The best horror movies of the 1980s
The top 3 according to 63 votes from people: The Thing (1982) · The Shining (1980) · Evil Dead II (1987). (Updated Nov 2, 2025.)
The decade of Carpenter, Craven, Cronenberg and Clive Barker: the 80s horror films that top critics' rankings (Rotten Tomatoes, The A.V. Club).
Top 12
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1
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's Antarctic paranoia and Rob Bottin's effects.
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2
The Shining (1980)
Kubrick, Jack Nicholson and the Overlook Hotel.
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3
Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's horror slapstick.
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4
Poltergeist (1982)
«They're here»: the haunted suburban house.
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5
Hellraiser (1987)
Clive Barker's Pinhead and the puzzle box.
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6
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven creates Freddy Krueger.
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7
The Evil Dead (1981)
The cabin in the woods that started it all.
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8
Videodrome (1983)
Cronenberg's nightmare about television and the flesh.
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9
The Fog (1980)
John Carpenter, a coastal town and the ghosts in the fog.
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10
The Fly (1986)
David Cronenberg and Jeff Goldblum's slow transformation.
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11
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
John Landis and Rick Baker's Oscar-winning transformation.
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12
The Lost Boys (1987)
Teenage vampires in Santa Carla.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (3)
Videodrome is so weird, Cronenberg was a prophet of the internet.
Evil Dead II above the original, agreed.
The Thing at #1 is correct. Nothing beats that blood test scene.