The Golden Age of Horror: The Best ’80s Horror Movies and How to Stream Them

If you’re new to ‘80s horror movies, you’re in for a treat. They’re some of the scariest scary films ever—and a whole lotta fun.

Some of us had the luxury of watching these movies in theaters, renting stacks of them on VHS (thanks, Mom!), or—if the ‘rents weren’t supportive of our interests—sneak-watching them on cable TV. Nowadays, we can stream ‘80s horror movies in even greater quantities, so it’s a great time to get into them.

We’ve compiled a list of classic ‘80s horror movies to get you started. Each recommended film has auto-updating JustWatch links telling you which streaming services have them available to stream, rent, or buy.

Also, since we’re confident you’ll love ‘80s horror movies, we’re including dozens more recommendations for further viewing.

John Landis’ 1981 horror-comedy tops pretty much every list of “best werewolf movies” for a litany of reasons. It’s genuinely frightening, and it finds its scares in more than werewolf carnage. The charming main characters get you invested in their plights, heightening the terror, horror, and even grief. And the jokes work—not only because they’re hilarious, but also because they relieve tension, setting up big scares.

The film’s legendary, award-winning special effects include Rick Baker’s masterful, disturbing transformation scene (soundtracked by an on-the-snout song choice that we won’t spoil for you). Also, look for cameos by Muppet man Frank Oz and the late Rik Mayall (The Young Ones, Drop Dead Fred).

When Wes Craven dropped this film in 1984, we were still trying to wrap our heads around slashers like Michael Myers (Halloween) and Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) who wouldn’t stay dead. Then came Freddy Krueger. Already dead, Freddy was a child murderer who could crash our dreams and cut us up with his DIY claws.

If you, like me, were young when A Nightmare on Elm Street came out, this was a special kind of scary—especially since we couldn’t get that haunting “1, 2, Freddy’s comin’ for you” nursery rhyme out of our heads. But you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy Freddy’s kicks. Nearly 40 years after its release, Elm Street still haunts anyone who watches it.

If you’re only going to watch one Italian cannibal movie from the 1980s, let it be this iconic and infamous choice. Just a heads up: cannibal films aren’t for every horror enthusiast.

Certain scenes may wrench your heart, especially if you’re an animal lover or vegan. Plus, the whole mondo, gross-out cannibalism theme might make your stomach flip.

That said, don’t miss the unforgettable moment featuring a woman splayed in a way that’s both shocking and darkly comedic—complete with a nod to the cannibals’ strict “keto” diet. Not for the faint of heart. —Mike Strayer, Managing Editor

I wish everyone could’ve seen Child’s Play in the ‘80s, when the toddler-sized, freckle-faced, overalls-wearing My Buddy doll was a popular toy. You know, like the Good Guy doll that serial killer Charles Lee Ray, aka Chucky, inhabits in this movie.

Stabby talking dolls are still scary—we know this because the Chucky TV series is about to start filming its third season. So whether or not you had a My Buddy doll as a kid, Child’s Play will get you good.

Creepshow is a horror anthology written by esteemed horror author Stephen King, directed by venerated horror auteur George A. Romeo (Night of the Living Dead), and made to look like a horror comic.

That should be enough info to get most horror fans drooling, but here’s a bit more: The film has five stories—six with the wraparound tale—covering family drama, zombies, astro-botanical body horror (starring King himself), ancient cryptids, and cockroaches. Each tale is uniquely terrifying and witty. Along with the well-executed horror-comic gimmick, Creepshow lives up to its claim you’ll have “The most fun you’ll ever have being scared.”

Many ‘80s horror movie lists skip over the first film in Sam Raimi’s now-classic Evil Dead series and go straight to Evil Dead 2 (1987). Is ED2 a better movie? Sure. It also incorporates some of the original script, so some people suggest skipping straight to the second film. Don’t.

What Raimi and crew accomplished with The Evil Dead despite their limited resources might seem cheap and dated now, but The Evil Dead is still one of the scariest films we’ve ever seen. Don’t deprive yourselves of one of horror fandom’s great pleasures. Besides, Evil Dead 2 isn’t that similar to its predecessor.

When the original The Fly came out in 1958, the idea of a man and a housefly merging into one creature was sufficiently terrifying to 1958 audiences. By 1986, audiences needed something extra to activate their spook centers.

Enter David Cronenberg. The body-horror auteur’s knack for the disturbing and disgusting—plus standout performances from Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis—was just what the doctor ordered, ensuring this updated The Fly would remain scary long past the mid-1980s.

This franchise is largely responsible for the ‘80s being the best decade for slasher films. Friday the 13th led to 10 sequels, a remake, an upcoming Peacock TV series (Crystal Lake), so much merch, so many copycat films, and one of the most iconic masked killers in horror history: Jason Voorhees.

Fans and critics alike point to Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) as the best film in the series, followed by the first two Friday films. They’re correct—but part of the reason is Jason’s evolution, which begins in Friday the 13th (wink to the fans who know exactly when) and develops over the next two films, one of which kinda sucks but is worth seeing, anyway.

Life takes a terrifying turn for 17-year-old Charley Brewster when he realizes his new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige, is a vampire. Desperate to protect his loved ones, Charley enlists the help of the washed-up TV horror host Peter Vincent. But it quickly becomes clear that neither Peter nor Charley is fully prepared to face off against a real-life vampire.

Fright Night expertly blends scares and humor, making it a standout 80s horror flick. If you dig it, check out the underseen Fright Night Part 2 (1988)—free to stream on YouTube. The 2011 remake with Anton Yelchin and Colin Farrell is also worthwhile. —Taylor Kujawa, Sports Editor

Clive Barker’s film, based on his novella The Hellbound Heart (1986), has (as head Cenobite Pinhead says) “such sights to show you.”

I mean, what’s scarier than solving an ornate Rubik’s Cube and, instead of basking in clout, suddenly finding yourself deep into an acupuncture session you don’t recall making—then you get pulled apart like a quesadilla?

That’s undoubtedly an oversimplified description of this wickedly creative story about Hell and demons. But if that’s the kind of horror that keeps you up at night, you won’t sleep much after watching Hellraiser.

Joel Schumacher’s vampiric take on Peter Pan is sexy, stylish, scary, and totally about arrested male development—but Peter Pan’s populartiy proves all genders relate to not wanting to grow up.

It helps, too, that The Lost Boys is stacked with hotness (what’s up, Dianne Wiest?), set in a Califonia beach town, and has a kickass soundtrack, motorcycle night rides, two Coreys (Haim, Feldman), one Kiefer (Sutherland), and that scene of swole saxman sex-ifying a Christian rock classic.

Best. Summer. Ever. As long as you don’t die (permanently).

We all live in fear of losing a loved one in an accident. It’s hard to imagine ever coming back from that. But what if your elderly neighbor showed you how to bring back your beloved kitty cat, toddler, or spouse? It’s too good to be true, but wouldn’t you do anything to bring back your loved ones—even if it killed you?

This Stephen King story, adapted by director Mary Lambert, is even more nightmarish than I’ve made it sound. You have to watch (or read) Pet Sematary to discover why. Just don’t do it if you’ve recently lost someone, ‘cause then the film gets scary on a whole ‘nother level.

After following The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) with a killer croc flick (Eaten Alive, 1976) and a slasher movie (The Funhouse, 1981), Tobe Hooper went PG with Poltergeist—and scored another classic.

As ghost stories go, the ‘we-built-on-sacred-land-and-the-spirits-are-pissed’ story is pretty basic—but Poltergeist isn’t. It drops you into a happy family’s life just as they’ve moved into a fabulous new home, which should be one of the happiest times of their lives. And then everything goes kablooey in ways that even modern, R-rated supernatural horror films can’t achieve.

Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead has a whole different vibe than other zombie movies. I mean, it has all the traits and tropes, but the zombies move faster, which cranks up the terror. The zoms also speak, looking you in the eye and moaning lustily about “BRAINS, BRAINS, BRAAAAAAIIIIINS!” It’s seriously creepy. And when they catch somebody, they bite through skulls like M&M shells. Eeewwww. Eeeeewwwww.

Fortunately, ROTLD has a silly streak, a kickass horror-punk soundtrack, and a topless Linnea Quigley zombie to temper the terror, making the film a helluva good time.

Stanley Kubrick’s film ain’t exactly what Stephen King had in mind for a film adaptation of his 1977 novel. That notwithstanding, The Shining is a stone-cold chiller and a horror classic thanks to King’s story, the cast’s brilliant performances, the fantastic cinematography, an excellent score, and even some of Kubrick’s artistic choices.

And let’s shout out to the late, great Scatman Crothers—voice of the great Hong Kong Phooey (among other things). He played the Overlook Hotel’s head chef—and Danny Torrance’s (Danny Lloyd) “shining” guide—Dick Halloran.

This adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 Cycle of the Werewolf novella is one of our favorites. After a freaky opening scene between a drunken rail worker and the werewolf, Silver Bullet drops you into small-town Maine (Tarker’s Mills, ayuh). Right away, you feel at home, like you know everyone, and you’re high on summer, excited for the July 4th festivities.

The story unfolds through teen Marty (Corey Haim). He takes a lot of crap for being disabled, but he’s a good kid, and his family loves him—especially his wild Uncle Red (Gary Busey), who shows up with a big surprise for Marty. Then the vicious, gooey killings start—and Marty finds himself in the middle of the action. No spoilers here, though. Just know you can’t go wrong mixing Stephen King, werewolves, and Gary Busey who, to our delight, ad-libbed many of his lines.

Pretty much every Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel/reboot/remake sucks to high heaven—except this blackly comedic sequel. We’re not sayin’ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is as terrifying as Tobe Hooper’s 1974 original. It’s not. Hooper does, however, harness enough of the original film’s terror to satisfy while adding new touches that give TCM2 its charm.

We meet a new member of the cannibalistic Sawyer clan (Chop Top, the hippie twin to his hitchhiking brother Nubbins in the first film), and Dennis Hopper plays the sheriff as only Hopper can. There’s also great gore, goofy gallows humor, and a bangin’ soundtrack featuring Oingo Boingo, The Lords of the New Church, The Cramps, Concrete Blonde, and more.

None of that redeems the film for those who wanted a second helping of the original TCM’s raw terror. But it did make TCM2 a buzzin’ good time—and classic of the VHS era.

Ray Nelson’s short story “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” was scary in 1963. It became even more so 25 years later with this John Carpenter adaptation. And, 35 years further on, it’s even scarier. Why? Because all this time, hasn’t it felt like an elite group of Reptilian aliens disguised as humans—ssssssshhhhh—have been controlling us, keepin’ the working man down?

They Live is also tons of fun, with mullet-sportin’ wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper kicking all the butts in the lead role while also attempting to act. And there’s no denying the awesomeness of Piper and costar Keith David’s epic six-minute fight in a dirty alleyway.

John Carpenter (Halloween) directed this second—and most faithful—adaptation of John W. Campbell’s 1938 sci-fi horror story Who Goes There?

The Thing appears on many “best horror movie” and “scariest movie” lists because it’s claustrophobic, intense, paranoia-inducing, and seriously gross. Excellent performances from a cast featuring Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Wilford “Diabetus” Brimley probably help, too.

But get this: Critics hated The Thing, and it performed poorly in theaters—but it finally caught on, achieving its cult status through home video.

• The Beast Within (1982)
• The Blob (1988)
• Brain Damage (1988)
• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1989)
• Possession (1981)
• Re-Animator (1985)

• Scanners (1981)
• Society (1989)
• Street Trash (1987)
• The Stuff (1985)
• Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
• Videodrome (1983)

• Anthropophagous (1980)
• Cannibal Apocalypse (1980)
• Cannibal Ferox (1981)
• Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
• Cut and Run (1985)

• Eaten Alive! (1980)
• Massacre in Dinosaur Valley (1985)
• Motel Hell (1980)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

• A Blade in the Dark (1983)
• The House at the Edge of the Park (1980)
• Macabre (1980)
• The New York Ripper (1982)

• Opera (1987)
• Phenomena (1985)
• Stage Fright (1987)
• Tenebrae (1982)

• After Midnight (1989)
• Cat’s Eye (1985)
• Creepshow 2 (1987)
• From a Whisper to a Scream (1987)

• The Monster Club (1981)
• Night Train to Terror (1985)
• Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
• Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

• Bad Taste (1987)
• Brain Damage (1988)
• Bride of Re-Animator (1990)
• Critters (1986)
• Curse of the Queerwolf (1988)
• Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
• Evil Dead 2 (1987)
• Ghoulies (1985)
• Gremlins (1985)
• House (1986)
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
• The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

• The Monster Squad (1987)
• Motel Hell (1980)
• Munchies (1987)
• A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1983)
• Parents (1985)
• Re-Animator (1985)
• Saturday the 14th (1981)
• Society (1989)
• Spookies (1986)
• The Stuff (1985)
• The Toxic Avenger (1984)
• Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

• Alligator (1980)
• Basket Case (1982)
• The Beast Within (1982)
• The Blob (1988)
• Blue Monkey (1987)
• Cujo (1983)
• From Beyond (1986)

• Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
• Leviathan (1989)
• The Monster Squad (1987)
• Pumpkinhead (1988)
• Q the Winged Serpent (1982)
• Razorback (1984)
• The Thing (1982)

• Demons (1985)
• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1989)
• Night of the Demons (1988)

• Prince of Darkness (1987)
• Spellbinder (1988)
• Trick or Treat (1986)

• Alien (1979)*
• Aliens (1986)
• Altered States (1980)
• Brain Damage (1988)
• Chopping Mall (1986)
• Critters (1986)
• The Fly (1986)
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
• Invaders from Mars (1986)
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

• Leviathan (1989)
• Lifeforce (1985)
• Maximum Overdrive (1986)
• Re-Animator (1985)
• Scanners (1981)
• The Stuff (1985)
• Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
• The Thing (1982)
• Videodrome (1983)

• A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
• The Burning (1981)
• Chopping Mall (1986)
• Evil Dead Trap (1988)
• Friday the 13th, Part 2 (1981)
• Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
• The Funhouse (1981)
• Halloween II (1982)
• Intruder (1989)

• Maniac (1981)
• My Bloody Valentine (1981)
• Pieces (1982)
• Prom Night (1980)
• The Prowler (1981)
• Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
• Sleepaway Camp (1983)
• The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

• The Beyond (1981)
• Cat People (1982)
• The Changeling (1980)
• The Children of the Corn (1984)
• Christine (1983)
• City of the Living Dead (1980)
• Evil Dead 2 (1987)
• The Fog (1980)
• Ghost Story (1981)

• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1987)
• House (1986)
• Inferno (1980)
• Poltergeist (1982)
• Prince of Darkness (1987)
• Puppet Master (1989)
• The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
• Warlock (1989)

• Habit (1987)
• The Hunger (1983)
• Lifeforce (1985)
• My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987)
• Near Dark (1989)
• A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1983)

• Saturday the 14th (1981)
• Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
• Vamp (1986)
• Vampire in Venice / Nosferatu in Venice (1988)
• Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
• Waxwork (1988)

• The Company of Wolves (1984)
• Curse of the Queerwolf (1988)
• The Howl of the Devil (1987)
• The Howling (1981)

• Night of the Werewolf (1980)
• Silver Bullet (1985)
• Wilczyca / The Wolf (1983)
• Wolfen (1981)

• The Beyond (1981)
• City of the Living Dead (1980)
• Day of the Dead (1985)
• Dead & Buried (1981)
• Dead Heat (1988)

• The House by the Cemetery (1981)
• Night of the Comet (1984)
• Night of the Creeps (1986)
• The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
• Zombie Holocaust (1980)

• Boardinghouse (1982)
• Demon Wind (1990)
• Hack-O-Lantern (1988)
• Hard Rock Zombies (1985)
• Hobgoblins (1988)
• The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf (1985)
• Killer Workout (1987)
• Luther the Geek (1989)
• Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989)

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare (1987)
• Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
• Spookies (1986)
• Tales from the Quadead Zone (1987)
• Things (1988)
• Troll 2 (1990)
• Zombie 3 (1988)
• Zombie 4: After Death (1988)