Having received mixed to negative reviews upon their initial releases, a few horror films from the 2000s are worth taking another look at. The 2000s prompted some memorable horror protagonists and horror sequels, but a few films took a bit longer to find their audience. Films like Cloverfield and Drag Me to Hell are widely discussed entries from the 2000s that have only continued to grow in popularity, while films like Thirteen Ghosts and Slither took longer to earn respect.
In a genre with rich, inventive storytelling and special effects, it’s only understandable that certain films were widely dismissed when they first hit theaters. A few of the films have earned massive cult followings, while others are on their way to achieving a similar status. With enough time having passed since they were first released, there’s something to enjoy in each of these horror films initially marked as a failure.
10 The Wicker Man (2006)
Directed by Neil LaBute
To many, 2006’s The Wicker Man remains inferior to the original from 1973, directed by Robin Hardy. Still, there are qualities to the Nicolas Cage remake that are worth returning to. Like the original, The Wicker Man remake follows the journey of a police officer visiting an island where unexpected sinister behavior occurs among its residents. The glaring issue with The Wicker Man was the minimal amount of scares taken over by seemingly unintentional humor.
According to Cage in a 2022 interview with IndieWire, it was intentional as both he and the film’s writer and director were aware of The Wicker Man‘s absurdities. There haven’t been any major retrospectives done on The Wicker Man as it has continued to be a laughingstock online through the use of memes. Regardless of whether the humor in the film was truly intentional, as Cage said, it’s an entertaining part of The Wicker Man that makes for a fun revisit.
9 Pandorum (2009)
Directed by Christian Alvart
Pandorum stars Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster as two astronauts who wake up in a hypersleep chamber only to discover they’re aboard a ship with cannibalistic mutants. The name of the film comes from a term used to describe the effects of being out in deep space, such as paranoia and delirium. Pandorum‘s derivative plot was its main downfall, according to critics. There are numerous sci-fi horror films inspired by classics in the horror genre, but there must be a solid amount of originality to appeal to audiences.
Unfortunately, Pandorum doesn’t have the originality needed to be a hit. Viewed as a bad rip-off of Alien, Pandorum still earned some praise for its set design and interesting characters. The psychological aspects of the film are enough to warrant a revisit, as sci-fi enthusiasts are sure to find joy in the film.
8 The Ruins (2008)
Directed by Carter Smith
The Ben Stiller-produced film The Ruins had a script that was too lackluster and predictable to impress critics. The Ruins, based on screenwriter Scott Smith’s book of the same name, follows two couples visiting a remote Mayan ruin on a vacation that turns deadly after they come across carnivorous vines. The design of the hungry plants was a top priority during production.
The Ruins director Carter Smith stressed the importance of the audience buying into the threat the vines possess for the movie to work. Luckily, as many critics noted in their mixed reviews, the quality of the special effects is impressive and would be enough to encourage a revisiting of the film. Additionally, for horror fans with strong stomachs, there are a number of gory scenes throughout The Ruins as its scenery gradually becomes a greater threat.
7 The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
Clive Barker’s stories have been adapted into film numerous times, most notably Hellraiser and Candyman. In 2008, a short story of Barker’s was made into The Midnight Meat Train starring Bradley Cooper as the film’s photographer hunting an infamous serial killer taking victims aboard the subway. Upon its initial release, The Midnight Meat Train earned mixed reviews, with the biggest issues being the film’s weak narrative and formulaic scare tactics.
While The Midnight Meat Train might have yet to be deemed a cult classic, it’s definitely worthy of another watch. There is a good mix of thrills and scares and Cooper gives one of his best performances in the horror genre. Starting as an ordinary serial killer film, The Midnight Meat Train quickly gains momentum with its memorable twists that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
6 Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Directed by Steve Beck
Among Roger Ebert’s most hated horror films is Thirteen Ghosts. The film is a remake of William Castle’s 13 Ghosts and follows the Cyrus family as they try to escape the wrath of ghosts trapped inside their mansion. Thirteen Ghosts wasn’t a complete failure at the box office, but the film did earn mostly negative reviews from critics who said the film wasn’t as scary as it could have been.
Despite there being elaborate backstories to the titular spirits in Thirteen Ghosts, a few critics, like Ebert, felt as though the film’s characters weren’t compelling enough. However, there is still plenty to enjoy about Thirteen Ghosts upon revisiting the film. The production design is eye-catching and the aforementioned backstories and physical appearance of the ghosts are well-thought-out and unique.
5 Dreamcatcher (2003)
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan
Dreamcatcher has an impressive lineup of a cast with actors like Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Thomas Jane, and Morgan Freeman. However, their star power wasn’t enough to save the film. Criticized by Stephen King himself, Dreamcatcher bombed at the box office and was negatively reviewed by critics. Based on King’s 2001 novel, Dreamcatcher follows four friends who come across parasitic aliens.
The first portion of Dreamcatcher starts strong, but the film soon turns into something that has left many feeling unimpressed. A handful of Dreamcatcher‘s reviews were disappointed with the film’s prioritization of special effects and visuals over storytelling. The visual elements of the film are worth checking out and, though the film is not meant to be humorous, audiences can still get through the errors of Dreamcatcher when viewing them as silly entertainment.
4 Ghosts Of Mars (2001)
Directed by John Carpenter
John Carpenter is considered to be one of the best horror directors — dubbed the master of horror —, but even he has had a few failures. Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars performed poorly at the box office but has gained a cult following, earning praise from critics and audiences alike. Ghosts of Mars is set on a colonized version of the title planet and depicts a battle between humans and an ancient Martian civilization.
In the eyes of many, Ghosts of Mars was messy and tended to be more campy rather than scary. However, enough time has passed for audiences to understand that Ghosts of Mars isn’t nightmare-inducing and lots of fun can be had with the film. The heavy metal soundtrack and action scenes in Ghosts of Mars go hand in hand and are the few parts of the film that have been rewarded with praise.
3 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
Critical scoring of Jennifer’s Body hasn’t changed much since the late 2000s, but the dark comedy horror film has been considered a cult film in recent years. The film stars Megan Fox as its titular demonically possessed high schooler who devours the flesh of her male classmates for fuel. Jennifer’s Body didn’t completely bomb at the box office, but it didn’t do too well either.
A partial explanation for the mediocre response to Jennifer’s Body has to do with its marketing. Labeled as a horror film, audiences were anticipating a high number of scares, and potentially a large kill count. But what makes Jennifer’s Body worthy of revisiting — and to explain the reasons for its newfound cult film status — is its dark, clever humor, a memorable horror performance by Megan Fox, and its once unremarked feminist themes.
2 Constantine (2005)
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Though it may not be Keanu Reeves’ best horror film, the DC Comics-inspired Constantine has garnered a cult following in the years since its mid-2000s release. Combining elements of both the horror and thriller genres, Constantine follows the adventures of its titular occult detective who can travel back and forth between Earth and Hell. Constantine differs a bit from its comic book roots, but what the film truly lacked for many was direction and style.
Constantine had a darker tone than most superhero movies, but there was still a noticeable liveliness missing from the film. Constantine came out just a few years after the third Matrix movie, thus prompting many to compare Reeves’ performances. However, John Constantine is one of Reeves’ best characters as the actor effortlessly slips into the role, providing a natural charm that helped grow a cult following.
1 Slither (2006)
Directed by James Gunn
Grossing $3 million short of its budget, Slither was a failure at the box office. Still, critics and audiences have grown to admire the sci-fi horror film. Starring notable actors like Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, and Elizabeth Banks, Slither is set in a town that’s overtaken by a deadly parasite, putting a unique spin on the zombie film genre. There are plenty of comedic moments throughout the film and where other horror comedies tend to concentrate too heavily on one genre over the other, Slither strikes the ideal balance.
Slither shares a similar plot with Night of the Creeps, and there is an endless number of references to classics within the horror genre, which makes for a fun viewing experience. However, that’s not to say Slither won’t cause chills. The special effects of the infected humans are delightfully gross.
