Decade
1980s Horror
The horror that defined the 1980s — ranked by Crypt Score, from era-defining classics to the deep cuts worth resurrecting.
625 titles
Poltergeist II: The Other Side
›PG-131986 · Horror, Thriller · 91m · Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke
The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religious zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne.
Critters 2
›PG-131988 · Comedy, Horror, Science Fiction · 86m · Scott Grimes, Liane Curtis, Don Keith Opper
Three bounty hunters from space fly back to the town of Grovers Bend, hoping to save local residents from a new batch of Critter eggs.
Swamp Thing
›PG1982 · Horror, Science Fiction · 91m · Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise
Mutated by his own secret formula, Dr. Alec Holland becomes Swamp Thing, a half-human, half-plant superhero who will stop at nothing to rescue government agent Alice Cable and defeat his evil arch nemesis...even if it costs him his life.
Chopping Mall
›R1986 · Horror, Science Fiction · 77m · Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Russell Todd
High-tech robots equipped with state-of-the-art security devices have been recruited as the new mechanical "night watchmen" for the Park Plaza Mall. When a jolting bolt of lightning short-circuits the main computer control, the robots turn into "killbots" on the loose after unsuspecting shoppers!
Puppetmaster
›R1989 · Horror · 88m · Paul Le Mat, William Hickey, Irene Miracle
After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, four psychics arrive at a secluded hotel where they are stalked by a group of murderous puppets.
The Keep
›R1983 · Horror, Fantasy · 96m · Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Jürgen Prochnow
Set during World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in a village in Romania's Carpathian mountains and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar, and a mysterious traveller.
Invaders from Mars
›PG1986 · Horror, Science Fiction · 100m · Hunter Carson, Karen Black, Timothy Bottoms
A boy tries to stop aliens that have taken over his town and are brainwashing its inhabitants.
Dead Heat
›R1988 · Horror, Science Fiction, Action · 86m · Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo, Lindsay Frost
Detective Roger Mortis is killed in action while investigating a string of mysterious robberies: until he's brought back from the dead with a chemical company's secret re-animation technology. Now he has twelve hours to solve the case of his own death before he dies: And stays dead.
Communion
›R1989 · Drama, Horror, Science Fiction · 103m · Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse, Frances Sternhagen
A novelist's wife and son see him changed by an apparent encounter with aliens in the mountains.
The Hand
›R1981 · Horror, Thriller · 104m · Michael Caine, Andrea Marcovicci, Annie McEnroe
Jon Lansdale is a comic book artist who loses his right hand in a car accident. The hand was not found at the scene of the accident, but it soon returns by itself to follow Jon around, and murder those who anger him.
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
›R1988 · Comedy, Horror · 75m · Gunnar Hansen, Linnea Quigley, John Henry Richardson
Los Angeles private eye Jack Chandler is hired by a worried mother to find her missing runaway daughter, Samantha. As Chandler searches for her whereabouts, he uncovers an evil cult that worships an Egyptian god, whose followers commit human sacrifices with chainsaws to appease their deity. He soon learns that Samantha has revenge in store for the cult leader and his bevy of blood-thirsty, chainsaw-wielding hookers.
Bad Dreams
›R1988 · Horror, Thriller · 86m · Jennifer Rubin, Bruce Abbott, Richard Lynch
Unity Field, a "free love" cult from the '70s, is mostly remembered for its notorious mass suicide led by Harris, its charismatic leader. While all members are supposed to burn in a fire together, young Cynthia is spared by chance. Years later, the nightmare of Unity Field remains buried in her mind. But when those around Cynthia start killing themselves, and she begins having visions of Harris, she may be forced to confront the past -- before it confronts her.
Nightmares
›R1983 · Horror, Science Fiction · 99m · Cristina Raines, Emilio Estevez, Lance Henriksen
A collection of short stories. In one a woman who leaves her house late at night to drive to the store while a killer is loose encounters some problems. In the second an arcade whiz kid's obsession with a game leads to deadly consequences. In the third a small town priest loses his faith and decides to leave town, but in the desert is stalked by a mysterious black pick-up truck. In the final story, a family's problem with a rat is larger than they think.
The Brain
›R1988 · Horror, Science Fiction · 92m · Tom Bresnahan, Cynthia Preston, David Gale
Dr. Blake runs a TV show called "Independent Thinkers", which is sort of a Scientology-like self-help/religion program. But he's not making his audience think any more independently – with the help of an alien organism he calls The Brain, he's using brainwashing and mind control. The only thing that stands between them and world domination is a brilliant but troubled high school student with a penchant for pranks...
The Slayer
›R1982 · Horror · 80m · Sarah Kendall, Frederick Flynn, Carol Kottenbrook
Siblings, Eric & his surreal artist sister Kay, her doctor husband David, her sister-in-law Brooke along with pilot Marsh become stranded on a rugged isle face off against a supernatural beast drawn to Kay who dreams of its killings.
Black Roses
›R1988 · Horror, Music · 90m · John Martin, Ken Swofford, Carmine Appice
Teens in a small conservative town are turned into evil demons thanks to the music of the titular heavy metal band.
The Unseen
›R1980 · Horror · 94m · Barbara Bach, Stephen Furst, Sydney Lassick
A trio of female reporters find themselves staying overnight in a house occupied by a hostile being lurking in the basement
Schizoid
›R1980 · Horror, Mystery · 89m · Klaus Kinski, Donna Wilkes, Marianna Hill
When Dr. Pieter Fales' patients start receiving ominous letters and getting murdered by an unknown black-clad assailant, he and his daughter both come under suspicion.
Hide and Go Shriek
›R1988 · Horror, Thriller · 90m · George Thomas, Donna Baltron, Brittain Frye
A group of teenagers spend the night in a furniture shop for a graduation party. When one of them talks her boyfriend into a game of hide-and-seek, a psycho killer starts hunting them down one by one.
Ghostkeeper
›R1981 · Horror, Thriller · 87m · Riva Spier, Murray Ord, Sheri McFadden
A group of three friends on a snowmobiling trip find themselves stranded at an abandoned lodge isolated in the mountains. They discover that an old woman resides in the hotel, along with an evil entity that she is keeping in the basement.
Blood Beat
›R1983 · Horror · 86m · Helen Benton, Terry Brown, Dana Day
Sarah and her boyfriend have decided to spend Christmas at his home in rural Wisconsin. However, upon arriving, she begins to feel a strange presence around her, and a mysterious figure garbed in a Samurai outfit begins murdering the townsfolk.
Silent Madness
›R1984 · Horror · 93m · Viveca Lindfors, Belinda Montgomery, Solly Marx
A psychiatrist poses as an ex-sorority sister to stop a slasher freed by a computer error.
The Zero Boys
›1986 · Horror, Action, Thriller · 89m · Daniel Hirsch, Kelli Maroney, Nicole Rio
A group of friends travel to a wilderness area to play a survival game. Soon they unexpectedly find themselves in a real-life survival situation.
Cries in the Night
›R1980 · Horror, Thriller · 93m · Kay Hawtrey, Lesleh Donaldson, Barry Morse
A young woman arrives at her grandmother's house, which used to be a funeral home, to help her turn the place into a bed-and-breakfast inn. After they open, however, guests begin disappearing or turning up dead.
