Movies

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good
Image credit: globallookpress, Legion-Media, A-Pix Entertainment, Artisan Entertainment, New Line Cinema, Solomon International Pictures, Universal Pictures

The '90s: a decade where grunge, boy bands, and some truly disturbing horror movies ruled the world.

1. Dr. Giggles (1992)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 1

Who thought a killer doctor was a good idea? Dr. Giggles is about a surgeon who escapes a mental institution to go back to his hometown and start "operating" on folks—with malicious intent, of course. But hold on, his weapon of choice? Surgical instruments. He kills his victims by, get this, removing their hearts. It's a one-liner festival that didn't even tickle the funny bone of audiences.

2. Jack Frost (1997)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 2

No, not the Michael Keaton family film. This Jack Frost is about a killer who gets genetically mutated into a snowman. Yes, you read that right—a snowman. This icy fiend goes on a rampage, killing people with icicles and other wintery methods. How does one stop a killer snowman, you ask? Antifreeze. Seriously, someone greenlit this.

3. The Dentist (1996)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 3

Imagine if your routine dental checkup turned deadly. Well, The Dentist takes this fear and runs with it, straight off a cliff. Dr. Feinstone finds out his wife is cheating on him and starts seeing every patient as her. You can guess what happens next: drilling, pliers, and oh-so-many screams. Unbelievably, it even spawned a sequel, but neither made any impact at the box office.

4. Leprechaun (1993)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 4

Before Jennifer Aniston was America's sweetheart, she was running from a killer leprechaun. This pint-sized terror is looking for his stolen gold coins and will kill anyone who gets in his way. He rides a tricycle, uses a tiny car, and even pogo-sticks someone to death. The catch? He's vulnerable to four-leaf clovers. I'm not making this up.

5. Cutting Class (1989)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 5

This one's from '89, but it's too bad to leave out. Cutting Class stars a young Brad Pitt in a high school slasher so mundane it makes detention look fun. Students start getting killed off, and the suspects include the jock, the bad boy, and the weird girl. The plot twist? It's the principal! This one could've been saved by taking more notes from its predecessors.

6. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 6

Sure, it's got star power with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar, but c'mon! A group of teens accidentally kills a man and decides to, you know, dump the body and never speak of it again. A year later, they start getting hunted down by a guy with a hook. It's all dreadfully predictable and makes you wonder, "Why didn't they just call the cops?"

7. Uncle Sam (1996)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 7

Want some patriotism with your horror? Meet Uncle Sam, where a deceased Gulf War vet comes back to life to murder the unpatriotic. Yes, you heard that right. From flag-burning protesters to corrupt politicians, no one is safe. The movie tries to critique American values but ends up as a cheesy, senseless mess.

8. Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 8

Sequels rarely live up to the original, and boy, does Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh prove that point. Candyman is back and haunting New Orleans this time. Why? To kill descendants of his family and, well, pretty much anyone who says his name five times in a mirror. It's a confusing jumble of family drama and vengeful spirit nonsense.

9. Hideaway (1995)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 9

Imagine dying for two hours, going to Hell, coming back, and then having a psychic link with a serial killer. That's the plot of Hideaway, and as ludicrous as it sounds. Jeff Goldblum is the unlucky man who experiences this after a car accident. He tries to use his psychic bond to stop the killer, but it's mostly just a trippy, convoluted mess.

10. Urban Legend (1998)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 10

Maybe taking a bunch of well-known urban legends and turning them into a horror movie might have sounded like a good idea, but Urban Legend fumbles the execution. Students at a university are killed in manners resembling various urban myths—like the old killer in the backseat trick. It's all leading up to a final showdown with the killer that's about as underwhelming as they come.

11. Wishmaster (1997)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 11

How many times have we heard that you should be careful what you wish for? Wishmaster centers around a genie who grants wishes that end up being deadly. A woman accidentally releases him and, you guessed it, havoc ensues. The film plays out like a really bad Monkey's Paw scenario, and the genie's corny one-liners don't help.

12. The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 12

Let's be clear—nothing needed to be added to Stephen King's Carrie. Yet, Hollywood gave us this: a sequel focusing on Carrie's half-sister, Rachel, who also has telekinetic powers. Rachel is the new outcast, and after her friend commits suicide due to bullying, she decides to use her powers for revenge. It's a retread without any of the nuance or tension of the original.

13. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 13

If you thought Jason in space was bad, you haven't seen Jason Goes to Hell. It starts with Jason getting blown to bits by the FBI, but his spirit possesses other people to continue his killing spree. The plot is a convoluted mess that involves a magic dagger and Jason's sister, and the ending hints at Freddy Krueger, setting up a crossover no one asked for.

14. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

14 Slasher Movies from the 90s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 14

Speaking of Freddy, this installment promised to be his swan song but ended up more like a dying duck. Freddy is back, but now he's using video games and other gimmicks to kill his victims. The whole thing feels like a parody, and even the 3D glasses they handed out in theaters couldn't make this one pop.