It's no secret that the views of casual moviegoers and critics don't always align. A lot of the time, critics will give a negative review of a film and the everyday fans who see the movie have no idea where those feelings come from.
While the audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes are a good thing to use to compare the ratings from critics, there's another website worth checking out. Casual viewers sometimes go to IMDb and give out ratings for these films, with some having much higher scores there than on Rotten Tomatoes. That's especially true when it comes to horror flicks.
There's no doubt that for several years, the Saw franchise basically ran the horror genre. Every Halloween a new Saw movie was released and they would be box office hits. Saw II was still a bit before the series relied too much on gore for the sake of it and is an impressive sequel for most.
It takes what worked in the first movie and ups the ante with a bigger trap involving more players. Critics still found it to be too gory but it seems like audiences were a fair bit higher on it. Many still consider it to be one of the high points of the franchise.
Fans have been treated to so many versions of Halloween over the years. There was the original, the sequels, the odd one without Michael Myers, the modern follow-ups that rewrite the timeline, and the ones made by Rob Zombie.
This was Zombie's first take on the franchise, doing a reimagining of Myers's origin story and diving a bit deeper into his childhood. Despite that, critics felt that the film didn't really do anything original and that the story didn't work. Halloween was a commercial success and it spawned a sequel, though that was less favorably reviewed by almost everyone.
By the time 2005 rolled around, audiences had seen plenty of films that focus on this concept, including the iconic The Exorcist. Despite that, The Exorcism of Emily Rose still managed to bring some truly terrifying visuals and ideas to the table.
A big help in that sense was Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) as the director given his penchant for chilling vibes and great visuals. While the courtroom drama aspect and the gore-free scares were praised, the plot was considered ho-hum by critics but audiences were certainly scared into positive ratings.
On the surface, The Strangers is about one of the scariest things most people can possibly imagine. The idea that someone can break into your home, where you should feel safest, and do horrible things to you, including attempting to torture and murder you.
Director Bryan Bertino based the film on break-ins that happened in his neighborhood as a child and on things like the Manson family murders. The film has become a cult classic thanks to the popularity it has with horror fans, though critics found it to be nothing but standard slasher fare.
Movies that are based on video games tend to be pretty lackluster in the eyes of both audiences and critics. Of course, a few video game movies turn out to be pretty good. Silent Hill was an interesting case because it adapted aspects from several of the games it was based on.
Even though it pulled that off, some longtime fans still felt it wasn't enough to live up to the games while others ended up loving this. Critics felt the film was overly long, had a muddled plot, and the dialogue was unimpressive. Though most of those things could be seen as true, Silent Hill has a soft spot in the hearts of many.
One of the coolest horror movie concepts ever put to the big screen is Thirteen Ghosts. The idea that a house is haunted by various different kinds of ghosts, ranging in terms of violence, rage, and other aspects is something that can captivate if done right.
Unfortunately, most critics felt Thirteen Ghosts didn't execute it well enough, criticizing aspects like the storyline, dialogue, and citing a lack of scares. The production design was praised and while the audience didn't love this film, it certainly fares a bit better on IMDb.
It feels like 30 Days of Night might've been a year or two ahead of its time because the vampire craze that seemed to take over the world was a short time away when it was released. The film centers on an Alaskan town that experiences a month-long polar night, allowing vampires to roam free.
For the most part, reviews were mixed and not flat-out bad but those who saw this movie feel like it deserved a bit more praise. It's far from perfect and has some plot holes but there's a lot of action and thrills sprinkled in throughout this exciting film.
The most recent film to experience better scores from the audience than critics is Escape Room. The horror film takes advantage of the popularity of escape rooms, where people have to work together to solve puzzles and free themselves.
The movie takes things to the next level, with each part of the room having deadly results if it isn't completed. Most critics agreed that it had solid thrills but they felt it didn't take advantage of the strong premise and were left disappointed. Moviegoers liked it to the point where it was a huge commercial hit and led to a sequel.
It isn't often that a movie, especially in the horror genre, can come out and become iconic almost instantly. It feels like Final Destination did just that, with people still referencing it and its sequels to this day. The idea of death coming for people who cheated it due to a premonition is an interesting one for sure.
The likes of Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, and even Tony Todd help Final Destination remain memorable. Despite its popularity for the concept and execution, critics have panned every installment, including the original, saying it was lackluster in terms of performances and drama.
Returning to the Saw franchise makes sense given that almost every entry was liked more by the audience than by the critics. Even though the original is actually the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes, it still feels criminally low, especially when looking back on its impact.
Long before the franchise focused on gore, Saw told a gripping story about two men trapped and trying to find a way out of the sick game they're forced to play. Even with the mixed (at best) reviews, it managed to be a huge success and is a revolutionary horror flick.
