Activity
Collections
Search
Alerts
Profile

Every movie. Every show. One diary.

Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play

Explore

  • Browse
  • Search
  • Activity
  • Collections

Product

  • Flickfolio Pro
  • Updates

Company

  • About
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Instagram
  • TikTok

Legal

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy

© 2026 Flickfolio · v1.29.0

This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.

    activitysearchbrowsecollections
    Sign in
    Home/Browse/1980s Movies/1980s Horror Movies

    1980s Horror Movies

    The 40 most popular 1980s horror movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.

    40films
    10rated by members
    Top ratedThe Lost Boys5.0
    Filter & sort these in Search
    Friday the 13th
    TMDB3.2

    Friday the 13th

    1980 · 1h 35m · US

    Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning.

    Pet Sematary
    TMDB3.3

    Pet Sematary

    1989 · 1h 43m · US

    After the Creed family's cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its burial in a mysterious nearby cemetery.

    The Shining
    TMDB4.1
    FF4.5

    The Shining

    1980 · 2h 24m · UK

    Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.

    The Thing
    TMDB4.0
    FF4.8

    The Thing

    1982 · 1h 49m · US

    A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

    A Nightmare on Elm Street
    TMDB3.7
    FF3.5

    A Nightmare on Elm Street

    1984 · 1h 31m · US

    Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world...

    Child's Play
    TMDB3.4

    Child's Play

    1988 · 1h 27m · US

    After being shot in a toy store, a serial killer transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll. A mother then gifts it to her six-year-old son Andy, which unleashes terror upon the city.

    The Fly
    TMDB3.7

    The Fly

    1986 · 1h 36m · US

    When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.

    Gremlins
    TMDB3.6
    FF4.0

    Gremlins

    1984 · 1h 46m · US

    After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.

    The Evil Dead
    TMDB3.6
    FF3.5

    The Evil Dead

    1983 · 1h 25m · US

    In 1979, a group of college students find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they've rented for a weekend getaway.

    A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
    TMDB2.9

    A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge

    1985 · 1h 27m · UK

    A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.

    Friday the 13th Part 2
    TMDB3.1

    Friday the 13th Part 2

    1981 · 1h 26m · US

    Five years after the horrible bloodbath at Camp Crystal Lake, new counselors roam the area, not sensing the ominous lurking presence that proves that the grisly legend is real.

    Come and See
    TMDB4.1

    Come and See

    1985 · 2h 22m · SU

    The invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Flyora into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Flyora finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope.

    Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI
    TMDB3.1

    Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI

    1986 · 1h 26m · US

    Tommy Jarvis, tormented by the fear that maybe Jason isn't really dead, unwittingly resurrects the mass murderer for another bloody rampage.

    Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
    TMDB3.1

    Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

    1984 · 1h 31m · US

    After his revival in a hospital morgue, Jason fixes his vengeful attention on the Jarvis family and a group of hitherto carefree teenagers.

    Hellraiser
    TMDB3.4

    Hellraiser

    1987 · 1h 33m · UK

    A hedonistic man finds a mysterious puzzle box that summons a group of gruesome beings known as the Cenobites. These otherworldly entities open the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible.

    Friday the 13th Part III
    TMDB3.0

    Friday the 13th Part III

    1982 · 1h 35m · US

    An idyllic summer turns into a nightmare of unspeakable terror for yet another group of naïve friends. Ignoring Camp Crystal Lake's bloody legacy, one by one they fall victim to the maniacal Jason, who stalks them at every turn...

    Halloween II
    TMDB3.3

    Halloween II

    1981 · 1h 32m · US

    After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael Myers has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she's been admitted for Myers' attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his favorite victim.

    Possession
    TMDB3.7
    FF4.5

    Possession

    1981 · 2h 4m · FR

    A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he finds out more and more strange behaviors and bizarre incidents that indicate something more than a possessed love affair.

    Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
    TMDB2.5

    Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

    1989 · 1h 40m · US

    Jason ships out aboard a teen-filled "love boat" bound for New York, which he soon transforms into the ultimate voyage of the damned.

    Evil Dead II
    TMDB3.8
    FF4.5

    Evil Dead II

    1987 · 1h 24m · US

    Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body.

    An American Werewolf in London
    TMDB3.7

    An American Werewolf in London

    1981 · 1h 37m · UK

    American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.

    Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
    TMDB3.1

    Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

    1988 · 1h 28m · US

    Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece.

    Halloween III: Season of the Witch
    TMDB2.6
    FF4.0

    Halloween III: Season of the Witch

    1982 · 1h 38m · US

    After a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital clutching the year's most popular Halloween mask, Dr. Daniel Challis sets out to investigate the strange events and finds himself thrust into a nightmarish conspiracy.

    Cannibal Holocaust
    TMDB3.1

    Cannibal Holocaust

    1980 · 1h 36m · CO

    A New York University professor returns from a rescue mission to the Amazon rainforest with the footage shot by a lost team of documentarians who were making a film about the area's local cannibal tribes.

    The Lost Boys
    TMDB3.6
    FF5.0

    The Lost Boys

    1987 · 1h 37m · US

    When an unsuspecting town newcomer is drawn to local blood fiends, the Frog brothers and other unlikely heroes gear up to rescue him.

    Christine
    TMDB3.4

    Christine

    1983 · 1h 50m · US

    Nerdy high schooler Arnie Cunningham falls for Christine, a rusty 1958 Plymouth Fury, and becomes obsessed with restoring the classic automobile to her former glory. As the car changes, so does Arnie, whose newfound confidence turns to arrogance behind the wheel of his exotic beauty. Arnie's girlfriend Leigh and best friend Dennis reach out to him, only to be met by a Fury like no other.

    Poltergeist
    TMDB3.6

    Poltergeist

    1982 · 1h 54m · US

    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.

    Friday the 13th Part VII - The New Blood
    TMDB2.8

    Friday the 13th Part VII - The New Blood

    1988 · 1h 28m · US

    Tina Shepard, a telekinetic teenage girl, accidentally unchains Jason from his watery grave, allowing him to go on another killing spree in the area.

    Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
    TMDB2.6

    Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

    1985 · 1h 32m · US

    Homicidal maniac Jason returns from the grave to cause more bloody mayhem. Young Tommy may have escaped from Crystal Lake, but he’s still haunted by the gruesome events that happened there. When gory murders start happening at the secluded halfway house for troubled teens where he now lives, it seems like his nightmarish nemesis, Jason, is back for more sadistic slaughters.

    The Return of the Living Dead
    TMDB3.6

    The Return of the Living Dead

    1985 · 1h 31m · UK

    Two employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a toxic gas from a misplaced top-secret U.S. Army shipment, causing the dead to rise from a nearby cemetery with an insatiable hunger for human brains.

    Vampire Hunter D
    TMDB3.3

    Vampire Hunter D

    1985 · 1h 20m · JP

    In a far-future time ruled by the supernatural, a young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.

    The Fog
    TMDB3.4

    The Fog

    1980 · 1h 30m · US

    Strange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.

    The Blob
    TMDB3.4

    The Blob

    1988 · 1h 35m · US

    In Arborville, California, three high school students try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches.

    Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
    TMDB2.7

    Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

    1989 · 1h 38m · US

    After lying in a coma for a year, Michael Myers awakens and stalks his way back to his small hometown in Illinois, intent on killing his niece, Jamie, who has been confined to a mental institution since his last attempt to slay her.

    Lifeforce
    TMDB3.1

    Lifeforce

    1985 · 1h 42m · UK

    A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.

    Dressed to Kill
    TMDB3.5

    Dressed to Kill

    1980 · 1h 45m · US

    After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.

    Midnight Matinee
    TMDB2.5

    Midnight Matinee

    1989 · 1h 31m · CA

    Even though a devastating murder took place during a small town's horror film festival two years earlier, townspeople want another festival.

    Little Shop of Horrors
    TMDB3.5
    FF4.7

    Little Shop of Horrors

    1986 · 1h 34m · US

    Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik's, a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker, Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day, Seymour finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for its supper.

    Fright Night
    TMDB3.5

    Fright Night

    1985 · 1h 47m · US

    Charley Brewster, a high school student, accidentally discovers the true and creepy nature of Jerry Dandrige, his dashing and enigmatic new neighbor; but no one seems willing to believe him.

    A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
    TMDB2.9

    A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

    1988 · 1h 33m · US

    Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.

    About 1980s Horror Movies

    The 1980s

    The 1980s codified the blockbuster — high concept, wide release, heavy merchandising — while home video quietly built a second life for films that flopped in theaters. Practical effects hit their peak just before CGI arrived.

    Horror

    Horror is cinema's most reliable laboratory — cheap to make, endlessly reinvented, and unusually good at smuggling in subtext. Every few years a national wave redefines it: Italian giallo, Japanese J-horror, the Korean thriller, American indie horror.

    In this list

    Best reviewed
    The Shining (8.2)
    Often also
    Thriller, Comedy, Science Fiction

    Common questions

    What are the best 1980s horror movies?
    By popularity across Flickfolio and TMDB, the top picks right now are Friday the 13th, Pet Sematary, and The Shining. The full ranked list of 40 sits above — open any movie for ratings, reviews, and streaming availability.
    How is this list ranked?
    1980s horror movies are ordered by overall popularity, which blends how often a title is viewed, searched, and logged. It updates as viewing habits shift, so the list reflects what people are actually watching rather than a fixed critical canon.
    Where can I watch these movies?
    Every movie page lists current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region, alongside community ratings and reviews from Flickfolio members.

    Keep browsing

    Other Genres

    AdventureFantasyAnimationDramaActionComedyHistoryWesternThrillerCrimeDocumentaryScience Fiction
    Mystery
    Music
    Romance
    Family
    War

    Other Decades

    2020s2010s2000s1990s1970s1960s1950s1940s1930s1920s