[Editorial] The Greatest 15 Horror Films of the 1980s

When I sat down to write this list, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Sure, I knew the ‘80s was a monumental time for the horror genre, but I don’t think I quite realised just how many of my favourites originated in that decade. And with only 15 spots up for grabs, it meant that some movies I totally adore didn’t quite make the cut.

So please enjoy 15 of the greatest horror movies from the 1980s, which I couldn’t even begin to rank because that would be like choosing between a set of beloved children.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

An American Werewolf in London was a movie I was aware of long before I was allowed to watch it thanks to the ‘making of’ Thriller (1982) VHS that I was obsessed with as a kid. This movie is the perfect mix of straight-up horror and has one of the best transformation scenes in horror history with comedy often injected into the proceedings by the steadily-decaying Jack. 

From the opening bloody attack to the wonderful scene in the London underground, right through to the Piccadilly Circus carnage finale, An American Werewolf in London is the perfect example of how werewolf movies should be done.

Fright Night (1985)

As a horror movie lover, I can completely understand Charley Brewster’s instinct to run to horror legend Peter Vincent when he thinks that a vampire has moved in next door. And while Jerry Dandrige is very much the nightmare neighbour, he’s also incredibly charming, meaning everyone believes him over Charley.

One of the things which makes Fright Night stand out so much is the amazing practical effects, with Amy’s shark mouth transformation and Billy’s melty death being particular highlights.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

In later movies, Freddy may have descended into a punchline-swinging killer, but there’s no denying how terrifying that first entry in the series is. As the children of Elm Street are  plagued by the same nightmares, it’s up to Nancy Thompson to figure out what’s going on and save the day. 

The thought of not being able to escape a killer even in your dreams is a nightmare in and of itself, and Freddy’s ability to twist the world around him to ensure he always has the upper hand makes him one of the scariest villains in the horror genre.

The Fog (1980)

John Carpenter took a step into the supernatural world in 1980 with The Fog, the tale of Antonio Bay being plagued by revenge ghosts looking for some closure. When a sinister fog makes its way into town it brings the killer ghosts with it, who are intent on getting revenge on those who caused their deaths 100 years before. 

As the people of the town are picked off one by one, those left alive need to try and figure out what is going on so they can avoid becoming the ghosts’ next victims. 

Pet Semetary (1989)

In 1989, Mary Lambert adapted what is arguably Stephen King’s most emotional novel into an amazing horror film, making us all a little bit scared of cats, toddlers, and busy roads. When the Creed family move to the town of Ludlow, they think their life will be relaxing, but everything goes wrong when their cat, Church, is killed on the road. 

After father Louis finds out about a nearby burial ground which has the ability to bring the dead back to life, it’s only a matter of time before he decides to use it for terrible purposes. As well as the terrifying finale of this film, it’s the underlying dread of Louis’ actions which makes this film a masterpiece. 

The Fly (1986)

A remake of the 1958 horror film of the same name, The Fly takes the idea of body swapping with a fly to the extreme as Dr Seth Brundle finds himself literally falling apart as the more insect-like qualities start to take over. Brundle is trying to perfect his telepods when he accidentally swaps DNA with a fly and rapidly begins to transform. 

This is perhaps one of the best examples of David Cronenberg's obsession with body horror, as Brundle is unable to prevent the decay of his old body as he turns into the Brundlefly.

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist set the standard for a lot of haunted house movies, from why you should never build a house on a cemetery to why it’s never a good idea to keep creepy clowns in your kid’s bedroom. There’s a powerful presence in the Freeling house, which starts off as seemingly harmless and soon snatches the youngest child, Carol Anne, into another dimension. 

Even though we don’t see a lot of the actual villain in Poltergeist, the way The Beast manipulates the objects in the Freeling house to create some truly terrifying set pieces is amazing.

The Howling (1981)

1981 was a great year for werewolf movies and werewolf transformations, with both The Howling and An American Werewolf in London hitting our screens. The Howling leans away from the comedy angle and explores what life would be like for a commune of werewolves who are able to transform wherever they like. 

While the werewolf design in The Howling is very different, it’s also an amazing display of practical effects. And with Dee Wallace added into the mix, it was guaranteed to be an ‘80s horror hit.

Pumpkinhead (1988)

We’ve had revenge ghosts, so let’s look at a revenge demon with Stan Winston’s directorial debut, Pumpkinhead. After the death of his son, Ed Harley goes looking for some help of the supernatural variety to take down the teenagers responsible. After seeking help from a local witch, Ed decides to awaken the demon Pumpkinhead to carry out his vengeance for him. 

However, once Ed sees what Pumpkinhead is truly capable of, he tries to call off the demon and finds out that revenge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys is sexy ‘80s vampires at their finest, as brothers Michael and Sam move to the seaside town of Santa Carla to live with their grandfather. Michael is soon befriended by a group of angsty teens, who also happen to be vampires. 

While Michael starts to turn into a vampire too, he finds out there is a way to reverse the curse if they can kill the head vampire. This movie is ridiculously quotable, full of amazing fashion inspiration, and has a classic ‘80s soundtrack.

Re-Animator (1985)

Stuart Gordon and Jeffery Combs would go on to be a classic horror combo, but Reanimator was the director's first outing which sees corpses rising from the dead thanks to Dr Herbert West. West’s reanimator serum works well, but those he brings back often end up violent and hard to control. 

Barbara Crampton is amazing as Megan Halsey, and Dr Hill makes for a terrifying villain as even losing his head isn’t enough to stop him.

Paperhouse (1988)

Four years before he directed Candyman (1992), Bernard Rose brought Paperhouse to our screens. This tale of a little girl’s imagination going wild sees the drawings Anna creates while she has glandular fever come to life in her dreams. While at first, it’s just her in the paper house from her drawings, she soon adds Marc as a playmate. 

Everything seems to be going fine until Anna adds her estranged father to the drawing before angrily crossing his face out. That night she and Marc have to escape the monstrous version of her father and figure out how to destroy the paper house for good.

The Evil Dead (1981)

The blueprint for every cabin in the woods style movie that followed, The Evil Dead shows why it’s probably not a good idea to travel to a remote location for the weekend. Ash and his friends are hoping for a relaxing holiday, but when a recording awakens the evil spirits in the woods, people start turning into Deadites pretty quickly. 

Ash may not be the chainsaw-touting hero we get to see in the next two films, but The Evil Dead is the most straight-up horror entry of the trilogy, with more camera trickery and practical effects than you can shake a stick at.

Prince of Darkness (1987)

We’ve got even more John Carpenter supernatural goodness for you with Prince of Darkness as a group of research students head to a church to investigate a tube of mysterious green liquid. When the liquid escapes and enters the body of Susan, she slowly begins infecting the others with the embodiment of Satan.

With the church surrounded, and those inside slowly being taken over by the evil force, the few left alive have to do their best to stop the apocalypse. The ending sees a possessed Kelly and Catherine fighting it out for the fate of the world as the Anti-God tries to escape through a portal in a nearby mirror.

Night of the Creeps (1986)

Night of the Creeps is just one of the examples in the horror genre of why you should never go near a meteorite which has crash-landed on Earth because it could be full of brain-controlling slugs. 

College friends Chris and J.C. find themselves facing off against these slugs when they accidentally release them from a frozen corpse in the university medical centre. Soon the whole campus has been overrun, and it’s only with the help of disillusioned cop Ray Cameron (played wonderfully by Tom Atkins) that Chris has any hope of saving the world.

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