Rob Zombie is one of the most polarizing filmmakers in cinematic history. Fans become rabid followers, dressing up as his characters for Halloween, and getting tattoos in devotion. Critics, however, bash Zombie's directorial actions, slam his storylines and question the actors he uses in his films.
Rotten Tomatoes shows a critic's approach to Zombie's films... which, in general, aren't well-received. However, as any Zombie fan can tell you, his movies aren't made for old school critical appeal. Zombie doesn't intend on reaching the Oscar's one day. Instead, his movies are created for horror fans. They offer up gore, violence, and lots of cussing. They're everything that midnight-movie horror fans live for. Without further ado, here are Rob Zombie's seven theatrical releases, ranked according to their Rotten Tomatoes rating.
House of 1,000 Corpses (20%)
When House of 1,000 Corpses was released in 2003, it shocked and appalled audiences. The genre of "torture porn" had not yet been created; this was before SAW and Hostel brought that genre to the forefront.
The movie was inspired by Zombie's love of 70's slasher films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and follows a group of road trippers writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions. They're unknowingly tricked into the sadistic household of the Firefly family, where one-by-one, they're picked off and mutilated. The finale of the film is totally nuts (and actually, very much incongruent with the rest of the film). The few remaining victims enter the underground lair of a murderous surgeon known as Dr. Satan. It's the kind of scene that will give you nightmares... and that's exactly why Zombie's fans love it.
H2: Halloween 2 (22%)
While Rob Zombie's original Halloween remake was split down the middle, with some horror fans praising it and others hating it, H2 was pretty much universally hated. The movie follows Michael Myers as he continues his murderous rampage, but the film's execution went horribly wrong.
There were script changes; Rob Zombie used way too much of his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, in weird hallucination scenes; and there just wasn't enough coherent action to make it watchable. Even Zombie fans consider this to be one of his worst movies.
Halloween (26%)
Curiously, while 2007's Halloween ranks only four percentage points above H2, it's actually Zombie's most profitable film to date. The movie was number one at the box office its opening weekend and still holds the record for being the highest-grossing Labor Day weekend release of all time.
The movie split fans so much because the entire first half of the film centers around Michael's childhood and his descent into evil. What is somewhat universally accepted amongst horror fans, though, is that once the action gets going in the film's second half, it's an exciting and suspenseful movie, with Scout Taylor-Compton offering up a very different Laurie Strode than Curtis' original character. Another highlight of Halloween is that it brought back Danielle Harris, who starred in Halloween 4 and 5.
Lords of Salem (46%)
2013's Lords of Salem was Zombie's last full theatrical release. The movie had built some initial praise, premiering at the Toronto Film Festival to positive reviews. However, after that, it all changed. Mainstream outlets panned the film and it was an epic box office bomb. While many agree that it's visually interesting and creates a disturbing atmosphere, the movie's aimless and sluggish plot ruined what could have been Zombie's arthouse hit.
The plotline is mangled and somewhat incomprehensible, but basically follows the witches of Salem as they rise again and bring about the antichrist (which looks like something like a mix of a human fetus and a blobfish). The most unfortunate thing about Lords of Salem is that it's widely regarded as Sheri Moon Zombie's best performance yet. But with the film's bad reviews, many cinephiles are likely to skip Moon's best acting of her career.
31 (47%)
2016's 31 was Rob Zombie's return to the classic slasher film. A group of carnies ends up as pawns in a sadistic game called "31", where three uber-rich psychopaths place bets on how long each victim can survive trapped in a giant maze filled with murderous villains.
Initially, the film was shroud in confusion and secrecy. The teaser poster revealed very little and fans were left questioning whether this would be the next installment in the House of 1,000 Corpses series. The movie was given a Fathom Events release and was available for streaming soon after. Horror fans loved the new take on a classic cat-and-mouse slasher movie, but, as with other Zombie films... not all critics got on board. Roger Ebert, as well as the LA Times, gave the movie a favorable review, while outlets like The New York Times and the Village Voice panned the film.
3 From Hell (50%)
3 From Hell, released in 2019, is Zombie's most recent film, as well as the third (and most likely final) installment into the House of 1,000 Corpses trilogy. The movie took a massive hit when Zombie discovered that actor (and good friend) Sid Haig was getting sick. The movie's original script followed the three remaining members of the Firefly family, but after receiving news that Haig's condition was deteriorating, Zombie had to reimagine the entire movie.
The end result is a movie that still holds up and honors the tradition of the previous films, offering up lots of scares, lots of gore, and a killer soundtrack. Tragically, Haig died on September 21, 2019... just five days after 3 From Hell had its theatrical release. Haig is the fourth actor from the Firefly family to pass away.
The Devil's Rejects (54%)
In 2005, Rob Zombie cemented his name in the horror genre forever. While House of 1,000 Corpses was popular amongst horror fans, it was really The Devil's Rejects that transformed the Firefly family from movie characters into a full-blown community. The movie went on to receive praise from beyond just horror circles as well, with outlets like Rolling Stone, the BBC, and TimeOut all giving the movie positive reviews.
The Devil's Rejects picks up almost directly after House of 1,000 Corpses and chronicles the family's escape from the law. What made The Devil's Rejects so successful and memorable was that it blended so many genres and became such a unique mix of a horror movie, a western, and a road trip movie, all set to a soundtrack filled with classic rock hits. The most memorable scene in the film is the climax, where the "3 from hell" drive straight into police gunfire while Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" plays.