This article contains mention of violence and assault.
Horrormovies of the 1980s are some of the best and most influential of the 20th century, and many of them are responsible for creating new niches within the genre. Blending the frightening aspects with drama, social commentary, and psychological thriller elements sets these films apart from their competition and distinguishes them from other works of horror.The 1980s were a particularly strong decade for horrorbecause there was significant social and political upheaval happening around the world, which lends itself to being represented through art.
Though many of the most influential scary movies are well-remembered, there are plenty ofunderrated 1980s horror movies worth checking out. More often than not,terrifying and boundary-pushing works are misunderstood when they’re first released,but later critical reception reveals them to be ahead of their times in terms of thematic storytelling or visual style. Overtly graphic or violent horror films aren’t necessarily the most creative, but when new ways of experiencing horror are shown on screen, it’s impossible not to take note.
The Witches of Eastwick
Cast
The Witches of Eastwick is a 1987 film directed by George Miller. The story revolves around three women in a small town who unknowingly conjure a mysterious and charismatic stranger. As the stranger’s influence grows, the women explore their newfound magical abilities. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer, delivering a blend of dark comedy and supernatural drama based on the novel by John Updike.
The star-studded cast inThe Witches of Eastwickis enough to make it a memorable addition to the horror genre. Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Jack Nicholson are hilariously devilish in the film. Based on the John Updike novel of the same name,The Witches of Eastwickopts for a more modern take elevated by the performances of some of the most prominent actresses of the decade.Horror comedies likeThe Witches of Eastwickwere becoming more popular in the ’80s, and the film is a great example of why.
The 1996 filmThe Craftis frequently compared toThe Witches of Eastwick, as it revolves around a group of young women who explore their supernatural abilities.
The 1996 filmThe Craftis frequently compared toThe Witches of Eastwick, as it revolves around a group of young women who explore their supernatural abilities. However, the female revenge narrative coupled withthe campy style ofThe Witches of Eastwickhas influenced some of the best female-led horror movies,likeJennifer’s BodyorThe Love Witch. Though the story ofThe Witches of Eastwickisn’t considered an overtly feminist story, it paved the way for more boundary-pushing explorations of female empowerment.
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Only a few years after his groundbreaking success withThe Texas Chainsaw Massacrein 1974, Tobe Hooper directedPoltergeistfor audiences of the 1980s.Steven Spielberg was part of the writing team and one of the producers,makingPoltergeistone of the most terrifying projects the family-friendly director ever worked on. At the time of its release,Poltergeistwas considered one of the scariest movies ever made and holds up well to this day.
Poltergeistsuccessfully incorporated the media and the contemporary anxietiesabout what children were consuming on television into a landmark piece of horror. It was a massive success both critically and at the box office. It’s significant because it pushed back on the traditional values and the structure of the nuclear family, which was popular in cinema in the ’80s. Though it’s been consistently praised for its special effects,Poltergeistwas no less dedicated to its characters, giving the plot nuance and not relying on cheap thrills.
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10 Most Influential Horror Movies Of All Time
Many of the best horror movies of all time have also gone down in history for sparking the genius of future filmmakers who draw inspiration from them.
The Evil Dead
The Evil Deadis a horror movie from 1981 starring Bruce Campbell and directed by Sam Raimi. The film follows Ash Williams, who after visiting a cabin in the woods, is tormented by deadites and must fight for his life after his friends are possessed.The Evil Deadnot only started a long-running horror franchise, but it is also the film responsible for putting both Raimi and Campbell on the map as a director and actor, respectively.
Sam Raimi’sEvil Deadfranchise has become a cult classic within the horror genre,and the 1981 movieThe Evil Deadstarted it all. Though there’s an argument to be made that the sequel,Evil Dead II, is the better film, the first installment was pivotal and is one of thebest horror comedies of the 1980s. While the later movies delve further into the comedy aspects,The Evil Deadleans toward action. This gaveThe Evil Deadan edge of intrigue through the skillful fight choreography.
Campbell’s character, Ash Williams, has become something of a cultural phenomenon, thanks to the collaboration between Campbell and Raimi that resulted in the iconic horror-action hero.
However, that doesn’t take away from the fact thatthe visual style of the movie and the performance from Bruce Campbell cemented the project as an amazing horror filmthat retained its sense of humor. Campbell’s character, Ash Williams, has become something of a cultural phenomenon, thanks to the collaboration between Campbell and Raimi that resulted in the iconic horror-action hero. The film can be credited for enshrining Raimi and Campbell in film and horror history and influencing many action-horror movies to come.
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Possession
Possession is a horror-drama film by director Andrzej Żuławski that was released in 1981. The film follows international spy Mark, who returns home only for his wife to divorce him and leave him for another man. The triangle between the three grows increasingly violent, but the truth behind Anna goes deeper and darker than any of them realize.
The terrifying and traumaticPossessionis not an easy film to watch, but it encapsulates the violence and chills of the psychological horror niche brilliantly.The story takes place in West Berlin when the city was still dividedand is in conversation with the social and political issues of the time. Mark, the protagonist, is a spy, and when he returns to West Berlin, he arrives to find his wife, Anna, changed and demanding a divorce. Sometimes referred to as a break-up film,Possessiononly grows more gruesome and horrific from there.
It’s taken many years for Andrzej Żuławski’s intense and gory film to be reappraisedand thought of as an important addition to the horror genre. However, the performances by Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill alone are enough to warrant revisiting the movie and remembering how innovative the project is. To callPossessiona horror film omits some of the best aspects of the narrative, as the genre-bending project was instrumental in showing how much horror can accomplish through the blending of story elements.
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The Entity
The Entity is a supernatural horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring Barbara Hershey as Carla Moran, a woman who experiences terrifying assaults by an unseen force. The film, inspired by a true story, centers around Carla’s struggle to convince skeptics of the paranormal nature of her torment, seeking both psychological and scientific help.
The Entityis a harrowing film to watch and faced backlash over its graphic depictions of sexual assault throughout the story. Though the intensity of the scenes remains unsettling,The Entityhas been reevaluated over time and seen as an early example of a subversion of films that use assault as a form of exploitation for conflict and shock value. Instead,The Entitytakes the pain and bravery of its protagonist, Carla, seriouslyand juxtaposes the gravity of her situation with the fact that the people in her life aren’t supportive or don’t believe her.
Barbara Hershey’s performance as Carla is frequently singled out as a defining factor in the film.
The narrative inThe Entityrevolves around Carla being repeatedly abused and harassed by an invisible demonic force and the lengths she has to go to convince the people in her life that she’s telling the truth and understands what’s happening to her.It also grapples with the position of a woman as a single motherand the societal pressures that accompany this. Barbara Hershey’s performance as Carla is frequently singled out as a defining factor in the film.
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Cannibal Holocaust
Cannibal Holocaust is a controversial 1980 horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato. It follows anthropologist Harold Monroe (Robert Kerman) and his rescue team as they venture into the Amazon jungle to investigate the disappearance of documentary crew that went missing while researching a cannibalistic tribe.
One of thebest cannibal movies of all time,Cannibal Holocausttakes a searing look at the exploitative nature of filmmaking and uses grotesque imagery to do so. A story within a story,Cannibal Holocaust, sees its protagonist, Harold Monore, uncover the lost documentary footage of U.S. filmmakers in the rain forest in South America. In conversation with the problematic and offensive stereotypes surrounding this region,Cannibal Holocaustsoon uncovers how far the crew was willing to go to get an unforgettable story for their project.
The making ofCannibal Holocauststirred up enormous controversy, as the director ofCannibal Holocaustwas arrested for murder because of how realistic the violence was (viaCollider). Though these accusations were heightened to increase publicity for the film, looking back on the brutal imagery in the film makes the accusations almost believable. However,Cannibal Holocaustisn’t just significant because of these rumors but also becauseit helped establish the found footage genre as a critical part of film history.
Hellraiser
Based on the novellaThe Hellbound Heart,Hellraiser is a 1987 supernatural horror film written and directed by the novella’s original author, Clive Barker. After an unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, demonic entities known as cenobites pursue him after he escapes their sadomasochistic underworld.
TheHellraiserfranchise has gone on to become a soaring success, with Clive Barker’s first movie and directorial debut, the 1987Hellraiser, kick-starting the universe’s success.The line between pleasure and pain is something explored in the narrative ofHellraiser,and the desire to push the boundaries of the human experience is an interest many of the central characters share. Though the Cenobites are the monsters in the world ofHellraiser, it’s Frank, played by Sean Chapman, who is the most terrifying and sadistic in the film.
Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites, has a distinct and memorable character design that’s inspired other great works of horror.
Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites, has a distinct and memorable character design that’s inspired other great works of horror. WhileBarker was best known for his plays and novels before directingHellraiser,he demonstrated the same dedication to worldbuilding and character that he does in his written work. The explicit discussions of sexuality and desire onscreen were also ahead of their time in the 1980s, which has madeHellraiserrelevant today.
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The Fly
The Fly follows scientist Seth Brundle as he makes a groundbreaking teleportation experiment. During testing, he inadvertently merges with a housefly, leading to unforeseen consequences.
Though a remake itself,David Cronenberg’s 1986 iteration ofThe Flyis almost unrecognizable from the original 1958 version.As a director, writer, and actor, Cronenberg would reinvent the horror and thriller genres many times over throughout his career, andThe Flyis only one of the landmark projects he took on in the 1980s. Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, the body horror and sci-fi elements inThe Flyneed to be seen to be believed.
Goldblum’s character, Seth, accidentally fuses himself with a fly after inventing a teleportation pod, and the transformation he goes through after this is horrifying and impossible to look away from. The chemistry between Goldblum and Davis is fantastic, elevating what might have been a classic body horror story into a devastating portrait of doomed and lost love. Winning the Academy Award for Best Makeup,The Flygoes down in history as one of the most tragic and grotesque horror romance movies of the 1980s.
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16 Body Horror Films Inspired by David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg’s clinically fleshy influence in horror has only grown over the years, its juicy mark dribbling down the edges of the silver screen.
The Thing
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
Based on the John W. Campbell Jr. novellaWho Goes There?,The Thingalso has much in common with Lovecraftian horror stories and monsters.Kurt Russell stars as R.J. MacReady alongside Keith David as Childsand an ensemble cast that braves the terrors of the narrative with dedication. The atmosphere and aesthetics ofThe Thingwere inspirational for many later projects that incorporated themes of distrust and fear of the other. This was particularly topical during the 1980s and hits home with viewers today.
While John Carpenter has an impressive oeuvre,The Thingstands out as one of his most effective at brewing tension and terror over a long period of time.
Both the body horror aspects and the depictions of the monster inThe Thinghave helped cement it as one of the best and most skillfully crafted horror movies of the 20th century. While John Carpenter has an impressive oeuvre,The Thingstands out as one of his most effective at brewing tension and terror over a long period of time. Despite negative reviews and graphic imagery that shocked audiences,The Thinghas received great acclaim retrospectively, and it’s undoubtedly well-deserved.
It’s surprising today to think that there was ever a time whenThe Shiningwasn’t considered one of the best and most innovative horror movies of all time. However,when Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece first premiered, it received mixed reviews from critics and audiencesand was criticized for its deviations from the Stephen King novel it was based on. However,The Shiningwas never supposed to be an exact replication of King’s book and instead became enormously influential, inspiring modern horror films and being frequently referenced in pop culture.
The many quotable lines and the dedicated performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall are part of the reasonThe Shining’s story is so enduring today.Unpacking masculinity and the tenuous cultural period between the late ’70s and early ‘80sin the U.S.,The Shiningis a time capsule of this era while remaining fervently relevant to modern audiences. There are fewhorrorfilmmakers who can claim they haven’t been influenced by Kubrick, and specificallyThe Shining.
