For mainstream horror, the 1980s was the peak popularity for the genre. Sure, horror movies have always been popular since the invention of film, but the 1980s turned the villain into the anti-hero with slashers becoming household names. Overall, the 1980s provided some of the best studio-financed horror movies ever made along with some smaller films we all remember to this day.
In recent years, the 1980s horror movies we love like EVIL DEAD, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and FRIDAY THE 13TH have all been rebooted or remade to try and recapture what made the movies so good three decades ago. Today we get the latest remake, POLTERGEIST, from director Gil Kenan. The Sam Rockwell led movie looks scary but not very different from the classic version. So, it got us thinking about that decade.
Here is our ranking of the best horror movies from the 1980s. Some are slashers, some are supernatural, and some may not be instantly recognizable, but all are really damn good. See if your favorite made the cut and if not, feel free to add it to the talk backs below.
POLTERGEIST is now playing.