Urban Legend

Play trailer

2:20

Urban Legend

R

1998

1h 35m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

66 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

A university is beset by a rash of gruesome murders that resemble old urban legends. When her friend Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner) is killed by someone hiding in her car, Natalie (Alicia Witt) begins to notice the pattern. Her suspicions grow stronger when her own roommate is strangled to death. Soon the quiet college campus is transformed into hunting grounds for a maniac, and Natalie struggles to find the killer and stop the bloodshed before she becomes the next victim.

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Critics Consensus

Elements of Scream reappear in a vastly inferior vehicle.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Apr 25, 2003

2/4

Like Frankenstein's monster before the lightning strikes, it's all recycled cold flesh and bolts, without a twitch of originality.

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Kim Newman

Sight & Sound

Mar 3, 2002

Manages somehow to be rather endearing.

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Bob Heisler

Los Angeles Times

Feb 14, 2001

1/5

A low-voltage drive-in movie, made strictly by the book.

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Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Sep 30, 2026

3/5

This has all the hallmarks of a 1990s teen horror that will appeal to fans, and the urban legend angle adds even more familiarity, but there are also stereotypes and missed opportunities here.

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Jordy Sirkin

Jordy Reviews It

Feb 5, 2026

It is certainly not the greatest slasher to have come out in the 90s, but it definitely doesn’t get enough love, in my opinion.

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Josh Winning

Radio Times

Oct 25, 2024

3/5

Urban Legend deserves its place in the pantheon of pulse-raising 90s popcorn slashers.

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Blu B

@RT43513976 5 days ago

Man it's insane the amount of Scream copycats that followed post release. It reminds me a bit of Copycat mixed with Scream on a college campus rather than High School. It's got that late 90's vibe and if anything tone wise it's almost not even a Scream ripoff as much as it is as I know What You Did Last Summer vibe. It feels like a trashy, well polished, yet suprisingly entertaining slasher. The editing is subpar, the cinematography is loaded with over the top moments and plot conviences as well as showy direction half the time. Everything else is alright enough I guess. It feels like the best thing this has going for it is how mindless it feels. This is the type of film you put on in the background, fall asleep for 45 minutes wake up and know exactly whats happening because you've seen Scream do it better. The characters all blend in. Leto is probably the most likeable which is crazy too say. It makes me wish he didn't go nuts later on. Skip this unless you wanna relive your memorie

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KerryWhite's S

@KerryWhite77 Oct 25, 2026

7/10. 70/100 Chloe Lainhart was asleep next to me.

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Samantha B

@SammyBillock Oct 9, 2026

Worth watching for Tara Reid's chase scene alone, to be honest. Girl was serving in that lingerie and platform boots combo.

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Alison A

@AlisonAdams Oct 8, 2026

My favorite late 90s slasher. So campy!

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Adam A

@AdamAlcott Oct 8, 2026

Great fun. Watch it every October. Rebecca Gayheart, Loretta Devine, and Tara Reid are amazing in this.

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Gracie B

@RT01802291 Sep 20, 2026

It was okay. Nice turn of events at the end. You always know it's one of the main ppl 😉 but really just kept walking away from the movie just to finish it.

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Jamie Blanks

Director

Jared Leto

Paul Gardener

Alicia Witt

Natalie Simon

Rebecca Gayheart

Brenda Bates

Michael Rosenbaum

Parker Riley

Loretta Devine

Reese Wilson

Urban Legend: Official Clip - Killer Car Chase

2:27

Now Playing

Urban Legend: Official Clip - Chased by the Killer Tara Reid Scene

2:27

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Bloody Parking Garage Kill

2:05

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Killer in the Car

2:23

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Tortured by the Killer

3:23

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Pop Rocks Poisoning

2:24

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Sexy Goths Must Die

2:29

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Attacked in the Car

1:51

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Brutal Hanging

2:28

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Urban Legend: Official Clip - Bloody Corpse in the Killer's Car

1:32

Now Playing

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Urban Legends: Final Cut

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Urban Legend: Trailer 1

2:20

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Synopsis

A university is beset by a rash of gruesome murders that resemble old urban legends. When her friend Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner) is killed by someone hiding in her car, Natalie (Alicia Witt) begins to notice the pattern. Her suspicions grow stronger when her own roommate is strangled to death. Soon the quiet college campus is transformed into hunting grounds for a maniac, and Natalie struggles to find the killer and stop the bloodshed before she becomes the next victim.

Director: Jamie Blanks
Producer: Gina Matthews, Michael McDonnell, Neal H. Moritz
Screenwriter: Silvio Horta
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Production Co: Original Film, Phoenix Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 25, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $38.1M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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