Horror will always be a genre of controversy. Whether it is a generic slasher movie or something rooted in demonic material, horror divides audiences more than nearly every other genre. However, horror films have recently been performing better with audiences than usual, with movies like Sinners and Weapons scoring a rare “A” and an “A-” respectively from audiences, according to Cinemascore.
Although movies like Sinners and Weapons deserve to receive high accolades, there are many occasions where horror movies receive much lower ratings than they deserve. Rotten Tomatoes runs into this on numerous occasions as it rates films based on the percentage of positive reviews rather than giving the film a rating based on how people score the movie.
From franchise films to remakes of beloved classics, these 10 films don’t deserve their low Rotten Tomatoes scores.
‘Blair Witch’ (2016)
38%
Blair Witch is the third film in the Blair Witch franchise, but acts as a legacy sequel to the first film. The movie follows James Donahue, played by James Allen McCune, and his friends who take a journey into the Black Hills Forest to discover what happened to his sister, who disappeared 17 years ago. With a new cast and use of modern technology, the film acts as an ode to the first film while acting as its own modernization.
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Blair Witch may not be the reinvention that people presumed the movie would be, but the quality is nowhere near bad enough for the 38% it received on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has a similar build-up and storyline to the first film, but it is presented just as effectively. Director Adam Wingard skillfully recreates the claustrophobia from the first film while using long takes to build up the scares. With the inclusion of newer technology like drones and higher-quality cameras, the film is able to craft all new types of scares while giving the characters new ways to get out of their horrific situations. The film may not be taking any steps forward when it comes to the found footage horror genre, but it does enough to warrant its existence as well as give audiences a good time.
‘Marrowbone’ (2018)
49%
Marrowbone stars a plethora of young actors, including Anya Taylor-Joy, Mia Goth, Charlie Heaton, and George MacKay, who have gone on to become big Hollywood stars since the film’s release. The film follows Jack, played by MacKay, and his three younger siblings who hide the death of their mother in order to stay together, but end up becoming haunted by a ghostly presence that looms in their manor.
‘Marrowbone’ Is a Great Showcase of the Ensemble
After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, Marrowbone went on to score 49% on Rotten Tomatoes with 73 reviews. Despite the mixed-to-negative reception, the film has a lot to offer that many horror movies fail to do. The ghostly presence not only acts as a physical embodiment of horror, but represents the familial trauma that the children experienced at a young age. As well as having an engaging mystery and compelling direction by Sergio G. Sánchez, this directorial debut acts as the perfect showcase for the ensemble, which helped pivot them to the stars they are today.
‘Paranormal Activity 2’ (2010)
58%
Paranormal Activity 2 is the follow-up to one of the most profitable movies of all time. Acting as a prequel to the first film, it follows a family who move into a new house in California and start to experience strange occurrences during their time living there. Initially thinking they were experiencing a group of break-ins, they set up cameras around the house, but soon realized that what they were experiencing involved the paranormal.
‘Paranormal Activity 2’ Capitalizes on What Made the First Film So Successful
Paranormal Activity 2 received a mixed reception from critics and audiences, receiving 58% from critics and 48% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, the film replicates everything that made the first film so successful while improving on many aspects. The bump-in-the-night aesthetic remains on par with the first film with its use of long takes, but the film’s inclusion of a family as the central protagonists allows the audience to connect with the characters much deeper compared to the original. Including a teenager and baby in the film immediately ups the stakes of the movie, making for a far more horrifying experience that deserved more recognition upon release.
57%
2019’s Pet Semetary acts as a remake of the 1989 film as well as a reimagining of the book by Stephen King. The film follows Dr. Louis Creed, played by Jason Clark, who moves from Boston to a small town in Maine with his wife, played by Amy Seimetz, and their two kids. Near their home, they discover a burial ground that sets off a chain of horrific events that changes the family’s lives forever.
‘Pet Semetary’ (2019) Is a Worthy Remake
Horror remakes tend to receive lower-than-average ratings from critics and audiences, and the 2019 Pet Semetary is no different. The film received 57% from critics and a measly 33% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. One could blame the reception on the film being a shallow attempt at a remake, but it offers a lot more than the average remake. The film changes an important aspect of the story, which made for an even darker interpretation that gave it a sharper edge. As well as directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer bringing a hopeless tone and mood to the film, Pet Semetary does more than enough to warrant its existence due to its remarkable scare sequences and the unique changes it makes to the source material.
‘Circle’ (2015)
57%
Circle is a dystopian thriller set mostly in one location. The film follows a group of 50 strangers who are forced to choose a person to kill every two minutes until there is one left person standing. From unspoken alliances to constant betrayals, the film depicts the human condition by displaying how different kinds of people act in a life-and-death scenario.
‘Circle’ Utilizes its High Concept to the Best Degree
While Circle only has seven reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it still managed to score a rotten 57% from critics. But the film is far more than the mixed reception it received, as it effectively utilizes its high concept. There may be some shoddy acting from some of the ensemble, but the constantly moving plot and the depiction of humans dealing with danger make for an always engaging and unpredictable experience that’s hard to forget.
‘Devil’ (2010)
49%
Devil acts as one of the only projects written by M. Night Shyamalan that he didn’t also direct. The film follows five strangers who are trapped in an elevator and discover that one of them is the Devil. Mainly taking place in one building, the film jumps between the trapped strangers revealing secrets about each other and a detective attempting to get them out of an elevator while discovering the dark pasts of each person in the elevator.
‘Devil’ Is Shyamalan’s Writing At Its Best
Devil received a 49% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which far differs from the film’s true quality. The film isn’t solely a horror/mystery, but delves into aspects of humanity, religion, trauma, and how they can shape a person’s morals. By trapping a group of people in an elevator, the characters are able to experience catharsis, with the detective sequences perfectly portraying how the audience is interpreting their situations. With tons of twists and carefully produced scares, this film has all the aspects that make Shyamalan a beloved writer.
‘The Thing’ (2011)
34%
2011’s The Thing acts as a prequel to the 1982 classic by John Carpenter. The film sees a group of scientists who discover an alien spaceship buried in Antarctica. After finding an organism on the ship and taking it back to their headquarters, they soon find out that the organism is alive, and begin to attack the crew and take the shape of its victims, which leads to paranoia among the crew as they attempt to find out who the impostor is.
‘The Thing’ Is a Prequel That Works
The Thing did not receive great reviews when it was released in 2011, with a 34% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Similar to Blair Witch, the film takes an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, with rewarding results. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. skillfully recaptures the horror and mystery of the 1982 film while giving the audience a character to root for in Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Kate. Although the use of visual effects on the creature was disappointing due to how impactful the practical effect use was in the original film, the 2011 prequel still has enough competent filmmaking to make it unworthy of its low Rotten Tomatoes score.
‘The Tall Man’ (2012)
40%
The Tall Man follows a nurse, played by Jessica Biel, whose son is one of many children who are kidnapped in the area. In her pursuit to find her son, she uncovers the legend of the Tall Man, who is a being that allegedly abducts children. Taking a more realistic depiction of the legend, what starts as a detective thriller slowly turns into something far more sinister.
‘The Tall Man’ Is One of the Better Movies often Compared to a Supernatural Legend
The Tall Man could’ve easily been a corny version of certain famous legends, but the film takes a surprisingly sentimental look at child trafficking and humanity’s response to trauma. The film holds a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the overall execution is far from the critics’ consensus. Biel perfectly captures the scared, yet passionate mother role, giving the film an emotional core.
‘Silent House’ (2011)
42%
Silent House is one of the rare horror films that was shot to mimic one long, continuous take. The film follows a woman, played by Elizabeth Olsen, who becomes trapped in her family’s lakeside house and haunted by a supernatural force. Unable to contact anyone, her experience being trapped in the house allows her to rediscover her past to help her overcome the trauma she is experiencing in the present.
‘Silent House’ Is One of the Biggest Filmmaking Achievements in Horror in the 2010s
Silent House received a 42% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which is wildly undeserved. Not only does the film have numerous incredible scare sequences, but its depiction of trauma and guilt works beautifully with the paranormal storyline. The one-shot is not just a gimmick, but allows the audience to experience everything that the protagonist experiences in real-time. The constantly moving camera not only mimics the movement of a ghost, but portrays the constant anxiety and fear that Olson’s character is experiencing. Silent House is not only an underrated horror movie, but stands as a defining achievement of the 2010s.
‘The Collection’ (2012)
36%
The Collection is the follow-up to the cult classic The Collector. The film sees the return of the collector as he kidnaps a young woman in pursuit of new victims for his traps. It also sees the return of Arkin, played by Josh Stewart, who is forced to rescue the young woman after being one of the only people to escape The Collector’s violent set of traps.
‘The Collection’ Is a Much Better Version of ‘The Collector’
The Collector acted as a poor attempt to replicate the Saw franchise, but The Collection is where the franchise found its tone and identity. Although the film received 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is far more creative than the reviews let it out to be. This film has far more fun with its concept compared to the original, with an all-time opening kill that sets the tone and style of the movie perfectly. Sprinkling a sense of humor with its edgy, punk-rock style makes for a wholly unique experience that is bound to make an impression on horror fans.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
