1996's Scream is one of horror's most iconic gateway films. With Scream, Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven found a unique way to make a movie for diehard horror fans while also welcoming a new generation into the horror genre. When Scream debuted, critics and horror fans believed slashers were in a dry spell; no memorable plot reveals, no iconic monsters, no big blockbuster franchise breaking away from the pack with a unique motive or kill method. While that's not untrue, generally speaking, it's a disservice to '90s horror to handwave all of the bloody films that came out before and around the same time that Scream premiered.
As horror buffs and curious newcomers catch Ghostface's latest debut in 2022's Scream, CBR wanted to take a look back on some memorable '90s slashers that deserve some praise. In their own way, each horror film below brought something inventive to the genre that kept audience members on the edge of their seats.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
This pick won't be a surprise for diehard Wes Craven fans, but for those unfamiliar with it, Wes Craven's New Nightmare -- in more ways than one -- made Scream possible. After creating one of horror's most iconic monsters, Freddy Krueger, and watching a franchise and entire fan culture be born around the film's central villain, Craven took a meta-approach to the Nightmare on Elm Street series.
Written and directed by Craven, New Nightmare followed Nancy's Heather Langenkamp portraying herself and Nancy and Robert Englund portraying himself and Freddy. Without spoiling the film, New Nightmare gave Craven a meta-playground to explore making a self-referential horror movie that also comments on the horror genre. As an added bonus, Craven portrays himself in the film, showcasing the budding idea for Scream's central question: what makes a good scary movie?
Halloween H20
After David Gordon Green's 2018 Halloween debuted, Michael Myers fans were split on how the sequel treated Laurie Strode. Although the original film canon made Laurie Strode Michael's sister, Green's approach wiped away that backstory. Instead, Halloween mostly showed a traumatized Laurie obsessed with facing a killer who has no interest in her. While some praised how Green handled Laurie's trauma, others saw it as a confusing treatment that undermined Laurie. If you fall in the latter camp, Halloween H20 might heal some wounds.
Directed by Friday the 13th Part 2's Steve Miner, Halloween H20 picks up 20 years after the events of 1978's Halloween. While Scream's Kevin Williamson didn't write the screenplay, he wrote the story that inspired the final product. What's incredible about this film is how it turns Laurie into a realistic final girl. Yes, she can wield an ax to fight off Michael, but she's still working through her past trauma in a compelling and vulnerable way. This Laurie is ready to fight for her son's safety but also is a functional alcoholic with intimacy issues. If you love the complexity of Sidney Prescott as a final girl, give this Laurie Strode a chance.
Bride of Chucky
1998's Bride of Chucky not only made Jennifer Tilly a horror icon but became responsible for sowing the seeds for Don Mancini's franchise to swerve into even more horrifically comedic and unapologetically queer territory. Promoted as a kind of Natural Born Killers with serial killer dolls, Bride of Chucky relished in subverting what audiences expect could happen. For once, Chucky is not in control and can't just kill his way out of arguments. Decades later, The Bride of Chucky's sinister glee still holds up. For fans of Scream's killer pairings, The Bride of Chucky will deliver bouts of sadism with plenty of self-aware humor.
Nightbreed
Clive Barker's Nightbreed was so far ahead of its time. While there is a central serial killer who loves to slice and dice in the 1990s film, Barker's masterpiece is more concerned with using its literal monsters to discuss deeper themes of marginalization. In this film, the outcasts need to save themselves and can't trust society -- doctors or police officers -- to do the work for them.
It's worth noting that the director's cut is the better option to watch as the studio version made some confusing plot cuts to Barker's work. However, Nightbreed holds up as a fun slasher meets monster film that balances wildly inventive practical effects with showcasing the horrors of colonialism.
Urban Legend
Urban Legend often gets called a B-horror movie that was just cashing in on the Scream sensation with a thin script. While this teen slasher doesn't have the most developed characters, it's still memorable for how it played with kills. Using folklore as a motive of sorts, Urban Legend truly surprised '90s audiences with what kind of kills could happen and to whom.
Notably, the film was a huge box office hit, bringing in over $70 million from a working budget of around $14 million. Similar to the original and beloved April Fool's Day, Urban Legend relishes its twists. On first viewing, it's not always clear what perspective is true and why. While Scream banked on its big mystery, Urban Legend took delight in pranking the audience.
Disturbing Behavior
Although there's not a serial killer per se in Disturbing Behavior, there's plenty of murder and teenage angst to go around for all craving it. Following in the footsteps of The Stepford Wives, the film follows a group of outcast teens investigating a student clique who call themselves the "Blue Ribbons." What happens next is a deranged adventure that shows how dangerous adults can be when they try to interfere with teenage woes.
Disturbing Behavior is not perfect, but it does a wonderful job at showcasing how self-conscious and confusing high school is. Furthermore, the film dares to question the danger of following societal expectations. Like Scream's Woodsboro, things are not what they seem in Cradle Bay, and it can be terrifying for teens to face this truth without anyone to trust but themselves. Written by Venom's Scott Rosenberg, Disturbing Behavior still serves up some dark humor that will likely win over Scream fans craving more teenage antics.