10 Horror Movies to Watch from the 80s

If you really think about it, the horror movie genre really originated in the 80s. One could always make the argument that it started with Jaws, but we still classify this one as an action adventure thriller. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Nightmare on Elm Street and the Child’s Play series are still some of the most popular horror movies to date! And these movies had low budgets! With buckets of cheap blood and some showing nudity, numerous people lined up at the box office with money in hand.

So they only made more as a result of the craze, continuing well into the 90s, 2000s and 2010s. Despite their declining quality of storyline, fans remain remain in love with the genre.

But if time is limited and you’re only able to watch a few movies, here’s a list you won’t want to miss. Although we would like to send out a forewarning, we weren’t able to sleep nor wanted to go outside after finishing them! Viewers beware!

Best Horror Movies from the 80s

1. The Shining (1980)

The best horror film ever made in our opinion, The Shining was based out of the Stephen King novel and produced by Stanley Kubrick. The central character is Jack (Jack Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He brings with him his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny Torrance (Lloyd).

But over time, Jack becomes possessed with “the shining”, which are psychic abilities that allow him to see the hotel’s gruesome history.  Dick Hallorann, the hotel cook (Crothers), also has the ability to communicate telepathically with Jack. He eventually learns the previous hotel caretaker went insane and killed both his family and himself.

2. The Thing (1982)

Such a strange name for such a popular, well-rated movie, The Thing is about a group of researchers in Antarctica who encounter a “Thing”, which is a parasitic alien that transforms into…things. As soon as they meet this “thing”, the group grows paranoid as they quickly believe they can know longer trust each other as any one of them could be the Thing.

as soon as the movie was released, it was rated very poorly and even described as “instant junk”, “a wretched excess” and allegedly the most-hated film of all time, according to Cinefantastique.

But following it’s release on home video and TV, it was reappraised to be one of the best science-fiction, horror films ever made, and has even gained a cult over time.

Many organizations have also developed a variety of The Thing’s merchandise, including comic book sequels, video games, haunted house attractions, 1982 novel, and a 2011 prequel.

Fun fact: They are remaking The Thing! It was supposed to be launched earlier in 2020, but it’s still in its earlier stages.

3. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Best known for starring Robert England as Freddy Krueger and Johnny Depp as Glen Lantz, A Nightmare on Elm Street is about a group of four teenager whose dreams are invaded and haunted by a burnt killer with a bladed leather glove. Oh, and if they’re killed in their dreams, they’re also killed in reality.

This was one of those films with a mind-blowing low budget of $1.8 million but grossed $57 million worldwide. It’s considered to be one of the best horror films ever made as it inspired six sequels, a TV series, a crossover with Friday the 13th (Freddy vs. Jason) and a ton of merchandise of course.

4. Poltergeist (1982)

While only rated PG, this movie could very well pass for PG-13. The only reason it wasn’t was because the rating didn’t come out until 1984. But Poltergeist has an amazing storyline, revolving around a little girl, Carol Anne and her family in a Los Angeles suburb. She’s first woken up by the ghosts in her TV and starts talking to them. Eventually, they become more intrusive in the families activities and pull Carol Anne into a world filled with evil ghosts, including the beast, one where her family must call on a medium to get her back.

While Spielberg was working on this movie alongside Tobe Hooper to direct this movie, he was also directing E.T. at the same time. Tobe Hooper had also directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film was first conceived on a dark horror sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind called Night Skies. But Hooper wanted more of a ghost story than aliens, hence, where they started with this film.

5. Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th is not only a movie, but a common phrase, TV series, twelve slasher films, video games, novel, comic books and various merchandise. It mainly focuses on the character Jason Voorhees, who drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the camp staff’s negligence. Years later, the lake is rumored to be cursed and holds a series of mass murders. Jason has become so famous that he’s featured in all the films, either as the killer or inspiration for the killings.

The movies have grossed over $529 million around the world and is the highest-grossing horror franchise in the world until the release of Halloween in 2018, which bumped up the Halloween franchise to the top.

6. Child’s Play (1988)

This movie gave us the creeps as little kids as we never wanted to sleep next to a doll again. The story first starts with a widowed mother who gives her son a doll to play with, who is unaware the doll is actually possessed by the spirit of a serial killer.

Child’s Play has grossed over $44 million from the small budget of $9 million. It’s also gained a cult following, spawning a media franchise of six sequels, comic books, merchandise, and a re-make in 2019.

7. Cujo (1983)

Based on Stephen King’s novel and directed by Lewis Teague, Cujo is about a rabid St. Bernard dog who attacks a mother and her son, with nothing to protect them but the metal of a car. He was once a playful companion, but when he was bitten by a bat, he turned into a vicious killer who attacked anyone who came near him.

Despite receiving mixed reviews and being a modest success in the box office, the movie has gotten a cult gathering in the years after its release.

8. The Blob (1988)

While the name itself sounds corny, The Blob has accrued a big cult following since its release. The movie is centered around an acidic, amoebic organism that crashes down on Earth from a meteorite, devouring and dissolving everything it touches.

This movie was also a remake from the 1958 original, but some have described it as “needless, if undeniably gooey remake”. But despite harsh critics’ review, it holds a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

9. The Changeling (1980)

This supernatural, psychological thriller is about a New York City composer with high self-esteem who moves to Seattle into a mansion which is believed to be haunted. The screenplay was also inspired by events that the writer Russell Hunter claimed to have experienced while he was living in the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in Denver, CO during the late 1960s.

Since its release, The Changeling has received a number of positive reviews and had a major international success. It’s also won several awards, including Best Motion Picture and was nominated for two Saturn Awards. It’s also considered to be one of the best horror films of all time as well as one of the most influential Canadian films.

10. The Fog (1980)

This supernatural horror film tells the story of a mysterious, glowing fog that fills a small coastal town in California, which brings a number of ravenous ghosts, vengeful spirits of killed mariners in a shipwreck about 100 years prior. The Fog was inspired by the British film The Trollenberg Terror in 1958, which was about monsters hiding in clouds.

The movie made over $21 million domestically in the box office but had mixed reviews. Unfortunately, the story was tainted by a poor remake in 2005, which received very negative reviews.

What are Your Favorite Movies?

There are, of course, hundreds of horror films made during the 80s but these were simply our favorite! We also LOVE Beetlejuice! We just believe it’s more fitting to place into another list, such as family-friendly horror movies.

Even for the 80s, these movies are not for the kids. Check out this post on family friendly scary movies.

What 80s movies do you enjoy? We’d love to hear them in the comments below!