HorroRated
Editorial policy

How HorroRated Rates Horror

Every movie, series and game in the HorroRated archive gets a score from 0 to 5 tapes and a verdict, both decided by the HorroRated team after reviewing it, never averaged from audience votes. Here is what each score means and how an entry is put together.

The scale

Six verdicts, from Skip It to Legendary

  1. Legendary

    Essential horror that sets the standard for its kind. If you only see a handful of titles in a subgenre, start here.

    138 titles in the archive
  2. Highly Recommended

    Excellent work with the occasional rough edge, and easy to put in a friend’s hands.

    97 titles in the archive
  3. Recommended

    Satisfying horror that delivers on what it promises. A safe pick for a good night in.

    175 titles in the archive
  4. Worth a Look

    Uneven, but something here earns your time: a performance, an idea, a single unforgettable scene.

    71 titles in the archive
  5. If You're Curious

    For completists, franchise followers and the morbidly curious. More interesting than good.

    45 titles in the archive
  6. Skip It

    It doesn’t deliver. Your night is better spent elsewhere on the shelves.

    None so far

HorroRated Pick

The skull badge marks titles the team especially wants more people to find. It sits apart from the score: a 3 can carry it, and a 5 doesn’t get one automatically. 136 titles wear it today.

Content notes

When a title includes something you may want to know about in advance, its entry lists short, specific notes across five areas: violence, gore, sexual content, strong language and disturbing themes. 213 entries carry them so far.

How entries are filed

Each entry is placed in collections by subgenre, mood and craft, tagged by era and theme, and linked to four related titles picked by hand, closest match first. Franchise films also link to their watch-order guide.

Where the facts come from

Release dates, runtimes, credits and posters come from The Movie Database (TMDB). US streaming availability comes from JustWatch through TMDB and is refreshed every day. Scores, verdicts, content notes, collections, tags and written reviews are HorroRated’s own.

Keeping entries current

Every entry shows when it joined the archive and when it was last updated, and each franchise guide shows when it was last checked against new releases.