Horror is one of the genres most often maligned by critics.
On one hand, that's because a lot of horror movies are pretty awful, and they earn their
bad reviews.
But there are also plenty of great horror films that happen to be critical failures.
The average viewer might avoid some of these movies for their low Rotten Tomatoes scores,
but that number can be deceiving.
Here are just a few of horror cinema's critical failures that are actually worth your time.
Lords of Salem
While 2013's Lords of Salem might not reach the levels of exploitation nirvana that director
Rob Zombie achieved in The Devil's Rejects, it's perhaps his most interesting project,
the surreal tale of a woman who finds herself in the snares of a centuries-in-the-making
plot initiated by a coven of witches.
Critics slapped it with a low rating on Rotten Tomatoes, complaining that it failed to deliver
the scares it seemed to promise.
To be fair, that's not an incorrect observation.
Relatively free of gore, the film is instead something of an experimental tone piece, resulting
in a hypnotic, atmospheric film that's sure to unsettle and intrigue viewers willing to
embrace abstract thrills.
Dead Silence
Considering the fact that James Wan's filmography contains classics like Saw, Insidious, and
The Conjuring, if Dead Silence is known as his worst film, that's still not too much
of a knock.
While far from perfect, it utilizes the classic horror technique of taking things that are
already frightening in real life, in this case, ventriloquists and their terrifying
puppets, and then making them the sources of actual supernatural phenomena.
Even a middling horror movie is going to be pretty scary when the protagonist is facing
a ghost ventriloquist who cuts the tongues out of her victims.
"Your voice is mine now."
All things considered, it's admittedly not anything special in terms of plot or writing,
which is likely why it didn't stick with the critics who gave it such a low rating on Rotten
Tomatoes.
But boasting some great production design, a perfectly solid cast, and a killer twist
ending, Dead Silence is still a fun little entry in the filmography of a director who
has helped shape mainstream horror over the last decade.
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Occasionally a movie's poor Rotten Tomatoes score is less indicative of a lack of quality
and more an indicator of a film's divisiveness.
Among these films is All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which, according to The Washington Post,
was shot in 2006 and then delayed for seven years.
It's a polarizing effort that boasts a critical reception split almost down the middle.
Detractors felt it was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill slasher movie, while fans
of the film praise its innovative visuals and storytelling restraint.
The story centers around a group of teens who invite the super-popular Mandy Lane to
a secluded ranch for a weekend getaway, and quickly find themselves being picked off one
by one by a deranged stalker.
The movie seems to take no delight in its kills, instead making the audience recognize
the gravity of each.
Even if you find the movie to be a failure, it's an interesting one for sure.
Jennifer's Body
There's something to be said for a movie that knows what it is, and the 2009 horror romp
Jennifer's Body knows exactly what it is: the kind of film you'd watch with your friends
late at night.
It tells the story of a rock band's satanic ritual gone wrong, leaving high school "It
Girl" Jennifer possessed by a demon that feeds on the flesh of men.
"Jennifer's evil.
"I know."
"No, I'm mean she's actually evil.
Not high school evil."
Featuring a stellar cast, the most quotable horror movie script in decades, and a killer
soundtrack, it's some of the most fun you can have watching a modern horror movie.
"I am not insecure, needy, God, that's a joke.
How could I ever be insecure?
I was the snowflake queen."
Unfortunately, critics weren't quite sure what to make of it in 2009, and it's got a
bummer of a Rotten Tomatoes score.
Jennifer's Body isn't quite old enough to have built up a cult following or to have
received a critical reevaluation, but we get the feeling it's coming.
This flick, like a fine wine, will only get better with age.
Nightbreed
Advertised as a traditional slasher film, Nightbreed confused critics by giving the
audience a dark horror fantasy that feels more like a great young adult novel.
That's not to say it skimps on the scares, it just happens to also contain the worldbuilding
and character arcs you'd find in blockbuster franchises these days.
The story focuses on the human world clashing with an underground city, the home of the
undead creatures known as the Nightbreed.
"And that means you're meat for the beast."
The film came out about 20 years too early, and it found itself in the hands of critics
who weren't quite sure what to make of it.
While it sits with a terrible rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Nightbreed is still very much worth
your time.
It's fun, innovative, and totally singular.