10 Horror Movies With Near-Perfect Scores on Rotten Tomatoes

Horror films don’t typically score well on Rotten Tomatoes. Historically, these movies have gone underappreciated by critics, more focused on scares and bloodshed than garnering critical acclaim. But every now and then, a horror film comes along that even critics find to be a masterpiece. They might praise the film’s creepy visuals and aesthetic, its bone-chilling suspense, its unique story, or its riveting performances. Critics will shower it with glowing reviews, driving up its score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s not easy to score 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but these 10 films came very close to doing so. Some of them are must-watch horror classics and are landmark films — not just of the horror genre but of cinema as a whole. Others, you might never have heard of, despite their impressively high scores. Here are ten horror films that fall just a point or two shy of a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

10

‘Let the Right One In’ (2008)

98%

Based on the Swedish novel of the same name, Let the Right One In is a Swedish horror romance film that was recently adapted into a TV series on Showtime. In the film, a bullied boy finds love and revenge through his strange new neighbor, who also happens to be a vampire.

The vampire genre is tired and oversaturated, especially when it comes to romance. But in this film, it’s not the vampire that’s frightening; it’s the darker side of humanity. Let the Right One In revived the vampire genre. It’s been hailed as one of the best modern vampire films in cinema. And it has the 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes to prove it.

9

‘The Loved Ones’ (2009)

98%

The Loved Ones

Release Date

September 13, 2009

Runtime

84 minutes

Director

Sean Byrne

You thought surviving high school was tough? Then you haven’t seen The Loved Ones. It’s an Australian horror film that blends the conventions of the teen and horror genres but with a twist. The Loved Ones follows a teenage boy who declines his classmate’s invitation to the prom. Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, things take a drastic turn when that teenage girl targets him with a wildly violent plan, seeking revenge.

Unique and unforgettable, this movie will never make you decline an invitation to anything ever again. The Loved Ones scored 98% with critics and a solid 73% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

8

‘Vampyr’ (1932)

98%

Vampyr

Release Date

May 6, 1932

Runtime

73m

Director

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Cast

When people think of classic German vampire films, their minds typically go to 1922’s Nosferatu, not to the 1932 classic, Vampyr. Unlike Nosferatu, Vampyr is technically a sound film, though it uses very little dialogue. It also has a more original story than Nosferatu, which is an infamous rip-off of Dracula. Here, a supernatural-obsessed drifter comes across an ill adolescent girl, who is slowly transforming into a vampire. Vampyr uses a washed out, soft focus technique to create disorienting visual effects and an eerie atmosphere.

Interestingly, Vampyr was critically panned upon its release and was regarded as a bad movie for many years. Only recently did the film experience a revived interest and appreciation. Modern critics reviewed the film favorably upon reassessment, praising the disorienting visuals that so many critics had disliked in the past. Vampyr now enjoys a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it just one point higher than 1922’s Nosferatu.

7

‘The Babadook’ (2014)

98%

The Babadook

Release Date

November 28, 2014

Runtime

94 Minutes

• Noah Wiseman

  Samuel Vanek

The Babadook was all the rage when it first came out, thanks in part to a humorous viral meme associated with the movie. But don’t let that fool you; The Babadook is a solid horror flick. It introduces a dreaded new monster into the horror genre, the Babadook, a top hat-wearing, humanoid monster who terrorizes a widowed single mother and her son in their home. It was lauded for relying on horror rather than jump scares and for its emotional story.

The Babadook’s 98% on Rotten Tomatoes makes it the best-reviewed horror film and the third best-reviewed film of 2014. The website also currently ranks The Babadook as the 21st great horror film of all time.

6

‘Get Out’ ( 2017)

98%

Get Out

Release Date

February 24, 2017

Runtime

1 hour, 44 minutes

Jordan Peele is known for his comedic work. It surprised everyone when he wrote and directed the psychological horror film Get Out. And it surprised them even more when that film turned out to be a masterpiece. In Get Out, a young, African-American man becomes a psychological prisoner of his girlfriend’s affluent white family. And he’s not the only captive. An entire community of wealthy white people have been mentally enslaving African-Americans, auctioning them off to the highest bidder.

With its imaginative, eerie story, Get Out feels like something out of The Twilight Zone, which Peele actually resurrected for two seasons on CBS. The film received critical acclaim, scoring a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. It even scored a few Oscar nominations, claiming the award for Best Original Screenplay for Jordan Peele.

5

‘The Ring’ (1998)

98%

The Ring

Release Date

January 31, 1998

Runtime

95 Minutes

Director

Hideo Nakata

Writers

Hiroshi Takahashi

The Ring is one of the greatest horror films of all time, a landmark of the genre. But no, we’re not talking about the 2002 American remake starring Naomi Watts (although that one is pretty great, too). We’re talking about the original Japanese horror film from 1998. Similar to its American counterpart, it features the evil spirit of a young woman, who climbs out of television sets and promptly murders anyone who watches her cursed videotape after seven days. The Ring famously stars a young Hiroyuki Sanada, who viewers might recognize from the hit series, Shōgun.

The horror in the Japanese version is more subtle and slower-paced, but it’s just as, if not more, terrifying than the American remake. The Ring became a global sensation, garnering love from both critics and audiences alike. It holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, over 20 points higher than its American counterpart.

4

‘Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935)

98%

1931’s Frankenstein is the most iconic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. It’s had a tremendous impact on the horror genre over the years. Here, Dr. Frankenstein and the Monster are famously played by Colin Clive and Boris Karloff respectively. It also established the definitive look of Frankenstein’s monster with that flat-top head, protruding brow, and bolts sticking out of his neck. The film was a tremendous success, so naturally, Hollywood had to produce a sequel. But in this case, the producers struck gold, creating one of the greatest sequels of all time.

Set immediately after the events of the original film, The Bride of Frankenstein borrows a subplot from Shelley’s novel, where the Monster threatens Dr. Frankenstein to construct him a bride and female companion. Both Klive and Karloff reprise their roles as Dr. Frankenstein and the Monster respectively. Most critics feel that the film greatly improves upon the original. With its 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Bride of Frankenstein is regarded as one of the greatest Frankenstein stories and horror films ever made. A remake, titled The Bride, is currently in production, starring Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster.

3

‘Host’ (2020)

99%

Host is an independent British horror film that went under the radar for most audiences, who were busy dealing with the real-life horror of the COVID-19 pandemic. It follows a group of friends who inadvertently summon a demon during an online séance. It’s a computer screen film that takes place entirely on a Zoom video call.

Because of the pandemic, Host was shot over a 12-week period directly on Zoom. The cast members were in charge of their own cameras, stunts, sound, and makeup, while filmmaker Rob Savage directed them remotely from his home. Lauded for its creativity and simple style, Host secured an impressive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

2

‘The Wailing’ (2016)

99%

The Wailing

Release Date

June 3, 2016

Runtime

2h 36m

Director

Na Hong-jin

A South Korean horror film, The Wailing follows a policeman who, in order to save his daughter, must investigate a mysterious sickness in a remote Korean village.

Judging by its 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, no one seemed to mind that the film was two and a half hours long, an extremely long runtime for a horror film. The Wailing received universal critical acclaim for its slow-burn pay-off, alluring mystery, and chilling atmosphere.

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1

‘Under the Shadow’ (2016)

99%

Under the Shadow

Release Date

October 7, 2016

Director

Babak Anvari

Writers

Babak Anvari

Under the Shadow is a Persian psychological horror film. Set during the 1980s, it centers on a mother and daughter, who are being haunted by a mysterious evil during the height of the Iran-Iraq War.

After premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, Under the Shadow was quickly scooped by the streaming giant, Netflix. Since then, it’s secured an impressive 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Under the Shadow was praised for its clever mix of war and horror genres, its timely themes, and its allegory for the anxieties of war.

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