100 Best ’80s Horror Movies

Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.

Synopsis: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser

Directed By: James Cameron

Critics Consensus: Wes Craven's intelligent premise, combined with the horrifying visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, still causes nightmares to this day.

Synopsis: In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss

Directed By: Wes Craven

Critics Consensus: David Cronenberg combines his trademark affinity for gore and horror with strongly developed characters, making The Fly a surprisingly affecting tragedy.

Synopsis: When scientist Seth Brundle completes his teleportation device, he decides to test its abilities on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a housefly slips in during the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: Remixing Roger Corman's B-movie by way of the Off-Broadway musical, Little Shop of Horrors offers camp, horror and catchy tunes in equal measure -- plus some inspired cameos by the likes of Steve Martin and Bill Murray.

Synopsis: Meek flower shop assistant Seymour (Rick Moranis) pines for co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). During a total eclipse, he discovers an unusual plant he names Audrey... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin, Vincent Gardenia

Directed By: Frank Oz

Critics Consensus: Perfectly mixing humor and horror, the only thing more effective than Re-Animator's gory scares are its dry, deadpan jokes.

Synopsis: A medical student (Jeffrey Combs) brings his headless professor back from the dead with a special serum.

Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale

Directed By: Stuart Gordon

Critics Consensus: Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis' horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker's astounding make-up effects.

Synopsis: David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), two American college students, are backpacking through Britain when a large wolf attacks them. David survives with a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine

Directed By: John Landis

Critics Consensus: The Dead Zone combines taut direction from David Cronenberg and and a rich performance from Christopher Walken to create one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations.

Synopsis: When Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens from a coma caused by a car accident, he finds that years have passed, and he now has psychic... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.

Synopsis: Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from prison following his mother's murder. He supplements his job as an exterminator with a series of indiscriminate and violent... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles, Anne Bartoletti

Directed By: John McNaughton

Critics Consensus: Less a continuation than an outright reimagining, Sam Raimi transforms his horror tale into a comedy of terrors -- and arguably even improves on the original formula.

Synopsis: The second of three films in the Evil Dead series is part horror, part comedy, with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) once again battling horrifying demons... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Denise Bixler

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Critics Consensus: Those unfamiliar with Alejandro Jodorowsky's style may find it overwhelming, but Santa Sangre is a provocative psychedelic journey featuring the director's signature touches of violence, vulgarity, and an oddly personal moral center.

Synopsis: In Mexico, the traumatized son (Axel Jodorowsky) of a knife-thrower (Guy Stockwell) and a trapeze artist bonds grotesquely with his now-armless mother (Blanca Guerra).

Starring: Axel Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, Guy Stockwell, Sabrina Dennison

Directed By: Alejandro Jodorowsky

Critics Consensus: Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and -- most importantly -- consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.

Synopsis: Strange and creepy happenings beset an average California family, the Freelings -- Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), teenaged Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

Critics Consensus: A politically subversive blend of horror and sci fi, They Live is an underrated genre film from John Carpenter.

Synopsis: Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George "Buck" Flower

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.

Synopsis: A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain

Directed By: Joe Dante

Critics Consensus: Dead Ringers serves up a double dose of Jeremy Irons in service of a devilishly unsettling concept and commandingly creepy work from director David Cronenberg.

Synopsis: Elliot (Jeremy Irons), a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly (also Irons). Elliot is attracted to many of his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeremy Irons, Geneviève Bujold, Heidi von Palleske, Barbara Gordon

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: Extraordinarily daring for a Hollywood film, Altered States attacks the viewer with its inventive, aggressive mix of muddled sound effects and visual pyrotechnics.

Synopsis: Respected scientist and psychology professor Edward Jessup (William Hurt) decides to combine his experiments in sensory deprivation tanks with powerful hallucinogenic drugs, convinced that it... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charlie Haid

Directed By: Ken Russell

Critics Consensus: Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter's The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.

Synopsis: In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, Richard Dysart

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: So scrappy that it feels as illicit as a book found in the woods, The Evil Dead is a stomach-churning achievement in bad taste that marks a startling debut for wunderkind Sam Raimi.

Synopsis: Ashley "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend and three pals hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Richard DeManincor

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Critics Consensus: Though it deviates from Stephen King's novel, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a chilling, often baroque journey into madness -- exemplified by an unforgettable turn from Jack Nicholson.

Synopsis: Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He settles in along with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, Beetlejuice offers some of Michael Keaton's most deliciously manic work - and creepy, funny fun for the whole family.

Synopsis: After Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones

Directed By: Tim Burton

Critics Consensus: Visually audacious, disorienting, and just plain weird, Videodrome's musings on technology, entertainment, and politics still feel fresh today.

Synopsis: As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Woods, Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: Fright Night deftly combines thrills and humor in this ghostly tale about a man living next to a vampire.

Synopsis: Teenage Charley Brewster is a horror-film junkie, so it's no surprise that when a reclusive new neighbor moves next-door, Brewster becomes convinced he's a vampire.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse

Directed By: Tom Holland

Critics Consensus: Near Dark is at once a creepy vampire film, a thrilling western, and a poignant family tale, with humor and scares in abundance.

Synopsis: Cowboy Caleb Colton meets gorgeous Mae at a bar, and the two have an immediate attraction. But when Mae turns out to be a vampire... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Critics Consensus: Predator: Part sci-fi, part horror, part action -- all muscle.

Synopsis: Dutch, a soldier of fortune, is hired by the U.S. government to secretly rescue a group of politicians trapped in Guatemala. But when Dutch and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Elpidia Carrillo

Directed By: John McTiernan

Critics Consensus: A well-crafted return to horror for genre giant John Carpenter, The Fog rolls in and wraps viewers in suitably slow-building chills.

Synopsis: 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... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Flawed but eminently watchable, Joel Schumacher's teen vampire thriller blends horror, humor, and plenty of visual style with standout performances from a cast full of young 1980s stars.

Synopsis: Teenage brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) move with their mother (Dianne Wiest) to a small town in northern California. While the younger... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: An animal-trainer (Paul Winfield) tries to deprogram an actress's (Kristy McNichol) found dog, trained for racial attacks.

Starring: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives

Directed By: Samuel Fuller

Critics Consensus: The Opera house location gives plenty to work with for director Dario Argento, who hits his decadently bloody high notes here.

Synopsis: A hooded figure forces a young diva (Cristina Marsillach) to watch as he murders performers in a production of Verdi's opera "Macbeth."

Starring: Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi, Ian Charleson

Directed By: Dario Argento

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) is a family man, but he happens to have a series of families, with each one on the receiving end of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Lanyer

Directed By: Joseph Ruben

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A herpetologist (Robin Riker) helps a detective (Robert Forster) track her flushed-away pet, now a king-size mutant called Ramone.

Starring: Robert Forster, Robin Riker, Michael V. Gazzo, Perry Lang

Directed By: Lewis Teague

Critics Consensus: George C. Scott's somber performance gives this haunted house horror a moving soul to go along with its harrowing scares.

Synopsis: Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) is vacationing with his family when a car accident kills his wife and daughter. Distraught with grief, Russell leaves... View Full Synopsis

Starring: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos

Directed By: Peter Medak

Critics Consensus: Blending genres as effectively as it subverts expectations, Possession uses powerful acting and disquieting imagery to grapple with complex themes.

Synopsis: After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent

Directed By: Andrzej Żuławski

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Wolves and werewolves lurk throughout the dreams of young Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson), who imagines that she must journey through a dark forest to live with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Sarah Patterson, Graham Crowden

Directed By: Neil Jordan

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: At summer camp, some teenagers pull a prank on the camp's caretaker, Cropsy (Lou David). But the joke goes terribly wrong, and the teens leave... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Lou David

Directed By: Tony Maylam

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Visiting Rome on a promotional tour for his new novel, writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is pulled into a murder mystery as someone familiar with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma

Directed By: Dario Argento

Critics Consensus: Sleepaway Camp is a standard teen slasher elevated by occasional moments of John Waters-esque weirdness and a twisted ending.

Synopsis: Bunks and the showers are a mad stabber's beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.

Starring: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet

Directed By: Robert Hiltzik

Critics Consensus: Killer Klowns from Outer Space's title promises darkly goofy fun -- and more often than not, the movie delivers.

Synopsis: When teenagers Mike (Grant Cramer) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder) see a comet crash outside their sleepy small town, they investigate and discover a pack of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, John Vernon

Directed By: Stephen Chiodo

Critics Consensus: Valley Girl culture satire Night of the Comet gets lots of mileage out of its slapstick sci-fi zombie approach.

Synopsis: After a rare comet sighting, teen sisters Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart) and Samantha (Kelli Maroney) find that they're among the only survivors of a zombie... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran, Geoffrey Lewis

Directed By: Thom Eberhardt

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A "metal fetishist" (Shin'ya Tsukamoto), driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he's made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tomorowo Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Directed By: Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Critics Consensus: While Basket Case definitely delivers all the gonzo gore promised by its cracked premise, it's really set apart by its rich vein of genuine pathos.

Synopsis: Duane (Kevin Van Hentenryck) checks into a sleazy hotel with a wicker basket containing his telepathic Siamese twin.

Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel

Directed By: Frank Henenlotter

Critics Consensus: Police procedural meets werewolf flick in Wolfen, a creepy creature feature with a surprisingly profound side.

Synopsis: New York City police investigator Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney) is trying to solve a series of grisly deaths in which the victims have seemingly been... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines, Edward James Olmos

Directed By: Michael Wadleigh

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Struggling actress Katie McGovern (Mary Steenburgen) is approached by the mysterious Mr. Murray (Roddy McDowall) and invited to an upstate New York mansion to film... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubes, William Russ

Directed By: Arthur Penn

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: An FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) and a homicide detective (Michael Nouri) hunt the current human host of an orally exchanged alien life-form.

Starring: Michael Nouri, Kyle MacLachlan, Ed O'Ross, Clu Gulager

Directed By: Jack Sholder

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: An American (Jennifer Connelly) at a Swiss finishing school calls on insects to help a paralyzed scientist (Donald Pleasence) fight a monster.

Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Fausta Avelli

Directed By: Dario Argento

Critics Consensus: The Howling packs enough laughs into its lycanthropic carnage to distinguish it from other werewolf entries, with impressive visual effects adding some bite.

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) is traumatized in the course of aiding the police in their arrest of a serial murderer.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone

Directed By: Joe Dante

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Patrons (Natasha Hovey, Urbano Barberini) of a sneak preview see others zombie-fied to heavy-metal music in a Berlin theater.

Starring: Natasha Hovey, Urbano Barberini, Paola Cozzo, Karl Zinny

Directed By: Lamberto Bava

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A crazed World War II veteran gets revenge on his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, then stalks teens 35 years later.

Starring: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Farley Granger, Lawrence Tierney

Directed By: Joseph Zito

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: As their 10th birthday approaches, three children, born prematurely during a complete solar eclipse, turn murderous.

Starring: Susan Strasberg, José Ferrer, Lori Lethin, Melinda Cordell

Directed By: Ed Hunt

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Gruesome deaths occur when a woman (Katherine MacColl) inherits a hotel that is one of seven gateways to hell.

Starring: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Al Cliver, Veronica Lazar

Directed By: Lucio Fulci

Critics Consensus: Though it sacrifices some depth in its characterizations, From Beyond stands as a stunningly grotesque Lovecraft adaptation with a dazzling blend of chilling effects and brainy, cosmic horror.

Synopsis: Obsessive scientist Dr. Pretorius (Ted Sorel) successfully discovers a way to access a parallel universe of pleasure by tapping into the brain's pineal gland. When... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree

Directed By: Stuart Gordon

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Fraternity pledges (Jason Lively, Steve Marshall) pull a prank with a frozen body and let sluglike creatures loose on campus.

Starring: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, Tom Atkins

Directed By: Fred Dekker

Critics Consensus: John Carpenter revs up Christine into a brisk thrill ride whose sharp direction, lively performances, and stylish flourishes make its absurd premise easy to forgive.

Synopsis: Unpopular nerd Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury, which he names Christine. Arnie develops an unhealthy obsession with the car, to the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Peter Jackson's early low-budget shocker boasts a disgusting premise - aliens harvesting humans for fast food - that gives the budding auteur plenty of room for gross-out visuals and absurd cleverness.

Synopsis: Gun-toting assassins try to wipe out a group of aliens that wants to use humans in New Zealand for food.

Starring: Peter Jackson, Mike Minett, Pete O'Herne, Terry Potter

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A dying millionaire (Herbert Lom) throws a castle costume party that's a killer.

Starring: Frank Stallone, Brenda Vaccaro, Herbert Lom, Michelle McBride

Directed By: Alan Birkinshaw

Critics Consensus: Q's campy charms may be lost on audiences who want their monsters frightening, but a game cast and lovingly retrograde visual effects give this kaiju romp some majesty.

Synopsis: A fleeing gangland flunky (Michael Moriarty) finds the New York nest of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, the man-eating flying serpent.

Starring: Michael Moriarty, David Carradine, Candy Clark, Richard Roundtree

Directed By: Larry Cohen

Critics Consensus: Elevated by writer-director Clive Barker's fiendishly unique vision, Hellraiser offers a disquieting - and sadistically smart - alternative to mindless gore.

Synopsis: Sexual deviant Frank (Sean Chapman) inadvertently opens a portal to hell when he tinkers with a box he bought while abroad. The act unleashes gruesome... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman

Directed By: Clive Barker

Critics Consensus: A silly and ribald superhero spoof, Toxic Avenger uninhibited humor hits more than it misses.

Synopsis: A 98-pound nerd (Mark Torgl) from New Jersey lands in a vat of toxic waste and becomes a benevolent monster (Mitchell Cohen).

Starring: Andree Maranda, Mitch Cohen, Mark Torgl, Jennifer Prichard

Directed By: Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A small-town sheriff (James Farentino) and his wife (Melody Anderson) investigate a slew of murders committed against the local townspeople where the victims begin to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, Robert Englund

Directed By: Gary Sherman

Critics Consensus: The Return of the Living Dead is a gleefully grotesque horror-comedy, though its broad performances and cheap thrills sometimes detract from its sharper moments.

Synopsis: When foreman Frank (James Karen) shows new employee Freddy (Thom Mathews) a secret military experiment in a supply warehouse, the two klutzes accidentally release a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews

Directed By: Dan O'Bannon

Critics Consensus: Scanners is a dark sci-fi story with special effects that'll make your head explode.

Synopsis: Scanners are men and women born with incredible telepathic and telekinetic powers. There are many who exercise the benefits of their special gifts in a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane

Directed By: David Cronenberg

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A boy (Rick Herbst) grows addicted to psychedelic jolts from an eel-like brain-eating monster called Elmer.

Starring: Rick Herbst, Gordon MacDonald, Jennifer Lowry, Theo Barnes

Directed By: Frank Henenlotter

Critics Consensus: The Blob can't replicate the B-movie charms of the original, though its fast pace and gory thrills pack enough of a punch to make it a worthwhile update.

Synopsis: In a tiny California town, high school students Brian (Kevin Dillon), Meg (Shawnee Smith) and Paul (Donovan Leitch) discover a strange, gelatinous substance that melts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch Jr., Ricky Paull Goldin

Directed By: Chuck Russell

Critics Consensus: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors offers an imaginative and surprisingly satisfying rebound for a franchise already starting to succumb to sequelitis.

Synopsis: During a hallucinatory incident, young Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) has her wrists slashed by dream-stalking monster Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Her mother, mistaking the wounds... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Craig Wasson, Laurence Fishburne

Directed By: Chuck Russell

Critics Consensus: Rather quaint by today's standards, Friday the 13th still has its share of bloody surprises and a '70s-holdover aesthetic to slightly compel.

Synopsis: Crystal Lake's history of murder doesn't deter counselors from setting up a summer camp in the woodsy area. Superstitious locals warn against it, but the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram

Directed By: Sean S. Cunningham

Critics Consensus: An effective if knowingly silly Stephen King anthology that combines comedy and terror.

Synopsis: Stephen King tales follow a cat into a smokers' clinic, onto a penthouse ledge and into a girl's bedroom.

Starring: Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan

Directed By: Lewis Teague

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A private detective investigates a new consumer taste treat that's absolutely delicious and just possibly lethal.

Starring: Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Paul Sorvino, Garrett Morris

Directed By: Larry Cohen

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Locked in the cloakroom after school as a Halloween prank, Frankie (Lukas Haas) meets the ghost of a young neighborhood girl, Melissa Anne Montgomery (Joelle... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lukas Haas, Len Cariou, Alex Rocco, Katherine Helmond

Directed By: Frank LaLoggia

Critics Consensus: While devotees of John Updike's novel may want to put a hex on George Miller's cartoonish and effects-laden adaptation, Jack Nicholson lends enough decadent devilry to make this high-concept comedy sizzle.

Synopsis: Three small-town friends, Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), each having lost the man in their lives, are feeling unfulfilled -- until... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer

Directed By: George Miller

Critics Consensus: Although it can't hold a cleaver to the classic original, Psycho II succeeds well enough on its own merits to satisfy horror fans.

Synopsis: Two decades after the original murders at the Bates Motel, Norman Bates completes his treatment at a mental institution and returns home to find his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia

Directed By: Richard Franklin

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Rebellious teen Amy (Elizabeth Berridge) defies her parents by going to a trashy carnival that has pulled into town. In tow are her boyfriend, Buzz... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elizabeth Berridge, Cooper Huckabee, Miles Chapin, Largo Woodruff

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

Critics Consensus: It's uneven, as anthologies often are, but Creepshow is colorful, frequently funny, and treats its inspirations with infectious reverence.

Synopsis: A compendium of five short but terrifying tales contained within a single full-length feature, this film conjures scares from traditional bogeymen and portents of doom.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall, Fritz Weaver

Directed By: George A. Romero

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: On a farm owned by Eve Trent (Catherine Oxenberg) and her sister Mary (Sammi Davis), young archaeologist Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi) discovers a large and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Catherine Oxenberg, Peter Capaldi

Directed By: Ken Russell

Critics Consensus: Its journey is never quite as revelatory as it could be, but The Hitcher stands as a white-knuckle vision of horror, bolstered by Rutger Hauer's menacing performance.

Synopsis: While transporting a car from Chicago to San Diego, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker named John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), who claims... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn

Directed By: Robert Harmon

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A professor (Francesca Ciardi) finds the remains of a film crew in the Amazon and brings the camera footage back to America.

Starring: Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen, Salvatore Basile, Robert Kerman

Directed By: Ruggero Deodato

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A young man (Leigh McCloskey) returns from Rome to his sister's (Irene Miracle) satanic New York apartment house.

Starring: Irene Miracle, Leigh McCloskey, Eleonora Giorgi, Sacha Pitoeff

Directed By: Dario Argento

Critics Consensus: Paul Schrader's kinky reimagining of Cat People may prove too grisly and lurid for some audiences, but its provocative style and Natassja Kinski's hypnotic performance should please viewers who like a little gasoline with their fire.

Synopsis: In this sensual and violent horror tale, Irena Gallier (Nastassia Kinski) has a dark family secret, one that resurfaces dramatically when she reconnects with her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O'Toole

Directed By: Paul Schrader

Critics Consensus: Child's Play occasionally stumbles across its tonal tightrope of comedy and horror, but its genuinely creepy monster and some deft direction by Tom Holland makes this chiller stand out on the shelf.

Synopsis: Gunned down by Detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon), dying murderer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif

Directed By: Tom Holland

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A Beverly Hills teen (Billy Warlock) discovers his parents are part of a gruesome orgy cult for the social elite.

Starring: Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, Ben Meyerson

Directed By: Brian Yuzna

Critics Consensus: He's a vampire! He's a vampire! He's a vampire!

Synopsis: The life of white-collar New Yorker Peter (Nicolas Cage) seems to revolve solely around making as much money and sleeping with as many women as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, Elizabeth Ashley

Directed By: Robert Bierman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Tourists are trapped in a cathedral cursed since the Crusades by the mayhem of German knights.

Starring: Asia Argento, Hugh Quarshie, Tomas Arana

Directed By: Michele Soavi

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A boy (Joey Lawrence) tries to warn his father (Cliff De Young) and stepmother (Roxanne Hart) about their unsafe household appliances.

Starring: Cliff DeYoung, Roxanne Hart, Joey Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence

Directed By: Paul Golding

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Small-town vigilantes led by the mailman (Charles Durning) do not get away with killing a local simpleton.

Starring: Charles Durning, Robert F. Lyons, Claude Earl Jones, Tonya Crowe

Directed By: Frank De Felitta

Critics Consensus: True terror and typical Disney wholesomeness clash uncomfortably in Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Synopsis: Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce) brings his traveling carnival to a small Midwestern town and grants wishes, for a price.

Starring: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier

Directed By: Jack Clayton

Critics Consensus: Prince of Darkness has a handful of chillingly clever ideas, but they aren't enough to put John Carpenter's return to horror at the same level as his classic earlier outings.

Synopsis: Poking around in a church cellar, a priest (Donald Pleasence) finds an otherworldly vial filled with slime. Frightened, he brings his discovery to a circle... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Eerie and satirical, Motel Hell has no vacancy when it comes to low-brow horror gags.

Synopsis: Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) run a rural hotel, but they earn most of their cash operating a food stand... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons, Paul Linke, Nina Axelrod

Directed By: Kevin Connor

Critics Consensus: House crumbles under cheap effects, chaotic tonal shifts, and aimless antics, ending up as a hyperactive, juvenile horror-comedy.

Synopsis: A mounted fish moves, household objects levitate, and monsters haunt a troubled novelist (William Katt).

Starring: William Katt, George Wendt, Kay Lenz, Richard Moll

Directed By: Steve Miner

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Single mother Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey) is raped and attacked by an invisible force. She begins therapy with Dr. Phil Sneiderman (Ron Silver), a psychiatrist... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, George Coe, David Labiosa

Directed By: Sidney J. Furie

Critics Consensus: Although it's occasionally overwhelmed by excessive special effects, The Serpent and the Rainbow draws on a chilling atmosphere to deliver an intelligent, politically informed story.

Synopsis: In a time of social and political unrest in Haiti, anthropologist Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman) travels to the torn country to study a Voodoo drug... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield

Directed By: Wes Craven

Critics Consensus: Unabashedly campy -- often to its detriment -- Swamp Thing is not without its charms, among them Adrienne Barbeau as the damsel in distress.

Synopsis: On the verge of a breakthrough in his quest to wipe out world hunger, altruistic botanist Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) is placed under the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise, David Hess

Directed By: Wes Craven

Critics Consensus: Day of the Dead may arguably be the least haunting entry in George A. Romero's undead trilogy, but it will give audiences' plenty to chew on with its shocking gore and scathing view of society.

Synopsis: The living dead regroup above while humans (Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato) sweat it out below in a Florida missile silo.

Starring: Lori Cardille, Terence Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy

Directed By: George A. Romero

Critics Consensus: Cujo is artless work punctuated with moments of high canine gore and one wild Dee Wallace performance.

Synopsis: In this tale of a killer canine, man's best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Christopher Stone

Directed By: Lewis Teague

Critics Consensus: Twilight Zone: The Movie suffers from the typical anthology-film highs and lows -- thankfully, the former outnumber the latter.

Synopsis: This tribute to the beloved supernatural TV show has four episodes. In the first, racist Bill Connor (Vic Morrow) is transformed into a Jew in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vic Morrow, John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan, Scatman Crothers

Directed By: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, George Miller

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A group of motorists, including young Judy Bower (Carrie Lorraine), her horrible father (Ian Patrick Williams), her evil queen of a stepmother (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon) and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ian Patrick Williams, Carrie Lorraine, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Guy Rolfe

Directed By: Stuart Gordon

Critics Consensus: April Fool's Day takes a decent stab at deconstructing the slasher genre, but an underwhelming story keeps it from really sinking in.

Synopsis: When a group of college students decides to spend spring break at the secluded island estate of their wealthy classmate, Muffy St. John (Deborah Foreman),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Deborah Foreman, Griffin O'Neal, Deborah Goodrich, Jay Baker

Directed By: Fred Walton

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: College students (Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson) trapped in a wax museum meet Count Dracula and the Marquis de Sade.

Starring: Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, David Warner

Directed By: Anthony Hickox

Critics Consensus: Pet Sematary is a bruising horror flick that wears its quirks on its sleeves, to the detriment of its scare factor.

Synopsis: Doctor Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff) moves his family to Maine, where he meets a friendly local named Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne). After the Creeds' cat... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby, Brad Greenquist

Directed By: Mary Lambert

Critics Consensus: Brazenly strange and uneven in its execution, Lifeforce is an otherworldly sci-fi excursion punctuated with off-kilter horror flourishes.

Synopsis: When a space mission involving American and British astronauts encounters an alien craft, the humanoids within are brought aboard the shuttle. Back on Earth, one... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Mathilda May, Patrick Stewart

Directed By: Tobe Hooper

Critics Consensus: A fun '80s adventure with a slightly scary twist, The Monster Squad offers tween-friendly horror with just enough of a kick.

Synopsis: Members (Andre Gower, Robby Kiger) of a monster fan club meet Count Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein, the Mummy and Gill Man.

Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr

Directed By: Fred Dekker

Critics Consensus: My Bloody Valentine stumbles through a cinematic coal mine of mechanical scares, bland characters, and a contrived, blood-soaked plot that's as predictable as it is unimaginative.

Synopsis: Friends defy the rules of a legendary murderer and discover he is real when they start celebrating Valentine's Day.

Starring: Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Keith Knight

Directed By: George Mihalka

Critics Consensus: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master marks a relative high point in this franchise's bumpy creative journey, although the original remains far superior.

Synopsis: Grotesque Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) gives some more suburban teenagers something to dream about.

Starring: Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox, Rodney Eastman, Danny Hassel

Directed By: Renny Harlin

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two New York policemen (Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell) and a policewoman (Laurene Landon) search for a killer in uniform who should be dead.

Starring: Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree

Directed By: William Lustig