7 Horror Movies With Criminally Low Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Many great horror movies don’t get the recognition they deserve on Rotten Tomatoes. Horror has always been a popular genre, delivering scares and excitement. While films like His House, Get Out, The Babadook, Bride of Frankenstein, The Ring, and Psycho have earned high praise, other classic horror movies have surprisingly low ratings.

While horror films aren’t universally loved, dedicated fans frequently cite these seven movies as standouts in the genre. Surprisingly, despite their popularity with audiences, all but one of them have a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating below 40% – a score many feel they don’t deserve. These films, created by directors like Paul W. S. Anderson, James Wan, and Joseph Zito, are consistently underrated by Rotten Tomatoes critics.

7) The Fourth Kind (2009)

The movie The Fourth Kind is presented as a real documentary, and tells the story of psychologist Abbey Tyler (Milla Jovovich) who describes an alien abduction she supposedly experienced years ago. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi (known for Star Trek: Discovery), the film creates a genuinely unsettling mood with strong acting and a distinctive style, focusing on the psychological aspects of horror. Despite receiving only an 18% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 41% audience score, The Fourth Kind is arguably more effective than its critics suggest, and deserves a second look.

6) The Covenant (2006)

Renny Harlin’s 2006 dark fantasy horror film, The Covenant, received very negative reviews, with only a 4% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences enjoyed it much more, giving it a 62% rating. The movie centers on four high school boys who discover they’ve inherited magical abilities from their ancestors, who were colonial witches. There’s a dangerous catch: using these powers too much can lead to rapid aging, madness, or even death, resulting in some frightening consequences. Although critics found the acting and dialogue weak, The Covenant has gained a dedicated fanbase who appreciate it for what it is.

5) Event Horizon (1997)

Released in 1997, Event Horizon is a unique horror film that takes place in space. In the year 2047, a crew of astronauts is sent to investigate and recover the Event Horizon spaceship, which mysteriously reappears orbiting Neptune. They soon discover terrifying events have occurred on board. The film’s setting in space gives it an epic scope often lacking in horror, and showcases compelling performances from stars like Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, and Kathleen Quinlan. Despite a relatively low 36% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Event Horizon deserves recognition for its memorable acting, impressive visuals, and steadily building suspense.

4) Resident Evil (2002)

Despite being a famous horror film, Resident Evil only has a 36% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the popular video game series, the movie launched a long-running film franchise and again featured Milla Jovovich as Alice. The story follows Alice and a team sent into a secret lab to stop the spread of the T-virus, which turns people into aggressive zombies. While the film boasts exciting action, a fast pace, a great performance by Jovovich, and a unique horror style, many believe it deserves a better rating considering its impact on the genre.

3) Silent Hill (2006)

Though the Resident Evil movies are often criticized for straying from the games, the film Silent Hill is widely praised for being a faithful adaptation. Despite its genuinely scary atmosphere, distinctive visual style thanks to director Christophe Gans (known for Brotherhood of the Wolf), and its status as a cult favorite, Silent Hill only has a 33% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences give it a 63% rating. The film stars Radha Mitchell as a mother, Rosa Da Silva, who brings her daughter to the abandoned town of Silent Hill hoping to find a solution for her daughter’s dangerous sleepwalking. Silent Hill is a terrifying, intense, and visually striking movie that deserves more appreciation.

2) Saw (2004)

The first Saw movie follows a disturbing mystery centered around the Jigsaw Killer, who forces his victims—photographer Adam and doctor Lawrence Gordon—into terrifying “games” where they must harm themselves to stay alive. Despite an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics only gave it a 50%, a surprisingly low rating for such a well-known film. Many believe this is because of the horror genre itself, as Saw offered a genuinely frightening and complex story with surprising emotional depth, ultimately launching a massive franchise, and therefore deserves a much better score from critics.

1) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Released as the fourth film in the Friday the 13th series, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter brings back masked killer Jason Voorhees after his apparent death in the previous movie. Though meant to conclude the series, this installment is surprisingly well-made, featuring impressive special effects, memorable horror scenes, and more developed characters than earlier films. It stands out for its realistic and serious tone, making its low 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes seem undeserved. While the Friday the 13th series is a significant part of horror history, The Final Chapter is a particularly strong entry that deserves more recognition.

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2025-12-29 19:42