The 1990s were a great decade for underratedhorrorfilms, many of which deserve a modern remake after years of underground popularity. Thebest cult classic 90s horror moviescan often languish in obscurity for years before finally harnessing the appreciation they deserve. The 90s may not be the most renowned era for horror films, but they certainly provided many cult classics that would greatly benefit from a modern remake.
Modernhorror remakescan be a tricky thing to get right,with some films simply so embedded in the culture of their era that translating them for a up-to-date audience can feel like a Herculean task. But providing a fresh coat of paint to a well-regarded story has worked out swimmingly plenty of times before. The 90s were officially long enough ago that it’s worth considering how their sensibilities might stack up with a modern audience in terms of horror.
Arachnophobia
Cast
Arachnophobia (1990) is a horror-comedy directed by Frank Marshall. The film follows a small-town doctor, played by Jeff Daniels, who discovers a deadly new species of spider that unleashes terror on the community. John Goodman co-stars as an eccentric exterminator brought in to combat the arachnid menace. The film combines elements of suspense and humor to depict the struggle against an unexpected and lethal infestation.
An early entry in the history of overlooked 90s horror films,Arachnophobiais one of the puzzlingly few movies to wring true terror out of one of the most common human fears. The film takes place in a rural California town which suddenly finds itself under attack from a horde of venomous spiders, needing to find a way to combat the arachnid invasion fast. John Goodman notably stars as a kooky exterminator with his own ideas about how to flush the eight-legged menaces out.
Arachnophobiamight be a simple premise, but it’s an oddly underexplored niche in the horror genre.For as ubiquitous as a fear of spiders is, shockingly few movies have capitalized on the spine-tingling fear of thousands of the creatures skittering across an entire town. It would be fun to see the animal disaster film remade with a touch of modern tender loving care.
Starting in the depraved world ofJapanese horror films,Auditionis a truly disturbing film that slid into a 90s release at the last moment, premiering in 1999.Auditioncenters on a lonely widower who uses his film producer friend to arrange an audition for the “role” of his next wife, interviewing dozens of women in hopes of finding a new partner. He eventually settles on a striking woman named Asami, but she soon reveals herself to be a deeply disturbed monster with a twisted sense of romantic affection.
Auditionwould be an interesting choice for a film to remake in the modern day. The deepening divide between gender relations in the modern era, especially in East Asian countries like Japan, might draw some fascinating parallels to Asami’s animosity and obsession for her new romantic pursuer. The film could even benefit from an American remake that totally changes the setting, a la Gore Verbinski’sThe Ring.
Considering how many horror movie protagonists have suffered at the hands of vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, it was only a matter of time before less overtly-scary folklore creatures got their turn at bat.That chance happened in 1993 withLeprechaun, which turned the cutesy Saint Patrick’s Day mascot of Irish mythology into a terrifying pint-sized murderer. The film centers on a family that happens upon an ancient stash of the Leprechaun’s gold, drawing out the ire of the long-dormant Celtic creature.
In recent years, mascot horror has been on the rise,and films like the recently-releasedDeath of a Unicornproves that there’s a thriving market for less-represented fantasy creatures to become blood-soaked killers.Leprechaunfulfills a dire niche in the horror ecosystem as a film boasting a short-statured slasher like Chucky who kills through trickery and mischief. It would be fun to see such a profoundly 90s film to be resurrected in the modern day.
One of the kings of spacefaring science fiction horror,Event Horizonis one of those chillingly unique ideas that opens wide the terrifying possibilities of a futuristic age.The story begins like many great sci-fi horror movies do, with a spaceship crew answering the distress call of another vessel. Exploring the haunting wreck of the craft, it’s soon determined that the entire ship was hurled through hell itself, leaving profane lingering effects in the physical world in outer space.
Event Horizonis carried by the prophetic performances of Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill, featuring one of themost terrifying movie depictions of hellever conceived.It would be amazing to see the two legacy actors return to the universe in some capacity, and modern special effects could make the brief snippets of hell the film inflicts all the more harrowing. If films likeAliencan exist in the modern day via spiritual remakes, so too shouldEvent Horizon.
Another criminally underseen horror movie starring Sam Neill,In The Mouth of Madnessis one of thebest movie adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft’s workever conceived. Neill stars as a private eye who is hired to investigate the disappearance of infamous horror writer Sutter Cane, whose latest manuscript, bearing the same title as the film, is hotly anticipated by his zealous fanbase.When Neill’s character sets out to find him, he’s soon forced to grapple with the fact that the events of the story seem to be unfolding in real life.
In The Mouth of Madnessexamines the thin, blurry line between fiction and reality, questioning how the subconscious can tell the difference and whether there might be a malicious power lurking behind the pages. In the current age, seeing a version of this story in which the madness spreads via digital means could be a great way to update the story.In a sense, the premise almost works better for a modern-day re-telling now than it did in the 90s, where the dissemination of storytelling was confined to books and movies.
The likes of theITduology and the continued success of theStranger Thingsseries has suggested an enduring appeal of horror stories featuring adolescent protagonists.EnterThe Faculty, a Robert Rodriguez horror film about a high school in a small town in rural Ohio that is overrun by alien invaders.The extraterrestrials at first appear to be insidious and parasitic in nature, but soon evolve into monstrous terrors that can’t be ignored.
The Facultyhas a great cast that propels its success as a cult classic, including a great performance from a young Elijah Wood.However, it has aged particularly badly with its stereotypical portrayal of high schoolers in the 90s, including some awkward representation. With modern sensibilities and special effects that age better,The Facultycould be given new life as a relatable sci-fi horror thriller that resonates with young audiences.
One of the most cleverbottle filmsever made,Cubeis one of those creative stories that turns a limitation into a real strength.The film opens on a group of strangers of vastly varying backgrounds who suddenly awake to find themselves trapped in a mysterious labyrinth of shifting cubic rooms. Many of the rooms seem to contain deadly traps, and it’s up to the group to work together and find a means of escape before they’re killed by the traps themselves, claustrophobic madness, or deadly infighting.
The scrappy, airtight premise ofCubeis loaded with potential, which sadly failed to realize itself in the modest handful ofCubesequels.A modern remake could truly nail the wonderful potential for vicious gore and slow descents into bickering insanity that the franchise was only able to scratch the surface of with the first film. With the success of films likeThe Platformin the modern day, taking another look atCubewould be well worth the effort.
An amazingly underrated film from the early 90s,Tales from the Darkside: The Movieis a feature-length spin-off of thepopular horror anthology TV series,Tales from the Darkside.Just like the show, the movie presents a series of disconnected vignettes, though loosely connected by a frame story of a kidnapped paperboy attempting to distract a suburban witch preparing to eat him. The tales include a shambling mummy, a killer housecat, and a living gargoyle.
In any case, a newTales from the Darksidefilm could even inspire a revival series, reversing the original release order.
Horror anthologies are always a welcome sight, and reviving theTales from the Darksidename with a fresh set wouldn’t go amiss.As great as it would be to see the same stories remastered for a present-day audience, a wholly new collection of spooky tales would probably be a better idea. In any case, a newTales from the Darksidefilm could even inspire a revival series, reversing the original release order.
It’s astonishing how few films rely on classic grey aliens as a source of fear, but 1996’sFeederswas one of the best to ever do it.The film centers on a pair of friends road-tripping through rural Pennsylvania. Their fun is crudely interrupted by a pair of crash-landed aliens who begin to viciously hunt humans for food, subverting the classic tropes of the benevolent or inquisitive greys who merely wish to perform experiments on abductees.
Feedersis one of the most obscure 90s horror movies around, but truly deserves more credit for its efforts.That being said, the special effects and sense of tension ofFeedersis utterly abysmal, perhaps more beloved ironically than anything else.With a fresh coat of paint,Feederscould turn into a genuinely striking chiller that could make audiences afraid to look up at the sky at night.
Death Machine
Death Machine is a sci-fi thriller directed by Stephen Norrington, centered on Chaank Armaments' creation of a lethal part-human, part-machine soldier. When the eccentric inventor Jack is dismissed for his dangerous pursuits, he retaliates by activating the deadly Warbeast against his former employer Cale and her allies.
A rare endangered species of horror movie about a killer robot,Death Machinewas perhaps one of the last gasps of genuine creativity out of 90s horror before the genre was inundated completely with sequels and spin-offs.The plot concerns an eccentric genius weapons manufacturer whose robotic creations soon get his career in hot water. Out of rage, he unleashes his most deadly prototype yet, the animalistic “Warbeast” robot, which goes on to slaughter his enemies with cold steel.
Updates to the latter and improvements on the former could makeDeath Machinean even more compelling film in an era in which robotics are as close to the battlefield as ever.
Death Machinewas actually quite a controversial film, between its excessive gore and its questionable depiction of a Middle Eastern character. Updates to the latter and improvements on the former could makeDeath Machinean even more compelling film in an era in which robotics are as close to the battlefield as ever, between flying drones and Boston Dynamics robo-dogs. If there’s one 90shorrorhidden gem that could be refined into a jewel with a modern remake, it’sDeath Machine.
