From Choose or Die to the remake of Firestarter, there are many 2022 horror films that fall in the guilty pleasure category. This kind of movie is a unique type of story as fans seek out cheesy plotlines, a wild premise, and a creepy setting. Character development and twists that make sense don’t matter as much as they do with a well-crafted flick, as it’s often more entertaining when some parts of the movie aren’t perfect. As long as the movie has something to draw audiences in, it’s a great pick.
Whether fans want some cheesy remakes of classic scary films, or a movie based on a video game, Redditors are talking about their favorite guilty pleasure horror movies.
House On Haunted Hill (1999)
Stream on Hoopla and Rent on AppleTV
Redditor Abirdinthesky loves the 1999 remake of House On Haunted Hill and wrote, “It was campy but has such a creepy atmosphere.”
House On Haunted Hill is a remake of the 1959 film. A group of people are invited to spend the night at an old mansion. They soon learn that if they can make it through the entire night and see the morning, they will win $1 million. The movie definitely has a great setting as every corner of the house makes people want to run and hide.
Stay Alive (2006)
Stream on AppleTV
Redditor ApeInAMopar mentioned Stay Alive and wrote that it’s “Easily my favorite guilty pleasure horror flick.” While there are many video games based on horror movies, there are also films adapted from games, and Stay Alive was a video game first.
Stay Alive tells the story of characters who die after playing a video game, and it’s definitely a campy and fun movie that isn’t amazing but provides entertainment.
Cabin Fever (2016)
Rent on AppleTV
Eli Roth’s 2003 horror movie Cabin Fever can be a guilty pleasure as it’s a story of friends going away together and becoming infected with a flesh-eating virus. The 2016 remake can also be a guilty pleasure, perhaps even more so.
Redditor DispytheDankMemelord “watched the remake 8 times in the course of a month and a half.” The remake follows the original and provides as much campy entertainment.
Leprechaun (1993)
One Redditor said that “The Leprechaun series” is a guilty pleasure horror franchise, and the Leprechaun horror movies have been beloved by tons of horror fans.
There are eight films in the franchise, and in the first one, Tory and her father J.D. begin living in a house in the summertime and find an evil leprechaun. It’s also fun to see Jennifer Aniston in this ’90s horror film.
Sorority Row (2009)
Stream on AMC+
Redditor poor_yorick mentioned Sorority Row and said, “I unironically love it. I was rooting for all of the characters.”
There are great horror movies about high school, but there are just a few about college, and Sorority Row turns the bonding experience of belonging to a group into a nightmare. When a group of sorority members help Megan pretend to die, so she can upset her boyfriend, another character actually murders her, and everyone has to scramble to keep this secret. When it turns out that someone knows what happened, the characters are targeted and stalked, a familiar premise that is still fun to watch.
Silent Hill (2006)
Stream on Starz
Silent Hill has a lot of positive aspects that horror fans love: a main character with a real motivation and a setting that couldn’t give audiences more shivers. Rose learns that her daughter Sharon has visions of Silent Hill, a small town where no one has been living after a fire several decades ago.
One Redditor wrote, “The 1st Silent Hill movie is nostalgic to me but deeply lacking in plot.” While it might not be the best horror movie, it’s definitely a guilty pleasure.
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)
Rent on AppleTV
While the first Halloween movie is always beloved, Redditor EvitaPuppy mentioned that they love Halloween III. The fan wrote, “It’s the one everyone hates because there is no Michael Myers. I thought the idea of the creepy masks, the TV ads, and robots made it a pretty fun flick.”
Some consider Halloween III to be underrated and it might not get as much love as the first movie, as it creates a totally new story. It also doesn’t feel like the other movies at all and talks about witches instead.
House Of Wax (2005)
Rent on AppleTV
When it comes to guilty pleasure horror movies, Redditor kac937 said House Of Wax, adding, “pretty much any late 90s scream knock off/slasher movie.”
A cheesy 2000s horror movie that has a recognizable cast, including Paris Hilton, House Of Wax tells an entertaining story about friends who realize that a wax museum is actually evil and can turn people into wax. It’s just the kind of wild plot that makes for a perfectly campy movie.
Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
Rent on AppleTV
The Blair Witch Project is one of the best found footage movies but the sequel isn’t talked about that much.
Sequels are often guilty pleasures since they don’t often measure up. Redditor Mariejones1988 loves Blair Witch 2 and wrote, “Underrated in my opinion.” In the movie, people who loved Blair Witch begin looking into the situation themselves and become terrified by what they find out.
When A Stranger Calls (2006)
Stream on Netflix
A horror movie about a babysitter alone in a house while getting awful phone calls has been done a few times. But while the 1979 movie that kicked off this premise is great, the remake definitely leaves a lot to be desired.
Redditor LadySynth considers the 2006’s “When A Stranger Calls” to be a guilty pleasure. While Jill goes through the motions of this scary story, she doesn’t have much character development and the movie isn’t too scary.
Urban Legend (1998)
Stream on Hulu
Redditor celix24 suggested “The Urban Legend series” as guilty pleasure films. The first movie, from 1998, focuses on Natalie Simon, a college student who is terrified when her peers keep getting killed off. She realizes that the killer is murdering people just like the famous urban legends that people have been sharing with each other for decades.
Even those who don’t love the horror genre can get a lot out of this movie since it’s compelling to see how the killer interprets this stories that have been told for so long.
Ghost Ship (2002)
Stream on DirectTV or rent on AppleTV
One Redditor shared that they enjoy Ghost Ship and said, “I love it. Great cast. Great music. Good gore.” The movie tells the story of a crew working on a ship in 1962 and as is suggested by the film’s title, they learn that there’s a supernatural presence there, too.
Ghost Ship isn’t critically acclaimed and feels cheesy, but that’s the point and the fun of it, which is what makes it such a good guilty pleasure pick.
The Happening (2008)
Stream on HBO Max
The Happening tells the story of a world where plants are affecting people in a terrifying manner and causing them to die. Redditor tesh5low wrote of the movie, “It starts out with a bang and just ends with a fizzle” and has “non sensical characters.”
M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed the film but it isn’t considered one of his most well-crafted. The Happening might not always seem logical and the characters might not be as interesting as those in some other horror films, but that’s what makes it a purely entertaining watch.
Idle Hands (1999)
Stream on PlutoTV or rent on AppleTV
Redditor dholmestar recommended “Idle Hands” and Redditor pickledsoylentgreen added, “If this is a guilty pleasure, then it’s definitely mine as well.”
Horror fans remember the story of Anton Tobias, a character who loves getting stoned and who doesn’t take life too seriously. When a demon takes over one of his hands, Anton’s life is altered, and he’s incredibly confused by what’s going on. Idle Hands is a fan favorite ’90s horror movie that is definitely goofy.
Darkness Falls (2003)
Rent on AppleTV or stream on DirecTV
Redditor mrwhiskey1814 recommended Darkness Falls and wrote, “I love the campy horror so much and this has it all for me.”
If horror audiences are curious about what happens when the tooth fairy is evil, then Darkness Falls is a good pick. The alarming figure is cursed and the main characters, Caitlin Greene and Kyle Walsh, work together to figure out what’s going on. The plot is definitely corny but the movie has some good characters and it’s sweet seeing Caitlin and Kyle bond as they don’t fit in with their peers.
