Nothing accompanies a windy autumnal night better than a good horror flick. Sadly, there are some that don’t hit the spot. Here are nine horror movies that just aren’t scary.

1. Child’s Play (1988)

A film about a possessed child’s doll is quite a scary premise. The Annabelle films proved that. But, this offering is nothing but. Revolving around a doll called Chucky, it should pass for a comedy. Ok, so it is a dated film now and the effects are laughable. Plus, the fact it’s basically someone moving a plastic doll around. With a fake knife. The only thing that stops it from being a comedy is the blood and the language. Kudos goes to the supporting actors who do a great job of making it believable. But scary, it is not.

2. Scream (1996)

This is an odd one. Mostly because it’s not entirely sure what it’s trying to do. We know that Wes Craven made this film with his tongue slightly in cheek. It was a homage to the classic slasher films of the 70s and 80s, but it was also trying to be serious. I remember watching it at the time and being slightly confused. Is this meant to scare me or make me laugh? Or both? That’s the problem; it tries to do both. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great scenes and superb acting, but it just leaves you wondering what you just watched. And you certainly won’t lose sleep after watching it.

3. Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

Part of the scariness of the original movie was that it took a while to really see the monster. That left your mind going into overdrive, which is key to an excellent horror. In the second instalment, you already know what the creeper looks like. The filmmakers have been quite clever by adding some humour into the mix. This is best showcased in the scene with the creeper teasing the students in the bus. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cool scenes in this movie. But the mystery has disappeared. That just leaves you predicting what’s going to happen and laughing at the jokes. Not all bad, but it won’t be giving you the creeps.

4. The Babadook (2014)

This Australian flick was much hyped before its release. Critics were hailing it as the best horror film in decades. First, it has a very small budget. That’s not to say that great horror films can’t be made on a small budget. Jason Blum has proved it many times. It’s just that this film just doesn’t deliver on the scares. It does deliver some excellent acting, though. The tough mother and young son relationship are what this film is about. And they both act their parts superbly. But there are no real scares or threats. It’s basically a very well executed psychological drama. But a scary horror flick, it is not.

5. The Wicker Man (2006)

The original Wicker Man was a creepy classic. Sadly, this remake from 2006 was terrible. On so many levels. They say that you should never remake a classic movie, and this proves it. It’s a shame as legend Nicholas Cage is the lead man. And we all know how gloriously bonkers he is. But not even he can save this turkey. The script is clunky, some of the acting is questionable, and the editing is choppy. Not even Cage’s over-the-top ability can save the day. The result was an unintentionally funny and absurd movie. Which even Cage admits to this day.

6. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

This was the sixth movie in the Paranormal Activity franchise. By this time, all the originality and scares have dissipated. We know the story and can guess what’s going to happen all the way through. They still manage to throw a few jump scares in, but it’s all too repetitive and boring. It’s all been done over and over in the previous five films, so the concept is stale. Nothing can compete with the terror of watching the first film for the first time, but this one is dull as dishwater.

7. Devil’s Due (2014)

Another found footage movie. Devil’s Due pretty much mirrors the premise of Rosemary’s Baby. But this has none of the terror and creeping horror that that film had. Trouble is, we’ve seen it all before. Couple gets pregnant. Things go wrong. Could this be the devil? It’s not that it’s a badly made film, but that it’s all been done to death. Pardon the pun. The acting is ok as are some of the effects. But it’s not original, nor is it scary. Yawn.

8. Freddy Vs Jason (2003)

I know, let’s take two of horror’s most iconic characters and pitch them against one another. Sound a good idea? Maybe on paper, but then so did Alien Vs Predator, and that didn’t work out great. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to see both killers have a showdown, but the plot is thin and it’s obvious that it’s just done as a cash-in for the studio. If you’re a fan of either movie, then you’ll probably enjoy both characters having a slice at each other. But for the newbie, you’ll be sat wondering what on earth is going on.

9. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Although the original Blair Witch film wasn’t particularly scary, it offered a new and creative way of making horror. This sequel from 2000 is just dreadful. It’s as if the filmmakers wanted to cash in but had no idea how to do it. The result is a silly plot, zero-character depth and little scares. It’s like they took the original clever idea and threw it out with the trash. Critics panned it, and it’s plain to see why. Films like this make you wish studios would just leave classic movies alone.

That’s our list of nine horror films that aren’t actually scary, did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.

Check out 20 films to stream this Halloween HERE.