Classic ’90s Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

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When you’re a child, even mildly frightening things can be really unsettling, and there were a few particularly scary movies in the 1990s that genuinely frightened a lot of us.

Horror movies from the 1990s were really unique. They built suspense well, offering a good mix of scares and gore that were frightening but also kept audiences hooked. Plus, many of these films featured popular teen actors and actresses of the time.

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Friday nights meant heading to Blockbuster to find the newest scary movie. We’d always try to convince ourselves it wouldn’t be too frightening, but we were usually wrong – some scenes are still stuck in our heads. For example, the opening of Scream, with Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) being terrorized by Ghostface over the phone, was particularly memorable.

It’s amazing looking back at some of the movies we watched when we were younger! Parents didn’t really have ways to block content back then unless they were actively watching with us, or perhaps they just believed we were mature enough to handle it.

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We’re much more used to scary movies now than we were in the ’90s, but back then, these films were truly terrifying. Let’s revisit some of the most frightening movies from that era and remember the ones that really gave us nightmares.

Classic ‘90s Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

The Blair Witch Project

The movie was frightening due to its realistic “found footage” format. The villain remained hidden, building intense suspense and keeping us constantly on edge. It even made us think twice about going for a walk in the woods after dark.

Candyman

Try saying his name five times—but be warned, you might not want to! There’s a chance he could appear right behind you if you do.

The Silence of the Lambs

Aside from the cannibalistic psycho, the suspense and jump scares sent chills down our spine.

The Craft

Okay, so this one’s a bit hard to categorize, but I definitely felt a chill while watching it. It begins like a pretty standard teen flick, but things take a really dark turn, and suddenly you’re dealing with witches and a lot of internal conflict – it gets seriously spooky when they start turning on each other!

I Know What You Did Last Summer

A group of four attractive teenagers accidentally hit someone with their car and try to hide it. A year later, their secret comes back to terrorize them when a mysterious attacker with a hook begins stalking them, creating a truly suspenseful and frightening situation.

Jacob’s Ladder

This terrifying horror movie featured deeply unsettling visuals that stayed with us long after we watched it. The line between reality and dreams was constantly blurred, and it left a lasting, traumatic impact on everyone who saw it.

The Sixth Sense

This was the movie that changed things for us. It’s where we all learned what a PLOT TWIST was.

Scream

The opening scene in Scream had us scared to answer the phone.

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Do you ever feel nostalgic for older fears? Let’s rewind and explore what frightened children in the 1970s and 1980s.

LOOK: Creepy Things That Kept ’70s and ’80s Kids Up at Night

Evil Kids

Remember all those creepy kids in horror movies like The Omen, Children of the Corn, The Exorcist, and The Shining? They really stuck with us, making us afraid of things like hotels and even just a friend acting strangely. We’d instantly be on guard, worried they were about to do something terrifying!

Cornfields

The movie Children of the Corn really tapped into a fear of cornfields! It made me think, who decided to portray America’s favorite crop as something scary? I can’t even go through a corn maze alone now! And with all the talk of crop circles at the time, every cornfield seemed like the ideal setting for a horror movie, aliens, or even a combination of both.

Piranhas

It might seem strange, but a lot of people weren’t as worried about sharks as you’d think in the 70s and 80s – many of us didn’t live near the ocean and felt pretty safe. Then, in 1978, a movie called Piranha – a copycat of Jaws – came out, and suddenly freshwater sources like pools and lakes seemed dangerous too! I personally avoided swimming in any freshwater until I was in my thirties.

Being Abducted by a UFO

Growing up, shows like Unsolved Mysteries and the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind made alien abductions seem surprisingly common. I genuinely believed the streetlight outside my window was a spaceship ready to take me away!

Falling for the “Want Some Candy?” Trick and Ending Up in One of These White Vans

Growing up, it felt like either aliens were going to kidnap you, or a strange man in a van would try to trick you with candy. And that van always looked just like this one. If you fell for it, you’d likely end up as a missing person…

Being on a Milk Carton

Growing up in the 1980s meant worrying about strange dangers – not just the typical childhood fears. There wasn’t much to distract you while eating breakfast, and the thought of a stranger in a van offering candy was terrifying. It felt like if something bad did happen, your face might end up on a milk carton, alerting everyone you were missing. These fears were a constant shadow over childhood. You can learn more about the history of missing children on milk cartons at the Missing Kids website.

Bigfoot (the Alien Cyborg One From the ‘Bionic’ Shows)

Forget the typical Bigfoot stories – the one from The Six Million Dollar Man was genuinely terrifying! I still can’t shake the image of its face. Interestingly, the original Bigfoot was played by the famous wrestler André the Giant, and here’s a surprising twist: he wasn’t a mechanically enhanced human, but an alien robot!

Big Scary Dogs

Childhood was scary enough, but seeing large dogs that seemed familiar made things even worse. Movies like The Omen and Cujo convinced everyone that breeds like Rottweilers and Saint Bernards were guaranteed to attack, so playing with them was completely out of the question!

That Giant Pirate From the ‘Little Rascals’

Besides the deeply problematic cultural depictions in some of the Little Rascals shorts, the oversized pirate in Mama’s Little Pirates was truly frightening. It’s likely that the creators of The Goonies used this character as inspiration when designing Sloth – he was absolutely terrifying.

The Covers From ‘Flowers in the Attic’ Books

I’ve never actually read Flowers in the Attic, but my sister was obsessed. She left the books everywhere, and I couldn’t help but glance at the covers—which were really creepy, especially the faces looking out from the attic window. It might just be me, but it was extra unsettling because my bedroom was the only one in the house that connected to the attic.

Quicksand Is Everywhere

Growing up, shows like Gilligan’s Island made many of us believe quicksand was a common threat—that any muddy patch could swallow you whole. We later learned that wasn’t really true. But recently, a story surfaced about a woman in Maine who actually became trapped in quicksand, leaving many wondering what to believe now!

Flies on Windows

I remember being really affected by the movie The Amityville Horror when I was a kid. It wasn’t the typical scary stuff like glowing eyes or slime – that seemed silly! What really got to me were the flies buzzing around the windows. Because flies are something you actually see in real life, the moment I noticed even a few on a windowsill, I instantly felt a sense of dread – that’s when I knew something was wrong. (You can find that specific scene online if you’re curious.)

The Bermuda Triangle Is Real. Right? RIGHT?!

For a while, the idea of the Bermuda Triangle felt as frighteningly real as the Cold War. When we were children, many of us believed that simply glancing at a map could pull you into a strange, swirling area in the ocean. I clearly remember being convinced that no one could actually live in Bermuda, because if they did, they would have disappeared long ago.

Razor Blades in Apples

Do you remember a time when people were scared to eat Halloween apples, worried they might contain razor blades? The media really fueled that fear, making it seem like there were people intentionally hiding them in treats – even though most of us didn’t actually eat those treats anyway.

Your Face Actually Sticking Like That

I’ll never forget seeing the Twilight Zone episode “Eye of the Beholder.” It featured a world where everyone was considered “ugly,” and a woman who was considered “beautiful” wanted surgery to fit in. It really made me think, because it reminded me of the saying, “If you make a funny face, it’ll stay that way…” and I imagined that’s what she would end up looking like.

Anything Related to Dungeons & Dragons Was Totally Cursed

Okay, so picture this: I was a kid in the ’80s, and I completely bought into all the fear-mongering about Dungeons & Dragons. I genuinely believed it was dangerous stuff! Ironically, when my family got an Intellivision, it came bundled with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Talk about a setup! I immediately stashed that game away in a box in the basement, and honestly, even now, I can almost picture it down there, glowing with some kind of sinister red light. It’s amazing how easily those rumors took hold of my imagination.

With Halloween on the horizon, here’s a look at some classic costumes from 1865 to today.

LOOK: Classic Halloween costumes from 1865 to today

Captain America and Wonder Woman

People dressed as Captain America and Wonder Woman, including a baby dressed as Wonder Woman, participated in the Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade at Marina Vista Park in Long Beach, California, on October 27, 2019.

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Post Malone

Rita Ora dressed up as Post Malone for a Halloween party hosted by KISS at London’s SSE Arena on October 26, 2018.

Shrek

Tom Kaulitz, Mike Myers, and Heidi Klum were among the attendees at Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween party, held on October 31, 2018, in New York City. The photo was taken by Craig Barritt for SVEDKA Vodka.

Fred & Daphne from ‘Scooby-Doo’

Josh Rivera and Rachel Zegler were spotted at Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween party in New York City on October 31, 2023. The photo was taken by Mike Coppola for Getty Images, as part of the event coverage.

Donald Trump

Halloween masks of Donald Trump were for sale in a Mexico City costume shop on October 21, 2016.

An iPad

Oscar, a Bichon Frise, went viral at the 2010 Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade in New York City when he dressed up as an iPad.

Scream

I stumbled across a really striking photo from Halloween 2008 in North Bondi, Sydney. It shows a young boy dressed up – and I mean really dressed up – as the villain from the movie ‘Scream,’ complete with the mask and, surprisingly, a toy axe! It definitely captured the spooky spirit of the holiday.

Scream and monster

On October 31, 2005, children dressed in costumes peered through a window in Peebles, Scotland.

Donald Trump

On October 29, 2004, Katie Couric dressed up as Donald Trump for a Halloween segment on “The Today Show” at NBC Studios in New York City.

Dr. Evil

A person dressed up as “Austin Powers'” character Dr. Evil for the Halloween Parade in Manhattan.

Uncle Sam and Statue of Liberty

On Halloween in 2001, Bloomington, Minnesota, Police Officer Heidi Miller handed out candy to trick-or-treaters at the Mall of America.

Lions

Three-year-old Aliyha Alleyne and five-year-old Kadeem Dixon dressed up as lions from “The Lion King” for a costume contest at the Franklin Park Zoo’s Zoo Howl event in Boston on October 31, 1998.

Where’s Waldo

In 1996, Terry and Sharon Hartshorn dressed as “Where’s Waldo” characters and had their caricatures drawn at a Halloween party to raise money for the Stopgap theater company.

A witch, ghoul, ninja, and pirate

Children dressed in Halloween costumes in Oak View, California, 1996.

A cat and some ghouls

Children trick-or-treating wearing ghoulish costumes on Halloween in the U.K., circa 1990.

Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, Snow White, a ballerina, and a football player

An adult and children dressed in Halloween costumes, Webster Groves, Missouri, circa 1990.

Various children’s cosumes

Children and adults dressed up for Halloween 1985.

Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan

On Halloween in 1980, two children dressed up as presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan while trick-or-treating.

Phantoms

Ghostly phantoms on Halloween Eve, circa 1980, in Salem, Massachusetts.

Spider-Man

A young child trick-or-treating in a Spider-Man costume in Suncook, New Hampshire, circa 1980s.

A chef and Uncle Fester with Thing

A chef has a knife stuck in their head, and they’re standing close to Uncle Fester and Thing from the 1980s television show, “The Addams Family.”

Paul Stanley from Kiss

An 11-year-old Kiss fan poses in his Paul Stanley makeup on Halloween 1971.

C-3P0 and Darth Vader

On October 31, 1977, Louis Seltvitella, dressed as C-3P0, and Jim Webb, dressed as Darth Vader, were photographed walking down the stairs in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

A girl dressed as Mary from “Mary had a Little Lamb” for Halloween, circa 1970s.

A gypsy, Groucho Marx, and a witch

Four children in Halloween costumes get ready to trick or treat, circa 1975.

A record player and a ghost

On Halloween in 1974, five-year-old Stephen Knapp, wearing a record player costume, and seven-year-old John McNichol, dressed as a ghost, collected donations for UNICEF while trick-or-treating on Newbury Street in Boston.

A scarecrow, jack-o’-lantern, and some friends

On October 21, 1961, a group of children in Halloween costumes posed for a photo on a porch in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Boy from Mars

On Halloween in 1961, four-year-old William Caban, wearing a Martian costume, paid a visit to a police station in Los Angeles.

Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat

In 1960, six-year-old Kirk and seven-year-old Carey Tressman dressed up in costumes with reflective tape while trick-or-treating in St. Paul, Minnesota, to stay safe.

A knight and her friends

In a photo from around 1960, children dressed in Halloween costumes are lined up at a police station to get apples from an officer.

Royalty, a clown, and a cheetah

In 1969, students Michelle Gordon, Jimmy Dallarosa, and Wendy Meyer from Secrest School were photographed trying on costumes as part of preparations for a school carnival.

Sputnik and a Soviet officer

A couple dressed as Sputnik and a Soviet officer attend a party on Oct. 31, 1957, in Los Angeles.

Rabbit

A vintage photo from around 1955 shows children dressed in costumes arriving at a Halloween party. A sign on the door playfully warns guests: “BEWARE GHOSTS ARE WITHIN!”

Cat

This is a publicity photo of American actress and model Dusty Anderson dressed as a cat for Halloween, taken in the late 1940s.

Cowboy

This late 1940s photo shows a young Robert Abbott Sengstacke, who would become a photojournalist, dressed as a cowboy at a Halloween party with other children.

Jack-o’-lantern

A little girl poses in a fancy outfit holding a paper mache jack-o’-lantern, circa 1945.

Pirate

A woman wearing a pirate costume, circa 1940s.

Pig

A woman with a pig mask poses for a photo, circa 1940.

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Devil

A photo from around 1940 shows a man in a devil costume and a woman dressed as a sculpture without arms.

Skeleton

During a performance of “Skeleton in the Closet” from the film “Pennies from Heaven,” Louis Armstrong was unexpectedly startled on stage by a skeleton.

Nurse and toy soldier

This vintage photo, taken in the 1940s in Jersey City, New Jersey, shows a group of young children in Halloween costumes going trick-or-treating.

Good witch

This is a photograph of a young woman in a silk dress and a pointed hat, taken at a Halloween party in the 1940s.

Witch

A young woman dressed as a witch holds a broom on Halloween in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

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Ghosts

A trio of kids dressed up as ghosts are ready for trick-or-treating, circa 1925.

A mixed bag

An old photo shows a group of children dressed up in costumes, including a spooky ghost and a fierce pirate.

Little Bo Peep

A woman wearing a Little Bo Peep costume had her picture taken for Halloween at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Halloween elf

A young woman dressed as an elf for Halloween on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Criminals

Three young men are dressed up as a jail prisoner, Annie Oakley, and spade playing card.

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A coven of witches

Around 1910 in the United States, a group of women dressed as witches gathered for a Halloween photograph.

Early 20th-century group photo

Young men in costumes pose for a group photo at the beginning of the 20th century.

Ghost

A person dressed as a ghost is pictured behind a table decorated for Halloween, likely inside a country schoolhouse around 1905.

Halloween pumpkin mask

A person in a white cape and pumpkin mask unexpectedly appears in someone’s kitchen, in a photograph from around 1865.

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2025-10-29 16:35