The Best Slasher from Each Year of the 1980s

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While films like Psycho and Peeping Tom hinted at the slasher genre in 1960, it didn’t really take off until the mid-1970s with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Halloween (1978). Halloween especially sparked a huge wave of slasher films in the 1980s. With so many films being made in a short period, the quality varied greatly – some were excellent, while others weren’t. This was true for both original movies and sequels, including those featuring iconic villains like Leatherface and Michael Myers.

The 1980s had some slower years, but even then, at least one significant work always emerged within the genre. Let’s take a closer look at what happened during that decade.

10) Friday the 13th (1980)

Halloween proved you can create a truly scary masked-killer movie by suggesting horror rather than explicitly showing it. Friday the 13th, on the other hand, demonstrated how to achieve a similar impact with a much more direct and graphic approach.

Despite initial negative reviews, Friday the 13th is now considered a classic, especially considering it’s the only truly successful film directed by Sean S. Cunningham. Its simple but effective music, basic cinematography, realistic teen performances, and creative kills all come together brilliantly. While films like Fade to Black, Prom Night, Terror Train, and He Knows You’re Alone are good in their own right, 1980 belonged to Friday the 13th.

Stream Friday the 13th on Peacock.

9) My Bloody Valentine (1981)

1981 was a particularly strong year for slasher films. Movies like The Burning, Deadly Blessing, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Funhouse, Halloween II, Happy Birthday to Me, and Just Before Dawn are all considered classics, lesser-known classics, or hidden gems within the genre. However, many fans consider My Bloody Valentine to be the best standalone slasher film of the 1980s—meaning it wasn’t part of an existing series.

My Bloody Valentine creates a charming small-town atmosphere that quickly turns unsettling, and features a cast of generally appealing characters – including one with a hidden side. It’s a standout film in its genre, and the restored footage, originally cut by censors, delivers some of the decade’s most shockingly memorable and graphic death scenes.

Stream My Bloody Valentine for free on Kanopy.

8) Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

The original four Friday the 13th movies represent the height of the series, and are the only ones that truly managed to be frightening. Of those, Friday the 13th Part III is generally considered the least strong. However, it’s surprisingly the most significant because it’s where Jason Voorhees first started wearing his iconic hockey mask.

Let me be clear: we don’t think Friday the 13th Part III is a bad movie. It just doesn’t quite reach the level of the first film, or the movies that came right before and after it. Even with that said, it’s still better than films like Pieces, Slumber Party Massacre, or Madman, which are easily forgotten.

Stream Friday the 13th Part III on Paramount+.

7) Sleepaway Camp (1983)

The ending of Sleepaway Camp definitely reads as transphobic by today’s standards. The killer’s aggressive display is undeniable. However, it still delivers a shocking conclusion, and it’s thankfully not as awkward or problematic as the twist—and how the characters react to it—in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. That one is…rough.

Up until the very end, Sleepaway Camp is surprisingly effective. It definitely feels like a low-budget, amateur film – and that’s part of its charm. You’ve got quirky moments, like grown men in short shorts playing baseball against kids, that go on way too long. But it’s consistently fun and features a ton of really inventive kills. While Curtains and the excellent Psycho II were also in the running for the top horror film of 1983, Sleepaway Camp ultimately came out on top.

Stream Sleepaway Camp on Prime Video.

6) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Just like in 1980, 1984 had one clear standout film: Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s a remarkably creative and genuinely frightening movie, and it’s famous for introducing the iconic villain Freddy Krueger. Many consider it one of the most influential slasher films of the 1980s.

While other slasher films came out that year, like the popular Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and the controversial Silent Night, Deadly Night, Freddy Krueger truly stands out as the most memorable.

Stream A Nightmare on Elm Street on HBO Max.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)

1985 saw the release of several well-known horror movies, including George Romero’s Day of the Dead, Tom Holland’s Fright Night, Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator, and Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead. However, when it comes to slasher films, 1985 was notably a slower year for the genre.

We recently watched The Mutilator, along with two horror sequels that weren’t very well-received: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning. Of the two sequels, Freddy’s Revenge is the better film because it attempted something different and wasn’t simply a graphic and exploitative slasher movie.

Stream A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge on HBO Max.

4) Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

1986 saw a trio of strong slasher films, each of which cleverly played with the typical tropes of the genre. The standout was Tom McLoughlin’s Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, a film so well-made that it even impressed critics who had disliked the previous five installments.

Besides Jason Lives, two other horror-comedies stood out: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and April Fool’s Day. April Fool’s Day is only really enjoyable the first time you watch it, and its ending is likely to frustrate many. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, however, is genuinely great and has gained a larger following over time, but Jason Lives remains the stronger film.

Stream Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives on Paramount+.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

As a huge movie fan, I think A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors really builds on what made the original great. It’s honestly the Terminator 2: Judgment Day of slasher films – it introduces some awesome new characters, the dream sequences are way bigger and more creative, and even Freddy Krueger gets a bit of a personality update (though Judgment Day‘s villain definitely went through a bigger transformation!).

This is the ultimate slasher film sequel. It’s better than films like Blood Rage, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (which was surprisingly creative), and the often-overlooked Stage Fright.

Stream A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors on HBO Max.

2) Child’s Play (1988)

While some classic horror franchises were starting to decline by 1988, it was still a strong year for established series. Many fans consider Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers to be one of the best sequels, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master was an ambitious and popular film, and Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers delivered a hilariously over-the-top experience with creatively gruesome kills. Even Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, despite censorship issues, marked the debut of Kane Hodder as Jason and featured what many consider the character’s best look.

While the Child’s Play sequels have their merits, the original film and its villain, Chucky, were truly groundbreaking. Though Child’s Play 2 (1990) is faster-paced and more fun, and Brad Dourif really shines in the role, the first film featured a Chucky that was far more terrifying.

Stream Child’s Play on Peacock.

1) Intruder (1989)

Intruder feels a lot like a Sam Raimi film with its distinctive style and humor, though he didn’t direct it. Both Sam and his brother Ted make brief appearances, and it was helmed by their close friend Scott Spiegel, which explains its strong similarity to The Evil Dead. Instead of demons, this underrated slasher features a lone man with a knife terrorizing a convenience store – a surprisingly effective and original setting.

By 1989, the slasher film craze was fading, and even popular franchises were struggling. New entries in the Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween series—Jason Takes Manhattan, The Dream Child, and The Revenge of Michael Myers, respectively—were generally considered weak additions to those films’ histories. While Jason Takes Manhattan has gained a cult following for being entertainingly bad, the other two were especially disappointing because they followed much better movies.

Stream Intruder on Shudder.

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2025-11-01 00:12