Anxiety, tension, terror... These are all the natural elements in the average teenager's school life, so it's no wonder that they are just as superb a setting for horror flicks. After all, the only thing worse than a failing grade is a public humiliation at the hands of cinema's meanest, least intelligent teenagers - or getting stabbed or eaten by a werewolf might be worse.

With so many of these to catch up on, the community on Ranker has voted on which school-focused horror films are the best in the genre. This year's Stranger Things season 4 has surely introduced many new fans back to teen terror, and there's no better place to scratch that itch than with the classics that inspire it.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

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Ginger and Bridget sitting outside in Ginger Snaps

Directed by John Fawcett and co-written with Karen Walton, the cult-classic teen thriller focuses on sisters Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle), the latter who is slowly going through a transformation after a werewolf attack.

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The gruesome school murders are sure to be what contributed to its deserving mention from Ranker, however, its themes are the standout element of the film. Ginger Snaps is incredibly effective at using the werewolf transformation to give messages about the view of teenage women having sex, puberty, and the distance it brings in family dynamics as they develop. Its niche is likely the cause for its low voter turnout, but that doesn't diminish its brilliance.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

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Laurie discovers Michael is back in Halloween H20

The iconic slasher survivor Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) returns with only the original two movies acknowledged in its canon. As the seventh movie in the massive Halloween franchise, it's unsurprising it would earn a spot on Ranker.

The main event doesn't happen until forty-five minutes of empty jump scares, but when they do, they move across the entire campus in a non-stop anxiety rush. Its low ranking could be due to the dull environments; many sequences take place inside a kitchen that could be in any building, and it misses the opportunity to use its classrooms. There are some great uses of claustrophobic corridors at least, and it's still an entertaining watch.

Urban Legend (1998)

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The backseat slasher reader to attack in Urban Legend

Although critically seen as a pastiche of Scream, Urban Legend (directed by Jamie Blanks) is still remembered. Starring Alicia Witt, Loretta Devine, and Jared Leto, the film centers on the drama of teens making unsurprisingly bad decisions.

The movie is far more charming nowadays for its 90s-era editing, cliches, and tone, and that's likely how it's gained enough popularity. However, most of its kills don't even take place in school, and its more famous moments involve the backseat of a car. There is a brilliantly shot chase sequence with Sasha Thomas (Tara Reid) who is chased from the recording room and to other areas of the school, but otherwise, it's a surprising choice to be featured among the classics.

The Craft (1996)

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The cast of The Craft walk together in a promo image for the film

This 1996 supernatural horror directed by Andrew Flemming is a cult hit and the inspiration for the 1998 TV series Charmed. The film stars Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Rachel True, and Neve Campbell practicing witchcraft in school.

Related: 10 Best Teen Slasher Horror Movies, According To Ranker

Although the first half of The Craft is less horror and more comedy, it deserves its votes for the turn it takes once Nancy (Balk's character) becomes powerful and the repercussions of their abilities begin. Each leads to unsettling scenes, with a noteworthy one involving Skeet Ulrich using the same creepy acting that made him threatening as Scream's Billy Loomis.

Black Christmas (1974)

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Olivia Hussey as Jess Bradford on the phone in Black Christmas 1974

There are several underrated horror classics, and this 1974 film is one of them, despite being the first holiday-themed horror movie. Directed by Bob Clark, the film has little to do with Christmas and a lot to do with its sorority home of young women being harassed by a pervert's voice on the phone.

The lingering point-of-view shots of the killer stalking parts of the house, all without music other than the rare keys of a piano — everything raises the foreboding intensity driven by audience's imagination. The acting by each of its protagonists retains the immersion in every act, keeping the audience's breath in their throat as violent death throes mix in with the phone's crude threats. It's no wonder it earned a higher spot on Ranker's list, especially being so focused on the unfortunately real fears of phone pranks on sorority women.

The Faculty (1998)

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The Faculty film poster

Described as "hip and scary," this film is the epitome of the '90s. Robert Rodriguez of Spy Kids fame takes the director's chair, and screenplay writer Kevin Williamson will be recognized by any horror fan after his successes in Halloween and Scream. In fact, it features an ensemble of recognizable names including Elijah Wood, Jon Stewart, and Usher.

Related: Best Callbacks And References In The Cult Classic The Faculty

The movie plays off the alienation teachers make their students feel - the keyword being 'alien.' It's primarily about the conformity of school life, with several characters feeling like outcasts, wanting to be more than what they are, and being put into stereotyped groups. Already those are feelings that any fan who has finished their school life could have related to at some point, earning it votes even if it's considered as a B-movie that never took off. It isn't scary per-se, but it's easy to understand its value for fans.

Scream 2 (1997)

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Classroom scene in Scream 2

Unsurprisingly, Scream's popularity trumps Urban Legends in the eyes of horror fans. Neve Campbell once again gives a great performance as the tenacious Sidney Prescott fighting back against the killer.

While the original Scream holds the top spot over its sequel, Wes Craven's second nightmare takes the edge when it comes to surviving the college campus. Aside from its opening, every kill and chase in Scream 2 takes place at or near the campus. It is also still debated as one of the best among its fans, having the third-highest audience meter on Rotten Tomatoes and making it an unsurprising pick for school horror. It was an effective location for the murder spree with another satisfying victory for Prescott. Hopefully, she had the same luck surviving her student loans.

Final Destination (2000)

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The Final Destination movie poster.

The first installment of the largely popular Final Destination series spanning five movies, this one directed by James Wong.

A new film was released every three years, so it's easy to see how a Final Deatination film gained its spot. Unfortunately, it's also one of the weaker, more baffling entries from Ranker. Of all the deaths in the original, none of them take place in the high school, but rather use high school students and their poor decision-making as a vehicle for gory death. Final Destination 5 at least had the death in the school gym, but the original bears no significance outside of being an aspect of their characters.

Carrie (1976)

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A still from the 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie.

The first adaption to Stephen King's Carrie remains its most famous. Directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek, the movie centers around a high school tragedy after a series of pranks on a young woman with telekinetic powers.

Of course, the highlight is the prom scene, in which Carrie is finally pushed over the edge and several other students not involved in her bullying also pay the price. It holds up to this day, and out of every movie mentioned, it's the most heartbreaking, so much so that it put the movie higher than many others. The fame of the original book and the movie's legacy only makes it more of a popular vote and more tragic, watching Carrie suffer through her school life and knowing how it will all end.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

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Freddy Krueger standing in the shadows

The Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) murder marathon was so influential that it reached this year's hit season of Stranger Things, staying fresh in the minds of audiences and likely helping it find its spot.

It's another Wes Craven classic that will be forever remembered. Its cast of school teens being used as revenge is pivotal to the plot that drives its string of murders, with its most remembered being the shower of blood that erupts after Glen (Johnny Depp) is suddenly sucked into his own bed. It's one of the few from Ranker's list that has such a memorable villain, and it clearly deserves its place.

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