High school is chock-full of scary moments. For example: impossible assignments, teachers who you’re sure are out to get you, and mean girls and bullies lurking around every corner. Is it really a surprise that so many horror films take place within these horrifying halls? Whichever direction they go in, they truly seem to capture the worst parts of secondary education and blow them up on the big screen for audiences to relate to in some capacity. They also offer plenty of new plot points for the protagonists to face, creating tangible obstacles besides pre-calculus. This still rings true in the case of horror TV shows as well, like Netflix’s new series All of Us Are Dead.
Whether they begin a beloved franchise or they stand alone as pillars of the genre, horror films set in high schools often have a few reliable similarities. They typically involve an ensemble cast of kill-off-able characters, with, of course, a final girl or two who makes it out in the end. They almost always involve whiplash-inducing twists, turning familiar faces against each other, as unassuming characters often have a hand in the horror. And despite their younger cast members, they spare no expense in terms of violent scenes, iconic villains, and other elements that help to boost the scare factor. Let’s round up the best high school horror movies, ranked.
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9 Cry Wolf (2005)
Universal Pictures & Rogue Pictures
This slasher takes place in a top boarding school somewhat removed from the rest of society, an out-of-the-ordinary setting for a high school horror movie. Cry Wolf tells the story of a few teens who play a game of the same name, in which they try to guess who the “Wolf” is. The group eventually takes it too far, spreading chain emails throughout the campus about a masked killer on the loose, which slowly starts to come true. This film captures the growing power of the Internet on younger generations during the 2000s, and the cast includes big names like Jon Bon Jovi and Jared Padelecki. While it received low critical ratings, it does develop a unique dark academic atmosphere to accomplish its scares.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Final Destination (2000)
New Line Cinema
The first in the franchise, the original Final Destination proves that even if you leave the halls of high school, horror will find ways to follow you. Ready to embark on the senior trip of a lifetime, Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) boards a flight to Paris with the rest of his class. His split-second premonition about the plane crashing comes true, kicking off a scary series of events. He learns that Death itself is claiming the survivors of the accident, picking them off one by one. On the edge of the new millennium, this film ushered in the new era of 2000s horror, which often increased cheap scares with a stunningly realistic sense of shock value.
7 Battle Royale (2000)
Toei Company
The premise of Battle Royale has been called the predecessor to dystopian death matches like The Hunger Games, but this movie staked its claim first. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, this Japanese thriller positions a large group of 9th grade students against one another in a fight to the death. On a remote island, the teens – wearing collars set to detonate if rules are broken – are instructed to battle it out with provided weapons, until one victor remains. The film has fittingly been remembered as merciless in its execution, in more ways than one.
6 The Craft (1996)
Columbia Pictures
While The Craft initially bombed at the box office, it garnered a cult following and some serious appreciation throughout the years. Sarah (Robin Tunney), a telekinetic newbie to a Catholic prep school, falls in with the right crowd as she befriends three young witches who aim to better their craft. Their powers become more pronounced after a spell ends up working – and that’s putting it lightly. An Insider review reads, “This perfect mix of horror and empowerment has solidified [the film’s] presence on lists of countless ’90s movies and horror films to watch, and for good reason. The film feels far more progressive today than many other high-school movies released around the same time.”
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5 Carrie (1976)
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerUnited Artists
The original Carrie takes what should be the most magical night in a high schooler’s life – the long-awaited prom – and turns it into a bloody nightmare. Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) lives a sheltered life under the shadow of her uber-religious mother, grappling with her telekinetic powers that are as unknown to her as her own puberty. Of course, Carrie gets tired of being the butt of every joke, unleashing her righteous anger on that fateful evening. This movie adequately captures some of the darkest corners of high school, whether or not you can relate to being drenched in pigs blood in front of your peers.
4 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
New Line Cinema & FilmFlex
The original A Nightmare on Elm Street imparts to audiences that nowhere is safe from otherworldly threats – not even your own imagination. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) chases Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) throughout her dreamscape, and these occurrences start bleeding into her waking reality when some of her classmates and friends wind up dead. This classic teen scream sets up a franchise that introduces audiences to an ’80s horror icon. As the story unravels, it also encourages viewers to trust the judgment of the film’s younger counterparts rather than the omissions of its secretive adults.
3 It Follows (2014)
The Weinstein Company
It Follows is a cautionary tale and a scarily realistic depiction of the impact of sexually transmitted disease. Following a steamy night with her boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary), high school student Jay (Maika Monroe) discovers that she is next in line to be stalked by an entity that will trail her everywhere until it gets the chance to kill her. Her only out would be to have sex with someone else, passing it along further. A Roger Ebert review stated, “The horror at the heart of ‘It Follows’ isn’t a singular threat, but the vague knowledge that nothing lasts forever… That kind of primordial dread is embedded in the film’s visual style.” Monroe expressed interest in a sequel just for the chance to work with director David Robert Mitchell one more time.
2 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
20th Century Fox & Fox Atomic
Jennifer’s Body is equal parts campy and carnivorous, drawing its power from the height of the Y2K aesthetic, quotable one-liners, and an incredible cast. At Devil’s Kettle High School, nerdy Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is best friends with the alluring Jennifer (Megan Fox), until Jennifer develops an insatiable hunger for more than the latest fashion trends. Hunting down boys who think they’re about to get lucky, Jennifer feeds and boosts her beauty until Needy discovers the true source of her new ferocity. Eventually becoming a cult classic, this movie stands as an excellent example of feminist horror and explores the depths of friendship and emerging sexuality.
1 Scream (1996)
Dimension Films
Of course, the original Scream is arguably the best high school horror movie within the genre. Its daring, self-aware deviations from typical horror tropes culminate in a sincerely surprising ending for first-time watchers. This slasher revolves around Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her close-knit posse, as the high schoolers of Woodsboro begin to be picked off by a masked murderer. Scream proved that sometimes, the killer is truly the devil we already know, but never saw coming. Ghostface quickly became another instantly recognizable horror icon as the franchise continued into the 2000s. It’s no wonder the first film became an instant success, with four sequels and another currently in the works.
