The Best of ’90s Teen Horror
Oh, the ’90s. What a glorious time for pop culture.
Like some of our readers, I grew up during the decade of grunge, the Clinton scandal, Clueless and MTV’s iconic The Real World, and I for one have many fond memories of all of the (sometimes admittedly terrible) film and TV fare the ’90s had to offer.
This week we are starting a new “Best of the ‘90s” series here at Reelgood, and to kick things off right, here are some of the best ‘90’s teen horror movies that you can stream right now:
Scream — Rent or buy from $1.99 and up.
After the horror genre had been downgraded to low-budget hell, Scream is the movie that is credited with turning all of that around. With clever dialogue penned by screenwriter Kevin Williamson, this film made horror relevant again, made purposeful “meta” a thing, and kick-started one of the funnest horror decades on record.
I Know What You Did Last Summer — Rent or buy from $2.99 and up.
This cautionary tale is a little bit like Scream, with a lot less humor. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. This movie takes on a few old urban legends and fuses them together to tell its tale. And to be honest? It’s all worth it for Ryan Phillippe’s abs.
The Faculty — Starz/DirecTV Now
With Elijah Wood and Josh Hartnett, The Faculty is a take on teen horror with an extra-terrestrial twist. Side-note: This movie has a pretty killer soundtrack as well.
Idle Hands — Starz/DirecTV Now
It won’t be the last comedy-horror on this list, but it’s definitely the most ridiculous, and I mean that in the best way possible. Starring Devon Sawa, Seth Green and Jessica Alba, Idle Hands gives use plenty to laugh at.
The Craft — Starz
Think of it as Mean Girls meets the occult. For anyone who thought they might be able to really contact the dead with a Ouija board, or tried looking up spells at the library, The Craft was a cautionary tale of the highest degree. There’s even a scene where the girls play Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. If you don’t know what that is, it’s time to learn.
Disturbing Behavior — Starz/Epix
With clear parallels to The Stepford Wives and starring Katie Holmes at the height of her Joey Potter days, Disturbing Behavior may not be the most memorable ’90s horror film, but it’s definitely worth the watch.
Urban Legend — Showtime
Man, does anybody else remember when Snopes was just a website you used to look up whether or not you were going to die that one time you accidentally took a swig of soda after eating Pop Rocks? Such simpler times. This movie brings all of your favorite classic urban legends to horrifying life.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Rent or buy from $2.99 and up.
And just like that, a legend is born. Kristy Swanson brings this iconic character to life for the first time and Joss Whedon gets his start in the movie biz.
Dead Man’s Curb — Amazon Prime/Tubi TV/Vudu
Speaking of urban legends, this one is based on the popular tale that if your college roommate commits suicide, you get an automatic 4.0 GPA for the semester. (Spoiler alert: In the real world? This rumor is false!)
Fear — Starz
This thriller starring Mark Wahlberg in one of his earliest acting roles, really put him on the map. And for good reason: He is terrifying here as he torments his young girlfriend (Reese Witherspoon) and her family.