Some of the best horror movies from the 1980s has gone completely unnoticed and deserves a closer look from modern horror fans, despite its obscurity. With so many brilliant horror films made in the 1980s, it's no surprise that so many excellent entries in the genre have fallen by the wayside. That doesn't mean they're not worth watching, as the decade was full of hidden gems that deserve more recognition.
The 80s are best known for its many iconic horror film franchises that began or gained traction in the decade. But for each Friday the 13th that has gained popular acclaim over the years, there have been twice the number of quietly incredible horror films that were virtually unheard of until today. 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 barely managed to become a socially acceptable popcorn with the demise of the “Satanic Panic” movement in the late 1980s. However, the controversial craze may still have been hot enough to overshadow that of 1987. The Gate, a joint horror co-production between American and Canadian creators. The film tells the story of a boy who discovers 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 it's an interesting case for a demonic horror film that prides itself on family values. Rated PG-13 only, The Gateironically, it works as a great gateway into horror for younger audiences, who will be able to appreciate and relate to the child protagonists. Obviously not the scariest thing in the world, especially decades later, the film still manages to be scary enough to capture the minds of its target audience, representing a rare horror film that is also somehow familiar.
9
The Howl
1981
The lycanthrope is a criminally underused monster in modern horror films, with most of the best werewolf films being made in the 80s and 90s. In 1981, three impressive werewolf-centric horror films were released, with The Howl undoubtedly being the most underrated. Directed by Joe Dante from Later Gremlins Fame, the film follows a news anchor who, after a terrifying encounter with a stalker, goes on retreat with her husband to a country resort to help process her trauma.
Horror icon Dee Wallace's character is out of the frying pan and into the oven when he discovers that the resort is actually a hidden community of werewolves. The result is a funny, bloody, hairy horror comedy that benefits from the ingenious 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 launching in the same year, The Howl could have been a culture staple of the limited werewolf subgenre.
8
Just before dawn
1981
An obscure slasher also released in 1981, Just before dawn was one of many worthy entries in the subgenre that sadly fell into oblivion in the shadow of larger franchises. Admittedly, the film has a rote premise, following a group of five friends who travel to the remote forests of Oregon only to be picked off one by one by a gruesome machete-wielding killer. However, Just before dawn it has some distinctive qualities that make it a unique experience in light of its on-paper synopsis.
Director Jeff Lieberman sees the film more as an artsy survival film with horror elements rather than a straight-up slasher film, and this seemingly minor tonal distinction actually comes across quite clearly. The stunning revelation that the singular killer is actually a pair of twins was also quite new long before Scream did a similar trick in 1996. The slow progression towards savagery of the protagonists to match the killers who pursue them makes Just before dawn a chilling character study as well as a spectacle-filled horror film.
7
Razor
1984
One of Australia's greatest horror films, Razor is an equally chilling story of man versus nature that deserves much more recognition in the modern day. Set 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 intruder soon comes across the snout and tusks of a huge and dangerous boar.
Combining elements of crime and natural monsters is an exciting combination that more films should explore. Razor manages to be a terrifying version of Stephen Spielberg's film Jaws set entirely on dry land, with a relentless, bloodthirsty animal stalking its prey at all times. Simple but effective, Razor it is a terrible indictment of the wrath of mother nature.
6
Next of kin
1982
Australian horror didn't need to rely on the country's unique natural landscape or creatures for all its horror needs in the 1980s, as proven by Next of kin. The film follows a woman who inherits her mother's retirement home 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 these places, it isn't long before the heroine suspects foul play, searching the idyllic nursing home for a possible killer.
As protagonist Linda begins to uncover her mother's diaries, it becomes clear that there has always been something wrong with the family business. Next of kin weaves an alarmingly tense suspense with its intriguing mysteries, drawing viewers in with what appears to be a haunted house story, only to turn into full-on action and horror in the third act. Next of kin was publicly praised by the great Quentin Tarantino, but on the other hand, it unfortunately went unnoticed by even the most die-hard horror fans.
5
Vampire's Kiss
1988
Although more recently he played the most famous vampire of all Renfield, Nicolas Cage's penchant for horror was on full display as early as 1988 Vampire's Kiss. Starring Cage as a cocaine-snorting young executive, his character's status quo is turned upside down when a casual sexual encounter leaves him with what he can only assume is a form of vampirism. It's not long before Cage goes crazy searching for a cure, as his bloody symptoms become increasingly difficult to contain.
In his first appearance in a true horror film Vampire's Kiss it's worth watching just for a young, hungry Nicolas Cage utilizing his trademark eccentricity to its full effect. The film cleverly uses its character premise to offer a scathing critique of the greed and excess of the Reaganomics era, painting a picture not unlike American Psycho. For fans of the first, even Nic Cage himself, Vampire's Kiss truly deserves to be a household name in horror.
4
High Slaughter
1986
With Christmas, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving being eagerly devoured by other horror films, it's no wonder that D-list holidays like April Fools' Day ended up getting their own dedicated films. To type High Slaughter, a typical high school slasher that spices up its plot with some clown-themed trappings. After a few pranks gone wrong leave an outcast high school student scarred and disfigured, he patiently waits for his former bullies to return to school, whereupon he exacts his revenge with a series of creative murders.
This bloody killer leaves no stone unturned with his creative violence, mutilating the human body in increasingly clever ways. The production values ​​are certainly cheap, but the low-quality feel almost makes the images seem even stranger and cruder, especially the main villain's distorted face and the old man's creepy mask. It is a shame High Slaughter was overshadowed, paradoxically, by another April Fools' Day-themed slasher released the same year, simply titled April Fools' Day.
3
Prince of Darkness
1987
John Carpenter's filmography should cast no doubt on his abilities as a terrifyingly depraved horror filmmaker, with hits such as Halloween, The Thing, and Carrie under your belt. However, one of his films to date has not received the credit it deserves, being the 1987 film Prince of Darkness. The logline is as campy as camp could be, focusing on a priest who finds a mysterious vat of green goo in the basement of his church.
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 addressed 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 sometimes keeping things light, providing a fascinating descent into the central meaning of good versus evil.
2
Celia
1989
The '80s are mostly known for campy horror films that indulge in excess, but the final year of the decade brought some more meditative horror films, like Celia. Another cooler coming from below, Celia explores a young Australian girl whose overactive imagination gets the better of her after the death of her grandmother. Between this tragedy, being bullied by her cousins, and her father's paranoia that her new neighbor friends are communists, it's all Celia can do before resorting to drastic action.
Celia is a riveting coming-of-age story that explores the dangerous and often violent frontier where children's worldviews collide with the expectations of adulthood. Commentary on the Red Scare setting of the 1950s period is also offered from a uniquely Australian perspective, making the film worth watching on several levels. Both a brilliant drama and a gripping horror film with alarming images, Celia is criminally underrated.
1
Anguish
1987
A film unlike any other, Anguish is a brilliant horror film that plays out like a nightmarish version of the Christopher Nolan film Start. The Spanish-produced film takes place almost entirely within the confines of a movie theater called The Rexwith most of the first act focusing on the film within a film, a horror film known as The momwhich itself ends up going to another movie theater. Before the credits roll, the patrons of The Rex they find themselves in the cruel hands of a real-life killer, almost emulating the one on screen.
The metacommentary of Anguish at times it's almost dizzying, with multiple levels of fiction to keep up with. However, the effort is worth it in the end, as the film's gore and absurd plot twists unfold in increasingly unbelievable ways. It's a wonder that Anguish did not become horror movie royalties for your creativity now.