Best Horror Movies of the 1980s

1. 1
   The Shining 1980

   Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Streaming on HBO Max
   8.2

   8.2 · 20K votes
2. 2
   Come and See 1985

   Directed by Elem Klimov
   8.1

   8.2 · 2K votes
3. 3
   Michael Jackson's Thriller 1983

   Directed by John Landis
   8.1

   8.3 · 808 votes
4. 4
   The Thing 1982

   Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus
   8.1

   8.1 · 8.4K votes
5. 5
   Evil Dead II 1987

   Directed by Sam Raimi · Streaming on HBO Max, Kanopy, IndieFlix Shorts
   7.5

   7.5 · 3.7K votes
6. 6
   The Fly 1986

   Directed by David Cronenberg · Streaming on Hulu, Peacock Premium, Philo
   7.4

   7.4 · 5.2K votes
7. 7
   An American Werewolf in London 1981

   Directed by John Landis · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus
   7.4

   7.4 · 2.8K votes
8. 8
   A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984

   Directed by Wes Craven · Streaming on HBO Max, AMC+, AMC
   7.3

   7.4 · 6K votes
9. 9
   The Evil Dead 1983

   Directed by Sam Raimi · Streaming on Xumo Play
   7.2

   7.3 · 4.8K votes
10. 10
    Possession 1981

    Directed by Andrzej Żuławski · Streaming on Philo, AMC+, Kanopy
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.5K votes
11. 11
    Videodrome 1983

    Directed by David Cronenberg · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    7.2

    7.3 · 2.6K votes
12. 12
    Poison for the Fairies 1986

    Directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada · Streaming on Philo, Hoopla, FlixHouse
    7.2

    7.8 · 154 votes
13. 13
    The Return of the Living Dead 1985

    Directed by Dan O'Bannon · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Philo
    7.2

    7.2 · 2.4K votes
14. 14
    Poltergeist 1982

    Directed by Tobe Hooper · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.1

    7.2 · 3.5K votes
15. 15
    Gremlins 1984

    Directed by Joe Dante · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.1

    7.1 · 7.2K votes
16. 16
    Dimensions of Dialogue 1983

    Directed by Jan Švankmajer
    7.1

    7.6 · 176 votes
17. 17
    The Lost Boys 1987

    Directed by Joel Schumacher · Streaming on Philo, AMC+, AMC
    7.1

    7.1 · 2.4K votes
18. 18
    Godzilla vs. Biollante 1989

    Directed by Kazuki Ōmori · Streaming on HBO Max, Cinemax
    7.1

    7.3 · 321 votes
19. 19
    Angel Heart 1987

    Directed by Alan Parker · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube Free
    7.1

    7.1 · 1.8K votes
20. 20
    Re-Animator 1985

    Directed by Stuart Gordon · Streaming on Hoopla, Tubi TV
    7.1

    7.1 · 1.8K votes
21. 21
    Fright Night 1985

    Directed by Tom Holland · Streaming on Philo, AMC, Tubi TV
    7.0

    7.1 · 1.6K votes
22. 22
    Dead Ringers 1988

    Directed by David Cronenberg · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.0

    7.1 · 1.1K votes
23. 23
    Santa Sangre 1989

    Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Kanopy
    7.0

    7.2 · 528 votes
24. 24
    The Return of Godzilla 1984

    Directed by Koji Hashimoto · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Cinemax
    7.0

    7.2 · 357 votes
25. 25
    The Dead Zone 1983

    Directed by David Cronenberg · Streaming on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo
    7.0

    7.0 · 1.9K votes
26. 26
    Manhunter 1986

    Directed by Michael Mann · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Plex Channel
    7.0

    7.0 · 1.6K votes
27. 27
    Little Shop of Horrors 1986

    Directed by Frank Oz · Streaming on HBO Max, Cinemax
    7.0

    7.0 · 1.7K votes
28. 28
    Day of the Dead 1985

    Directed by George A. Romero · Streaming on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo
    7.0

    7.0 · 1.5K votes
29. 29
    Angst 1983

    Directed by Gerald Kargl · Streaming on Night Flight Plus, Midnight Pulp
    6.9

    7.0 · 450 votes
30. 30
    The Changeling 1980

    Directed by Peter Medak · Streaming on Fandango at Home Free, FlixHouse, Pluto TV
    6.9

    7.0 · 759 votes
31. 31
    Tetsuo: The Iron Man 1989

    Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto · Streaming on JustWatch TV Free, Kanopy, Night Flight Plus
    6.9

    7.0 · 745 votes
32. 32
    Dressed to Kill 1980

    Directed by Brian De Palma · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Hoopla
    6.9

    6.9 · 1.2K votes
33. 33
    Hellraiser 1987

    Directed by Clive Barker · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo
    6.9

    6.9 · 3K votes
34. 34
    Christine 1983

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Philo, Tubi TV, Sony Pictures Core
    6.9

    6.9 · 2.4K votes
35. 35
    Creepshow 1982

    Directed by George A. Romero · Streaming on Philo
    6.8

    6.9 · 1.2K votes
36. 36
    The Hitcher 1986

    Directed by Robert Harmon · Streaming on Cinemax, YouTube Free
    6.8

    6.9 · 1.1K votes
37. 37
    The Blob 1988

    Directed by Chuck Russell · Streaming on Philo, Pluto TV, Tubi TV
    6.8

    6.9 · 1.1K votes
38. 38
    Possibly in Michigan 1983

    Directed by Cecelia Condit
    6.8

    7.6 · 81 votes
39. 39
    The Beyond 1981

    Directed by Lucio Fulci · Streaming on fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus
    6.8

    6.9 · 701 votes
40. 40
    Child's Play 1988

    Directed by Tom Holland · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus
    6.8

    6.8 · 3.5K votes
41. 41
    The Pied Piper 1986

    Directed by Jiří Barta · Streaming on Philo, Kanopy, Night Flight Plus
    6.8

    7.5 · 85 votes
42. 42
    Frankenweenie 1984

    Directed by Tim Burton · Streaming on Disney Plus
    6.8

    6.9 · 461 votes
43. 43
    The Hidden 1987

    Directed by Jack Sholder
    6.8

    6.9 · 525 votes
44. 44
    The Entity 1982

    Directed by Sidney J. Furie · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.8

    6.9 · 613 votes
45. 45
    Prince of Darkness 1987

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
    6.8

    6.8 · 1.2K votes
46. 46
    Phenomena 1985

    Directed by Dario Argento · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, AMC+
    6.7

    6.8 · 956 votes
47. 47
    Near Dark 1987

    Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
    6.7

    6.8 · 925 votes
48. 48
    The 'Burbs 1989

    Directed by Joe Dante · Streaming on YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    6.7

    6.8 · 1.4K votes
49. 49
    Tenebre 1982

    Directed by Dario Argento · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC+
    6.7

    6.8 · 728 votes
50. 50
    The Fog 1980

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Kanopy
    6.7

    6.7 · 1.8K votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro 1986

   Directed by Raju Patel
   6.5

   7.7 · 35 votes
2. 2
   Variola Vera 1982

   Directed by Goran Marković
   6.4

   7.3 · 30 votes
3. 3
   The Ravishing of Frank N. Stein 1982

   Directed by Georges Schwizgebel
   6.3

   7.1 · 29 votes
4. 4
   Avengers from Hell 1981

   Directed by Lee Pooi-Kuen
   6.2

   7.7 · 11 votes
5. 5
   Special Bulletin 1983

   Directed by Edward Zwick
   6.3

   7.0 · 30 votes
6. 6
   He Lives by Night 1982

   Directed by Leong Po-Chih
   6.2

   7.4 · 14 votes
7. 7
   Portrait in Crystal 1983

   Directed by Hua Shan · Streaming on Eternal Family, ARROW
   6.2

   7.4 · 13 votes
8. 8
   Nagina 1986

   Directed by Harmesh Malhotra · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
   6.2

   7.0 · 23 votes
9. 9
   Good Night, Mr. Monster 1982

   Directed by Antonio Mercero
   6.2

   7.6 · 10 votes
10. 10
    Beneath the Skin 1981

    Directed by Cecelia Condit
    6.2

    7.6 · 10 votes