Horror is a tricky beast. Obviously, the objective of every film in this category is to scare you. The range of subgenres in the world of horror provides plenty of unique ways that filmmakers can pull such strong emotions from their audiences. Oftentimes, the genre isn’t given the respect that it truly deserves. Horror has evolved into something greater these days, but there are films throughout the years that have slipped through the cracks from audiences and critics. 

So when a film receives a bad score on rotten tomatoes, it’s never the true determining factor of what defines a solid film. Movies like The Shining and Blade Runner received lackluster scores when they were first released. However, those films became cult classics when critics realized just how great they were after all. Likely, audiences and critics will not call the films on this list defining classics. On the flip side, they’re better than they have any right to be. Here are five solid horror films with bad rotten tomatoes scores:

House of Wax

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 27%

House of Wax is every mid-200os slasher flick you’ve ever seen. A group of hot young adults. Check. The blonde bimbo. Check. A bunch of teenagers who make idiotic decisions to suit the story. Check. This remake of the 1953 film actually has a really good premise. Two sick and twisted brothers turning humans to real-life wax figures: that’s the mark of something great.

Despite House of Wax being generic, the kills are pretty good, especially Paris Hilton‘s brutal death. Once the film boils down to Carly (Elisha Cuthbert) and Nick Jones (Chad Michael Murray) the film is quite intense. Bo (Brian Van Holt) cutting off Carly’s finger is disturbing, and the final showdown inside of the actual House of Wax is pretty darn fun overall. House of Wax is far from perfect, but not the stinker that critics have painted the remake as.

Ghost Ship

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 15%

It’s a shame that the original script changed because The Shining on a Boat sounds awesome! Still, Ghost Ship isn’t the train wreck that critics make it out to be. The opening sequence remains one of the best for a horror film. Ghost Ship does fall apart because of idiotic characters (seriously, why would they force Isaiah Washington‘s character to try and have sex with a ghost?) and a flimsy supernatural element that takes the feature down a peg. However, the CGI is quite impressive for the early 2000s and there’s more meat to the story than a traditional horror film. Ghost Ship is far from the worst film you’ll ever see.

Dead Silence

Rotten Tomatoes Score – 20%

Dead Silence suffers from being a bit bland. The protagonist isn’t anything to write home about, but Dead Silence does create a genuinely creepy villain. The premise itself is quite nerve-racking and though the twist is a bit eye-rolling, the unique kills are fun overall. It’s definitely not James Wan‘s best feature, but it is his most underrated.

See No Evil

Rotten Tomatoes – 9%

WWE films do not have a great track record. Funny enough, See No Evil 2 is actually a really fun sequel that improves upon the first film in nearly every way. The original feature has the same issues as the House of Wax remake. Dumb and horny teenagers who are at the mercy of a madman. It’s predictable, but Jacob Goodnight (Kane) is actually an interesting villain. His relationship with his mother is a fun and twisted dynamic, and her death is easily the best part of the film. You’ll need to turn your brain off for See No Evil, but it’s a quick and harmless horror film that has an interesting lore behind it.

Jennifer’s Body

Rotten Tomatoes – 44%

Jennifer’s Body has become a cult classic and for good reason. The original marketing for this film was completely misguided. This was a feminist horror/comedy, whereas the studio presented it as a straight horror feature. Big mistake. It has clever dialogue. The unique coming-of-age story about Needy’s (Amanda Seyfried) discovering herself as a young woman. The fact that Jennifer’s Body plays with classic horror tropes such as the final girl being a virgin makes this a sharp and biting horror/comedy that is certainly head and shoulders above most features of the same genre.