The Crypt Charts
The Top 13 Horror Movies of 1982
The thirteen horror films of 1982 that the crypt judged worthiest, ranked by the Crypt Score.
Ranked by Crypt Score · Updated weekly · captured Jul 20, 2026
Eligibility: a title needs at least 2 rating sources and 1,000+ votes to chart — no thin-data entries.
Poltergeist
PG1982 · Horror · 114m · JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne
The Freelings' suburban home becomes the center of paranormal activity that opens a portal to the 'other side'. With help, they must cross over to get their daughter back.
White Dog
PG1982 · Drama, Horror, Thriller · 90m · Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives, Jameson Parker
Samuel Fuller’s throat-grabbing exposé on American racism was misunderstood and withheld from release when it was made in the early eighties.Today, the notorious film is lauded for its daring metaphor and gripping pulp filmmaking. Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people, and Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him. A snarling, uncompromising vision, White Dog is a tragic portrait of the evil done by that most corruptible of all animals; the human being.
Creepshow
R1982 · Horror, Comedy · 120m · Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen
Five grisly tales from a 1950s-style comic, including a murdered father rising from beyond, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.
The Sender
R1982 · Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction · 91m · Kathryn Harrold, Željko Ivanek, Shirley Knight, Paul Freeman
A disturbed telepathic man is able to transmit his dreams and visions into the minds of the people around him.
Don't Go to Sleep
NR1982 · Horror, TV Movie · 93m · Dennis Weaver, Valerie Harper, Robin Ignico, Kristin Cumming
One year after a young girl dies in a car accident, her sister begins seeing visions of her, while the family home is plagued by strange happenings.
Basket Case
R1982 · Horror, Comedy · 91m · Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel
A young man carrying a big basket that contains his extremely deformed, formerly conjoined twin brother seeks vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.
The Entity
R1982 · Horror, Mystery, Thriller · 125m · Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa, George Coe
A single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play.
Brimstone & Treacle
R1982 · Mystery, Drama, Horror · 87m · Sting, Denholm Elliott, Joan Plowright, Suzanna Hamilton
A mysterious stranger inserts himself into a troubled family's life, blurring the lines between good and evil as he cares for their disabled daughter.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1982 · Drama, Romance, TV Movie · 102m · Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi, David Suchet, Lesley-Anne Down
Quasimodo, the hunchback bellringer of Notre Dame's cathedral, meets a beautiful gypsy dancer, Esmeralda, and falls in love with her. So does Quasimodo's guardian, the archdeacon of the cathedral, and a poor street poet. But Esmeralda's in love with a handsome soldier. When a mob mistakes her for a witch, it's up to Quasimodo to rescue her and claim sanctuary for her in the cathedral.
Cat People
R1982 · Fantasy, Horror · 118m · Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O'Toole
After years of separation, Irena Gallier and her minister brother, Paul, reunite in New Orleans. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irena is drawn to the cat – and zoo curator Oliver to her. Soon, Paul will have to reveal the family secret: that when sexually aroused, they revert into predatory jungle cats.
Q
R1982 · Crime, Horror, Mystery · 93m · Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, David Carradine, Richard Roundtree
A fleeing gangland flunky discovers the New York nest of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, the man-eating flying serpent.
Vice Squad
R1982 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 97m · Season Hubley, Gary Swanson, Wings Hauser, Pepe Serna
An unlikely Hollywood hooker helps a detective set a trap for a mutilator pimp.
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