Top 20 WORST Horror Movies Of All Time

#20: “The Wicker Man” (2006)

On one hand, we perversely admire Neil LaBute’s 2006 reimagining of Robin Hardy’s classic, “The Wicker Man,” for the sheer WTF fever dream it brought to the screen. There’s also the lunatic fringe performance of Nicolas Cage as the lead, with multiple memorable moments of yelling, screaming, and running in a bear suit to fuel meme generators for a light year. However, as a horror film, it fails in tremendous fashion, cutting off the palpable atmosphere of the original at the knees, and relying on cheap jumps to frighten its audience. Take our advice: just watch the seventies original instead.

#19: “Children of the Corn” (2020)

You’d be forgiven for not even knowing that yet another adaptation of Stephen King’s “Children of the Corn” hit theaters back in 2020. This was, after all, a franchise whose entries primarily tended to be direct-to-video affairs of varying quality. What both audiences and critics agreed upon, however, was that “Children of the Corn” 2020 didn’t beat the 1984 original in any department, from the acting to the effects, pacing, or atmosphere. Writer-director Kurt Wimmer feels lost adapting King’s story and fails to capitalize what could’ve been a good opportunity to update the “Children of the Corn” franchise. What a shame.

#18: “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1957)

When aliens fear what human technology can do, they raise the dead to force the people of Earth to listen. If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. “Plan 9 from Outer Space” is a hilariously over-the-top genre mish-mash that unabashedly throws everything at the wall. Absolutely none of it sticks, but we have to give credit where it’s due. There’s very few movies as insanely ridiculous as “Plan 9,” especially from the 50s. While it’s worth a watch to laugh at its complete lack of storytelling prowess, anyone searching for a real scary movie should look elsewhere.

#17: “FeardotCom” (2002)

Time seems to have forgotten the film even exists, other than the instances where critics recall how much they hated it at the time. “FeardotCom” was so poorly received, in fact, that some have called for its reappraisal as a modern “cult classic.” Perhaps it’s the film’s usage of the Internet as some sort of real life “Videodrome” that drives victims to self-destruction. Or, maybe it’s the nasty and grungy cinematography. Either way, “FeardotCom” is more than a mess, and will probably always be remembered that way. For better or for worse.

#16: “The Disappointments Room” (2016)

Well, it’s all in the title. Here, Kate Beckinsale stars as Dana, a woman who moves into a new house with her family, only to discover she’s in one of the most cliche, boring horror films of all time. Okay, not exactly, but the flashbacks to the home’s origins are so eye-rollingly dull, it feels like it’s on purpose. To say nothing of the modern-day haunting. For what it’s worth, Beckinsale does a good job looking scared. Although, it’s hard to say if that’s acting, or her realizing she’s stuck in a jumpscare reliant snoozefest. Disappointing, indeed.

#15: “Birdemic: Shock and Terror” (2010)

It’s important for fans of genre cinema to differentiate between enjoyably entertaining “bad” movies, and those that are just poorly executed. There’s a level of ineptitude behind 2010’s “Birdemic: Shock and Terror” that’s not cut from the same exploitation cloth as similar films from the 70s and ‘80s. Instead, what we have here is a horror flick that doesn’t possess memorable performances, entertaining sequences, or a legacy remotely connected to anything other than reprehensible CGI. At a certain point, it becomes necessary for us, as moviegoers, to value the finite amounts of time in our lives. Do you really wanna waste it watching “Birdemic: Shock and Terror?”

#14: “Slender Man” (2018)

The odds are good that there will be one great, defining horror film someday that takes its inspiration from a creepypasta. 2018’s “Slender Man,” however, is not that movie. Its box office drop-off was huge after an already-meager debut, and the film largely left critics and audiences cold. “Slender Man” could’ve perhaps blazed a trail for a new generation of horror films based upon modern Internet mythology, but the film instead comes across as half-baked, cliché, and not even all that scary. If you’re thinking about checking out “Slender Man,” you’re probably better off just researching the source material.

#13: “The Creeping Terror” (1964)

We’re willing to give older films a bit more slack, since tastes and filmmaking hadn’t quite developed to what they are today. But, you have to draw the line somewhere, and we’re making it at “The Creeping Terror.” What it’s supposed to be is a chilling creature-feature about an alien who feasts on a group of unwitting victims. What it actually turns into is an hour of victims who stay perfectly still while a glorified carpet slowly swallows them up. Even for the 60s, “The Creeping Terror” is a laughable attempt at true horror.

#12: “I Know Who Killed Me” (2007)

It’s not too strange to see actors branch into the horror genre looking for different kinds of roles, and Lindsay Lohan definitely took her shot back with 2007’s “I Know Who Killed Me.” The movie’s plot is pretty bonkers, with the sort of logic that you might’ve found back in 1970s Italy and their “giallo” brand of violent mystery-thrillers. Lohan’s performance as an abducted woman with identity issues didn’t win over critics, to put it lightly. While “I Know Who Killed Me” has amassed something of a cult audience, there are many more who call it one of the worst films ever made. We’ll let you be the judge.

#11: “Jaws: The Revenge” (1987)

Ever wonder if a shark can feel vengeance? No? Well, this ill-advised sequel is going to answer the question, anyways. Long after it was past-time to get out of the water, “Jaws” decided to make things personal by having its iconic villain follow Ellen Brody to the Bahamas. We wish we were kidding. Gone is the tension, commentary, and filmmaking dazzle of the first iteration. In its place, “Jaws: The Revenge” is a cheap, lifeless dud that was clearly only made for a quick buck. There’s a good reason people say the “Jaws” franchise ended with 2.

#10: “The Devil Inside” (2012)

Imagine this; the ending to a mainstream, theatrical film being so poorly received, people are still mad about it to this day. Yes, we’re talking about “The Devil Inside,” and the gall of its creators to end their tale of demonic possession with a text image and an Internet link for “more information.” To be fair, the film’s screenwriters stuck to their guns and defended their decision at the time, but this hasn’t helped “The Devil Inside” rise up from its well of infamy. There have been a lot of demonic possession movies out there that are worth your time; why would you waste it by watching this one?

#9: “Exorcist II: The Heretic” (1977)

Another day, another sequel to a legendary horror film that really didn’t need one. When will they learn? “The Heretic” gets points for bringing Linda Blair back. But, it loses them all by giving her precious little to do beyond look scared and deliver exposition. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is just plain awful, with derivative ideas and unconvincing storytelling all around. How we went from an Oscar-winning classic to this is beyond us. Even worse, “The Exorcist” franchise just won’t stay dead! After “The Heretic,” “The Beginning” and the 2023 reboot all failed to deliver, we’re thinking this franchise might really be cursed.

#8: “House of the Dead” (2003)

In 2003, director Uwe Boll treated moviegoers to “House of the Dead,” his cinematic adaptation of the smash video game franchise. Boll’s low-budget, tax-bracket approach to cinema may have served him well financially, but the writing was on the wall for “House of the Dead” almost immediately upon release. This film barely broke even in the United States, and received poor reviews almost across the board. The visual effects are dated even by 2003 standards, the performances are either listless or poor, and the overall sentiment is that“House of the Dead” deserved something just a wee bit better. Preferably, something actually watchable.

#7: “Manos: The Hands of Fate” (1966)

This independent B-movie has a pagan cult, a family of victims, and a decently chilling idea about marriage. And yet, it wastes it all. Putting aside the fact the writer-director made the film out of a bet, and that the cast and crew had little to no filmmaking experience, “The Hands of Fate” is just bad. Not even in a so-bad-it’s-good way, just plain, head-scratchingly terrible. The entire film is 70 minutes of incoherent scenes, continuity errors, hammy acting, audiovisual issues, and a profound lack of entertainment. At the very least, it will scare you. Just not for the right reasons.

#6: “Cabin Fever” (2016)

Fans of Eli Roth often point to his 2002 film “Cabin Fever” as one of the director’s best efforts. The 2016 remake, though? Not so much. Headed by a new director, the results were largely extraneous at best, and tediously nonsensical at worst. Much of the black humor present within Roth’s original film has been excised, in favor of a tedious and by-the-numbers attempt at body horror. The 2016 remake even earned itself a dreaded zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with basically everyone agreeing you should avoid it like an actual flesh-eating virus.

#5: “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” (2023)

Is there anything sacred left anymore? We doubt it because we’re discussing the 2023 horror film, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.” This entry from director Rhys Frake-Waterfield ruffled a lot of feathers with its… let’s say “reimagining” of a classic, childhood hero. It’d be one thing if “Blood and Honey” cared enough to make the titular character a bit more engaging than an actor in a bad suit. However, the film instead chooses the lowest-hanging fruit, adorning them with typical slasher-movie violence that failed to live up to both positive and negative attention.

#4: “Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2” (1987)

Like the second chorus of a bad Christmas song, this abhorrent slasher tries to repeat the magic of its first entry, and only succeeds in ending up on the naughty list. To start, “Part 2” can barely be considered its own film, considering it spends an unforgivable half hour recapping the first installment. The second issue is that the new footage was shot over ten days with almost an entirely new cast and creative team, and boy can you feel it. Don’t even get us started on the acting. All that to say, this is one massive box of coal under the tree.

#3: “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” (2019)

Every now and then, a movie comes around with a premise so strange that you can’t help but scratch your head and take notice. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean a flick like “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” is fresh. Retelling the story of the doomed actress and her time with the Manson Family, this movie is as far from tasteful as it gets. Instead, it’s a sad, depressing damnation of the film industry, with a truly perverse twist ending to boot. There’s no joy or commentary in telling this story, and it probably shouldn’t be viewed by anyone.

#2: “Alone in the Dark” (2005)

The “Resident Evil” series may be something of an outlier when it comes to successful film franchises based upon video games. That’s because, when movie fans do think of such films and their reported lack of quality, they’re usually thinking of dreck like 2005’s “Alone in the Dark.” Notorious director Uwe Boll brought together Tara Reid, Stephen Dorff, and Christian Slater, and couldn’t do a thing with them: there’s just zero chemistry. The special effects are also laughably bad, on top of an abysmally boring plot and clear disregard for the source material. Trust us and stay far, far away from this one.

#1: “One Missed Call” (2008)

If it seems as if studios were scrambling to remake Asian horror cinema in the 2000s, that’s because they were, and largely thanks to the success of “The Ring” in 2002. Make no mistake, however: “One Missed Call” is absolutely not in the same league as “The Ring.” Or the original work. Or, really, an engaging movie at all. The film can’t even be compared with the lowest of B-movie fare; it’s just that bad. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even screened for critics prior to release, and the universally negative reception makes it obvious why. We may sound like a broken record at this point, but we’ll say it again: some films just shouldn’t be remade.

What’s the worst scary movie you’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through? Share the pain with us in the comments below!