The late ’90s are known for a resurgence in teen horror. Thanks to the success of “Scream,” we saw films like “The Faculty,” “The Craft,” and the Jamie Banks-directed “Urban Legend.”
In the film, students at Pendleton University are terrorized by an unknown killer with a fondness for theatrics. As the bodies pile up, the plot races to a heart-pounding reveal.
Urban legends have always sparked curiosity and fear in teenagers, especially in small-town America. From “the killer in the backseat” to invoking Bloody Mary in the mirror, these myths, as well as countless others, are incorporated in various ways “In Urban Legend,” making for some standout death sequences.
Featuring a script written by Silvio Horta, the film has all the meta-commentary of “Scream” but possesses a less polished feel, infusing it with more realism than you might expect. Naturally, it’s still a slasher movie, so logic often goes out the window. Still, “Urban Legend” is a bright spot in the teen horror canon. A star-studded cast includes Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Tara Reid, and the nightmare man himself, Robert Englund.