Rewatching any genre of movie from the 2000s is always going to be an interesting experience. Of course, hair and clothing styles have changed a lot, so those things will stick out right away. When horror fans revisit films from this time period, some stories that were originally scary don’t measure up anymore, and sometimes, plot twists fall flat and characters seem boring.
From the sequel to the belovedThe Blair Witch Projectto a few remakes of classic films, there are several horror movies from the 2000s that haven’t aged all that well. Fans of the genre can definitely skip them when going through films from this decade.
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Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
While theBlair Witch Project’s monster is scaryand at least makes the original film creepy, the sequel doesn’t hold up, mostly because it feels like a repeat experience of the first film.
This time around, the main characters are fans ofThe Blair Witch Projectmovie and the legend of the supernatural presence in the woods. They travel to Black Hills and want to see for themselves if this is real or not. When contemporary horror audiences watch this sequel, it doesn’t feel as unsettling as it should. There are many more paranormal horror films that are worth watching. SinceThe Blair Witch Projectdoesn’t feel all that creepy when viewed today, since the shock of it is gone, it’s easy to say that the sequel doesn’t pack much of a punch, either.
Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
While Tony Shalhoub is a great actor, the 2001 remake of the 1960 movieThirteen Ghostsdoesn’t hold up well today. Shalhoub’s character Arthur Kritocs moves into a mansion with his kids Bobby (Alec Roberts) and Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and, of course, the place is haunted.
The movie has a funny ending with the nanny Maggie (Rah Digga) saying that she’s leaving her position, as this has been too much of an ordeal. But besides this, the movie doesn’t offer modern audiences all that much. It’s full ofcliches found in haunted house moviesand doesn’t stand out among this subgenre. None of the characters are very well-done and there are so many films about old houses that have ghosts living there that this one won’t feel thrilling.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
While it was awful watchingJudy Greer’s character Karen Nelson die inHalloween Kills, it was even worse seeing Michael Myers kill Jamie Lee Curtis’s classic final girl Laurie Strode inHalloween: Resurrection. Laurie is in a psychiatric hospital and Michael finds her and finally ends her life.
Although this film was disappointing at the time, as horror fans never want to see Laurie die, it’s even worse watching it today, especially when compared to the new trilogy. Fans want to see Laurie in a strong position where she’s completely in control, and anyHalloweenmovie that wastes Laurieis going to be a problem. It’s much better to stick to the 1978 film since Laurie is at her best there, fighting against Michael and believing that she can get through this evening.
Gothika (2003)
The 2003 thrillerGothikahas definitely aged, and the story feels problematic and offensive. Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is a psychiatrist and when people believe that she murdered her husband, she is locked up. The idea of a woman being “nuts” and needing to stay in a mental hospital is a difficulthorror and thriller movie tropethat fans would like to see gone.
It’s impossible to watch this film and think that the story’s events make sense, as Miranda is treated so badly and no one believes anything that she says. Watching this character struggle and suffer is upsetting and the movie isn’t scary or interesting. It’s hard not to focus on how poorly Miranda is treated and how unfair this is.
When A Stranger Calls (2006)
While originalWhen A Stranger Callsis agood horror movie about babysitters, the 2006 remake is nothing like it. While it might have been fun to watch when it was released, since it has many hallmarks ofcheesy 2000s horror movies, the story feels really dull now.
The movie consists of the main character Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) walking through the dark and creepy house where she is looking after kids. But since audiences know the classic tale of a babysitter dealing with a killer hiding in the home, the story doesn’t land at all. The film has also aged a lot because when contemporary horror audiences watch it, the idea of a killer stalking a teenager feels like it has been done so many times before. Jill seems to have no idea how to save herself, and she’s not an exciting horror movie character.
