Horror movies have been around for a long time. The title of the first ever horror movie is often credited to Georges Méliès’ Le Manoir du Diable, translated to The House of the Devil. However, the three-minute short film may not be unsettling by today’s standards, since special effects have no doubt improved since 1896.
Along with better special effects, later horror movies often included more gore and twisted storylines. While the horror genre is a relatively general term, there are sub-genres of horror like slashers and psychological thrillers that have also gotten critical acclaim. That being said, there are plenty of horror films that have fallen flat, and others that were panned by critics, but eventually become cult classics.
Everybody has a different taste in horror movies, but the horror genre has no doubt earned a large and dedicated fanbase over the years. However, there are still some horror movies with 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, while others have gotten a perfect 100%. Rotten Tomatoes shouldn’t be the sole reasoning behind whether a movie is good or not, but the website can be a jumping off point to decide which horror movies to watch.
Here are 15 Horror Movies With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes (And 15 Stuck At 0%).
Frankenstein: 100%
Nearly 200 years ago, Mary Shelley published her gothic novel called Frankenstein. Over the years, her characters and story have been adapted for film and today, pretty much everyone has at least heard of Frankenstein and his monster. In 1931, Universal Studios released what is often considered one of the best Frankenstein movies ever.
The movie starred Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster, who also starred in The Mummy. Frankenstein is remembered fondly in the horror genre and is even still talked about to this day in film classes, but the film also has a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hellraiser: Hellseeker: 0%
Hellraiser: Hellseeker is the sixth film in the Hellraiser series and came out in 2002. The original Hellraiser by director Clive Barker is quite popular among horror fans, but the same thing can’t be said for the rest of the series.
The sixth Hellraiser specifically was panned by critics and was one of the many sequels that didn’t even get a theatrical release. One positive aspect of the film was that it brought back Ashley Laurence (who played Kirsty Cotton in Hellraiser 1-3), but even a popular scream queen couldn’t save this film.
Creep 2: 100%
The first Creep movie was released in 2014 and stars Patrick Brice as a man who hires a videographer to document his last living messages. While the film starts out rather sad, the main character’s actions quickly start to become crazy and downright unsettling.
A sequel was released in 2017 and got even better reviews than the first film. Both films were written and directed by their star Patrick Brice, who is a relatively unknown filmmaker. That being said, he was able to make a film with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, so he’s doing something right!
One Missed Call: 0%
One Missed Call was originally a Japanese horror movie that was released in 2003. The original and the two sequels, One Missed Call 2 and One Missed Call Final, were about people losing their lives after they answer a mysterious phone call. The movie was given an American reboot in 2008, which managed to get even worse reviews than the original.
The film followed the same story as the original, but neither fans nor critics were into the film. The original series wasn’t even that popular to begin with, so it’s a mystery why Hollywood thought they should take a stab at it.
The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari: 100%
Often considered one of the first horror movies, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was released in February 1920 in Germany. The film was part of German Expressionist cinema and centers around Werner Krauss’ character Dr. Caligari; a mad hypnotist who uses a somnambulist named Cesare to end people’s lives.
The film may not be scary by today’s standards of horror, but in the ‘20s, this hour long silent film likely shook people to their core. Even if people don’t find it scary today, people can still appreciate the film for its visuals, script, and overall style.
The Disappointments Room: 0%
Finished in 2014, but not released until 2016, The Disappointments Room stars Kate Beckinsale as a mother living in a haunted house with her son and husband. Beckinsale’s character, Dana Barrow, finds an unknown room in her home, which she finds out has a deeply disturbing past.
The film was not only panned by critics, but was also a box office bomb since it didn’t even make back half of its budget. It’s ironic that a film called The Disappointments Room was truly an utter disappointment.
The Invisible Man :100%
The 1933 film The Invisible Man was not only part of Universal’s classic monsters series, but it was also based on a novel by H.G. Wells. The movie is about a scientist who turns himself invisible, but he then becomes insane.
While the film directed by James Whale went down as an extraordinary horror/Sci-Fi flick, it is also remembered because it was one of Claude Rains earliest films, who would later go on to appear in movies like Casablanca and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. There are plans for a remake of The Invisible Man, but it is unlikely to live up to the original.
Repossessed: 0%
While The Exorcist has become one of the most popular films in the horror genre, the same can’t be said about the 1990 film Repossessed. The movies stared Leslie Nielsen and was a parody of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. What’s notable about the film is that Linda Blair returned for the movie, although she didn’t play the character Regan.
Nielsen had starred in some popular comedies during his career, but Repossessed was one film that fans and critics couldn’t get behind. The film was torn apart by critics and currently has a 0% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Witches: 100%
Many of Roald Dahl’s books have been adapted into movies like James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches. All of his books were child-friendly, but The Witches was every bit a horror movie as it was a kids movie.
The Witches was about a boy and a grandmother who go against witches that turn children into mice. The film starred Anjelica Huston, Jasen Fisher, and Rowan Atkinson. The film is also remembered because the film was the last movie that Jim Henson worked on, and the last movie based on Dahl’s work to come out before the author passed away.
Ghoulies 1 &2: 0%
If this list tells you anything, it’s not incredibly rare for a movie to get a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it is a bit rarer to see two films in the same series get a 0%. Just that happened with the Ghoulies series, which started in 1984. The film was about a couple who move into a mansion, only to be possessed with wanting to control demons.
A few years later in 1987, Ghoulies II was released which received just as rough of reviews as the first movie. The direct to video sequels Ghoulies Go to College and Ghoulies IV also got lackluster reviews, but they don’t even have a Tomatometer score on the website.
The Bride Of Frankenstein: 100%
The Bride of Frankenstein was released four years after the 1931 Frankenstein. Boris Karloff and Colin Clive once again returned for the roles of The Monster and Henry Frankenstein respectively, but this time they were joined by actress Elsa Lanchester, who played The Monster’s Mate.
Sequels usually don’t do as well as the first film, but The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the rare exceptions. Just like the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Today it’s rare enough for one film in a horror series to get a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Universal Pictures was able to do it twice with the character Frankenstein.
Cabin Fever (2016): 0%
In 2002, horror director Eli Roth released Cabin Fever, which was about teenagers who encounter a flesh-eating virus in a cabin in the woods. Cabin Fever received decent reviews, that were at least better than the sequels Cabin Fever 2 : Spring Fever and Cabin Fever 3:Patient Zero.
Like any moderately successful horror film, Cabin Fever was remade in 2016 by director Travis Z. The movie received mostly negative reviews for trying to be an exact copy of the original. What’s surprising is that Roth himself was attached to the project as an executive producer, but he probably wishes that he wasn’t at this point.
Rosemary’s Baby: 99%
While Roman Polanski’ moral character has been in the spotlight for years, so have his films. One of his most famous movies was released in 1968 and is called Rosemary’s Baby. The film may not have a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes but has come very close with a 99%.
As horror buffs will recall, Rosemary’s Baby centers around Rosemary Woodhouse, who becomes pregnant and thinks that an evil cult wants to take her baby. Today, the film is remembered for being a significant milestone in the horror genre and was even remade as a TV mini-series in 2014 with Zoe Saldana.
Return Of The Living Dead Part II: 0%
George A. Romero and John Russo, the writers of the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, had different ideas for a sequel, which is why there were two franchises that spawned from the 1968 movie. The Return of the Living Dead was released in 1985 and became a cult classic, but the sequel Return of the Living Dead Part II is notoriously bad.
Return of the Living Dead Part II currently has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Sure the sequel itself has gained a cult following over the years, but it still wasn’t as well received as the original.
Aliens: 99%
There has always been a debate among horror fans whether Alien or Aliens is the superior film. The original Alien, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, was directed by Ridley Scott, while the sequel in 1986 was directed by James Cameron.
The first Alien sequel shows a group of Colonial Marines fighting against hordes of Xenomorphs after Ripley is rescued from her 57-year hypersleep. Fans seemed to love both movies, but Rotten Tomatoes seems to think that Aliens has a slight upper hand over Alien. Alien comes in at a 97%, while the sequel has a 2% lead at 99%.
Creepshow 3: 0%
The original Creepshow was released in 1982 and was an homage to EC horror comics from the 50s. The movie was broken down into five different stories, with Stephen King writing and George A. Romero directing. The film had all the ingredients for success and it certainly was.
The same can’t be said however for the sequels, Creepshow 3 specifically. In 2006, Creepshow 3 was torn apart by critics and didn’t even see a theatrical release. Creepshow is again making a comeback this year with a new TV series on the streaming service Shudder.
Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn: 98%
It isn’t very often that a horror sequel can outdo the original, but Sam Raimi seemed to do just that in 1987 with Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. The original film was a low-budget horror flick that basically revolved around a group of friends who accidentally release flesh-possessing demons.
While the first film was a straight horror film, the sequel found a way to combine slapstick comedy with horror to create a truly unique film. It may be hard for some fans to pick between the two movies, but Evil Dead II is typically regarded as the better film.
Return Of The Killer Tomatoes: 0%
When Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! came out in 1978, people probably weren’t expecting the film to get a sequel. The movie was a comedy horror film about scientists teaming up to defeat a group of mutated tomatoes. The movie was just as bad as the plot sounds, but did receive a sequel a decade later.
The movie is notoriously bad with a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the film didn’t get a lot of reviews upon its release since not very many people took it seriously. The only plus side is that it does feature a very young George Clooney!
King Kong: 98%
King Kong is an American icon every bit as much as Godzilla is a Japanese icon. The character first appeared in 1933, which just so happened to be the best-reviewed film according to Rotten Tomatoes.
The original King Kong told the story of a film crew visiting Skull Island where they discover living prehistoric creatures including a giant ape. Not only was the film a box office success, but it is now considered a cinematic masterpiece, partly due to the groundbreaking special effects of the time.
Leprechaun 2-4 And Origins: 0%
Warwick Davis might be known for his minor roles in the Star Wars films, but he also starred in a horror series called Leprechaun. The Leprechaun series started in 1993 with Warwick Davis and Jennifer Anniston, with the most recent addition of the franchise, Leprechaun: Returns, coming out last year.
There have been a total of eight Leprechaun movies, all of which have gotten pretty poor reviews. That being said, Leprechaun 2, Leprechaun 3, Leprechaun 4: In Space, and Leprechaun: Origins are notably bad because all four movies have a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
