11 Scary Movies That You Didn’t Like At First But Grew To Love

This is a big one. One of the reasons this cracking horror film wasn't a success then, and director John Carpenter's idea of building a franchise around Halloween didn't work out, is because fans didn't like it. The first reason that got mentioned is that it was a Halloween movie without Michael Myers. But that was the point; instead of remaking the same film, Carpenter wanted to expand the ideas of the potential franchise to include other stories. Audiences have since come around, and the film is now considered a classic.

People reacted badly to Karen Kusama's Jennifer's Body because the film was marketed more like a sex comedy and less like the subversive horror film that it was. They played up the sexuality of star Megan Fox, so audiences weren't expecting a story about two female best friends and a succubus. After critical reassessment, Jennifer's Body has become a cult hit, and fans understand and appreciate the film for its strengths.

Deborah Brock's Slumber Party Massacre II confuses some fans because the film's tone goes in a different direction from the first film. With its flamboyant rocker as the slasher who kills people with his guitar that has a giant drill attached, it wasn't what people were expecting. Unfortunately, that led to fans not giving it a chance at first, but when they did, they really enjoyed it for what it was.

It Comes at Night, directed by Trey Edward Shults, was more of a slow burn, and some fans had trouble with that. They expected a more intense monster movie and got a pandemic horror film where the disease-induced hallucinations. People report that their opinion of the movie improved immensely after a second viewing. It stars Christopher Abbott (Possessor) and Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom), whose work is always worth watching.

The original Exorcist trilogy threw audiences for a loop with each new film. Exorcist II: The Heretic, directed by John Boorman, had people scratching their heads and becoming unhappy with the series' direction. The Exorcist III did nothing to stop that trend with the hallucinogenic quality of the film's dream sequences. People were outraged and bewildered. But The Exorcist III has become a critical and fan favorite, mainly because of the scene that contains one of the most excellent jump scares in history and Brad Dourif's performance as the Gemini Killer. When you have a film that is as universally beloved as The Exorcist or Halloween, it's hard to change the audience's mind while making sequels.

Christian Trafdup's Speak No Evil is so powerful that it angers people. Much like the audience's reaction to The Mist, which angered people at the time of the film's release, Speak No Evil makes people mad. They take the film personally, saying that they would never be as stupid or passive as the protagonists in the movie, but is that true, or is it fear? The audience and critics are already revising their opinion of the film, a skin-crawling triumph.

For some reason, horror fans really don't like the character of Bob in Lucio Fulci's The House by the Cemetery. Part of the reason might be the dubbing of the character into English. People commented that when they watched the film the first time, they were not fans. But again, as they rewatched it they gained an appreciation and then an admiration for the film. Fulci's films do have a tendency to shock at first, but then as you explore his films when you rewatch them, they offer so much more.

Halina Reijn's Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is another film in that people were turned off by the characters' behavior and didn't realize that the whole point was that the people weren't likable. Watching the rich and selfish characters fight with each other and create their own monster wasn't what the audience was expecting. For some, it took a second viewing or a few weeks of thinking about the film to conclude that they liked it, even though they didn't care for the characters.

Suspiria is a justly beloved horror classic, but its spiritual sequel, Inferno, isn't given its due as one of Dario Argento's most exciting works. The film goes in wild and different directions than Suspiria, and that is one of its greatest strengths. Fans reported that they hated it on the first watch, but their opinion changed after watching it again and thinking about it as a living nightmare or reflecting on it. It became one of their favorites from Argento.

Fans who went into Lake Mungo expecting a faster-paced, gory, jump-scare-laced film were disappointed. The ones who watched it again and gave it another chance were rewarded with a slow-burn movie that creeps you out with subtlety that lasts longer. This found footage film that seems like a documentary may not be for everyone but has treasures for those who it resonates with.

It might be hard to believe now, but some people watched Ari Aster's Hereditary and didn't like it. It took a second watch for more than one person to appreciate the film entirely. Others who disliked it found that after losing a loved one and feeling their taste matured, the film took on a different meaning to them. It makes the point that film can mean other things to different people at different points in their lives.