10 Best 90s Teen Horror Movies You Need To Watch

7. Scream

Urban Legend
Dimension Films

The gold star standard by which all 90s slasher movies are judged. A horror film in which the teenage leads spend all of their time talking about other horror films, Scream is responsible for at least ten years worth of ironic, self-referential slasher films. Without Scream, this list would be an entirely different proposition.

And yet, even without all of the self-referential humour and winking at the camera, Scream is a very good horror film. Featuring one of the most iconic horror villains of all time, it's a great murder mystery - and the big reveal at the end is a genuine surprise.

The film is supremely well-cast, from the shocking opening sequence onwards. Who could have foreseen the film killing off Drew Barrymore in the first ten minutes?! A slasher villain is only as good as his nemesis, and heroine Sydney Prescott is one of the best. The sequels aren't to be sniffed at either, even if it is a case of diminishing returns.

Imitators and rip-offs may have lessened Scream's power over the years, but there's no understating what Wes Craven's classic did for the genre. Scream is the definitive teenage slasher film, and one of the greatest horror movies ever made.

Contributor
Contributor

A film critic and professional writer of over ten years, Joel Harley has a deep and abiding love of all things horror, Batman and Nicolas Cage. He can be found writing online and in print, all over the Internet and in especially good bookstores.