There’s something so satisfying about a good 1980s horror movie. Whether it’s the gooey practical effects, the mile-high hair, or the filmmaking passion you can feel through the screen, these films offer thrills and chills you just can’t get in our all-digital era.
A lot of 80s horror lists focus on slasher movies—and rightfully so, as this horror subgenre really flourished throughout the decade. However, there’s a whole terrifying world out there beyond the borders of Elm Street and Camp Crystal Lake. If you want a glimpse of 80s horror that goes beyond the teen-terrorizing antics of Freddy, Jason, Chucky and company, check out these classic horror films:
20. Demons (1985)
Random people are given free tickets to a mysterious film screening in a creepy theater, where they’re feasted upon by flesh-eating demons after being transformed one by one. As a meta-commentary on horror cinema, it’s not more than skin deep (nor is it meant to be), but as a festival of gore it’s deliriously effective. Co-written by Dario Argento and directed by Lamberto Bava, Demons has all the colorful imagery and visual showmanship you’d expect from 80s Italian horror—and then some.
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19. Bad Taste (1987)
Before his epic adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson reveled in making low-budget horror comedies--and this one just might be his masterpiece. Filmed with a group of the director’s friends over four years of weekends, this movie tells the story of a small New Zealand town menaced by aliens who are looking to turn their struggling fast food restaurant around with the help of some tasty human flesh. It’s as gross as it is charmingly funny, with enough corn syrup and red food coloring to make any gore fan very happy.
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18. The Fog (1980)
When the ghosts of drowned mariners come back for revenge, the thick fog becomes a harbinger of death. This film could have been a straightforward ghost story, but it’s elevated by John Carpenter’s ability to create creepy visuals that sprawl across every inch of the screen. Filled with indelible images, this haunting film nevertheless makes the most of its unsettling atmosphere, proving the old adage that the scariest things are the ones you let the audience imagine.
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17. The Company of Wolves (1984)
Adapted from a dark fairytale by Angela Carter, this is no ordinary Little Red Riding Hood story. Director Neil Jordan (of Interview with the Vampire fame) brings this dark coming of age story to life. When teenage girl Rosaleen has a nightmare about medieval wolves and werewolves, fear becomes mingled with desire and children’s stories take on a new resonance. Impressive practical effects combine with surreal atmosphere in this decidedly animalistic dreamscape.
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16. Society (1989)
If there’s one horror movie image that is sure to stick with you, it’s the stomach-churning climax of this satirical horror film. A young man feels alienated from the glamorous life of his wealthy Beverly Hills family—only to discover the insidious deeds they get up to behind closed doors as they mingle with other members of the crème de la crème. Part upper class satire, part gross-out extravaganza, this is 80s horror filmmaking at its most gleefully gooey.
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15. Videodrome (1983)
Debbie Harry of Blondie has a memorable turn as the presenter of a transgressive TV broadcast in this David Cronenberg parable about the intersection of man and machine. James Woods stars as a seedy television executive on the hunt for big ratings in this tale of a nightmarish transmission that combines violence, pleasure, and the lure of the forbidden. It soon becomes unclear where the broadcast ends and the viewers watching it begin (literally). “Long live the new flesh.”
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14. Re-Animator (1985)
This deliriously funny horror movie is a Frankenstein riff that brought Jeffrey Combs the rightfully deserved B-movie renown he still enjoys today. Combs is magnetic as an unhinged medical student obsessed with bringing back the dead in this loose adaptation of a story by H.P. Lovecraft. Grotesque yet hilarious, Re-Animator will have you in stitches. (Plus, it features one of the best 80s horror movie taglines: “Herbert West has a good head on his shoulders—and another one on his desk.”)
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13. Evil Dead II (1987)
Essentially a remake of The Evil Dead with a bigger budget for even more buckets of fake blood, this horror comedy is nonstop disgusting fun. A trip to an isolated cabin takes a turn for the horrific when the vacationers accidentally awaken ancient demons known as Deadites after reading from a book bound with human skin (as you do). Sam Raimi’s trademark kinetic filmmaking collides with charismatic B-movie star Bruce Campbell—and a chainsaw—for a demonic getaway you won’t soon forget.
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12. The Beyond (1981)
This chilling film from director Lucio Fulci follows a woman who inherits an old hotel in Louisiana that just happens to be sitting on top of a portal to hell. As she begins renovations, strange happenings and a string of accidents soon give way to visions of terror right out of Dante’s Inferno. Bursting with dark imagination, The Beyond is an otherworldly experience filled with incredible cinematography.
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11. They Live (1988)
This satirical horror film by John Carpenter stars wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as a drifter whose special sunglasses allow him to see through the propaganda of an extraterrestrial cabal that has taken over human society. As a satire of the Reagan era it’s about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the dome, but it’s still creepily effective. Unnerving yet thrilling, this movie chews bubblegum and kicks ass.
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10. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
A pitch-black comedy about two friends who have a deadly brush with lycanthropy on a backpacking trip in England, this John Landis film is notable for its creature effects and its gonzo atmosphere. (Not to mention the insanely catchy earworm “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon.) Filled with ghostly visions, rampaging werewolves, and plenty of dark jokes, this one is always a crowd pleaser.
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9. Prince of Darkness (1987)
Finally, a film that dares to ask the question: what if Satan was actually a tank of glowing green goo? John Carpenter takes this bizarre premise and commits hard, resulting in a dread-inducing thrill ride helmed by veteran horror actor Donald Pleasance as a priest who enlists the help of a physics professor and some grad students to study the ooze—and prevent the apocalypse. The film raises interesting questions about science and religion while still being deeply unnerving.
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8. The Fly (1986)
Master of body horror David Cronenberg is back with this loose remake of the 1950s Vincent Price classic. A young Jeff Goldblum stars as a scientist obsessed with perfecting teleportation, only for his body to become fused with that of a fly in the device, and his zany charms are used here to unsettling effect as his body starts to deteriorate—much to the disgust of his girlfriend played by Geena Davis. This tale of love, horror, and the limits of science will stay seared into your memory (along with the image of a larva-baby).
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7. Hellraiser (1987)
If you’re one of those horror fans who thinks today’s movies just aren’t, well, wet enough, this film is the antidote to antiseptic, “elevated” horror you’ve been looking for. Queer horror icon Clive Barker’s descent into the depraved limits of desire spawned a legion of sequels, but none with the power of the original (Hellbound: Hellraiser II is still scarily good, though). In this film, a man uses a mysterious puzzle box to summon demons of pleasure and pain, setting off a shocking chain of events. Drenched in sticky gore and shiny latex, this movie gave horror a whole new aesthetic—and an iconic villain in the terrifying Pinhead.
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6. Dead Ringers (1988)
Cronenberg returns with this unsettling tale of a shy twin, an outgoing twin, and mistaken identity gone wrong. Jeremy Irons delivers two of his best onscreen performances as twin brothers with a penchant for sharing more than just a profession (both are gynecologists). When a woman comes between them, the boundaries of self and other begin to blur in disturbing ways. One thing’s for sure: you’ll never look at hospital scrubs the same way again.
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5. Tenebre (1982)
This dark psychological journey from Italian giallo master Dario Argento is chock full of the director’s usual stylistic flourishes—vivid colors, eye-popping imagery—but it’s executed with depth and nuance. An American writer travels to Rome to promote his new book, where a series of murders seems to take inspiration from his work. It’s a story of the relationship between artist and audience, of gender and power, of voyeuristic obsession. It’s also a ripping good time.
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4. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Anxieties about humans interacting with technology were on the rise at the dawn of the digital age, and nowhere is this more apparent than in this beautiful, gruesome Japanese horror film by Shinya Tsukamoto. Shot in stark black and white, it tells the story of a businessman who accidentally hits a strange “Metal Fetishist” with his car. He soon finds himself with pieces of metal emerging from under his skin, slowly transforming him into a hybrid of flesh and iron.
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3. The Shining (1980)
Part haunted hotel story, part allegory for abuse, this chilling film by Stanley Kubrick starts out ominous and never lets up. In an isolated mountain retreat with ghostly twins, an evil bartender, and elevators that expel a deluge of blood, the scariest thing is Jack Nicholson’s everyday monster Jack Torrance. Featuring an all-time great performance by Shelley Duvall, this film is so spellbinding you’ll want to dissect every detail…forever and ever.
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2. Possession (1981)
This film by Andrzej Żuławski is as much a complex relationship drama as it is a horror movie, which gives its moments of terror all the more weight. It charts the troubled marriage of two spies played by Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani—and the tentacle monster that comes between them. It’s unhinged and bizarre, but it’s also grounded by stellar performances and emotions that feel true to life. This film proves that arthouse horror was alive and well long before the likes of A24 and Blumhouse made it a meme.
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1. The Thing (1982)
Kurt Russell stars in John Carpenter’s unbearably claustrophobic tale of an Antarctic research station where something alien hides unseen in human form. As the characters turn on each other, the tension ratchets higher and higher in this classic suspense story. The eerie, desolate landscape combines with overwhelming paranoia for an unforgettable horror experience—with some of the best practical effects in cinema history.
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This list of excellent 80s horror films should keep you tearing through popcorn and Ecto Cooler for the foreseeable future. Whether you want oceans of blood splatter, breathtaking imagery, or thought-provoking meditations on grief and paranoia, this decade offers horror cinema that will satisfy your craving. Become immersed in these films and you’ll see why the 1980s are one of the most important decades in horror history.