Top 50 Horror Movies of the 1980s

In the 1970s the horror genre began to change and pick up steam.  Some of the biggest classics were  in the 1970s.  The 1980s came and we saw a new wave of horror that was born in the 1970s, the slasher sub-genre.  With that, we also could call the 1980s the birth of the horror sequels.  Sure there had been many before.  The 1980s saw sequels to many bigger movies from the 1970s and 1960s, Psycho II and III, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Exorcist II the Heretic and others.  Most of the sequels were from films born in the 1980s, it was a good decade for the horror film.

I also want to explain why there are no reasons for each movie and where they rank.  Each movie speaks for itself.

Today we celebrate the very best of the 1980s.  Here are the top 50 horror movies from the 1980s.

50. Critters (1986)

critters_shot1l

49. Night of the Comet (1984)

night-of-the-comet

48. Friday the 13th part 2 (1981)

3500795-9281758744-post-

47. The Stuff (1985)

thestuff9

46. Society (1989)

large_society_13_blu-ray_-e1432095370180

45. The House By the Cemetery (1981)

housebtc1

44. Children of the Corn (1984)

ChildrenOfTheCorn83

43. House (1986)

house-still-1

42. The Blob (1988)

theblob52

41. Friday the 13th part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

friday-the-13th-part-6-jason-lives

40. Night of the Creeps (1986)

Night-Of-The-Creeps

39. Demons 2 (1986)

demon3

38. Silver Bullet (1985)

silver-bullet-werewolf

37. Halloween III (1982)

halloweeniiiseasonofthewitch

36. From Beyond (1986)

From-Beyond-Stuart-Gordon-1

35. Sleepaway Camp (1983)

sleepawaycamp-4_758_426_81_s_c1

34. Poltergeist II: the Other Side (1986)

b3761923c91be79636a62b653c1fe1ac

33. Tenebrae (1982)

maxresdefault

32. Night of the Demons (1988)

night-of-the-demons-movie-still-scream-factory

31. Inferno (1980)

argento-c

30. Pumpkinhead (1989)

pumpkinhead-horror-review-10

29. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

the-serpent-and-the-rainbow1

28. Child’s Play (1988)

XxuX9

27. Near Dark (1989)

zdERdnOPBWBdkozRhVEaemueQXw

26. Pet Semetary (1989)

pet-sematary-1

25. Halloween II (1981)

maxresdefault-1024x576

24. Creepshow (1982)

4-15creepshow1

23. City of the Living Dead (1980)

city-of-the-living-dead

22. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

henry-portrait-of-a-serial-killer

21. Demons (1985)

demons-movie-eyes-light-up-customers-1024x503

20. Fright Night (1985)

fright-night-3

19. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

fridaythe13th

18. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

759662212_29

17. Friday the 13th (1980)

960

16. Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988)

hellbound-hellraiser-ii

15. Day of the Dead (1985)

Day.Of_.The_.Dead_.1985.Bluray.1080p.DTS_.x264+15

14. The Howling (1981)

Dee-Wallace-as-Karen-White-in-The-Howling

13. The Lost Boys (1987)

lost_hed

12.Poltergeist (1982)

zzpoltergeist9

11. Evil Dead 2 (1987)

evil-dead-2-monster-2

10. Re-Animator (1985)

2566361_orig

9. The Beyond (1980)

beyond-3

8. The Evil Dead (1981)

283170

7. Return of the Living Dead (1985)

product_detail_3162030205001_4822153919001_returnofthelivingdead

6. The Fly (1986)

q82xioc

5. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

american-werewolf-london-3

4. Hellraiser (1987)

v9ebl5jobqt23ox5oxpm

3. The Shining (1980)

theshining2

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A-Nightmare-on-Elm-Street-1984-e1415615080342

1. The Thing (1982)

theting3

Well?  What did you think, let us know on Facebook and Twitter.  This was a fun list to put together.  Not to be outdone, but we do have a list of the Top 50 Slasher Movies of the 1980s.  It is waiting for another time, after Halloween probably.

About Ray Marek III 699 Articles
I have been watching horror films since I was 6 years old. The story, one Saturday night, my mom and I were watching movies and she fell asleep on the couch. We had the channel set on HBO and the movie we were watching ended and the next one, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. This was some time in 1986. I watched then entire film, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. When my mom woke, she asked me what just ended and I told her, “Freddy”. That was all I talked about for weeks and finally she broke down and rented more horror films for me. She rented, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre part 2, Re-Animator, Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives and Halloween II. I watched all and fell in love with horror films forever. 5 Horror Films to Watch Inferno (1980) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) The Beyond (1981) Friday the 13th VI: Jason Lives (1986) Horror of Dracula (1958)