The Crypt Charts
The Top 13 Horror Movies of 1996
The thirteen horror films of 1996 that the crypt judged worthiest, ranked by the Crypt Score.
Ranked by Crypt Score · Updated weekly · captured Jul 20, 2026
Eligibility: a title needs at least 2 rating sources and 1,000+ votes to chart — no thin-data entries.
Susie Q
G1996 · Comedy, Drama, Family · 83m · Amy Jo Johnson, Justin Whalin, Shelley Long, Andrea Libman
The ghost of a girl who died in 1955 appears to a troubled teen living in her old house.
From Dusk Till Dawn
R1996 · Horror, Action, Crime · 108m · George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis
After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious clientele.
The Frighteners
R1996 · Horror, Comedy · 110m · Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.
Freeway
R1996 · Comedy, Crime, Thriller · 104m · Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Wolfgang Bodison, Dan Hedaya
Following the arrest of her mother, Ramona, young Vanessa Lutz decides to go in search of her estranged grandmother. On the way, she is given a ride by school counselor Bob Wolverton. During the journey, Lutz begins to realize that Bob is the notorious I-5 Killer and manages to escape by shooting him several times. Wounded but still very much alive, Bob pursues Lutz across the state in this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Cannibal! The Musical
R1996 · Comedy, Western, Thriller · 97m · Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Ian Hardin
Heading through Colorado Territory in search of gold and women, Alferd Packer and his group of bemused companions find themselves lost, starving and musically inspired by the obstacles they confront along the way, including a die-hard Confederate cyclops, a trio of surly trappers, a tribe of Japanese-speaking "Indians," and ultimately, each other.
The Craft
R1996 · Horror, Drama, Fantasy · 101m · Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
A Catholic school newcomer falls in with a clique of teen witches who wield their powers against all who dare to cross them -- be they teachers, rivals or meddlesome parents.
The Arrival
PG-131996 · Science Fiction, Thriller, Horror · 115m · Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Schiff, Ron Silver
Zane Ziminski is an astrophysicist who receives a message that seems to have extraterrestrial origins. Eerily soon after his discovery, Zane is fired. He then embarks on a search to determine the origins of the transmission that leads him into a Hitchcockian labyrinth of paranoia and intrigue.
Tremors II: Aftershocks
PG-131996 · Comedy, Horror, Science Fiction · 100m · Fred Ward, Helen Shaver, Chris Gartin, Michael Gross
Earl Bassett's celebrity after defeating the Graboid attack against the town of Perfection has proved short-lived, until he's recruited by a Mexican oil company whose workers have found more than they bargained for under the soil.
Castle Freak
R1996 · Thriller, Drama, Horror · 90m · Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Jonathan Fuller, Jessica Dollarhide
John Reilly discovers that his family's newly inherited castle in Italy is haunted by a relentless, bloodthirsty creature.
Fear
R1996 · Thriller, Horror · 97m · Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William L. Petersen, Alyssa Milano
Nicole Walker always dreamed of being swept away by someone special — someone strong, sexy and sensitive who would care for her more than anything else in the world. David is all that and more: a modern-day knight who charms and seduces her, body and soul. But her perfect boyfriend is not all he seems to be. His sweet facade masks a savage, dark side that will soon transform Nicole's dream into a nightmare.
Trilogy of Terror II
R1996 · Horror, Thriller, TV Movie · 90m · Lysette Anthony, Geraint Wyn Davies, Matt Clark, Geoffrey Lewis
Three tales of terror: in "The Graveyard Rats" lovers murder the woman's older husband and encounter horror when they attempt to rob his grave; "Bobby" is the story of a woman who summons her son back from the dead; and in "He Who Kills" an African doll goes on a murderous rampage.
Killers
1996 · Action, Thriller, Horror · 87m · Dave Larsen, David Gunn, Burke Morgan, Damian Hoffer
Odessa and Kyle James were just your average American boys until the night they went upstairs and killed their parents in cold blood... and smiled.
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