Best Horror Movies of the 80s

The scariest horror movies from the 1980s. Slashers, monsters and cult classics ranked. Our expert curated list features the best picks with streaming links, ratings, and honest reviews. Updated for 2026 with the latest releases and classic favorites.

What are the best horror movies of the 80s?

Our curated list of best horror movies of the 80s features the highest-rated and most popular picks. Updated for 2026 with streaming links.

Last Updated: March 2026
1
Communion poster

Communion

19895.3

A novelist's wife and son see him changed by an apparent encounter with aliens in the mountains.

2
Psycho III poster

Psycho III

19865.7

When Maureen Coyle, a suicidal nun who resembles Norman's former victim, Marion Crane, arrives at the motel, all bets are off and "Mother" is less than happy.

3
Lucky Sky Diamond poster

Lucky Sky Diamond

19893.6

At the clinic where her boyfriend Katayama, a young genius doctor, is the director, Yoko, a young girl who continues to suffer from eerie nightmares every day, is not getting better despite the care of her sister Sakurako and Katayama's treatment. Sakurako, the sister, is suspicious of Yoko's condition and confronts Katayama, who tells her that she suffers from a serious mental disorder and that the only way to cure it is to have brain surgery. Yoko, despite being persuaded by her sister and Katayama, agrees to the surgery, although she is skeptical...

4
Razorback poster

Razorback

19845.9

In the Australian outback a vicious wild boar kills and causes havoc to a small community.

5
Black Candles poster

Black Candles

19826.2

A young woman travels with her partner to England on the unexpected death of her brother. Staying with her sister-in-law, she finds her companion soon drawn into a satanic cult based in the house whose rites seem to centre somewhat on large-scale sexual congress.

6
The Shining poster

The Shining

19808.2

Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.

7
Friday the 13th poster

Friday the 13th

19806.4

Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning.

8
Terror at London Bridge poster

Terror at London Bridge

19855.1

London Bridge, London, England, 1888: Jack the Ripper dies in the Thames river. London Bridge, Lake Havasu, Arizona, 1985: the last original stone used to rebuild London Bridge is laid and all the city is happy...but then some strange murders start happening. Policeman Don Gregory has some suspects, but when he develops a theory that Jack the Ripper has been resurrected, no one believes him.

9
Day of the Dead poster

Day of the Dead

19857.0

As the world is overrun by zombies, scientists and military personnel in an underground Florida bunker must decide on how they should deal with the undead.

10
Ghost Stories poster

Ghost Stories

19826.2
11
The Serpent and the Rainbow poster

The Serpent and the Rainbow

19886.4

A Harvard anthropologist is sent to Haiti to retrieve a strange powder that is said to have the power to bring human beings back from the dead. In his quest to find the miracle drug, the cynical scientist enters the rarely seen netherworld of walking zombies, blood rites and ancient curses. Based on the true life experiences of Wade Davis and filmed on location in Haiti, it's a frightening excursion into black magic and the supernatural.

12
Prince of Darkness poster

Prince of Darkness

19876.8

A priest discovers an ancient canister containing a strange liquid in an abandoned church. When a group of graduate students and scientists are tasked with studying it, they unknowingly unleash an evil force waiting to destroy all of humanity.

13
The Thing poster

The Thing

19828.1

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

14
Sorority House Massacre poster

Sorority House Massacre

19864.7

Upon joining a sorority, Beth is plagued by nightmares of a knife-wielding killer, when her past comes back to haunt her.

15
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers poster

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

19886.2

Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece.

16
Jaws 3-D poster

Jaws 3-D

19834.5

A giant thirty-five-foot shark becomes trapped in a SeaWorld theme park and it's up to the sons of police chief Brody to rescue everyone.

17
Cannibal Holocaust poster

Cannibal Holocaust

19806.3

A New York University professor returns from a rescue mission to the Amazon rainforest with the footage shot by a lost team of documentarians who were making a film about the area's local cannibal tribes.

18
The Final Conflict poster

The Final Conflict

19815.8

Damien Thorn has helped rescue the world from a recession, appearing to be a benign corporate benefactor. When he then becomes U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Damien fulfills a terrifying biblical prophecy. He also faces his own potential demise as an astronomical event brings about the second coming of Christ.

19
Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! poster

Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out!

19893.7

Ricky Caldwell, the notorious 'Killer Santa Claus', awakens from a six-year coma after being kept alive on life-support by a slightly crazed doctor experimenting with ESP and other special abilities. Ricky targets a young, clairvoyant blind woman, named Laura, whom is traveling with her brother Chris, and his girlfriend Jerri to their grandmother's house for Christmas Eve, and Ricky decides to go after her, leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake.

20
Humanoids from the Deep poster

Humanoids from the Deep

19805.8

After a new cannery introduces scientifically augmented salmon to a seaside town in the Pacific Northwest, a species of mysterious, mutated sea creatures begin killing the men and raping the women.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can stream them on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hotstar, Apple TV+ and more. Click "Watch Free" for direct links.

We update our movie lists regularly based on new releases, ratings, and streaming availability. Last updated March 2026.

Many of these movies are available on free trials of streaming platforms. Click Watch Free for the best available option.

The #1 pick is our top recommendation based on ratings, popularity, and critical acclaim. Check the full ranking above.

Most streaming platforms allow offline downloads within their apps. Check each platform for download availability.

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