The Best Horror Movies Of The 1980s

The best horror movies of the 1980s don’t just encompass some of the greatest horror films of the decade, but some of the greatest horror films ever made. The ‘80s were a phenomenal decade for classic horror films, with some of the best, scariest, creepiest, and in some cases, campiest films ever put on the silver screen. 

The 1980s ushered in a kind of golden age for horror flicks, with so many titles coming out so fast that it was difficult to keep up. Every week, a handful of new and freaky horror films were released in theaters. And sequels? Oh good grief, the sequels! '80s horror movies included the originals and sequels for the wildly popular Nightmare on Elm Street, Evil Dead, and Friday the 13th franchises. Halloween, while released in the late-1970s, did spawn several sequels released in the 80s.

While slasher horror films and monster movies have existed since the early days of cinema, the genre reached its height in the 1980s. Every major horror film, with a handful of exceptions, featured some sort of psycho killer on the loose, stalking poor, helpless (and clueless!) teenagers. Sometimes these killers were human, other times they were aliens or – gasp! – murderous clowns. Graphic violence was the norm, the shock value kept going higher and higher, and these films were certainly among the most nausea-inducing great films of all time.

Be sure to vote up the best horror movies of the 1980s, and check out the best 1990s horror movies!