video game moments of all time.  

4. The Lion King (1994)

1994’s The Lion King is perhaps the most effective entry in the Disney Renaissance era when it comes to combining gorgeous animation, original songs, and a story that continues to pack a punch decades later. As the coming-of-age story for cub-turned-king Simba, the film delivers arguably the most famous Disney death with the demise of Mufasa, and Scar’s villain song is both incredibly catchy and incredibly chilling. Aladdin lyricist Tim Rice joined forces with Elton John for the songs, while Hans Zimmer composed the score, earning The Lion King an Academy Award for Best Original Score, while “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” won for Best Original Song.

The Lion King was a massive commercial hit, becoming the highest-grossing traditionally animated film and holding that record to this day. The original movie also has a legacy that has extended to two TV shows, two direct-to-video sequels, and the 2019 CGI remake that was massively successful for Disney, although divisive among fans of the original animated version. Plus, there’s a generation of adults who learned about coups and succession crises thanks to Mufasa, Scar, and Simba back in the ‘90s. What’s not to roar with love about? 

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Taking what he learned from making The Terminator and the two movies that followed (Aliens and The Abyss), James Cameron gave audiences not just a sequel in July 1991, but a game-changer of a film that completely rewrote the summer blockbuster and the action genre as we know it. While The Terminator was a small-scale sci-fi thriller about a futuristic cyborg sent back in time to kill a waitress before she could give birth to humanity’s last hope against extinction, T2 was a massive epic with numerous iconic action sequences and CGI that still holds up decades later.

The movie also gave us one of the best on-screen heroes with Arnold Schwarnegger’s T-800, a reprogrammed Terminator sent back not to kill John Connor but to protect him from the more advanced and more lethal T-1000, a character that remains an all-time villain. It is hard to imagine a timeline where Terminator 2: Judgment Day doesn’t exist, but luckily that’s a reality we don’t have to experience. 

2. Goodfellas (1990)

Of everything that Goodfellas is in part — a mobster saga, a crime drama, an ensemble biopic, etc. — it can’t properly be boxed into such a limited description, though it’s certainly safer to use fewer words when the Gambino crime family’s around, lest Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito lose his temper. Based on reporter (and eventual co-screenwriter) Nicholas Pileggi’s 1985 Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, the film rides on the back of Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, whose idea of the American Dream is to be living it up as a made man, but realizes over and over again how hard such a goal is to attain when everyone else around is just as hungry and ruthless. 

In many ways, it’s a perfect counterbalance to The Godfather saga, sharing similarities such as memorable food scenes and a stacked cast (with some mutual actors like Robert De Niro and Frank Sivero). But unlike Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpieces, Goodfellas was far less successful at the Oscars, with only Pesci taking home the gold, despite plenty of accolades earned elsewhere. Like much of Scorsese’s work, it’s only become more appreciated with time, and easily stands out as one of the best movies not just of the ‘90s, but of any era. 

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“Get busy living, or get busy dying” may be the better remembered quote from Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, but it’s the line that Red (Morgan Freeman) says in the final moments of the film that sums up the heart and soul of this story. Not only is The Shawshank Redemption our #1 pick for the best ‘90s movies, but it’s also easily one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story – in this case, the novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

The movie follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who’s wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, and sent to prison. For a movie that doesn’t shy away from the brutality this character experiences throughout his years behind bars – both at the hands of some of his fellow inmates, and the warden and guards – The Shawshank Redemption never loses sight of that ultimate message of hope – the thing that Andy clings to every step of the way. It’s there in the friendships he makes, and in the moments of happiness Andy manages to find. And it’s there in the final words Red says in the closing narration: “I hope.” 

The fear of the unknown is a very powerful tool in the business of fright, as many classic horror movies have proven. In fact, sometimes a movie’s scariest moment relies on sound to fill in the blanks or is cut out entirely, leaving it up to the audience to taunt themselves with images of what could have taken place. This also applies to many great sci-fi films, crime thrillers, and even a beloved animated Disney movie, as you can see from our collection of cinema’s scariest unseen moments below.  

Arnold's Death (Jurassic Park)

In Steven Spielberg’s 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, chief engineer John Raymond “Ray” Arnold (Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson) heads to the maintenance shed alone to bring the place back to its proper order. When Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) goes to check on him, she is relieved when Arnold’s hand touches her shoulder, until she finds only his arm remains attached and the rest was likely devoured by the velociraptor that started chasing her a moment earlier.

The Children Attack Kreeg (Trick 'R Treat)

The best of the many twists and turns throughout Trick ‘r Treat, might be that Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox) was the bus driver who sent a group of developmentally challenged children to a watery grave. At the very end of writer and director Michael Dougherty’s 2007 love letter to Halloween, those same undead children appear at the curmudgeon’s doorstep to exact their revenge, which we only see play out in quick flashes of comic book-style animation.

The Creature Kidnaps Tricia (Absentia)

One of the most underrated and terrifying Mike Flanagan movies is his low-budget, 2011 dark fairy tale, Absentia. Its own most horrifying moment is when the story’s villain reveals itself to Tricia (Courtney Bell) in a blink-and-you-miss-it jump scare. This is the last we see of her, without ever knowing what this strange creature did to her or seeing the otherworldly place it may be keeping her, like it did with her long-missing husband.

Daniel Kills Eli (There Will Be Blood)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood — one of the best movies of the 2000s — concludes with a payoff to its title’s promise when now-wealthy oil baron Daniel Plainview (Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis) is paid a visit by his former enemy, fanatical preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). We see the bloody aftermath of Daniel striking Eli in the head with a bowling pin, but the moment itself can only be heard, which is unsettling enough.

The Empire Tortures Han (Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)

One of the most disturbing moments in all of the Star Wars movies occurs in The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is rigged to a device that does not appear to be very comfortable — its malfunctioning parts emitting sparks notwithstanding. We cut to a close up of the man who sold out his friend to the Empire, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), forced to hear the consequences of his actions via Han’s bloodcurdling scream of pain.

The Entity Kills Annie (It Follows) 

In one of the most striking horror movie openings in recent memory, young Annie (Bailey Spry) frantically tries to outrun an unseen enemy that forces her to drive to a beach where she awaits her impending demise. It then cuts to a shot of her lifeless body that very clearly implies the unspeakable brutality of her death, firmly establishing what makes the shapeshifting demon from this 2014’s It Follows one of the scariest modern horror movie villains.

The Entity Repeatedly Kills Kevin (Skinamarink)

Keeping certain elements literally in the dark is already what makes 2022’s Skinamarink a game-changer for indie horror. However, we are especially thankful the camera was not fixated on the moment the omnipotent being uses its time-warping ability to subject four-year-old Kevin (Lucas Paul) to multiple horrifying deaths. The looping footage of blood staining the carpet and a caption of the boy saying, “Mommy” — suggesting this otherworldly invader assumed his mother’s appearance — is heart-wrenching enough.

Fay And Everett Get Abducted (The Vast Of Night)

It is not until the very end of The Vast of Night when our protagonists, Fay (Sierra McCormick) and Everett (Jake Horowitz), receive the irrefutable evidence of extra-terrestrial visitors they had been searching for when a flying saucer appears overhead. Cutting from footage of townsfolk exiting the high school to a shot of Everett’s tape recorder sitting where the 1950s teens were standing is far creepier than showing them beaming up would have been and further solidifies co-writer and director Andrew Patterson’s 2020 alien invasion movie as one of the most unique of its kind.

Heather's Fate (The Blair Witch Project)

The shocking final shot of one of the most definitive found footage thrillers is filmed from Heather Donahue’s point of view, leaving the cause of her death a mystery. The many theories regarding what actually takes place during the ending of 1999’s The Blair Witch Project continue to keep fans guessing and keeps the film at a high stature of horror iconography.

The Hyenas Kill Scar (The Lion King)

Because 1994’s The Lion King is an animated Disney movie, it would be unwise to actually show its villain, Scar (Jeremy Irons), suffering an, otherwise, deservedly brutal demise. However, we do get a brief glimpse of it when the surrounding flames cast shadows of the hyenas’ attack on their former boss onto a wall of rock behind him.

Into The Mist (The Mist)

The 2007 adaptation of The Mist is chock full of visually devastating moments, but Frank Darabont very effectively uses the unknown to his advantage in a scene when some of Food House’s customers try to see how far they can make it out while one is tethered by rope. For a moment, the rope starts to lose slack fast and David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and others struggle to pull their volunteer back in, only to find his lower half still attached. We can only imagine what the creatures did to the rest of the group.

Lecter Defaces Sgt. Pembry (The Silence Of The Lambs)

It is scenes like Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s (Anthony Hopkins) ingenious prison escape that make it clear why the Academy made a Best Picture Oscar winner out of this 1991 horror movie. We later discover that the cannibalistic psychopath managed to walk out unseen by wearing Sgt. Pembry’s face — a procedure that director Jonathan Demme chooses to keep offscreen.

Liz's Fate (Wolf Creek)

Even a merciless slasher like 2005’s Wolf Creek occasionally manages to be tasteful in what it chooses to show you, such as what torturous circumstances Mick Taylor (John Jarrett) most likely subjects Liz Hunter (Cassandra Magrath) to. In her final scene from the Australian modern classic, the sadistic Outback hunter of humans renders Liz to a “head on a stick” by severing her spinal cord, and that’s the last we see of her.

The Lust Death (Seven)

In David Fincher’s highly influential 1995 detective drama, Seven (or Se7en), we never see John Doe in the act of committing his biblically-inspired murders and never need to, since the crime scenes are disturbing enough. We do, however, hear the first-hand testimony of a traumatized man (Leland Orser) used as a pawn in a murder inspired by lust, which is already a tough listen. Thus, placing Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) in front of the victim instead of showing her was probably the right call.

The Motel Shootout (No Country For Old Men)

Because this 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel, No Country for Old Men, already indulged itself in one intense shootout, there was no reason for another. So, instead, we discover Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) was killed by unknown assailants when Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) finds him at a motel after the fact in a devastating reveal from one of the Coen Brothers’ best movies.

Mr. Blonde Slices Off Marvin's Ear (Reservoir Dogs)

Quentin Tarantino movies are often criticized their extreme violence, despite the filmmaker actually being quite tasteful about what he chooses to show you. For example, during the infamous torture scene from 1992’s Reservoir Dogs — which even Wes Craven was too squeamish for — he deliberately shifts the camera away before Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts Officer Marvin Nash’s (Kirk Waltz) ear off.

Nauls' Fate (The Thing)

Mystery is what makes 1982’s The Thing — John Carpenter’s faithful adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella, “Who Goes There?” — a masterclass in paranoid storytelling. Yet, there are some things we would have liked to have seen, such as what happened to Nauls (T.K. Carter) near the end — a moment that was actually scripted and storyboarded, according to the Outpost 31 blog, but never shot.

Ottway Fights The Alpha Wolf (The Grey)

Most people who saw The Grey in 2011 probably went in expecting some “Liam Neeson vs. the Wolves” action, which does happen… but not until after it cuts to black, followed by a post-credits glimpse at the aftermath. According to The Moveable Fest, director Joe Carnahan did shoot the “man vs. creature” fight in question, but decided to leave it out, feeling it would undermine the Alaskan survival thriller’s themes of fate and acceptance.

Paul Becomes Possessed (Hell House LLC)

What makes 2015’s overlooked found footage thriller Hell House LLC a stirring take on haunted house movies is writer and director Stephen Cognetti’s smooth balance of dread-inducing pacing and an unnerving aura of mystery. A scene that brilliantly utilizes both is when Paul (Gore Adams) awakes to find a ghostly woman in his bedroom, who pounces on him immediately before the scene cuts. From then on, the formerly droll character is never the same again, suggesting his uninvited guest could be living inside him.

Sam Turns Emma Into A Halloween Decoration (Trick 'R Treat)

The opening segment of Trick ‘r Treat actually takes place at the chronological end of the cult favorite anthology horror movie, in which we get a taste of how seriously Sam (Quinn Lord) takes the rules of Halloween. When Emma (Leslie Bibb) begins to take down her decorations too early, the mischievous trick-or-treater decides to do some redecorating of his own. His work is revealed when Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) walks out and pulls a sheet off a ghostly display to discover his wife’s head on the stalk with a lollipop contorting her mouth into a disturbed grin.

The Shark's Attack On Chrissie Watkins (Jaws)

Jaws remains the crown jewel of shark movies because the fearsome aquatic predator is kept hidden for most of the film, which was actually due to frequent flaws with the mechanical beast. However, had things gone exactly as Steven Spielberg originally intended, the opening scene — in which Chrissie Watkins (Susan Blacklinie) is pulled to a watery grave by the unseen man-eater — might not have been so unforgettably horrifying.

Tooth Fairy Bites Lounds' Lips Off (Manhunter)

Brian Cox gave a fantastic, pre-Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann’s Manhunter, but he may not be as scary in this 1986 adaptation of Red Dragon as Tom Noonan’s serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy.” He demonstrates to tabloid journalist Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang) how he got his name by putting a dirty pair of dentures in his mouth, leaning in for a kiss, and — after the camera cuts away — gnawing his lips off.

Werdegast Skins Poelzig Alive (The Black Cat)

Legendary horror movie icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi share the screen in 1934’s The Black Cat — not as Frankenstein’s Monster and Dracula, but as rivals in a deadly game of wits. The conflict comes to a head that is sickening by even today’s standards when Lugosi’s Dr. Vitus Werdegast slices the face off of Karloff’s Hjalmar Poelzig, but at least it’s only implied in the shadows.

"What Have You Done To His Eyes?" (Rosemary's Baby)

A whole genre of horror movies about motherhood exist now, but 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby remains the most renowned of the bunch, particularly for its subtlety. For instance, we never actually see the devil-spawn Mia Farrow’s title character gives birth to, but we know from her vocal concerns over his eyes that he does not appear to be human.

"What's In The Box?!" (Seven)

The ending of Seven boasts one of the most iconically shocking finales of all time with the reveal that a box John Doe (Kevin Spacey) has delivered to a remote desert location contains the head of Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) — the wife of Mills (Brad Pitt). Yet, contrary to popular belief — as a Yahoo! retrospective recalls — the inside of the box is never shown, but the implication is so devastating and so strong, it’s a hard image to shake, even if it only exists in the viewer’s mind.

The Westchester Incident (Logan)

One of the best X-Men movies takes place in a future in which the X-Men no longer exist, as the result of a mentally fragile Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) losing control of his telekinetic abilities. According to ComingSoon.net, director James Mangold had planned to open 2017's Logan with a depiction of what is dubbed the "Westchester Incident" before opting to keep things focused on Hugh Jackman’s title role. This is, arguably, what keeps the tragic event a legendary topic of the superhero movie genre.

The Xenormorph Kills Lambert (Alien)

The Alien movies are known for their viscerally brutal deaths, but the death of Joan Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) is not one of them, taking place mostly offscreen. However, according to Strange Shapes, multiple ideas for how the Nostromo navigator could meet her end were thrown around — including becoming a cocoon for another Xenomorph or accidentally getting in the way of Parker’s (Yaphet Kotto) flamethrower — ultimately meaning that whatever you want to come up with could be the truth.

The Engineer Base Massacre (Prometheus)

We still have many unanswered questions about Prometheus such as exactly how the Engineers became nearly extinct. There is evidence of what occurred on on LV-223 — such as their fossilized remains spread across their base and a recording of them being pursued by an unknown enemy — but it does not add to a clear description of events, leaving this mystery regarding Ridley Scott’s 2012 Alien prequel up in the air. 

O'Neill Assaults Whitehead In The Tent (A Field In England)

Director Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England from 2013 is a wonder to behold for its surreal visual set against a 17th Century backdrop, but perhaps its most unsettling scene is shielded from us by the flaps of a tent. Whitehead’s (Reece Shearsmith) agonizing screams provide the only clue of what sadistic alchemist, O’Neill (Michael Smiley), is doing to his prisoner from inside, but it becomes even more hauntingly mysterious when Whitehead emerges from the tent flashing a bright grin.

The S.S. Venture Massacre (The Lost World: Jurassic Park)

Even director Steven Spielberg is not a big fan of The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but the 1997 sequel to his beloved blockbuster does have a few chilling moments. For instance, when a ship carrying the abandoned park’s T-Rex and its child crashes into a San Diego harbor with no human survivors on board, it puts some pretty gnarly pictures in your head.

"This Was No Boat Accident" (Jaws)

Some of the best examples of how Jaws maintains a brilliant aura of mystery do not even have a shark present, such as when Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) examines the remains of what is assumed to be a boating accident. We never see what is in the pan when he removes the sheet, but his shaken demeanor is all we need to know that it’s not pretty.

"What Is That?!!" (The Blair Witch Project)

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most essential examples of “the less you know, the better horror” and there are key reasons why throughout. One such iconic scene sees Heather (Heather Donahue) and Mike (Michael C. Williams) frantically fleeing their camp from an unseen attacker — a moment the actors were not prepared for — during which Heather repeatedly yelps about something she spots in the distance. Whatever she saw is left for us to imagine.

The fact that we have so many offscreen moments to reference here should be enough proof that we are most afraid of what we can’t see.

As horror fans, we willingly immerse ourselves in heart-pounding suspense, bone-chilling terror, and the adrenaline rush of a good scare. Whether it's a sinister entity haunting a home or a deranged serial killer lurking in the shadows, some of the best horror movies have gifted us with unforgettable moments of cinema that continue to plague our nightmares. I explore the scariest scenes in 25 major horror movies in this feature. So, fellow horror enthusiasts, let's dive into the most terrifying motion picture moments.

Psycho (1960) - The Shower

Let's kick off this list with Alfred Hitchcock's genre-redefining classic from 1960, Psycho. The film follows Marion Crane, who finds herself at the Bates Motel, run by the enigmatic Norman Bates. In one of the most iconic moments in cinema, a routine shower turns into a shocking and suspenseful encounter as Marion is attacked by Norman, dressed like his mother and wielding a knife. The rapid cuts and Bernard Herrmann's intense string score make this scene a masterclass in suspense, leaving an indelible mark on horror history.

Paranormal Activity (2007) - The Demon Drags Katie

In 2007, Paranormal Activity emerged as a groundbreaking found-footage horror film, captivating audiences with its minimalist approach to terror. The scariest scene occurs when the malevolent demon entity drags a still-sleeping Katie out of bed, down the dimly lit hallway, into the abyss of the unknown. This scene alone solidifies Paranormal Activity as one of the best movies about demonic possession. 

Signs (2002) - The Fingers Under the Door

In one of M. Night Shyamalan's best films, Signs, an alien invasion becomes a gripping and unsettling experience for the former priest, Graham Hess, and his family, who find themselves trapped in their home. When the family takes refuge in their basement, a terrified Merrill, played by Joaquin Phoenix, investigates strange noises outside the door, only to encounter a pair of ghastly alien fingers emerging from under the door, instilling a visceral sense of dread. The fear of the unknown and the eerie sound design in this scene create a visceral sense of dread, proving that sometimes, what we don't see can be the most terrifying thing of all.

The Others (1999) - The Confirmation Dress

Set in post-World War II England, The Others is an eerie ghost story centered around Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) and her two children with a rare photosensitivity condition. The tension builds as strange occurrences unfold in their isolated mansion. A haunting moment comes when Grace confronts her daughter, Ann, playing on the floor in a confirmation dress, only to discover a ghostly older woman speaking in her daughter's voice. When the creepy woman says: “Are you mad? I am your daughter.” scored with an eerie soundtrack and dizzying camerawork, it is a moment in a PG-13 movie that is legitimately terrifying and is bound to send shivers down your spine.

Poltergeist (1982) - The Clown Under the Bed

Poltergeist is a classic '80s horror film and easily one of the best haunted house movies ever. The movie focuses on evil spirits hellbent on pulling a young girl into their ghostly world, infiltrating the home of a terrified family. Amidst the chaotic frightening experiences, one truly unforgettable moment emerges when a once seemingly harmless clown doll ropes an arm around young Robbie’s neck and pulls him under his bed.

The Shining (1980) - Room 237

Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel is a psychological horror masterpiece, filled with an eerie atmosphere and unforgettable imagery. Though it’s divisive amongst some longtime King readers due to its big differences from the written story, the movie is superior to the book in some ways. The film follows the Torrance family at the isolated Overlook Hotel, where Jack's sanity unravels due to the hotel's sinister past. The most unsettling and nightmarish sequence happens when Jack explores Room 237, encountering a beautiful young woman in the bathtub who undergoes a terrifying transformation into a rotting older woman. The terrifying score adds to the sheer terror, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.

Barbarian (2022) - Keith’s Death in the Tunnels

In 2022's Barbarian, a young woman books a rental home already occupied by a stranger and decides to spend the night despite her reservations. However, she soon discovers there's more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. The most shocking moment involves Keith, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, meeting a violent end at the hands of the basement-dwelling Mother. Skarsgård's previous role as Pennywise adds intrigue, but his true intentions are brutally revealed as he is murdered in front of our modern-day final girl, Tess, with his head bashed into the basement wall.

The Sixth Sense (1999) - The Ghosts in the Hallway and Bathroom

In M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, young boy Cole, who can communicate with the dead, seeks help from child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. One night, as Cole uses the restroom, he senses the presence of restless spirits and the temperature drops. Confronting eerie unease in the hallway, he faces a horrifying sight in his tent. This suspenseful scene is masterfully crafted and leaves no questions about why the movie was one of the few horror movies nominated for Best Picture.

Hereditary (2018) - The Cake Allergic Reaction

Ari Aster's Hereditary is a modern masterpiece delving into family and grief's psychological horrors. After the family matriarch's death, the Graham family experiences terrifying and unexplained events. The scariest scene occurs when Charlie, the youngest daughter, unknowingly ingests nuts to which she is fatally allergic. Charlie's reaction's slow and agonizing progression is excruciating, culminating in her shocking fate. A light pole decapitates her as her brother races to get her to help. This scene's emotional and unflinching intensity is a testament to the film's ability to create terror through familial trauma and visceral horror. Hereditary is also notable for, like The Sixth Sense, featuring one of the most potent Toni Collette performances. 

Misery (1990) - Annie Hobbles Paul

Another Stephen King adaptation, Misery follows Paul Sheldon, a famous author held captive by his deranged number-one fan, Annie Wilkes, exploring obsession, manipulation, and sadism. The most gruesome scene occurs when Annie discovers Paul killed off her beloved literary character, Misery Chastain. In a rage, she brutally hobbles Paul to prevent his escape, showcasing the horrors of obsession and the destructive power of fanaticism, magnified by Kathy Bates' Oscar-winning performance.

Scream (1996) - Opening Scene/Casey Becker’s Death

Wes Craven's Scream cleverly revitalized the slasher genre in the 1990s, blending self-awareness with classic horror tropes. The opening 13 minutes, featuring Drew Barrymore’s Casey Becker on the receiving end of a deadly prank phone call (despite some fan theories), is a masterclass in horror filmmaking. It was also where the now iconic line "What's your favorite scary movie?" was first uttered. 

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) - Night Vision

Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller classic introducing the infamous cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. FBI trainee Clarice Starling seeks Lecter's help to catch serial killer Buffalo Bill. The most intense scene occurs during the heart-pounding climax in Buffalo Bill's pitch-black basement, where he stalks his latest victim, Catherine Martin, using night vision goggles, creating a nightmarish sequence that effectively builds tension and fear, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer's psyche.

The Thing (1982) - The Chest Chomp

John Carpenter's The Thing, initially a flop, is now a cult classic sci-fi horror where researchers in Antarctica encounter a shape-shifting alien organism. In a skin-crawling scene, Dr. Copper's forearms get trapped as he attempts to use a defibrillator on Norris, showcasing Rob Bottin's practical effects mastery in this body horror masterpiece.

The Exorcist (1973) - The Crucifix Stabbing

William Friedkin's The Exorcist is an iconic horror film that introduces the terrors of demonic possession, following young girl Regan MacNeil's struggles with a malevolent entity. The most intense scene unfolds during the exorcism ritual, as Regan utters disturbing and blasphemous statements before violently stabbing herself with a crucifix, shocking audiences with its horrifying act of self-harm and graphic imagery, solidifying the film's status as a benchmark for horror and its ability to elicit genuine fear, and is why it's one of the best 1970s horror movies. 

The Exorcist III (1990) - The Hallway/Scissors 

The Exorcist III may be an underrated sequel, but it delivers spine-chilling moments as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman investigates murders resembling a past case. The scariest scene occurs in a hospital hallway during a quiet night shift; the sole nurse hears a strange noise in one of the rooms and investigates. Startled by a sleeping doctor, as she catches her breath, she encounters a figure dressed as a white nun wielding giant shears in the adjacent room. It’s one of the most effective jump scares ever filmed. 

Child's Play (1988) - Batteries Not Included

Child's Play is one of the best scary doll movies, introducing the iconic killer Chucky on a quest to possess young Andy's body. When Andy's Mother, suspecting her son is telling the truth about his homicidal plaything, confronts the “Good Guy” and discovers he has no batteries. The doll's true nature is revealed as he terrifyingly attacks Karen. The film's ability to instill fear into an innocent children's toy solidifies Chucky as one of cinematic history's most memorable horror villains.

Frailty (2001) - Destroy Him

Bill Paxton's directorial debut, Frailty, is a shocking psychological drama and great one-off horror movie that explores a father's belief in a divine mission to destroy demons disguised as humans, delving into themes of faith and fanaticism. The most intense scene occurs when the father orders his son Fenton to kill a man, but Fenton swings the axe in the opposite direction, embedding it in his father. This blood-curdling moment is a testament to the film's exploration of morality and the depths of human darkness, making it an underrated gem in the horror genre.

Audition (1999) - Asami's Torturing Nature

Takashi Miike's Audition is a Japanese horror film delving into obsession and sadism. The story follows a widower who sets up an elaborate lie to find a new partner. During the film's climax, the woman the widower finds, Asami, shows her true sadistic nature as she traps Aoyama in a nightmarish and torturous ordeal. The slow and deliberate pacing creates an excruciating and visceral experience, leaving the viewer disturbed and haunted by the horrifying events.

Bone Tomahawk (2015) - Deputy Nick’s Demise

Bone Tomahawk is a visceral blend of horror and Western genres, following a group on a rescue mission to save captives from cannibalistic troglodytes. The most disturbing scene occurs during the group's encounter with the savage tribe, as Deputy Nick suffers an unimaginable fate, brutally scalped and ripped in half before being devoured. This scene's graphic and unflinching violence reflects the film's relentless and ruthless approach to horror.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) - The Corner

When released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project revolutionized the found-footage genre. Near the flick's climax, the surviving filmmaker discovers an unsettling figure, who looks a lot like their friend, standing in the corner of an abandoned house in the woods. The eerie and inexplicable sight effectively capitalizes on the fear of the unknown and isolation, solidifying the film's place as a groundbreaking and unforgettable entry in horror movie history.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) - Child Eating

The Taking of Deborah Logan, a found-footage horror film, delves into dementia and possession. The most horrific scene unfolds when unknowingly possessed, Deborah kidnaps a child and transforms into a horrifying entity with an unhinged snake-like jaw, attempting to devour the child. This unexpected and contextually fitting moment delivers one of the best jump scares in any horror movie, evoking both fear and surprise in the audience.

It  (2017) - The Losers Visit The House on Neibolt Street

One of the best creepy clown movies is 2017’s It, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. The movie follows children in Derry confronting an ancient evil personified as Pennywise the Clown. During the Losers Club's journey to the gothic and rundown house on Neibolt Street, Pennywise uses illusions to manipulate Richie, Bill, and Eddie, resulting in Eddie breaking his arm. The relentless pursuit in the bowels of the abandoned home will make any horror lover squirm. 

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - The Home Videos

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a disturbing and unflinching exploration of the mind of a serial killer. The film, supposedly based on a true story, follows Henry, a remorseless and sadistic murderer, as he goes about his brutal and senseless killings. The most disturbing scene occurs when Henry and his partner, Otis, watch home videos of their past crimes, showcasing their unnerving lack of remorse and depravity. The film is a harrowing and relentless portrayal of human evil.

Skinamarink (2023) - The Face Without a Mouth

In 2023, Skinamarink became a game-changing, untraditional horror movie, gaining popularity on TikTok. The story follows Kevin and Kayle, two children who wake up to find their father missing and their home's windows and doors vanished. The freakiest scene is when Kevin approaches his sister, revealing her face transformed into a skin-covered void, evoking primal fears of the uncanny and the unknown.

Sinister (2012) - The Lawnmower Home Video Footage

Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film following true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt as he uncovers disturbing footage of a series of murders. The scariest scene occurs when Ellison, played by Ethan Hawke in one of his best roles, watches a horrifying Super 8 home video of a family's brutal demise with a lawnmower, combining shocking imagery and a hair-raising score for an unnerving and nightmarish experience. The film expertly blends found-footage elements with traditional horror storytelling, creating an atmospheric and unsettling cinematic journey.

As our journey through the scariest scenes in 25 major horror movies concludes, we're reminded of fear's enduring power in cinema. Each moment has left an indelible mark on the genre, resonating with horror fans worldwide. Who knows, maybe some of the many upcoming horror movies set for the 2024 movie release schedule could find themselves on this list one day. 

As part of CinemaBlend’s ongoing partnership with Plex, where The Blair Witch Project is streaming for free, we have compiled a list of 10 cool behind-the-scenes facts from the planning, shooting, and release of the horror movie that first terrified audiences and was a massive success more than two decades ago… 

Prior To Shooting, The Directors Had To Teach The Cast How To Use The Cameras And Set Up Survival Tools

Heather, Mike, and Josh filming themselves making a student documentary about the legend of a witch in rural Maryland in The Blair Witch Project wasn’t too far from how the actual movie was shot, as the actors — Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, and Joshua Leonard — were largely by themselves when filming in the woods. To prevent the actors from suffering a similar fate as their on-screen versions, the film’s producers gave the cast a bit of a crash course on survival tools, camera operation, and other skills while out on their own.

When celebrating the film’s 20th anniversary in 2019, co-director Eduardo Sanchez told Vice that before shooting even began, he and the film’s producers walked the cast through camping basics, how to use a GPS, and “basic safety things” to keep in mind during production. Sanchez previously told EW in 2009 that when filming began, they would leave notes and other info in old film canisters for the actors to find.

The Actors Got Lost Immediately After Leaving Their Car

However, despite the training and detailed notes given to them by the production crew, the actors got lost immediately upon entering the woods in The Blair Witch Project. During the commentary track that accompanies the film’s home release, co-writer/director Daniel Myrick recalled freaking out when the actors went in the wrong direction after parking the car saying:

The actors ended up being lost in the woods for about an hour or so before the problem was rectified.

The Woman Telling The Story About The Hunters In The Woods Made Up Her Lines On The Spot

Early in The Blair Witch Project, before three film school students head off into the woods, they explore the town of Burkittsville and interview local residents about the legend. Though some of the residents were plants sent in by the directors, others were not. This was the case for Susie, the woman holding a young girl who tells the story about the hunters encountering the witch outside of town.

In the directors’ commentary, it is revealed that this was just some random lady on the street who made up the story on the spot. The woman was later identified as Susan Gooch, but the producers had the hardest time tracking her down at first because they couldn’t find anyone who knew her in town. They even went as far as to contact a local veterans group whose logo was on her father’s hat the day of filming.

The Actors’ Food Rations Were Decreased Throughout The Shoot, Eventually Being A Power Bar And An Apple A Day

As The Blair Witch Project goes on, Heather, Josh, and Mike become more and more agitated with one another and begin to lash out in response to the stress. The realness of these scenes could have very well been a result of the food situation during production, which got progressively worse as shooting went on.

During the directors’ commentary track, it is revealed that at one point near the end of the shoot (after Josh disappears) that Heather and Mike were each given a Power Bar and an apple each day for the final two days of production. At one point, the filmmakers point out in a scene where Heather says she’s hungry, the actress was actually really hungry due to the limited rations.

The Actors Had A Safe Word They Would Use To Break Character When Things Got Too Intense

Considering the stress of not having access to food, having to sleep in a tent in the woods, technical difficulties, and all other sorts of problems, it would come as no surprise that the actors might let their emotions get the best of them during the shoot. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Joshua Leonard explained that he and his co-stars developed a safe word to use when they wanted to get back to reality:

However, Leonard added that this plan backfired and only made things worse because it reminded them how hungry they were (remember, the limited supplies).

The Other Two Actors Didn’t Know Mike Actually Kicked The Map Into The River Until The Reveal

The actors were only given notes and basic instructions for each of the scenes in The Blair Witch Project, which gave the cast a lot of room for improv during each day of shooting. There was so much freedom during production that Michael Williams decided to take it upon himself to create one of the most memorable scenes: Mike kicking the map into the river, as he told ComicBook.com in 2019:

The best part about it is the fact that Williams’ co-stars didn’t see him kick it into the water, as they were too busy arguing. And since no one saw, Willams decided to see how far he could take it.

The Tent Attack Scene Was Pulled Off With Boomboxes, Neighborhood Kids And The Element Of Surprise

The Blair Witch Project has some terrifying moments (especially for those seeing the movie in theaters for the first time), with one in particular being the iconic tent scene where the three student filmmakers hear the sounds of kids playing just outside before the shelter begins to shake violently.

In order to bring the scene to life, the producers recorded kids playing and put those recordings on three cassette tapes that they then played on three boomboxes the night of filming. And to finish it all off, they began to physically shake the tent to terrify the actors and send them running.

The Iconic Shot Of Heather Saying ‘I’m So, So Sorry’ Was A Happy Accident

The scene near the end of The Blair Witch Project where Heather cries into the zoomed-in camera saying “I’m so, so Sorry” has not only become one of the most iconic moments from the movie but also in the history of horror movies. However, the extremely close-up image was not what Heather Donahue intended to do when framing the shot.

In the directors’ commentary, it is revealed that Donahue thought she was framing her entire face and not just her eyes and nostrils. But it was one of those happy accidents during the shoot, and led to a moment that has been plastered on posters, DVD covers, and shirts for more than 20 years and parodied countless times.

The Actors Didn’t Know How The Blair Witch Project Was Going To End Until They Entered The House

The Blair Witch Project ends with Mike and Heather being separated in an abandoned house that is filled with the handprints of young children and the cries from Josh, who had been missing for a couple days at this point. In addition to the characters not knowing how the final sequence would end or what was around each corner, the actors were also left in the dark until their characters met their respective fates.

In a 2019 interview with Buzzfeed News, Michael Williams explained that when he was running through the basement in the final moments, he felt someone throw him to the ground and tell him to go stand in the corner. This in turn, created yet another iconic shot of Mike standing with his face in the corner just before Heather drops the camera and the movie comes to an end.

How A Website And Word-Of-Mouth Contributed To The Blair Witch Project’s Massive Success

According to Box Office Mojo, The Blair Witch Project made $248.6 million worldwide during its theatrical run, and a large part of that was because of the movie’s rudimentary website, viral marketing, and a crazy word-of-mouth phenomenon that helped make it the tenth most successful movie of the year in 1999.

Following the release of The Blair Witch Project, EW profiled the grassroots campaign that turned the movie from a small indie project into an international sensation that took the world, and internet by storm. More than a year before the film’s release, the filmmakers launched a website that provided information on the movie and the lore surrounding its story. By July 1999, the site had two million visits a day, which further spread the word of mouth craze about the movie and curiosity about if its events were real or not.

The Blair Witch Project is one of those movies that continues to be popular nearly a quarter-century after its release thanks to its creepy premise, terrifying execution, and the way it blurred the line between reality and fantasy. If you want to revisit the horror classic after reading all these behind-the-scenes facts, you can do so as The Blair Witch Project is streaming for free on Plex.

Between Obsession and Backrooms, we’re having a heck of a great 2026 in horror already, and there's definitely more to come. From new installments for beloved franchises Resident Evil, The Exorcist and A Quiet Place to original flicks from Robert Eggers and JT Mollner, there are tons of reasons the 2026 movie schedule (and beyond) will be keeping us up at night.

I’ve rounded up a mostly comprehensive list of all the slashers, serial killer thrillers, psychological chillers, creature features, sci-fi freakshows, and whatever else today’s horror filmmakers are throwing at us. Will any of the releases listed below eventually make our list of the best horror movies ever? Let’s take a look at all the worthy contenders on the way.

Don’t Move - September 11, 2026

Cast & Director: Lyndsy Fonseca, Russ Vitale, Tom Cavanagh, Rob Riggle, Hunter King, Joseph Lee Anderson. Maclain Nelson (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Don’t Move About? Based on the novel of the same name, the story follows a widow whose church group gets stranded on a camping trip and becomes prey for a giant prehistoric arachnid.

Why We’re Excited: A giant spider movie in 2026? Hell yeah! Don’t Move is also a fully self-aware tale, as Impractical Jokers comedian James S. Murray both wrote the novel and co-wrote the screenplay.

Watch While Waiting: Arachnophobia, Sting

Resident Evil - September 18, 2026

Cast & Director: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cregger (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Untitled Resident Evil Movie About? The video game adaptation has a medical courier named Bryan (Abrams) finding himself in a survival situation when a zombie outbreak occurs around him. Per the writer/director (via Deadline), it will be “unlike any of the previous films” and a “wild ride.” He’s a big fan of the video games, but at his CinemaCon presentation, Cregger said he’s “not trying to be completely obedient to the lore of the games,” per Bloody Disgusting.

Why We’re Excited: Zach Cregger earned the respect of horror fans with Barbarian, and blew it out of the water with the Oscar-winning horror film of last year, Weapons. Seems like as good a time as any for him to take on a franchise, and Resident Evil could use a good movie about it.

Watch While Waiting: Weapons, the Resident Evil movies

Other Mommy - October 9, 2026

Cast & Director: Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Rob Savage (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Other Mommy About? Based on the novel by Bird Box author Josh Malerman, this upcoming horror flick, which was previously titled Incidents Around The House, is about an eight-year-old girl named Bela who becomes haunted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy.”

Why We’re Excited: Other Mommy is produced by the horror geniuses of our time, James Wan and Jason Blum, and the plotline sounds particularly terrifying.

Watch While Waiting: The Sixth Sense, Dust Bunny

Crawlers - October 16, 2026

Cast & Director: Matilda Lutz, Gregg Sulkin, William Miller, Melina Matthews, Angel Gómez Hernández (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Crawlers About? If you’re scared of spiders, this might not be the movie for you. It’s about an outbreak of venomous spiders that haunt an apartment complex.

Why We’re Excited: Nothing like creepy crawlers to get us creeped out.

Watch While Waiting: Arachnophobia

Hallowarrior - October 17, 2026

Cast & Director: Milly Shapiro, Ajani Russell, A. J. Bowen, Shannyn Sossamon, Ben Sottak (Writer/Director)

How to see it: Shudder

What’s Hallowarrior About? Pumpkin is a Halloween obsessive and the final person left on Earth. Everything changes when a group of other people shows up on her doorstep.

Why We’re Excited: Seeing Hereditary horror icon Milly Shapiro back in the genre? We’re ready.

Watch While Waiting: Hereditary, A Quiet Place

Clayface - October 23, 2026

Cast & Director: Tom Rhys Harries, Max Minghella, Naomi Ackie, James Watkins (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Clayface About? James Gunn’s DC universe recently had a very successful start with Superman, and in 2026 the upcoming Clayface movie hopes to continue the streak with a tale Gunn has described as a “pure fucking horror” film, and just in time for Halloween! Between that and the movie’s script being written by Mike Flanagan, who is very famous in the horror space, it’s going to be a lot of horror fans' most anticipated comic book movie. You can check out the first, very haunting footage.

Why We’re Excited: The pages of DC Comics have had some great storylines that can lend themselves to great horror movies, but we just haven’t seen DC or Marvel fully commit to it yet. That’s what makes Clayface most exciting!

Watch While Waiting: The Thing, Brightburn

Stiletto - October 30, 2026

Cast & Director: Gigi Gustin, Charlotte McKinney, Colleen Camp, Meghan Carrasquillo, Stephen Blackehart, Hannah Hueston, Eli Roth (Producer), Samuel Gonzalez Jr (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Stiletto About? A stripper who tries to defend the women at her place of business from a masked killer who targets them on the one-year anniversary of her sister’s murder.

Why We’re Excited: The movie is co-written and independently financed by the movie’s star, Gigi Gustin, who is a former exotic dancer herself.

Watch While Waiting: From Dusk Til Dawn

Godzilla Minus Zero - November 6, 2026

Cast & Director: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Min Tanaka, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Ando, Miou Tanaka, Sae Nagatani. Takashi Yamazaki (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Godzilla Minus Zero About? A sequel to the 2023 smash hit Godzilla Minus One, the new film is set two years later, and centers on another larger-than-life catastrophe for the Shikishima family and military to deal with.

Why We’re Excited: The first film took home the Oscar for its visual effects, and that’s a huge part of why this sequel has been so eagerly anticipated. Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla is truly the king of the monsters.

Watch While Waiting: Godzilla Minus One, Yamazaki’s “Foodlassla” commercial

Victorian Psycho - November 13, 2026

Cast & Director: Maika Monroe, Thomasin McKenzie, Jason Isaacs, Amy De Bhrún, Jacobi Jupe

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Victorian Psycho About? Based on the novel of the same name by Virginia Feito, this one’s about a governess named Winifred Notty hired to live with the Pounds family. Since this is in a horror movie list, you can probably guess that it’s no Mary Poppins story.

Why We’re Excited: Maika Monroe has become a mainstay in the horror genre, and her opposite Jason Isaacs is going to be a creepy good time.

Watch While Waiting: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The Babysitter, Nanny

Return Of The Living Dead - November 13, 2026

Cast & Director: Devon Sawa, Casimere “Cash” Jollette, Kynlee Heiman, Alexander Ward, Steve Wolsh (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Return Of The Living Dead About? Set in a small Pennsylvania town during Christmas time a year and a half after the events of the original movie. It’s described as a “brand-new adventure” that’s not a reboot or remake, per Bloody Disgusting.

Why We’re Excited: This is the first time we’ll see a movie from this franchise in twenty years. After the long break, we’re so interested in what the iconic horror franchise will be like in 2026.

Watch While Waiting: The five Return of the Living Dead movies

Werwulf - December 25, 2026

Cast & Director: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, Robert Eggers (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Werwulf About? After tackling vampires for Nosferatu, Robert Eggers is taking on werewolves next with a movie called Werwulf, which he co-wrote with his The Northman collaborator Sjón. It’s set in 13th-century England and is about a mysterious creature that starts to lurk in its countryside, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Why We’re Excited: We loved Nosferatu, and just about everything Robert Eggers has done so far, so who’s to say his streak of creepy good movies won’t continue here?

Watch While Waiting: Nosferatu, The Lighthouse, The Witch

Pendulum - January 1, 2027

Cast & Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Phoebe Dynevor, Jacki Weaver, Norman Reedus, Darren Aronofsky (Producer), Mark Heyman (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Pendulum About? It’s about a couple who decide to visit a remote retreat together in New Mexico after sharing a traumatic event. While Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) is skeptical of the practices and starts questioning its leader’s motivations, he watches as his partner falls for them completely.

Why We’re Excited: Mary Heyman famously wrote the script for Black Swan, so we’re definitely curious about his directorial debut.

Watch While Waiting: Black Swan, The Boogeyman

The Third Parent - January 22, 2026

Cast & Director: Rob Lowe, Roselyn Sanchez, Crispin Glover, David Michaels (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Third Parent About: Taking place during the Fourth of July holiday, when an unexpected and disturbing visitor named Tommy Taffy arrives at an all-American family’s celebration and insists on being part of the festivities.

Why We’re Excited: Rob Lowe fronting a horror movie is something we’ve just got to see. Oh, and Back To The Future fans – Crispin Glover is playing Tommy Taffy!

Watch While Waiting: Us, Jaws, The Purge

Drag - January 29, 2027

Cast & Director: Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos, Christine Ko, Danny DeVito (Producer), Raviv Ullman & Greg Yagolnitzer (Writer/Directors)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Drag About? Drag follows two estranged sisters who decide to rob a house in a secluded neighborhood together. However, one of them throws out her back and becomes stuck on the second floor as the clock ticks for the owner’s return.

Why We’re Excited: Between the DeVitos being involved and its unique premise, we’re very curious how this concept will play out.

Watch While Waiting: Misery, Gerald’s Game

The Revenge Of La Llorona - February 26, 2027

Cast & Director: Monica Raymund, Jay Hernandez, Raymond Cruz, Edy Ganem, Santiago Menghini (Director), James Wan (Producer), Gary Dauberman (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Revenge Of La Llorona About? Remember 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona? Well, James Wan is producing a sequel about the vengeful ghost from Hispanic American folklore for the Conjuring Universe.

Why We’re Excited: The first La Llorona may not have impressed critics, but that doesn’t mean the subject isn’t worth revisiting. There’s a lot of depth and chilling horrors to be explored behind the folklore story of a woman who drowned her own children after discovering her husband was unfaithful to her.

Watch While Waiting: The Curse of La Llorona, The Devil’s Backbone

The Exorcist: Martyrs - March 12, 2027

Cast & Director: Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane, Jacobi Jupe, Chiwetel Ejifor, Laurence Fishburne, Sasha Calle, John Leguizamo, Rahul Kohli, Hamish Linklater, Carl Lumbly, John Gallagher Jr, Carla Gugino, Samanta Sloyan, Kate Siegel, Mike Flanagan (Writer/Director), Jason Blum (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Exorcist: Martyrs About? Mike Flanagan, who has been a notable name in modern horror in recent years with a number of TV shows and movies, is putting together a huge retelling of The Exorcist with a ton of big names. We don’t have details about his version, but the original novel is about the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and the two priests who try to exorcise it out of her.

Why We’re Excited: This cast is actually insane, and Mike Flanagan has a great track record of adapting horror titles in pretty incredible ways.

Watch While Waiting: The Exorcist (1973), Doctor Sleep, The Haunting Of Hill House

Wolf Creek: Legacy - March 19. 2027

Cast & Director: John Jarratt, Stacy Clausen, Laura Gordon, Meg Fraser. Sean Lahiff (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Wolf Creek: Legacy About? The return of Mick Taylor sees a vacationing American family unwittingly crossing onto the serial killer’s property, and after the parents sacrifice themselves to give their kids a better shot at survival, it’s up to the younger generation to escape the outback.

Why We’re Excited: Wolf Creek may not be the horror franchise that immediately comes to mind when the topic comes up, but John Jarratt’s Taylor can go toe to disembodied toe with most cinematic killers by way of sheer brutality.

Watch While Waiting: The first two Wolf Creek movies and the TV show, obviously

The Saviors - March 26, 2027

Cast & Director: Adam Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, Ron Perlman, Colleen Camp, Greg Kinnear, Kate Berlant, Theo Rossi, Nazanin Boniadi, Daveed Diggs, Kevin Hamedani (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Saviors About? A suburban couple rent out their guest house to a quiet Middle Eastern brother and sister. As strange things begin to happen, the couple begin to investigate their tenants.

Why We’re Excited: The cast is stacked, and early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes call it an “intriguing” comedic thriller that tackles themes of racism.

Watch While Waiting: Barbarian, The Burbs

Monitor - April 16, 2027

Cast & Director: Brittany O'Grady, Taz Skylar, Viveik Kalra, Sara Alexander, Matt Black & Ryan Polly (Writer/Directors)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Monitor about? A group of internet content moderators who mistakenly let loose a demonic entity across their screens and beyond.

Why We’re Excited: Especially after this year in horror, anytime we know we’re getting an original title from a new filmmaker, we sit up and pay attention.

Watch While Waiting: Host, We're All Going to the World's Fair

Family Movie - April 23, 2027

Cast & Director: Kyra Sedgwick (Star, Director) , Kevin Bacon (Star, Director), Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Lizy Koshy, John Carroll Lynch, Jackie Earle Haley, Andrea Savage, Austin Amelio, Scoot McNairy

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Family Movie About? The Bacon family have all assembled to play a filmmaking family whose indie slasher film turns into a real one when a dead body is found on set.

Why We’re Excited: Family Movie has premiered at film festivals to very positive reactions for fans of “campy” and “meta-horror” types.

Watch While Waiting: Scream (2022), Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Paranormal Activity 8 - May 21, 2027

Cast & Director: Chase Yi, Sonia Mena, Maya Da Costa, Ian Tuason (Writer/Director), Jason Blum (Producer), James Wan (Producer)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Paranormal Activity 8 About? Details about this Paranormal Activity haven't been revealed yet, but the long-running franchise is usually a supernatural found-footage horror movie.

Why We’re Excited: After Ian Tuason’s breakout with undertone, which critics have called “effectively spooky” and “designed to give you a panic attack,” it feels like the right filmmaker is behind the new Paranormal Activity.

Watch While Waiting: undertone, the other Paranormal Activity movies

Skeletons - June 4, 2027

Cast & Director: Brie Larson, Kyle Gallner, Willa Fitzgerald, Ione Skye, John Goodman, Keith Carradine, J.J. Abrams (Producer), Brian Duffield (Writer), JT Mollner (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Skeletons About? Skeletons is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy as he starts to realize his parents are hiding some secrets from him about his mom’s monstrous nature. It’s based on a short story by Philip Fracassi called Fail-Safe.

Why We’re Excited: JT Mollner's last film was critically-acclaimed horror darling Strange Darling. Brian Duffield has a great reputation for making indie-budget thrills like The Babysitter, Underwater, Love and Monsters, Spontaneous and No One Will Save You. And Brie Larson in a horror movie? Say less.

Watch While Waiting: The People Under The Stairs, Run

Possession - June 11, 2027

Cast & Director: Margaret Qualley, Callum Turner, Paul Dano, Diego Calva, Madeline Brewer, Robert Pattinson (Producer), Parker Finn (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Possession About? Possession is a remake of the 1981 film by Andrzej Żuławski. The original film was about an international spy and his wife, who starts to exhibit very strange behavior after asking for a divorce.

Why We’re Excited: Parker Finn got his start in horror with the chilling original, Smile. We’re hyped to see what he does with a beloved classic.

Watch While Waiting: Smile, Possession (1981)

A Quiet Place Part III - July 30, 2027

Cast & Director: John Krasinski (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s A Quiet Place Part III About? It’s too early to know many details about A Quiet Place Part III, but it’s expected to complete the trilogy about the Abbott family as they navigate a terrifying apocalypse together. In March, it was revealed that Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe will officially return, along with Sinners’ Jack O’Connell, Jason Clarke and Katy O’Brian joining the franchise, per Variety.

Why We’re Excited: Each of the Quiet Place movies have been really solid horror movies so far, that have us on the edge of our seat – especially for the use and lack of sound, and we look forward to what Krasinski is cooking up for the alleged finale.

Watch While Waiting: The other A Quiet Place movies

The Conjuring: First Communion - September 10, 2027

Cast & Director: Garrett Wareing, Amanda Fix, Rodrigue Huart (Director), Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing (Writers)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Conjuring: First Communion About? This is a The Conjuring prequel about the early years of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Why We’re Excited: While we’re going to miss Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s take on the paranormal investigators, it’ll be interesting to see a previous era of their lives.

Watch While Waiting: the other Conjuring movies

Untitled Blair Witch Movie - September 24, 2027

Cast & Director: Dylan Clark (Director), Jason Blum (Producer), James Wan (Producer)

How to see it: In theaters

What’s the new Blair Witch movie about? Plot details for the new Blair Witch are being kept under wraps.

Why We’re Excited: It’s been a decade since the last Blair Witch movie came out. In a time when YouTubers are ruling horror movies, we’re excited about what Dylan Clark does with the franchise.

Watch While Waiting: The Blair Witch Project, Backrooms

Gremlins 3 - November 19, 2027

Cast & Director: Chris Columbus (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Gremlins 3 About? The plot details for Gremlins 3 haven't yet been revealed. The original movie is about a young man who receives a pet (called a Mogwai) who he names Gizmo, who comes with three rules: keep him away from bright light, do not let it come into contact with water, and never let it eat after midnight. When one of the rules is broken, Gizmo starts multiplying into destructive little guys, and Billy must try to stop them from destroying his town.

Why We’re Excited: Another Gremlins movie has long been talked about, and we can’t wait to see it finally come to pass. Plus, Steven Spielberg as a producer is always a good sign.

Watch While Waiting: The other Gremlins movies

Untitled Longlegs Spinoff - January 14, 2028

Cast & Director: Nicolas Cage, Osgood Perkins (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s The Longlegs Spinoff About? We don’t know much about this one yet, but per The Hollywood Reporter, this is not a sequel but rather something “set in the Longlegs universe”.

Why We’re Excited: Cage gave a very memorable performance as Satanic serial killer, Longlegs, and it definitely feels like the creepy character could be explored further.

Watch While Waiting: Longlegs

Evil Dead Wrath - April 7, 2028

Cast & Director: Charlotte Hope, Jessica McNamee, Zach Gilford, Josh Helman, Ella Newton, Sam Raimi (Producer), Francis Galluppi (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Evil Dead Wrath About? This is a prequel to the original Evil Dead movie that takes place in 1972 – predating anything we’ve seen from the franchise thus far. Its protagonist will be a French woman who’s stuck in an abusive marriage in America, per Deadline.

Why We’re Excited: Evil Dead is an interesting moment right now, and we’re curious about how this prequel will take things in different directions.

Watch While Waiting: The other Evil Dead movies, The Last Stop in Yuma County

Final Destination 7 - May 12, 2028

Cast & Director: Lori Evans Taylor (Writer), Michael Blanchart (Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Final Destination 7 About? No plot details yet on this one, but it follows the franchise’s revival in 2025 with Final Destination: Bloodlines.

Why We’re Excited: There’s a nice mix of old blood and new blood in this sequel to keep the Final Destination sequel fresh.

Watch While Waiting: The other Final Destination movies, Bed Rest

Gladys - September 8, 2028

Cast & Director: Amy Madigan, Zach Cregger (Writer/Director)

How to see it: In Theaters

What’s Gladys About? When Zach Cregger was initially making Weapons, he had a chapter for Gladys that he cut. Since the movie became a big hit, Cregger decided he’ll explore her character through her own spinoff movie. Warner Bros recently nailed down the release date for 2028, per Variety.

Why We’re Excited: Weapons was one of the best horror movies we’ve seen recently, and even led Amy Madigan to win an Oscar for the role. Since there wasn’t much about Glady’s origin story, and who she is, we’re so interested in what we’ll learn about her.

Watch While Waiting: Weapons, Barbarian

Upcoming Horror Movies Without A Release Date Set

Despite all the upcoming horrors that already have release dates, there are still plenty of impending projects that haven't yet locked one down. Here's a rundown of the high-profile frightfests that will hopefully get slotted onto the calendar soon.

• In Development
  • Alien: Romulus 2
  • American Psycho Remake
  • Dead By Daylight
  • Happy Death Day 3
  • Hollow
  • I Am Legend 2
  • Lights Out 2
  • Ma 2
  • The Mist
  • Scream 8
  • A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre Reboot
  • Terrifier 4
  • Thanksgiving 2
  • World War Z Sequel
• Filming
  • Crawl 2
  • They Follow
• Post-Production
  • Anything But Ghosts
  • Brides
  • Flesh of the Gods
  • In A Violent Nature 2
  • Orphans
  • Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3
• Awaiting Release Date
  • Lice
  • The Young People