You could make an argument that the 1980s was the golden age of horror. Jason Vorhees, Freddy Kreuger, and Michael Myers were all going strong, wreaking havoc on their respective movie franchises and shocking audiences loving every minute. Because of the popularity of the genre, there were more and more movies being made every day, attempting to cash in on the audience’s growing fascination with the horrific. In turn, there have been dozens of truly great 1980s horror movies lost to history. Which is why we’ve compiled this list, ranking the ten best underrated horror movies of the 1980s.
10. An American Werewolf In London (1981)
This 1981 horror/fantasy movie comes to us from writer/director John Landis who, ironically, is known far more for his work in comedy, which includes such legendary films as Animal House and The Blues Brothers. Which is why, perhaps, this movie is so adept at moving between comedic moments and truly frightening sequences. Starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne, An American Werewolf in London follows two backpacking tourists who have an unfortunate run-in with a werewolf, and only one of them survives the attack. The fun of any werewolf film is watching the transformation from human to flesh-eating man/wolf, and the transformation scene of this ’80s horror film was ground-breaking and ahead of its time.
9. Friday The 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
The original Friday The 13th hit the big screens in 1980 and in a mere six years, we are already on to this, the sixth installment in the Jason Vorhees saga, an impressive feat to say the least. While some may decry diminishing returns when you stretch a horror conceit to this kind of limit, we would argue that Friday The 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives is all the better for it. By this point, viewers were familiar with the mask-donning, knife-wielding Jason Vorhees and so were ready to have some fun with it. Which is precisely what director Tom McLoughlin does here, playing up the more comedic and absurd elements of the movie and plot to great effect. You can watch this now on Starz.
8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986)
When it was released in 1974, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was immediately polarizing for its gruesome and uncompromising violence. It has since become one of the most influential horror films of all time. This — its 1986 sequel — may be less well-known, but recommended regardless. Directed by Tobe Hooper, who also directed the original, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 has all the excess you might expect from an ’80s horror movie and, though it was critically lambasted upon its release, actually holds up better than you might expect. You can check it out for yourself now on HBO Max.
7. The Company Of Wolves (1984)
Little Red Riding Hood is one of the most recognizable stories in Western literature. It is also one ripe for a horror reimagining, which is precisely what The Company Of Wolves accomplishes. Written and directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), The Company Of Wolves turns its familiar source material into a downright trippy exploration of the human psyche, embracing the gothic, macabre aspect of the story and creating something almost dreamlike. This was not a movie many viewers saw at the time, but has since grown in esteem, becoming a bit of a cult hit in its own right.
6. Pet Semetary (1989)
1989’s Pet Semetary is one of many, many movies to be adapted from the work of Stephen King in the 1980s and beyond. This one, directed by Mary Lambert, tells the story of the Creeds, an idyllic family soon haunted by a cursed pet cemetery behind their home. This pulled all the twisted, bombastic horror you want from a King story and presented it in a way that is both terrifying and a heck of a lot of fun. You can watch Pet Semetary now on Amazon Prime.
5. The Fly
David Cronenberg is, without a doubt, one of the kings of ’80s horror and The Fly remains one of his best movies. The Fly stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, two very charming actors who — despite the absurdity of the plot — show some genuine chemistry. Goldblum plays Seth Brundle, a scientist who is working on a teleportation machine he assures Davis’ Veronica will change the very nature of existence. As it turns out, it does, but only for Brundle who — after a mishap — has his DNA blended with a fly, slowly turning him from human to some kind of human-fly hybrid. It’s not a movie for everyone but it’s hard to deny just how well this story is executed and, even after over two decades have passed, just how shocking the final-third of the film remains.
4. Creepshow (1982)
This 1982 anthology film is undoubtedly horror, though steeped in a healthy dose of comedy as well. It is, after all, directed by none other than George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and written by Stephen King, so the horror bonafides speak for themselves. The film is very much meant to emulate comic book storytelling and visuals, capturing a childlike obsession with the creepy and macabre. There has since been a couple of Creepshow sequels but none has quite captured the magic of the first.
3. Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins is not necessarily as obscure as some of the movies included on this list, but we would argue this 1984 black comedy remains underrated. Is it absurd? Yes, in almost every way, which is what makes it so darn good. When the movie’s hero, Billy, receives his new, furry little pet, he is given three strict rules, all of which he eventually breaks, causing mayhem in the best way possible. Serving as a near-perfect Christmas movie as well, Gremlins never fails to surprise.
2. Celia
Celia is a 1989 horror movie that came out of Australia from writer/director Ann Turner. There is, plot-wise, a lot going on in Celia which incorporates, among other things, the growing fear of communism in 1950s Australia, satanic rituals, burning effigies, a rabbit named Murgatroyd, and an evil creature called a Hobyah. Celia is at its best when it delves into the anxieties and uncertainties of adolescence.
1. The Prince Of Darkness (1987)
Listen, we could have probably put a handful of John Carpenter movies on this list. Yes, he is well-respected and considered one of the best horror directors of all time, but, in our mind, he remains underrated. Prince of Darkness is his most underrated film of all, a truly mind-bending, chilling depiction of the supernatural. Starring Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, and Jameson Parker, Prince of Darkness tracks a group of quantum physicists as they investigate a sentient liquid that may or may not be the devil incarnate. If that sounds insane, well, now you have an idea of what’s in store, as surreal and inventive a movie as Carpenter would ever make and, in our book, the #1 most underrated 1980s horror movie.