Copyright Screen Rant
Scream was one of the defining horror movies of the 1990s, but it wasn't the only must-watch slasher film to come out in the decade. Though the 1990s is having a nostalgic revival, its horror identity has always been in limbo. Earlier decades were easier to define through the lens of horror, but the '90s were all over the place. It wasn't until the latter half of the decade that horror began to find its new shape, and irreverent movies like Scream captured the cultural zeitgeist. Part classic slasher and part dissection of horror and its fans, Scream is Wes Craven's introspective look at the genre he mastered in earlier decades. Sequels followed, but the original remains an all-time classic. One consequence of Scream's success was that it spawned a wave of imitators, and the slasher genre was alive and well in the late 1990s. Though few slasher films from that period are as important as Scream, there are plenty of creepy gems worth revisiting. The '90s were a second golden age for slashers, and Scream had some tough competition. Maniac Cop 2 (1990) Horror sequels are almost never better than the original, but Maniac Cop 2 upped the ante and exceeded its predecessor. Undead ex-cop Matt Cordell is back to haunt the streets of New York City, dispensing evil justice to those he deems criminal. William Lustig's sequel takes the basic framework of the slasher and improves upon its time-worn clichés. With impressive effects and strong performances from Bruce Campbell and Robert Davi, Maniac Cop 2 is a surprisingly good movie underneath all of its silly horror elements. Most slasher movies lazily copy trends to make a quick buck, but the Maniac Cop films have their own tone and feel like the legitimate vision of the filmmakers. Child's Play 2 (1990) Two years after the sleeper success of the first film, the Child's Play franchise returned with its first sequel. Child's Play 2 catches up with Andy who is once again tormented by Chucky, who wants to possess his body. Though the sequel isn't wildly different from the first, it feels more like a continuation and less like a rehash. All the parts are in place for a fun and exciting slasher film, but the supernatural elements and absurd premise elevate Child's Play 2 above the usual sequel fodder. The franchise would take a radical turn later in the 1990s with Bride of Chucky, so the first sequel was one of the last times that Chucky was an actual villain. Popcorn (1991) Popcorn feels like a relic from the '80s, but it has an almost surreal tone that makes it a unique addition to the '90s horror canon. College students prepare a local movie theater for a B-movie festival, only to be attacked by a chameleon-like murderer. With plenty of classic chills, Popcorn is made doubly frightening because of its absurd weirdness. The real star of the show is the practical effects, and the low-budget movie spared no expense in the makeup department. Though the plot is razor-thin and doesn't make much sense, the experience mirrors the very same cheesy B-movies that the students honor in the story. The slasher was almost completely forgotten, but is now becoming a cult classic. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) Two years before the release of Scream, Wes Craven made another meta horror movie with New Nightmare. In the real world, the cast and crew of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films are suddenly haunted by a demonic entity that looks like Freddy Krueger. Instead of another copious sequel, New Nightmare is like a coda to the popular series. The movie works on two levels: as a tribute to the original film, and as a commentary about the commercialization of horror. Though Scream would master the formula, New Nightmare deserves credit for being such a unique film during a down period in horror. It's weaker on traditional slasher elements, but compensates with clever scares. Jack-O (1995) Most horror movies in the 1990s took themselves way too seriously, but Jack-O revels in its own goofiness. During Halloween, some teens accidentally resurrect a 100-year-old spirit that returns to exact its revenge against the town. The film was resoundingly rejected by critics and currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes score below 15%. However, Jack-O has a nostalgic quality that captures the spirit of the Halloween season, and it's enjoyable as a relic of mid 1990s cheese. It's light-hearted and fun, but doesn't skimp on the copious gore effects that make even the worst slasher films worth watching. Jack-O is a quintessential example of mindless entertainment. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) One of the first movies to ape Scream's success, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a quintessential '90s slasher. A year after a group of friends accidentally killed someone with their car, they are picked off by a deranged killer. With '90s teen stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar leading the cast, it is very much of its time. Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer were both written by Kevin Williamson. Unlike Scream, which is a commentary about horror, I Know What You Did Last Summer is classic mystery slasher fun. There is excellent suspense and the kills are imaginative without having to be too gory. In many ways, I Know What You Did Last Summer deserves a lot of credit for helping kick off the '90s slasher boom. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) The Halloween franchise has reset its timeline on numerous occasions, and Halloween H20 was erased by the latest trilogy. Two decades after Michael Myers' rampage, the masked killer finds Laurie Strode and her son at a boarding school in California. Essentially a sequel to Halloween II, H20 dropped all the weird cult stuff from the middle sequels. Though hardly a masterpiece, H20 is a thrilling slasher flick that delivers all the right things. It's a fun and suspenseful romp that puts Jamie Lee Curtis back in the spotlight as the all-time scream queen. Its unambitious approach is its greatest strength, and it remains one of the few good sequels in the entire Halloween series. Urban Legend (1998) Folk tales and slasher films are a classic combination, and 1998's Urban Legend married the two with very little subterfuge. A college campus is rocked by a series of murders that resemble popular urban legends, and only one student can solve the mystery. The concept opens the door for memorable moments, and Urban Legend mostly delivers. There are fundamental flaws that keep it from being an all-time classic like Scream, but it is one of the few films to try something different during the second slasher boom. Released at the beginning of the internet age, Urban Legend deconstructs the way information spreads and is somewhat prescient. It's light on hardcore scares, but is a worthwhile watch. Idle Hands (1999) Idle Hands isn't a conventional slasher film, and it really isn't a conventional film at all. A stoner teen suddenly finds his hand possessed by a demon, which causes him to kill those closest to him. Spoofing the slacker culture of the 1990s, Idle Hands is a horror comedy that leans more toward the latter. Gross, weird, and subversive, Idle Hands was met with derision from critics, and it still hasn't gotten a fair shake. Though the humor doesn't always work, the oddball tone is so endearing that it makes up for the film's shortcomings. Like Scream, Idle Hands got ahead of the trend and poked fun at its era long before it was over. Cherry Falls (1999) Many horror films were ruined by censorship, and Cherry Falls is one of the great "what if?" scenarios of the 1990s. A small town is besieged by a series of murders that only target virgins, causing a mass panic. The independently produced film failed to secure a distribution deal and was eventually sold as a TV movie.
