1980s horror was so iconic for the genre that it has become its own specific subgenre. Bombastic and unsubtle, the decade is known for its heavy blood and big effects. There was also bosoms and sex aplenty, along with the birth of the major of horror’s iconic villains — except for the respectfully older Leatherface and Michael Myers, the 1980s introduced Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Pinhead, Chucky, and the Predator. But that’s not to say that every great horror movie of the decade has gotten its due.
In a time when so many monsters, vampires, werewolves, and killers got their stars on Hollywood Boulevard, oversaturating the horror market would only inevitably mean that other villains would slip under the radar, go underappreciated, or worse, be missed entirely. Below, we rank just some of the hidden gems from the ’80s that absolutely must be sought out and rediscovered by any and all horror heads.
8 The Company of Wolves (1984)
ITC Entertainment
Leaning hard into the werewolf fantasy, you know The Company of Wolves is going to be pretty good when someone’s entire role is dubbed solely “Animatronic Wolf” in the opening credits. Following a series of vignettes centered on the lore of werewolves, the film’s progress can often feel stalled and random, but stick around for both the second and third-best werewolf transformation scenes ever put to film (after An American Werewolf in London, obviously), along with the imaginative direction from Neil Jordan.
This Labyrinth-esque fantasy horror features some truly haunting imagery and some very impressive acting from the animals involved. Also, The Company of Wolves is definitely the only film on this list where the great Angela Lansbury’s head is punched off and then smashed into a million pieces for some reason. Actor David Warner, who plays the father in this film, also features in another underrated ’80s horror movie below.
7 Bad Dreams (1988)
20th Century Fox
Escaping a cult where all of its members died by mass suicide at the behest of their leader, a man named Franklin Harris, Cynthia awakes from a coma and must attempt to recover from the horrors that were forced upon her. But as Cynthia acclimatizes to life again, is Harris really dead…?
While Bad Dreams’ themes are dated, the film is a little known ’80s romp that horror hounds should seek out immediately. Richard Lynch as Harris is superb, equal parts charismatic and scary as the cult leader, and the shots of the communion house set alight are tremendously well done.
6 White Dog (1882)
Paramount Pictures
The king of pulp, Sam Fuller, proved his glory days weren’t behind him with the uncomfortable ’80s masterpiece White Dog. Unbeknownst to Julie, the dog she has just hit with her car was previously trained to attack Black people. Bringing the Shepherd home as her place is broken into, the dog defends Julie from her attacker. From there however, this movie essentially moves like a slasher as the dog carries out attacks before Julie finally, with the help of a Black trainer (the legendary Paul Winfield, of The Terminator and Wrath of Khan fame), attempt to fix the creature with exposure therapy.
Asking whether an evil like racism can be unlearnt,White Dog presents hard questions in the guise of rip-roaring Hollywood means. A movie that doesn’t feel dated per se, as its theme was already something so controversial, nowadays, this is a film that is practically begging for a Jordan Peele remake.
5 Bad Taste AKA Dead Alive (1987)
Endeavor Productions
Long before he was directing hobbits and dwarves for Lord of the Rings or big-ass monkeys in King Kong, filmmaker Peter Jackson was known as a gory mischief-maker from New Zealand. In the really gonzo, low budget feature debut, Bad Taste, a small town is invaded by very rubbery looking aliens with a penchant for heavy artillery, and Jackson finds his feet with a tremendously silly directorial voice.
Not enough people have seen this picture, and it’s so far away from Jackson’s later work that it may not go down as smooth vs his newer movies, but sit back and let the ridiculousness of it all wash over you. Looking for a double bill? Team this with Jackson’s other schlocky ‘splatter’ horror film, 1992’s Braindead, for a wild, nasty night.
4 Day of the Dead (1985)
United Film Distribution Company
Arguably the most well known movie on this list, it still ranks as the black sheep of the great zombie movies from George A. Romero, and never got the acclaim as Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. It’s a shame, as Day of the Dead closes off one of the best trilogies in film canon, ending on this complete downer of a piece set in an army bunker during the zombie apocalypse.
Day of the Dead is a surprisingly bleak film through and through; the soldiers who are still stuck at the military base rule under the threat of violence and rape, while conflict and danger refuse to let up on both sides of the fence. Showing its legacy position, Day of the Dead also features a healthy dose of mad scientists, arguably the best on-screen zombie ever in “Bub,” and one of the most magnificent (and often replicated) deaths in a villain you can’t wait to see get what’s coming to him. Watch the incredible wall of hands effect below.
3 Society (1989)
Wild Street Pictures
A high school kid doesn’t believe that his upper class family are what they claim to be in Society, a satirical body horror film. The film follows an upper-class boy who stumbles upon a vast conspiracy which may implicate his family.
As the viewer becomes more involved, we see in grim detail the extent to which special effects had evolved in the ’80s, as human beings are shown meshed and contorted into an uncanny valley of disgusting shapes and positions. In a list where every single movie features some kind of incredible practical special effects, Society arguably beats them all. Director Brian Yuzna would also have a hand in 1986’sFrom Beyond, which quite easily could have also made this list.
2 Waxwork (1988)
Vestron Pictures
In the horror anthology movie Waxwork, a bunch of high school kids enter into a wax museum where they pass into the creepy world of its exhibits. Thankfully, every new vignette punches so hard, with trips into the worlds of werewolves, vampires and mummies all on display for us. Even 35 years later, viewers can still marvel at the werewolf segment (featuring John Rhys-Davies of Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings fame) and ask — just how did they do it?
Not to be confused with the Paris Hilton ‘film’ House of Wax or one of the first color films, 1933’s Mystery of the Wax Museum, Waxwork is an inventive and entertaining watch that should have so much more love to its name, and also stars Gremlins’ Zach Galligan.
1 Night of the Creeps (1986)
TriStar Pictures
Night of the Creeps was the movie that finally gave Tom Atkins his due. The white haired, dark mustached Atkins never succeeded in the same way as his leading man peers in the ’80s like Russell, Gibson, or Baldwin. That’s a shame, because Atkins put in solid and accountable (if a little dry) performances as a memorable player in Halloween 3: Season of the Witch and Lethal Weapon.
But Night of the Creepswas his moment in the sun, and he completely crushes it as the shotgun-toting savior. Admittedly, this is a B-movie, but one done right. Night of the Creeps chronicles an alien as it crash-lands on Earth and infects one of the inhabitants, with a zombie outbreak hitting the small town as a result. The film is in bad taste and silly, but somehow transcends this to become a true ’80s cult classic and proper ’80s fare.
