The 1990s were a bit of an odd decade for the horror genre. While the slasher genre had dominated the 1980s, it seemed like the subsequent decade wanted to go in a different direction, with many films deciding to lean into the supernatural aspect of the genre. Obviously, the slasher film didn’t entirely go away, and those that came out could be very popular.
It’s also true that 1990s horror films have quite a few plot twists, some of which really added to the tension and texture of the film, while others proved to be little more than a distraction.
10 Worst: Candyman (1992)
There’s a lot to love about Candyman, and there are many times when it’s a genuinely horrifying and troubling film (not least for the ways in which it forces audiences to contend with America’s violent racial history).
However, there’s a particular plot twist that seems a bit heavy-handed, and that’s the implication that the main character is the reincarnated love interest of the title character. The film had enough going on without adding that little bit of extraneous detail.
9 Best: Scream 2 (1997)
Wes Craven was one of the true masters of the horror genre, and his Scream franchise is a brilliant illustration of why that is the case.
Scream 2 managed to hit most of the same notes as its predecessor, but it had a major twist at the end that made the entire thing worth it, and that was the revelation that the new killer was none other than Billy’s mother. The fact that she’s played by Laurie Metcalfe, a truly talented actress, makes this twist even better.
8 Worst: Sleepy Hollow (1999)
One can see what Tim Burton was going for in his reimagining of the classic New England folktale about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, and since he's so talented one would have thought that he would have done a great job. In this case, however, the plot seems to have gotten a bit away from him. Rather than being just the villain, it turns out that the Headless Horseman is in fact being controlled by a witch, played by none other than Miranda Richardson.
The twist is supposed to land with the force of a thunderbolt, but it’s both obvious and predictable, and it ultimately takes away from the horror aspect of the film.
7 Best: The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Sixth Sense has the plot twist to end all plot twists (and definitely the best one that the director created). Indeed, in some ways the film became synonymous with the term plot twist.
After all, it’s hard not to feel a bit shaken up when, as a viewer, one finds out that the character that has dominated so much of the film is actually a ghost and has been haunting the child psychic this whole time. It’s stunningly well-crafted, though it would set a high bar for anyone else-including the film’s own director-who wanted to try a similar ploy in the future.
6 Worst: Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
There’s a lot to love about this film, particularly in the way that it explores the huge issues of death and violence. However, it has to be said that in some ways the ending is a bit trite and a bit of a letdown.
After all, it’s basically an extension of the old cliche that the entire thing has been a dream, since the main character is shown to have died in a triage tent in Vietnam rather than having survived for several years.
5 Best: Fallen (1998)
It’s not every film that could take the idea of a demonic spirit and turn it into a compelling story, but somehow Fallen manages to do just that. What’s more, he’s not just a demon, but he can possess the bodies of others quite quickly.
The real twist only comes at the end, though, when it’s revealed that all of the attempts to keep the demon from moving into a different host have failed because...he’s managed to possess the body of a cat. Who doesn't love a plot twist that involves a demonically possessed feline?
4 Worst: The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1996)
This film has the dubious distinction of being one of the worst horror films of the decade (though it has to be admitted that the costume and makeup are excellent).
Its most notable plot twist-that the love interest of the main character is a cat that has been transformed into a human and that the good doctor wants his DNA to render her transformation permanent-comes across as more than a bit ham-fisted and, ultimately, predictable. H.G. Wells’ novel deserved better treatment.
3 Best: Lake Placid (1999)
Lake Placid is one of those animal horror films that seemed to be very popular in the 1990s, and this time the creature is a giant crocodile inhabiting a lake. The real pleasure of the film, however, is Betty White, who plays a hermit farmer who feeds cows to the giant beast.
As it turns out, however, her husband was also devoured by it, though she didn’t let that keep her from continuing to care for the beast. White owns the role, and it’s because of her that the plot twist really works. In fact, it works so well that the film spawned several sequels.
2 Worst: From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn is a schlocky horror film if there ever was one, full of horrible vampires and twists and turns that are designed to keep the audience both horrified and riveted. For the most part, the film works because it leans into its baser material.
The ending plot twist, however, leaves something to be desired, since it reveals that the bar is on the top of an abandoned Aztec pyramid. It’s one of those things that’s just a bit too on the nose.
1 Best: Scream (1996)
The original Scream really did help to reinvigorate the genre of the slasher. The twist, of course, is that it is Billy, Sidney’s boyfriend, who is responsible not just for the murders that have taken place in the present, but also for the murder of her mother. He’s joined in this by his accomplice Stu.
It’s a brilliant twist, and a reminder that, even after so many iterations, the slasher genre always has something up its sleeve with which to terrify audiences.
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