Horror films can often get mixed reviews from critics and audiences, with these receiving praise from reviews and lower scores from casual moviegoers.

While critics and audiences can often be divided on almost any kind of movie, horror is one genre where this seems to happen more than most others. A lot of the time, casual moviegoers are just looking to be scared for an hour and a half and they tend to enjoy something simple.

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On the flip side, it feels like critics want more from these films. They appreciate ones that have something deeper to say even if it lacks in the frights department. Over the years, those differences have led to some uneven ratings for certain films on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.

One of the more recent movies to experience this split in reception is The Rental. It's the directorial debut from actor James Franco and it centers on two couples who spend the weekend away at a house they rent, only for things to turn sinister.

Franco does well to build tension between the couples and deliver slow-burn horror that critics really appreciated. However, audiences seem less enthused, likely because they tend to gravitate toward scary movies that move along at a quicker pace.

Even if you know nothing about the premise of The Blackcoat's Daughter, you're likely to be drawn to it due to the great cast. The film is led by Emma Roberts, Lucy Boynton, and Kiernan Shipka, who are all among the most impressive rising actors of the past decade.

The movie focuses on two girls who deal with an evil entity while left behind over winter break at their boarding school. Reviews were positive, with the most praise going to the performances of the cast. Again though, the slow build didn't seem to grab casual viewers.

While Mom and Dad isn't a traditional horror film because it aims more at a comedic approach, there are a lot of aspects about it that can leave you feeling unsettled. The story sees every adult in a suburban neighborhood mysteriously feel the urge to kill their children.

The setup is a wild one that lends itself to some tense scenes but there are lighthearted bits to make it comedic. Plus, Nicolas Cage gets to be at his unhinged best as a father on a rampage. While it isn't considered a great film, it's surprising that audiences liked it less than critics given the action and the over-the-top performance of Cage.

If there's one huge benefit to the horror genre, it's that terrifying stories can be told in small spaces for a minimal budget. The Monster is one of those films that takes advantage of that concept, following a mother and daughter who get stranded on a lonely road as a creature hunts them in the darkness.

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Writer/director Bryan Bertino barely ever shows the creature, making expert use of the budget restraints to build tension. Zoe Kazan also gives a great performance as the mother in peril. The lower score from the crowd could be due to dissatisfaction from not seeing enough of the titular beast.

Some of the movies to end up with these kinds of split reviews aren't well-known because they weren't major releases. Among them is Bliss, not to be confused with the Salma Hayek-led Amazon Prime film from 2021, an indie horror flick.

Bliss stars Dora Madison Burge of Friday Night Lights fame as an artist who takes a drug to overcome writer's block only for it to also cause maddening hallucinations and a thirst for blood. The little-seen film was a hit with critics though some did note that it might be too intense for many viewers, which could've caused the low IMDb rating.

Similar to Bliss, Braid is another trippy, psychological horror movie that wasn't a huge release. Also along the same lines, this film features an impressive young actress as the lead in Madeline Brewer.

Also known as Nobody Leaves and Dying to Play, Braid is about two drug dealers who reconnect with a childhood friend as they look for safety in her mansion. However, to stay there they must participate in a deadly game with her that will leave the audience unsure of what's real and what's make-believe. Those confusing bits are likely what caused audiences to reject this.

One of the most critically-acclaimed horror films in recent memory is It Follows. Most lists regarding the best horror movies of the 2010s will likely include it and while the IMDb score is higher than anything else included here, it's still a far cry from the Rotten Tomatoes rating.

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The film follows a girl who gets a curse put on her that sends Death walking toward them until it gets them. Critics adored the slow-burn but some reviews from moviegoers suggested that the slow-moving threat wasn't scary enough.

The aforementioned Madeline Brewer is the star of another well-received film from 2018. In this case, it's the Netflix original horror movie Cam. In it, Brewer plays a camgirl who suddenly finds that she has been replaced on the site by an exact replica of herself.

Similar to Braid, there are moments in this trippy flick where you might not know what's real. Brewer's performance, the atmosphere, and more were praised, and it won several indie awards but audiences didn't seem to enjoy it quite as much.

Another Netflix original film to get this kind of mixed reception was Sweetheart. This is a different kind of horror release as it doesn't focus on a killer, the supernatural, or anything along those lines. Instead, it's a survival horror tale.

Sweetheart tells the story of a girl who washes up on a deserted island and must battle to remain alive while also having to deal with some kind of monster out in the water that threatens her life at every turn. Although viewers didn't love the movie, critics lauded Kiersey Clemons's lead performance.

The most famous horror movie to be appreciated by critics and considered middle-of-the-road by audiences is Scream 2. After the original film reinvented the slasher genre, this installment was well-received for how it poked fun at the idea of sequels while keeping up the thrills and scares.

Audiences were more mixed on it though. Some felt that it took itself a bit too seriously while others simply found that it didn't live up to the original in any way. That being said, it does have just about the same score as the rest of the sequels.

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Born in New York City, Kevin eventually went on to attain his Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University as Valedictorian. He has written in the past for various websites covering movies, TV, pop culture, sports, and wrestling. You can always find him on his Twitter, @the_kevstaaa.