evil dead movies ranked — Ash from *Army of Darkness.* Photo: Orion Pictures

After a multitude of horror movies in the 1980s, the genre experienced a major slowdown in the first half of the ensuing decade. The early 1990s did have some standouts like The Silence of the Lambs and Candyman. But the era was characterized by weird sequels to established franchises (Jason Goes to Hell, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, etc.), none of which managed to attract a significant audience. Here are the five most fearsome 90s horror movie posters.

Horror’s slump in popularity ended with the critical and commercial success of Scream. Audiences were interested in the film’s postmodern, self-aware take on horror and slasher movies. It seemed like the perfect antidote for a genre that had become hackneyed and cliched.

Suddenly horror was hot again. Due to Scream’s success, many films tried to imitate its style by featuring characters who were aware of horror movie conventions. Serious, straightforward horror movies were out of style in the late ’90s. This would change after the dawn of the twenty-first century, but that is a subject for another article.

The controversial “woman in peril” artwork that was common in earlier eras had mostly gone out of vogue by the ’90s. Instead, poster artists were apparently obsessed with depicting extreme closeups of faces and eyeballs.

The top five 90s horror movie posters

5. Dead Alive (1992)

This is one of the most creative posters on this list. It’s hard to make sense of the image. Why does this person have a skull in their mouth? It’s best not to think too deeply about these things.

In Dead Alive, also known by its alternate title Braindead, a New Zealand teenager’s life is thrown into chaos after his mom turns into a zombie. This rollicking zombie gorefest was directed by Peter Jackson, long before he went on to fame and fortune with the Lord of the Rings movies.

4. Army of Darkness (1993)

Army of Darkness is the third installment of the Evil Dead franchise. It is easily the most comedic of the series. This time, Ash (Bruce Campbell) is transported back to medieval times, where he battles knights and demons alike while spouting hilarious one liners. Give me some sugar, baby!

Army of Darkness‘s fantasy elements and goofy tone are well represented in the poster. It is intended as a parody of fantasy movies like Conan the Barbarian.

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs became a sensation in 1991. It is the only horror movie to win the best picture Oscar. The film features standout performances by Jodie Foster as FBI agent Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as the infamous cannibal Hannibal Lecter.

The eerie poster shows a moth with a skull on its head covering Clarice’s mouth. Apparently she is being silenced, just like the lambs in the title.

2. Scream (1996)

The Scream poster is best known for prominently featuring Drew Barrymore. Her character, Casey, is shockingly killed off in the opening scene. Not since “Psycho” had a horror movie character been killed off so unexpectedly. The poster does a great job hiding the opening twist.

1. Candyman (1992)

Candyman is about urban legends and the power of belief. The hardscrabble Chicago housing project Cabrini Green is haunted by a vengeful ghost – the son of a former slave who was murdered by a racist mob. Like Freddy Krueger and Pennywise, Candyman gains power through his victims’ fear.

Tony Todd gives an unforgettable performance as the title character, whose real name is Daniel Robitaille. He was killed after being stung by a horde of bees. The unsettling poster effectively symbolizes Cabrini Green’s fear of the Candyman by depicting the spectre’s reflection inside an eyeball, with a bee perched on the eyelid.