10 So-Bad-They're-Good Horror Films You've Never Even Heard Of

1. Night of the Lepus (1972)

Night of the Lepus is one of those films that must have sounded incredible at the pitch meeting. After all, what could possibly go wrong with a film about gigantic, carnivorous rabbits terrorizing a small town? Absolutely everything, as it turns out. This film boasts of a surprisingly decent cast including Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, and DeForest Kelley. Despite the unintentionally comedic plot, these stars give earnest performances. Night of the Lepus offers an equal measure of terror and laughter, making it a must-watch on any bad movie night.

2. Zaat (1971)

Zaat is a film that will make you question every decision you've ever made that led you to this point. The plot revolves around a mad scientist who transforms himself into a half-man, half-catfish creature. Yes, you read that right. With its low-budget special effects and the hilariously slow-moving creature (seriously, the dude couldn't outswim a rubber duck), Zaat will have you in fits of laughter while simultaneously questioning the meaning of life, the universe, and everything else. It's a hearty slice of B-movie gold with an unbeatable trivia – the entire movie was filmed in Florida's real underwater caverns.

3. The Killer Shrews (1959)

It's hard not to laugh at The Killer Shrews. I mean, it's a film where the 'killer shrews' are obviously dogs in terrible costumes. In the movie, a group of people are trapped on an island while being hunted by these giant shrews, which were created by a scientist's experiment gone wrong. The actors deliver their lines with grave sincerity, which only adds to the unintended hilarity. This film is so delightfully bad that it was featured on the cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

4. Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)

Birdemic: Shock and Terror is a film that took the mantle of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and ran with it... just in the wrong direction. The plot sees a small town terrorized by birds, not ordinary birds, but exploding acid-spitting birds. What makes this film particularly entertaining is the appalling special effects, which look like they've been created with a mid-'90s clipart software. Add to that, wooden performances, sound editing blunders, and nonsensical environmental commentary, and you've got a perfect storm of laughable horror. It's a true testament to how far you can stretch a $10,000 budget (or not).

5. Troll 2 (1990)

In spite of its name, it has no connection to the first Troll film and, hilariously, it doesn't even feature a single troll. The plot follows a family pursued by vegetarian goblins seeking to transform them into plants so they can eat them. Yes, it's as bizarre as it sounds. This film is famous for its lack of professional actors and its heavily Italian crew who spoke little English, leading to a unique dialogue style. Despite a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Troll 2 enjoys a cult following and even inspired a documentary about its fandom titled Best Worst Movie.

6. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

Manos: The Hands of Fate is a crowning glory in the world of cinematic disasters. The story revolves around a vacationing family who stumbles upon a hidden, underground, devil-worshiping cult led by the bizarre Master and his man-servant Torgo. Shot entirely on a handheld camera that could only record 32 seconds of film at a time, the continuity errors, awkward pauses, and poor editing are comedic gold. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 0%, the unintentional hilarity of the characters, dialogue, and plot has led Manos to achieve cult status among bad film aficionados.

7. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

Directed by the legendary Ed Wood, Plan 9 from Outer Space is a spectacular mess of a film. Its plot revolves around extraterrestrials who are attempting to stop humans from creating a doomsday weapon. Their method of prevention? Resurrecting the Earth's dead to form a zombie army. Full of hammy acting, ridiculous dialogue, and laughably bad special effects, the film is a joyful trainwreck from start to finish. Here's a fun fact for you that kind of speaks for itself: the movie was filmed in just five days!

8. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)

Imagine this – a Soviet scientist defects to the U.S, where an unfortunate encounter with a nuclear test turns him into a radioactive beast. That's The Beast of Yucca Flats for you. The movie, shot without sound, has all of its dialogue narrated over the action, which only adds to the unintentional comedy. Adding to the hilarity of the whole mess, the 'beast' in question just looks like a normal guy with some mud smeared on his face. The film was directed by Coleman Francis, who was known for his low-budget, poorly received films. It's a must-watch for lovers of so-bad-they're-good cinema.

9. Hobgoblins (1988)

Hobgoblins is a low-budget rip-off of Gremlins, but with none of the charm and double the hilarity. The plot centers around a group of small, furry aliens that escape from a film vault and have the power to make people's wildest fantasies come true. This leads to a series of ridiculous events, including a character who believes he's a rock star. The puppets used for the hobgoblins are laughably bad, and the less said about the acting, the better. Hobgoblins was also featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, cementing its place in bad movie history.

10. The Creeping Terror (1964)

The Creeping Terror tells the story of a slug-like alien that terrorizes a small town. It's worth noting that the 'creeping terror' moves at such a slow pace that the victims essentially have to throw themselves into its mouth. Additionally, due to a problem with the sound equipment, most of the dialogue is narrated, which somehow adds to the overall absurdity of the film. Despite its shoddy production values and laughable plot, it's earned a devoted following and is a mainstay at bad movie nights across the world.