100 Best Slasher Movies Ranked
Slashers — that gloriously grubby, stabby subsection of horror — were first unsheathed in the early 1970s, when Mario Bava stalked his cavorting, frequently disrobed victims around in A Bay of Blood. You can even look to Texas Chain Saw Massacre from the same time period, or even go back and pay Alfred Hitchcock a visit as he’s filling up the bathtub in Psycho.
But the Bava Blood bash set up mood of the slasher: Sexually charged, with a degree of mystery, where the ample cast of characters one-by-one take a sharp turn into doom. Slashers can be stylish (Opera, Dressed to Kill), carnal (Torso, Friday the 13th), grimly violent (The Prowler, The Burning), trashy (Pieces, The Slumber Party Massacre) and even supernatural (Halloween, Child’s Play). We’re studying all sides of the blade as we assemble movies that best represent this killer genre in the 100 best slasher movies, ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films first.
97%
Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.
Synopsis: Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
97%
Critics Consensus: Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.
Synopsis: On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles
Directed By: John Carpenter
96%
Critics Consensus: Peeping Tom is a chilling, methodical look at the psychology of a killer, and a classic work of voyeuristic cinema.
Synopsis: Loner Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also, he's making a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Karlheinz Böhm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, Maxine Audley
Directed By: Michael Powell
94%
Critics Consensus: Wes Craven's intelligent premise, combined with the horrifying visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, still causes nightmares to this day.
Synopsis: In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss
Directed By: Wes Craven
94%
Critics Consensus: A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, X marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots.
Synopsis: In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow
Directed By: Ti West
93%
Critics Consensus: Pearl finds Ti West squeezing fresh gore out of the world he created with X -- and once again benefiting from a brilliant Mia Goth performance.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Ti West returns with another chapter from the twisted world of X, in this astonishing follow-up to the year's most acclaimed horror film. Trapped... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland
Directed By: Ti West
89%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part Three: 1666 sends the slasher series back in time for a trilogy-concluding installment that caps things off on a screaming high note.
Synopsis: The origins of Sarah Fier's curse are finally revealed as history comes full circle on a night that changes the lives of Shadysiders forever.
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Welch
Directed By: Leigh Janiak
88%
Critics Consensus: A smart and subversive twist on slasher horror, Fear Street Part II: 1978 shows that summer camp has never been scarier thanks to stellar performances from Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, and Ryan Simpkins.
Synopsis: Shadyside, 1978. School's out for summer and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, Chiara Aurelia
Directed By: Leigh Janiak
87%
Critics Consensus: Terrifier 2 outdoes the original in every way -- which makes it bad news for the squeamish, but a bloody good time for genre enthusiasts.
Synopsis: After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lauren LaVera, David Howard Thornton, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt
Directed By: Damien Leone
86%
Critics Consensus: Impeccably cast and smartly written, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an uncommonly well-done whodunit.
Synopsis: When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game goes awry in this fresh and funny... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders
Directed By: Halina Reijn
86%
Critics Consensus: Full of pith and Grand Guignol grossness, this macabre musical is perfectly helmed and highly entertaining. Tim Burton masterfully stages the musical in a way that will make you think he has done this many times before.
Synopsis: Evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) lusts for the beautiful wife of a London barber (Johnny Depp) and transports him to Australia for a crime he... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall
Directed By: Tim Burton
85%
Critics Consensus: Totally Killer may not take full advantage of its promising conceit, but this time-traveling horror/sci-fi mashup is still enjoyable overall.
Synopsis: Thirty-five years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous "Sweet Sixteen Killer" returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. Seventeen-year-old Jamie... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Julie Bowen, Randall Park
Directed By: Nahnatchka Khan
84%
Critics Consensus: Candyman takes an incisive, visually thrilling approach to deepening the franchise's mythology -- and terrifying audiences along the way.
Synopsis: For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo
Directed By: Nia DaCosta
84%
Critics Consensus: An entertaining slasher with a gender-bending, body-swapping twist, this horror-comedy juggles genres with Freaky fun results.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor
Directed By: Christopher Landon
85%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a smart script and documentary-style camerawork, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre achieves start-to-finish suspense, making it a classic in low-budget exploitation cinema.
Synopsis: Young adults encounter a house full of demented butchers who chase them with chain saws and other deadly tools.
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Allen Danziger, Paul A. Partain
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
84%
Critics Consensus: Fear Street Part One: 1994 kicks off the trilogy in promising fashion, honoring the source material with plenty of retro slasher appeal.
Synopsis: A circle of teenage friends accidentally encounter the ancient evil responsible for a series of brutal murders that have plagued their town for over 300... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Gillian Jacobs
Directed By: Leigh Janiak
83%
Critics Consensus: As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.
Synopsis: Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first Scream, but their nightmare isn't over. When two college... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Directed By: Wes Craven
83%
Critics Consensus: With arresting visuals and an engrossingly lurid mystery, Dressed to Kill stylishly encapsulates writer-director Brian De Palma's signature strengths.
Synopsis: When Liz Blake (Nancy Allen), a prostitute, sees a mysterious woman brutally slay homemaker Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson), she finds herself trapped in a dangerous... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon
Directed By: Brian De Palma
83%
Critics Consensus: Combining belly-busting humor with delightfully over-the-top gore, Thanksgiving is a feast for grindhouse fans.
Synopsis: After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts -- the birthplace of the holiday. Picking off residents one... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Ty Olsson, Gina Gershon, Lynne Griffin
Directed By: Eli Roth
79%
Critics Consensus: You're Next's energetic and effective mix of brutal gore and pitch black humor will please horror buffs and beyond.
Synopsis: The Davisons, an upper-class family, are extremely wealthy -- but also estranged. In an attempt to mend their broken family ties, Aubrey and Paul Davison... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen
Directed By: Adam Wingard
79%
Critics Consensus: Though it ultimately sacrifices some mystery in the name of gory thrills, Candyman is a nuanced, effectively chilling tale that benefits from an interesting premise and some fine performances.
Synopsis: Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) befriends Anne-Marie McCoy (Vanessa Williams) while researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago's Near North Side. From... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Xander Berkeley, Kasi Lemmons
Directed By: Bernard Rose
79%
Critics Consensus: Halloween largely wipes the slate clean after decades of disappointing sequels, ignoring increasingly elaborate mythology in favor of basic - yet still effective - ingredients.
Synopsis: It's been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton
Directed By: David Gordon Green
78%
Critics Consensus: Horror icon Wes Craven's subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it's a little too cheeky for some.
Synopsis: The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard
Directed By: Wes Craven
79%
Critics Consensus: As single-mindedly focused on mayhem as its demonic monster, In a Violent Nature serves up a deliciously disgusting feast for gore aficionados.
Synopsis: When a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley
Directed By: Chris Nash
78%
Critics Consensus: Taking an axe to yuletide cheer and everything else in its path, Terrifier 3 is a bloody fantastic stocking stuffer for the holiday season.
Synopsis: After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Samantha Scaffidi, Chris Jericho
Directed By: Damien Leone
77%
Critics Consensus: Certain aspects of horror's most murderously meta franchise may be going stale, but a change of setting and some inventive set pieces help keep Scream VI reasonably sharp.
Synopsis: Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox, Jasmin Savoy Brown
Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
78%
Critics Consensus: A mixture of gory slasher and sweet rom-com that ingeniously nails both formulas, Heart Eyes serves up a bloody valentine that'll make the heart skip a beat.
Synopsis: For the past several years, the "Heart Eyes Killer" has wreaked havoc on Valentine's Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine's Day, no... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Jordana Brewster
Directed By: Josh Ruben
78%
Critics Consensus: Wes Craven's New Nightmare adds an unexpectedly satisfying - not to mention intelligent - meta layer to a horror franchise that had long since lost its way.
Synopsis: Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in this installment of the long-running horror series, which finds director Wes Craven and actors Heather Langenkamp and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, David Newsom
Directed By: Wes Craven
76%
Critics Consensus: The fifth Scream finds the franchise working harder than ever to maintain its meta edge -- and succeeding surprisingly often.
Synopsis: Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, a new killer has donned the Ghostface mask and begins targeting... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera
Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
76%
Critics Consensus: The Final Girls offers an affectionate nod to slasher tropes while adding a surprising layer of genuine emotion to go with the meta amusement.
Synopsis: Max, recently orphaned, goes to see a screening of a B-horror movie that her mother made 20 years earlier. When Max and her friends find... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev
Directed By: Todd Strauss-Schulson
73%
Critics Consensus: Intoxicating with its maxxximal style, MaXXXine is an uneven but vibrant pastiche that drives a stiletto through Hollywood's heart.
Synopsis: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan
Directed By: Ti West
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A new contemporary twist-filled reimagining of the 1982 slasher cult classic just in time for Halloween. A slumber party turns into a bloodbath, as a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Alex McGregor, Schelaine Bennett
Directed By: Danishka Esterhazy
- -
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A talk-show hostess (Miyuki Ono) and her crew investigate when she receives a graphic snuff video.
Starring: Miyuki Ono, Aya Katsuragi, Hitomi Kobayashi, Eriko Nakagawa
Directed By: Toshiharu Ikeda
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Oliviero is a drunk, burned-out writer who amuses himself by hosting orgies and humiliating his wife. When a number of women are murdered in grisly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Edwige Fenech, Anita Strindberg, Luigi Pistilli, Ivan Rassimov
Directed By: Sergio Martino
94%
Critics Consensus: The kinetic camerawork and brutal over-the-top gore that made Dario Argento famous is on full display, but the addition of a compelling, complex story makes Deep Red a masterpiece.
Synopsis: A psychic medium (Macha Méril) is brutally murdered, and musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) feels a need to solve the case, since he was the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Clara Calamai
Directed By: Dario Argento
93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An obsessive and murderous woman (Susan Tyrrell) tries to control her nephew, a 17-year-old basketball player (Jimmy McNichol).
Starring: Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell, Bo Svenson, Marcia Lewis
Directed By: William Asher
90%
Critics Consensus: The Opera house location gives plenty to work with for director Dario Argento, who hits his decadently bloody high notes here.
Synopsis: A hooded figure forces a young diva (Cristina Marsillach) to watch as he murders performers in a production of Verdi's opera "Macbeth."
Starring: Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi, Ian Charleson
Directed By: Dario Argento
89%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) is a family man, but he happens to have a series of families, with each one on the receiving end of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Lanyer
Directed By: Joseph Ruben
86%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Following the murder of Countess Federica Donati (Isa Miranda), an heiress possessing a beautiful piece of beachfront property, members of her family and the surrounding... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso, Anna Maria Rosati
Directed By: Mario Bava
86%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: At summer camp, some teenagers pull a prank on the camp's caretaker, Cropsy (Lou David). But the joke goes terribly wrong, and the teens leave... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Lou David
Directed By: Tony Maylam
82%
Critics Consensus: Sleepaway Camp is a standard teen slasher elevated by occasional moments of John Waters-esque weirdness and a twisted ending.
Synopsis: Bunks and the showers are a mad stabber's beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.
Starring: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet
Directed By: Robert Hiltzik
83%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Visiting Rome on a promotional tour for his new novel, writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is pulled into a murder mystery as someone familiar with... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma
Directed By: Dario Argento
75%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A masked man with a metal-claw glove stalks models at a couple's (Cameron Mitchell, Eva Bartok) fashion salon in Rome.
Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Eva Bartok, Thomas Reiner, Ariana Gorini
Directed By: Mario Bava
80%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An Illinois police chief (Michael Murphy) finds a connection between dead teenagers and experiments at a college.
Starring: Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor, Fiona Lewis
Directed By: Michael Laughlin
75%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A crazed World War II veteran gets revenge on his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, then stalks teens 35 years later.
Starring: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Farley Granger, Lawrence Tierney
Directed By: Joseph Zito
75%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: As their 10th birthday approaches, three children, born prematurely during a complete solar eclipse, turn murderous.
Starring: Susan Strasberg, José Ferrer, Lori Lethin, Melinda Cordell
Directed By: Ed Hunt
75%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A suburban apartment complex becomes a scene of carnage following the escape of an institutionalized twin.
Starring: Louise Lasser, Mark Soper, Marianne Kanter, Julie Gordon
Directed By: John Grissmer
71%
Critics Consensus: Happy Death Day puts a darkly humorous sci-fi spin on slasher conventions, with added edge courtesy of a starmaking performance from Jessica Rothe.
Synopsis: Tree Gelbman is a blissfully self-centered collegian who wakes up on her birthday in the bed of a student named Carter. As the morning goes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews
Directed By: Christopher Landon
71%
Critics Consensus: It isn't Tim Burton's best work, but Sleepy Hollow entertains with its stunning visuals and creepy atmosphere.
Synopsis: Constable Ichabod Crane is sent to the village of Sleepy Hollow, where a headless horseman is leaving a trail of decapitated bodies.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon
Directed By: Tim Burton
72%
Critics Consensus: The rare slasher with enough intelligence to wind up the tension between bloody outbursts, Black Christmas offers fiendishly enjoyable holiday viewing for genre fans.
Synopsis: As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Keir Dullea, John Saxon
Directed By: Bob Clark
71%
Critics Consensus: Haunt is spooked by the spirits of its obvious influences, but still packs enough thrills and chills to satisfy horror fans up for a haunted house excursion.
Synopsis: On Halloween, several friends enter an extreme haunted house and quickly discover some of their nightmares are real.
Starring: Katie Stevens, Will Brittain, Lauryn Alisa McClain, Andrew Caldwell
Directed By: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
71%
Critics Consensus: Alice, Sweet Alice offsets some of its more ludicrous elements with campy slasher thrills and a dazzlingly macabre atmosphere.
Synopsis: Favorite daughter Karen (Brooke Shields) is viciously strangled and set afire in church on the day of her First Communion, and suspicion falls on her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paula E. Sheppard, Brooke Shields, Linda Miller, Tom Signorelli
Directed By: Alfred Sole
69%
Critics Consensus: If it falls short of the deadly satire of Bret Easton Ellis's novel, American Psycho still finds its own blend of horror and humor, thanks in part to a fittingly creepy performance by Christian Bale.
Synopsis: In New York City in 1987, a handsome, young urban professional, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), lives a second life as a gruesome serial killer by... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon
Directed By: Mary Harron
68%
Critics Consensus: Rather quaint by today's standards, Friday the 13th still has its share of bloody surprises and a '70s-holdover aesthetic to slightly compel.
Synopsis: Crystal Lake's history of murder doesn't deter counselors from setting up a summer camp in the woodsy area. Superstitious locals warn against it, but the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram
Directed By: Sean S. Cunningham
68%
Critics Consensus: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors offers an imaginative and surprisingly satisfying rebound for a franchise already starting to succumb to sequelitis.
Synopsis: During a hallucinatory incident, young Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) has her wrists slashed by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Her mother, mistaking the wounds... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Craig Wasson, Laurence Fishburne
Directed By: Chuck Russell
67%
Critics Consensus: Although it can't hold a cleaver to the classic original, Psycho II succeeds well enough on its own merits to satisfy horror fans.
Synopsis: Two decades after the original murders at the Bates Motel, Norman Bates completes his treatment at a mental institution and returns home to find his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia
Directed By: Richard Franklin
67%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rebellious teen Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elizabeth Berridge, Cooper Huckabee, Miles Chapin, Largo Woodruff
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
62%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Homicidal psychopaths escape during a blackout, do some looting, terrorize a hated psychiatrist and visit a punk-rock club.
Starring: Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau, Dwight Schultz
Directed By: Jack Sholder
64%
Critics Consensus: Child's Play occasionally stumbles across its tonal tightrope of comedy and horror, but its genuinely creepy monster and some deft direction by Tom Holland makes this chiller stand out on the shelf.
Synopsis: Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif
Directed By: Tom Holland
64%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Enraged by rejection and a punk-rock band, an artist (Jimmy Laine) vents his anger on winos with a power drill.
Starring: Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day
Directed By: Abel Ferrara
63%
Critics Consensus: All about the splashy kills, Terrifier artfully introduces the unpredictable massacrer mime Art, yet fails to carve an entertaining story worthy of his wrath.
Synopsis: A maniacal clown terrorizes three women on Halloween night.
Starring: Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran, David Howard Thornton, Margaret Reed
Directed By: Damien Leone
63%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Small-town vigilantes led by the mailman (Charles Durning) do not get away with killing a local simpleton.
Starring: Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Claude Earl Jones, Tonya Crowe
Directed By: Frank De Felitta
63%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A small-town sheriff, Brent Marken (Michael Biehn), discovers the presence of a serial killer in his sleepy hamlet. Since the perpetrator has been targeting only... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Biehn, Brittany Murphy, Jay Mohr, Gabriel Mann
Directed By: Geoffrey Wright
63%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A vehicle breakdown strands teens near a madman's (Chuck Connors) desert wax museum filled with lifelike dummies.
Starring: Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood
Directed By: David Schmoeller
62%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A vicious killer dressed as Santa Claus hides in plain sight during a small town's annual Christmas festivities.
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue, Lisa Marie
Directed By: Steven C. Miller
62%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Renegade police officer Matthew Cordell (Robert Z'Dar) once roamed the streets of New York City unleashing his murderous brand of vigilante justice upon its denizens... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Michael Lerner, Bruce Campbell
Directed By: William Lustig
61%
Critics Consensus: The franchise is showing its age, but Scream 4 is undeniably an improvement over its predecessor, with just enough meta humor and clever kills.
Synopsis: It has been many years since the Ghostface Killer cut a deadly path through the town of Woodsboro. In order to get over the trauma... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts
Directed By: Wes Craven
60%
Critics Consensus: While it has moments of dark humor and the requisite scares, Orphan fails to build on its interesting premise and degenerates into a formulaic, sleazy horror/thriller.
Synopsis: Devastated by the loss of their unborn baby, Kate and John decide to adopt a child. At the orphanage, both feel drawn to a little... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder
Directed By: Jaume Collet-Serra
60%
Critics Consensus: April Fool's Day takes a decent stab at deconstructing the slasher genre, but an underwhelming story keeps it from really sinking in.
Synopsis: When a group of college students decides to spend spring break at the secluded island estate of their wealthy classmate, Muffy St. John (Deborah Foreman),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Deborah Foreman, Griffin O'Neal, Deborah Goodrich, Jay Baker
Directed By: Fred Walton
60%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A hooded killer with a hacksaw stalks college coeds (Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont).
Starring: Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont, Luc Merenda
Directed By: Sergio Martino
58%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Angela Baker (Pamela Springsteen), a psychotic transsexual, escapes from a mental hospital and surfaces at a summer camp as a counselor who lectures her teenage... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Pamela Springsteen, Renee Estevez, Tony Higgins, Valerie Hartman
Directed By: Michael A. Simpson
57%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Fraternity and sorority pledges ignore rumors and spend the night in a mansion haunted by victims of a family massacre.
Starring: Linda Blair, Vince Van Patten, Peter Barton, Kevin Brophy
Directed By: Tom DeSimone
57%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Teen friends Patty (Talia Paul) and Linda (Clara Pastor) head to a theater to watch the latest slasher movie, "Mommy," featuring a deranged matriarch (Zelda... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Zelda Rubinstein, Michael Lerner, Talia Paul, Ángel Jovè
Directed By: Bigas Luna
57%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A coach (Christopher George) wearing black gloves and a stopwatch is suspected of killing high-school track stars.
Starring: Christopher George, Patch Mackenzie, E. Danny Murphy, Michael Pataki
Directed By: Herb Freed
56%
Critics Consensus: Friday the 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives indeed brings back ol' Vorhees, along with a sense of serviceable braindead fun.
Synopsis: Years ago, Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) killed infamous hockey-masked murderer Jason Voorhees (C.J. Graham), and the intensity of the experience has landed him in a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Thom Mathews, Jennifer Cooke, Ron Palillo, David Kagen
Directed By: Tom McLoughlin
56%
Critics Consensus: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master marks a relative high point in this franchise's bumpy creative journey, although the original remains far superior.
Synopsis: Grotesque Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) gives some more suburban teenagers something to dream about.
Starring: Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, Rodney Eastman, Danny Hassel
Directed By: Renny Harlin
56%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Decades after promiscuous teen Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage) dies during a prank gone wrong, she returns as a spirit out for revenge and eager... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, Lisa Schrage
Directed By: Bruce Pittman
56%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Two New York policemen (Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell) and a policewoman (Laurene Landon) search for a killer in uniform who should be dead.
Starring: Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree
Directed By: William Lustig
39%
Critics Consensus: My Bloody Valentine stumbles through a cinematic coal mine of mechanical scares, bland characters, and a contrived, blood-soaked plot that's as predictable as it is unimaginative.
Synopsis: Friends defy the rules of a legendary murderer and discover he is real when they start celebrating Valentine's Day.
Starring: Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Keith Knight
Directed By: George Mihalka
55%
Critics Consensus: It's a Wonderful Knife takes an enthusiastic stab at holiday-themed horror-comedy, even if it doesn't cut quite as deep as it should.
Synopsis: A year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers' life is less than wonderful -- but when she wishes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cassandra Naud, Justin Long, Joel McHale, Jane Widdop
Directed By: Tyler MacIntyre
54%
Critics Consensus: Halloween: H2O is the best of the many sequels, yet still pales in comparison to the original Halloween.
Synopsis: Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finds herself hunted by persistent knife-wielder Michael... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams
Directed By: Steve Miner
55%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An orphan raised by nuns (Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick) grows up to be a killer toy-store Santa Claus.
Starring: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson
Directed By: Charles E. Sellier Jr.
50%
Critics Consensus: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 shocks with a gonzo blend of over-the-top humor and gore, but without the tense atmosphere of its predecessor, the stakes feel lower.
Synopsis: Chainsaw-wielding maniac Leatherface (Bill Johnson) is up to his cannibalistic ways once again, along with the rest of his twisted clan, including the equally disturbed... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams, Bill Johnson, Jim Siedow
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
50%
Critics Consensus: The Strangers has a handful of genuinely scary moments, but they're not enough to elevate the end results above standard slasher fare.
Synopsis: Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James (Scott Speedman) are expecting a relaxing weekend at a family vacation home, but their stay turns out to be anything... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman, Gemma Ward, Kip Weeks
Directed By: Bryan Bertino
50%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Bullied by classmates, a pudgy military-school student (Clint Howard) fights back by computer with the devil.
Starring: Clint Howard, R. G. Armstrong, Joe Cortese, Charles Tyner
Directed By: Eric Weston
44%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Friends visit a recent widow (Maren Jensen) who is frightened by the leader (Ernest Borgnine) of a neo-Hittite sect.
Starring: Maren Jensen, Ernest Borgnine, Susan Buckner, Sharon Stone
Directed By: Wes Craven
50%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Seven sorority sisters drown their housemother (Lois Kelso Hunt), then meet the son she hid for 20 years.
Starring: Kate McNeil, Eileen Davidson, Lois Kelso Hunt, Janis Ward
Directed By: Mark Rosman
48%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Someone with a power drill shows up uninvited to Trish's (Michele Michaels) high-school pajama party.
Starring: Michele Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella, Debra DeLiso
Directed By: Amy Holden Jones
47%
Critics Consensus: A by-the-numbers slasher that arrived a decade too late, the mostly tedious I Know What You Did Last Summer will likely only hook diehard fans of the genre.
Synopsis: A year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, four friends reconvene when Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) receives a frightening... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.
Directed By: Jim Gillespie
47%
Critics Consensus: A likable cast and strong set pieces give There's Someone Inside Your House a lift, but they're outweighed by its messily misguided story.
Synopsis: Makani Young (Sydney Park) has moved from Hawaii to quiet, small-town Nebraska to live with her grandmother and finish her final year of high school.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sydney Park, Théodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Dale Whibley
Directed By: Patrick Brice
45%
Critics Consensus: Despite some surprising twists, Scream 3 sees the franchise falling back on the same old horror formulas and cliches it once hacked and slashed with postmodern abandon.
Synopsis: In the final installment to this trilogy, a murder spree begins to happen again; this time targeted toward the original Woodsboro survivors and those associated... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Patrick Dempsey
Directed By: Wes Craven
45%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Childhood abuse triggers a man (Joe Spinell) to kill women and use their scalps to dress his mannequins.
Starring: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Abigail Clayton, Kelly Piper
Directed By: William Lustig
45%
Critics Consensus: Horror aficionados might have a ball with Prom Night, but a lack of mystery and inability to capitalize on the dance hall setting makes for a generic night of mayhem.
Synopsis: This slasher movie follows a relentless killer who is out to avenge the death of a young girl who died after being bullied and teased... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Stevens, Anne-Marie Martin
Directed By: Paul Lynch
46%
Critics Consensus: An intriguing subtext of repressed sexuality gives Freddy's Revenge some texture, but the Nightmare loses its edge in a sequel that lacks convincing performances or memorable scares.
Synopsis: Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) moves with his family into the home of the lone survivor from a series of attacks by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler, Clu Gulager
Directed By: Jack Sholder
43%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A TV newswoman (Lauren Tewes) catches a pervert (John DiSanti) watching her sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who cannot see, hear or speak.
Starring: Lauren Tewes, Jennifer Jason Leigh, John DiSanti, Peter DuPre
Directed By: Ken Wiederhorn
41%
Critics Consensus: There is indeed a good amount of tension in this French slasher, but the dubbing is bad and the end twist unbelievable.
Synopsis: A beautiful young Frenchwoman, Alex (Maïwenn Le Besco), travels out to the country to visit her family and brings along her friend Marie (Cécile de... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cécile de France, Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon, Franck Khalfoun
Directed By: Alexandre Aja
41%
Critics Consensus: Hell Fest might give less demanding horror fans a few decent reasons to scream, but it's neither clever nor frightening enough to leave much of an impression.
Synopsis: On Halloween night, three young women and their respective boyfriends head to Hell Fest -- a ghoulish traveling carnival that features a labyrinth of rides,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Christian James
Directed By: Gregory Plotkin
40%
Critics Consensus: Halloween Ends -- for now, anyway -- with a frequently befuddling installment that's stabbed, slashed, and beaten by a series of frustrating missed opportunities.
Synopsis: This is Laurie Strode's last stand. After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Will Patton
Directed By: David Gordon Green
40%
Critics Consensus: The Strangers: Prey at Night may appeal to fans of the original who've been jonesing for a sequel, but its thin story and ironic embrace of genre tropes add up to a bloody step back.
Synopsis: Mike and his wife Cindy take their son and daughter on a road trip that becomes their worst nightmare. The family members soon find themselves... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson, Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman
Directed By: Johannes Roberts
40%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A frustrated Boston detective searches for the maniac responsible for mutilating a number of university coeds.
Starring: Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Edmund Purdom, Paul L. Smith
Directed By: Juan Piquer Simon
