List Rules Scary horror movies released in the 1980s.
The 1980’s were know for a lot of historical events such as the ending of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the release of the first IBM personal computer. But more importantly, the 1980's brought us some of the best, scariest, cheesiest, horror movies in the history of film.
But what are the scariest 80s horror movies of all time? The films on this list, ranked by film lovers, has the scariest 80s movies. Whether you’re looking for a realistic flick based on actual events or a completely fictional fright film, there’s sure to be the perfect movie on this list for you!
This list has the scariest horror movies from the 80s, including: Blood Beach, The Beast Within, and An American Werewolf in London.
Vote up your favorite 80's horror movie or add one that always brings the scares, that isn't already on the list.
list ordered by
1
342 97
but chickens double d added A Nightmare on Elm StreetJohnny Depp, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp 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
2
322 96
dee123 added The ShiningJack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, ...more
3
310 94
PoltergeistCraig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke Poltergeist is a 1982 American supernatural thriller film, directed by Tobe Hooper and co-written and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the first and most successful entry in the Poltergeist ...more
4
266 113
The ThingKurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter The Thing is a 1982 American science fiction horror film directed by John Carpenter, written by Bill Lancaster, and starring Kurt Russell. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a ...more
5
228 94
but chickens double d added Pet SemataryStephen King, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby Pet Sematary is a 1989 American horror film adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert and written by King, the film features Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed, ...more
6
238 97
but chickens double d added Friday the 13thKevin Bacon, Tom Savini, Betsy Palmer 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 murdered one by one while attempting ...more
7
230 101
but chickens double d added AliensSigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn Aliens is a 1986 American science-fiction action horror film written and directed by James Cameron, produced by his then-wife Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael ...more
8
207 92
HellraiserDoug Bradley, Andrew Robinson, Ashley Laurence Hellraiser is a 1987 British horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, based upon his own novella The Hellbound Heart. The film spawned a series of sequels.
9
228 103
The Evil DeadBruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi The Evil Dead is a 1981 American horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi and executive produced by Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who also stars alongside Ellen Sandweiss and Betsy Baker. The ...more
10
177 87
but chickens double d added The Lost BoysKiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim The Lost Boys is a 1987 American teen horror film starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, ...more
11
175 93
John Carpenter's The FogJamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Welling The Fog is a 1980 American horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, ...more
12
129 58
PriscillaScutt added Children of the CornLinda Hamilton, Peter Horton, R. G. Armstrong Children of the Corn is a 1984 supernatural horror film based upon the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed by Fritz Kiersch, the film stars Peter Horton and Linda ...more
13
173 94
Child's PlayBrad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon Child's Play is a 1988 American horror film directed by Tom Holland, written by Tom Holland, Don Mancini, and John Lafia, and starring Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, and Brad ...more
14
166 94
Friday the 13th Part 2Betsy Palmer, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Warrington Gillette Friday the 13th Part 2 is a 1981 American horror film directed by Steve Miner. It is a direct sequel to Friday the 13th, picking up five years after that film's conclusion, where a new murderer ...more
15
151 81
but chickens double d added PredatorArnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers Predator is a 1987 American science fiction action film directed by John McTiernan and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill ...more
16
161 96
An American Werewolf in LondonJenny Agutter, Frank Oz, Rik Mayall An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 horror comedy film written and directed by John Landis, and starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne. The film starts with two young ...more
17
168 96
but chickens double d added Halloween IIJamie Lee Curtis, Dana Carvey, Kyle Richards 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
18
131 80
ozzy added Evil Dead IIBruce Campbell, Kassie DePaiva, Ted Raimi Evil Dead II is a 1987 American horror comedy film directed by Sam Raimi and a parody sequel to the 1981 film The Evil Dead. The film was written by Raimi and Scott Spiegel, produced by Robert ...more
19
149 99
Fright NightChristopher Lee, Roddy McDowall, Chris Sarandon Fright Night is a 1985 American horror comedy film written and directed by Tom Holland and produced by Herb Jaffe. It stars William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall and Amanda Bearse. ...more
20
137 88
dee123 added GremlinsSteven Spielberg, Corey Feldman, Phoebe Cates Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet, which then ...more
21
135 94
dee123 added The FlyGeena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, David Cronenberg The Fly is a 1986 American science fiction horror film directed and co-written by David Cronenberg. Produced by Brooksfilms and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, ...more
22
106 71
but chickens double d added ChristineKelly Preston, Alexandra Paul, John Madden Christine is a 1983 American horror thriller film directed by John Carpenter and starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul and Harry Dean Stanton. It was written by Bill Phillips and ...more
23
103 68
Hellbound: Hellraiser IIDoug Bradley, Ashley Laurence, Kenneth Cranham Hellbound: Hellraiser II is a 1988 British-American horror film directed by Tony Randel. It draws heavily upon, and was made by much of the same cast and crew as its precursor, Hellraiser.
24
142 87
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's RevengeRobert Englund, Hope Lange, Clu Gulager A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge is a 1985 American slasher horror film and the second film in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. The film was directed by Jack Sholder and ...more
25
112 80
but chickens double d added CujoDee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Ed Lauter Cujo is a 1983 American psychological horror/thriller film based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. It was directed by Lewis Teague, and written by Don Carlos Dunaway and Lauren Currier.
26
100 87
The HowlingDee Wallace, John Sayles, Slim Pickens The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless. ...more
27
95 84
Day of the DeadSherman Howard, Jarlath Conroy, Terry Alexander Day of the Dead is a 1985 American horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and the third film in Romero's Dead series, being preceded by Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the ...more
28
78 72
ozzy added Re-AnimatorBarbara Crampton, Jeffrey Combs, David Gale Re-Animator is a 1985 American science fiction horror comedy film loosely based on the H. P. Lovecraft episodic novella "Herbert West–Reanimator." Directed by Stuart Gordon, it was the ...more
29
78 70
The EntityBarbara Hershey, Ron Silver, George Coe The Entity is a horror film based on the novel of the same name by Frank De Felitta. It stars Barbara Hershey as a woman tormented by an invisible assailant. Despite being filmed and planned for ...more
30
85 79
BrianWestonBlamires added Poltergeist II: The Other SideCraig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke Poltergeist II: The Other Side is a 1986 supernatural thriller film and the second entry in the Poltergeist film series. A sequel to Poltergeist, it features the return of the original family, ...more
31
76 68
My Bloody ValentineDon Francks, Cynthia Dale, Helene Udy 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
32
72 67
The BlobErika Eleniak, Shawnee Smith, Julie McCullough The Blob is a 1988 monster horror film written by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont, and directed by Russell. It stars Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark and ...more
33
71 66
dee123 added Prince of DarknessAlice Cooper, Donald Pleasence, Peter Jason Prince of Darkness is a 1987 American supernatural horror film directed, written and scored by John Carpenter. The film is the second installment in what Carpenter calls his "Apocalypse ...more
34
62 61
Phantasm IIStacey Travis, Phil Fondacaro, James LeGros Phantasm II is a 1988 American action-horror film and sequel to Phantasm. It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli, starring Angus Scrimm, James LeGros and Reggie Bannister. In it, the ...more
35
82 85
Prom NightJamie Lee Curtis, Brittany Snow, Leslie Nielsen 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
36
67 66
Night of the CreepsDavid Paymer, Dick Miller, Tom Atkins Night of the Creeps is a 1986 American comedy horror written and directed by Fred Dekker, starring Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow. The film is an earnest attempt at a ...more
37
53 64
dee123 added Near DarkBill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Adrian Pasdar Near Dark is a 1987 American vampire Western horror film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by her and Eric Red. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes ...more
38
77 70
Sleepaway CampMike Kellin, Katherine Kamhi, Robert Earl Jones Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 exploitation slasher film written and directed by Robert Hiltzik who also served as executive producer. The film is about the killings of teen campers at a summer camp. ...more
39
66 75
but chickens double d added The ChangelingGeorge C. Scott, Melvyn Douglas, Barry Morse The Changeling is a 1980 Canadian/American horror film directed by Peter Medak and starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere. The story is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter said ...more
40
63 74
DemonsLamberto Bava, Michele Soavi, Urbano Barberini Demons is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento, starring Urbano Barberini and Natasha Hovey. The screenplay was written by Bava, Argento, Franco ...more
41
61 77
ScannersMichael Ironside, Patrick McGoohan, Jennifer O'Neill Scanners is a 1981 Canadian science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Steven Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan. In the film, ...more
42
63 75
Silent Night, Deadly NightTara Buckman, Linnea Quigley, Lilyan Chauvin Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American slasher film produced by Ira R Barmak, written by Michael Hickey, directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr. and starring Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan ...more
43
51 66
Hell NightLinda Blair, Peter Barton, Ron Gans Hell Night is a 1981 American independent horror film directed by Tom DeSimone, written by Randy Feldman, and starring Linda Blair. The film depicts a night of fraternity hazing set in an old ...more
44
51 74
The BurningHolly Hunter, Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens The Burning is a 1981 slasher film directed by Tony Maylam and written by Peter Lawrence and Bob Weinstein. It is based on an original story by Maylam, Weinstein, and Brad Grey, with a musical ...more
45
46 74
dee123 added Angel HeartRobert De Niro, Mickey Rourke, Lisa Bonet Angel Heart is a 1987 American horror mystery film written and directed by Alan Parker, and starring Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, and Lisa Bonet. The film, adapted from the novel Falling Angel ...more
46
51 64
DollsGuy Rolfe, Stephen Lee, Hilary Mason Dolls is a 1987 Italian-American horror film directed by Stuart Gordon. The film was shot in Italy in 1985 and released in 1987.
47
40 63
Motel HellRory Calhoun, Wolfman Jack, Paul Linke Motel Hell is a 1980 horror comedy film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Rory Calhoun as farmer, butcher, motel manager, and meat entrepreneur Vincent Smith. It is often seen as a satire of ...more
48
35 61
dee123 added CreepersJennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, Patrick Bauchau Phenomena is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento and starring Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, and Donald Pleasence. Its plot focuses on a young girl at a remote Swiss ...more
49
39 63
Terror TrainJamie Lee Curtis, Vanity, David Copperfield Terror Train is a 1980 slasher film, directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Johnson and David Copperfield. It follows the members of a college fraternity who played a ...more
50
5 4
Michael St John added The ProwlerFarley Granger, Lawrence Tierney, Christopher Goutman The Prowler is a 1981 horror film directed by Joseph Zito, and written by Neal Barbera and Glenn Leopold.
