’80s horror movies have a reputation for being particularly scary. It was a golden decade for the genre, but some of the movies don’t quite pack the petrifying punch that they did over 30 years ago. However, there are a number of fright flicks that can still send shivers down your spine.
Here are eight ’80s horror movies that will still scare the crap out of you.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 novel is often regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time. That’s a distinction that The Shining definitely deserves. With its chilly tone, claustrophobic atmosphere, and palpable descent into madness, the story of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his deteriorating sanity as he and his family watch over the Overlook Hotel is one that still creeps us out.
Poltergeist (1982)
Tobe Hooper directed this haunted house extravaganza and crafted a fantastical exploration into the other side. Though some elements of the film teeter into total fantasy, there are plenty of sequences that go straight for the jugular. Between the creepy clown doll and the bathroom scene where a character tears their own face off, there are some nightmarish images from Poltergeist that will brand themselves onto your brain. A great flick to get kids into slightly more extreme horror, but it will still work on the grown-ups as well.
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 The Thing from Another World goes back to John W. Campbell Jr.’s original story Who Goes There? and expands upon the mutating body horror that the alien story did so well. Thanks to some incredible design work by creature effects artist Rob Bottin, the surreal monsters are some of the most horrific and unique in cinema history. Add a few great jump scares that always land and The Thing is a sci-fi flick that never fails to bring the scary.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven brought to life one of film history’s greatest monsters: Freddy Krueger. In this dreamy small-town tale, teenagers are being picked off one by one in their sleep. That concept of a serial killer who can infiltrate your dreams is so perfect that it has never gone out of style. Not only is the idea itself chilling but A Nightmare on Elm Street also maintains an atmosphere of unease and unreality throughout its running time. Though the sequels provided diminishing returns, the original will still keep you up at night.
The Fly (1986)
David Cronenberg’s remake of the 1958 classic is a touchstone for vicious special effects but it’s also one of the most tragic and terrifying sci-fi films ever made. The story of a scientist who attempts to conquer teleportation quickly descends into a body horror extravaganza that will have you squirming in your seat. The fact that all this icky gore and monster makeup is balanced with an effective romance story only makes The Fly more of a winner.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
John McNaughton loosely adapts the real-life murders of Henry Lee Lucas into this frighteningly believable examination of a serial killer. If you only know actor Michael Rooker for his role as Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy, then Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer will make you see him in a completely new light. Rooker’s performance is astonishing in its coldness. Every other entry on this list falls into some realm of fantasy, but Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is the scariest possibility of all: a human monster that could be living next door to you.
Hellraiser (1987)
Clive Barker adapts his own novella, The Hellbound Heart, into the groundbreaking and grotesque film Hellraiser. It’s a disturbing exploration of the thin line between pleasure and pain, and it features the iconic monsters known as Cenobites. This is a flick that is certainly going to be a little too nauseating for some folks, but that’s part of the movie’s dark magic spell. From the eerie atmosphere to the sickening design of the monsters, Hellraiser is the kind of movie that sticks in your head forever.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Writer/director Shinya Tsukamoto takes inspiration from David Lynch’s Eraserhead and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome to create a shocking and unbelievable fever dream of a horror film. The plot is fairly thin — a Japanese salaryman begins to metamorphose into a being made of metal — but it’s the cyberpunk style and aggressive tone of the movie that makes it so uncomfortable. Tetsuo: The Iron Man is definitely not one for the faint of heart but a necessary watch for anyone who loves ’80s horror movies.
