Some of the best brilliant horror movies made in the 1980s, it isn't a surprise that so many great entries in the genre have fallen by the wayside. That doesn't mean that they aren't worth watching by any means, as the decade was rife with hidden gems that deserve more recognition.
The 80s is best known for its many iconic slasher movie franchises that began or fully picked up steam in the decade. But for every Friday the 13th that picked up popular acclaim as the years went on, there were double the number of quietly amazing scary movies that went largely unheard of even to this day. Whether they're psychological thrillers, supernatural creature features, or good old-fashioned ghost stories, these forgotten films truly deserve to be household names.
10 The Gate
1987
The topic of demonic incursions was just barely able to be socially acceptable popcorn fare with the fade of the "Satanic Panic" movement in the late 80s. However, the controversial craze may have still been just hot enough to overshadow 1987's The Gate, a t horror co-production between American and Canadian creators. The film tells the story of a young boy who uncovers a geode buried in his backyard, only to unwittingly discover that the precious stone was actually the key to opening a portal to Hell itself.
The Gate is an interesting case for a demonic horror movie that prides itself on family values. Only rated PG-13, The Gate, ironically, functions as a great gateway to horror for younger audiences, who will be able to appreciate and relate to the child protagonists. Obviously not the most frightening thing in the world, especially decades later, the film still manages to be spooky enough to capture the minds of its target audience, representing a rare horror movie that's also somehow family friendly.
9 The Howling
1981
The lycanthrope is a criminally underused monster in modern horror movies, with most of the best werewolf movies being made in the 80s and 90s. In 1981, a whopping three werewolf-centric horror movies were released, with The Howling arguably being the most underrated. Directed by Joe Dante of later Gremlins fame, the movie follows a news anchor who, after a terrifying encounter with a stalker, goes on a retreat with her husband to a countryside resort to help process her trauma.
Horror icon Dee Wallace's character goes from out of the frying pan and into the oven when it turns out that the resort is actually a hidden community of werewolves. What results is a funny, bloody, and hairy horror-comedy that benefits from the genius practical effects expertise of Rob Bottin, the man behind John Carpenter's titular organism in The Thing. If it weren't for An American Werewolf in London releasing the same year, The Howling could've been a staple crop of the limited werewolf subgenre.
8 Just Before Dawn
1981
An obscure slasher also released in 1981, Just Before Dawn was one of the many worthy entries in the subgenre that sadly fell by the wayside in the shadow of bigger franchises. ittedly, the film has something of a rote premise, following a group of five friends that journey into the remote woods of Oregon only to be picked off one-by-one by a horrible machete-wielding killer. However, Just Before Dawn has a few distinguishing qualities that render it a unique experience in light of its tropey on-paper synopsis.
Director Jeff Lieberman envisions the film as more of an artsy survival film with horror elements rather than a straight-laced slasher flick, and this seemingly minor tonal distinction actually comes through quite clearly. The stunning revelation that the singular killer is actually a pair of twins was also quite novel long before Scream pulled a similar trick in 1996. The slow progression into savagery by the protagonists to match the killers that chase them makes Just Before Dawn a chilling character study as well as a spectacle-laden horror movie.
7 Razorback
1984
One of the great horror movies out of Australia, Razorback is a similarly chilling man vs. nature story that deserves far more recognition in the modern day. Taking place in the Australian Outback, the film centers on the widower of an American journalist who is murdered while investigating the illegal activities of a pet food cannery. While searching for answers, the American interloper soon finds himself up against the snout and tusks of a massive dangerous razorback boar.
Combining crime elements and natural monsters is a thrilling combination that more movies should explore. Razorback manages to be a terrifying version of Stephen Spielberg's Jaws set entirely on dry land, with a relentless bloodthirsty animal in hot pursuit of its prey all the while. Simple but effective, Razorback is a fearsome indictment of mother nature's wrath.
6 Next Of Kin
1982
Australian horror didn't need to rely on the country's unique natural landscape or critters for all of its horror needs in the 80s, as proven by Next of Kin. The movie follows a woman who inherits her mother's home for the elderly after her sudden death, only to discover that the residents are beginning to die at an alarming rate. While death should certainly be no stranger to such places, it isn't long before the heroine suspects foul play, searching for a possible murderer among the idyllic retirement home.
As protagonist Linda begins uncovering her mother's diaries, it becomes clear that something had always been wrong with the family business. Next of Kin weaves some alarmingly tense suspension with its intriguing mysteries, luring viewers in with what looks like a haunted house story only to go full action-horror by the third act. Next of Kin has been publicly praised by the great Quentin Tarantino, but has otherwise sadly flown under the radar for even die-hard horror fans.
5 Vampire's Kiss
1988
Though he more recently played the most famous vampire of all in Renfield, Nicolas Cage's horror proclivity was on full display as early as 1988's Vampire's Kiss. Starring Cage as a cocaine-snorting young executive, his character's status quo is turned upside-down when a chance sexual encounter leaves him with what he can only assume is a form of vampirism. It's not long before Cage descends into madness in search for a cure, as his bloody symptoms become harder and harder to contain.
In his first true horror movie appearance, Vampire's Kiss is worth watching for a young, hungry Nicolas Cage alone, utilizing his trademark eccentricity to its full effect. The film smartly uses the premise of his character to offer a scathing critique of the Reaganomics era greed and excess, painting a picture not dissimilar to American Psycho. For fans of the former of even just Nic Cage himself, Vampire's Kiss truly deserves to be a household name in horror.
4 Slaughter High
1986
With Christmas, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving all being greedily gobbled up by other horror movies, it's no wonder that holidays as D-list as April Fool's Day eventually ended up getting their own dedicated movies. Enter Slaughter High, a typical high school slasher that flavors its plot with some clown-themed trappings. After some pranks-gone-wrong leave an outcast highschool student scarred and disfigured, he patiently waits his old bullies' return to their high school, whereupon he enacts his revenge with a series of creative murders.
This gory slasher leaves no stone unturned with its creative violence, mutilating the human body in increasingly clever ways. The production values are certainly cheap, but the low-quality feel almost makes the imagery feel all the more eerie and gross, particularly the main villain's twisted visage and creepy old man mask. It's a shame Slaughter High was overshadowed by, paradoxically, another April Fool's Day themed slasher released the same year, simply titled April Fool's Day.
3 Prince Of Darkness
1987
The filmography of John Carpenter shouldn't cast any doubt as to his abilities as a terrifically depraved horror filmmaker, with hits like Halloween, The Thing, and Carrie under his belt. However, one of his films to this day hasn't gotten the credit it deserves, that being 1987's Prince of Darkness. The logline is as campy as camp could be, focusing on a priest who finds a mysterious tank of green slime in his church's basement.
Inviting a team of scientists to study the substance, the film soon explores the idea that some things are simply too evil for the human mind to comprehend. Carpenter played with similar themes in his other films, especially Halloween, but Prince of Darkness offers a wonderfully more supernatural and absurd take on the idea. The film explores some heady topics while still keeping things light at times, making for a fascinating descent into the very core meaning of good vs. evil.
2 Celia
1989
The 80s are mostly known for over-the-top horror movies that indulge in excess, but the very last year of the decade snuck in some more meditative scary films such as Celia. Another chiller from down under, Celia explores a young Australian girl whose overactive imagination gets the better of her in the wake of her grandmother's death. Between this tragedy, being bullied by her cousins, and her father's paranoia over her new neighbor friends being communists, it's all Celia can take before she resorts to drastic actions.
Celia is a fascinating coming-of-age story which explores the dangerous, often violent border upon which children's worldviews crash up against the expectations of adult life. Commentary is also offered on the Red Scare of the 1950s period setting from a uniquely Australian perspective, making the film worth watching on several levels. As much a brilliant drama as an exciting horror movie with alarming imagery, Celia is criminally underseen.
1 Anguish
1987
A film unlike any other, Anguish is a brilliant horror movie that plays out like a nightmarish version of Christopher Nolan's Inception. The Spanish-produced film is actually set almost entirely within the confines of a movie theater called The Rex, with most of the first act centering on the film within a film, a horror movie known as The Mommy, which in and of itself ends up going into another movie theater. Before the credits roll, the patrons of The Rex find themselves in the cruel hands of a real-life killer almost emulating that of the one on-screen.
The meta commentary of Anguish is almost dizzying at times, with multiple levels of fiction to keep track of. The effort is well worth it in the end, however, as the film's eye-popping gore and absurdist plot twists unfold in increasingly unbelievable ways. It's a wonder that Anguish hasn't become horror movie royalty for its creativity by now.
