Entertainment

The Best Teen Slasher Movies 

Ranker Film
Originally by
Updated November 5, 2019 33.2k votes 3.5k voters 291.5k views 70 items

List Rules Horror slashers films about teenagers in high school or college

List of the best teen slasher movies. Almost as long as there have been horror movies, there have been teen slasher films. The genre got a huge surge in the late 70s and 80s when nearly every new horror movie featured a group of teenagers getting slaughtered by a mysterious and terrifying killer. Although the genre died off a little, it has recently gotten a huge resurgence with 80s horror remakes and new tales. These stories range from groups of hikers running from a mystifying monster with a chainsaw to high school students dying off one by one. These films are popular because they don’t just include horror elements, but also themes of romance, friendship and endurance.

Many of the films on this list have the same sort of characters: the innocent female, the jokester sidekick, the ditzy popular girl, the jock and the nerd, all playing at the same stereotypical roles. However, the concepts of each movie can be wildly different, from traditional horror to a campy take on the genre.

What are the best teen slasher movies ever made? This list features masked killers that will haunt you in your sleep for years to come, gruesome deaths and badass fighters you will never forget. Vote for your favorite.

1
Scream is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1996

Actors: Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Courteney Cox, Liev Schreiber, Neve Campbell, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette. Released on ...more

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2
Halloween is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1978

Actors: Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards, Donald Pleasence, Sandy Johnson, Charles Cyphers, + more

Directed by: John Carpenter

Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher horror film directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her ...more

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3
A Nightmare on Elm Stree... is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1984

Actors: Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Lin Shaye, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film stars ...more

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4
Friday the 13th is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1980

Actors: Kevin Bacon, Tom Savini, Betsy Palmer, Irwin Keyes, Laurie Bartram, + more

Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham

Friday the 13th is a 1980 American slasher film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller. The film concerns a group of teenagers who are taken out one by one while attempting ...more

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5
Scream 2 is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1997

Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Courteney Cox, Heather Graham, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett Smith, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie ...more

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6
I Know What You Did Last... is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1997

Actors: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Anne Heche, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze, + more

Directed by: Jim Gillespie

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American slasher film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. The film changes many aspects of the book, which was not a slasher novel. ...more

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7
Final Destination is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2000

Actors: Ali Larter, Seann William Scott, Devon Sawa, Tony Todd, Amanda Detmer, + more

Directed by: James Wong

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8
The Texas Chain Saw Mass... is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1974

Actors: Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, John Henry Faulk, Jim Siedow, + more

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

This movie is a 1974 American slasher film, directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar ...more

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9
The Cabin in the Woods ... is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
Bottoms Up added 2012

Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Sigourney Weaver, Amy Acker, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, + more

Directed by: Drew Goddard

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10
Urban Legend is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1998

Actors: Jared Leto, Tara Reid, Alicia Witt, Joshua Jackson, Rebecca Gayheart, + more

Directed by: Jamie Blanks

Urban Legend is a 1998 slasher film starring Jared Leto and Alicia Witt. The film is based on the premise that a mad man is using the methods of described in certain urban legends as a means to ...more

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11
Scream 4 is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2011

Actors: Hayden Panettiere, Kristen Bell, Courteney Cox, Anna Paquin, Alison Brie, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

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12
Scream 3 is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2000

Actors: Courteney Cox, Jenny McCarthy, Carrie Fisher, Liev Schreiber, Neve Campbell, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film and the third installment in the Scream franchise. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger, the film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and ...more

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13
The Faculty is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1998

Actors: Salma Hayek, Usher, Famke Janssen, Jon Stewart, Jordana Brewster, + more

Directed by: Robert Rodriguez

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14
Halloween II is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
but chickens double d added 1981

Actors: Jamie Lee Curtis, Dana Carvey, Kyle Richards, Donald Pleasence, Ana Alicia, + more

Directed by: Rick Rosenthal

Halloween II is a 1981 slasher horror film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a ...more

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15
Final Destination 2 is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2003

Actors: Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Sarah Carter, Tony Todd, Keegan Connor Tracy, + more

Directed by: David R. Ellis

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16
Saw is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
sarawalchak added 2004

Actors: Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer, Michael Emerson, + more

Directed by: James Wan

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17
Halloween: H2O is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
18
Final Destination 3 is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2006

Actors: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cory Monteith, Tony Todd, Amanda Crew, Chelan Simmons, + more

Directed by: James Wong

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19
I Still Know What You Di... is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1998

Actors: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jack Black, Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Esposito, Freddie Prinze, + more

Directed by: Danny Cannon

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and a sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. Directed by Danny Cannon, the film was written by Trey Callaway, and ...more

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20
The Last House on the Le... is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
dee123 added 1972

Actors: Martin Kove, Steve Miner, Fred J. Lincoln, Sandra Cassel, David Hess, + more

Directed by: Wes Craven

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21
Prom Night is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1980

Actors: Jamie Lee Curtis, Brittany Snow, Leslie Nielsen, Antoinette Bower, Jeff Wincott, + more

Directed by: Paul Lynch

Prom Night is a 1980 Canadian slasher film directed by Paul Lynch, based on a story by Robert Guza, Jr., and starring Leslie Nielsen and Jamie Lee Curtis. The story concerns a group of high ...more

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22
House of Wax is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
2005

Actors: Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert, Jared Padalecki, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, + more

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

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23
My Bloody Valentine is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
1981

Actors: Don Francks, Cynthia Dale, Helene Udy, Keith Knight, Alf Humphreys, + more

Directed by: George Mihalka

My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 slasher film directed by George Mihalka and written by John Beaird. The film tells the story of a group of teenagers who decide to throw a Valentine's Day party ...more

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24
Final Destination 5 is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
MikkelKl added 2011

Actors: David Koechner, Tony Todd, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Courtney B. Vance, Emma Bell, + more

Directed by: Steven Quale

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25
Sleepaway Camp is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Teen Slasher Movies
dee123 added 1983

Actors: Mike Kellin, Katherine Kamhi, Robert Earl Jones, Felissa Rose, Christopher Collet, + more

Directed by: Robert Hiltzik

Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 exploitation slasher film written and directed by Robert Hiltzik who also served as executive producer. The film came at a time when slasher films were in their heyday, ...more

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