Though critics may not love them, there are few subgenres in movies that are as beloved as slashers. They offer a level of fun and formula that not only never seems to get old but also appears to improve with time.
Here are 10 classic slasher horror movies with low Rotten Tomatoes critical scores that demonstrate this point perfectly.
The House on Sorority Row (1982) – 56%
It doesn’t get much more 80s slasher movie than a house full of sorority girls being picked off by a mysterious killer during their hedonistic graduation party, now does it?
Interestingly, the movie is a part of a surprisingly-lengthy cinematic legacy. The paranoid uncertainty and guilt at the heart of its script were clearly inspired by Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1955 psychological horror masterpiece Les Diaboliquesand that was later parlayed into a remake in 2009, shortened simply to Sorority Row.
Terror Train (1980) – 36%
Though most people remember her in Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis has starred in a number of other notable horror titles. Halloween made her ripe for low-budget horror when the slasher craze started in the early 80s and she seized on the opportunity.
Terror Train is pretty self-explanatory (it’s a slasher movie on a train) but it really makes the most out of its fairly unique location. Other quirks, like the appearance of a young David Copperfield or the costume theme of the college party on the train (which is weird enough as it is) resulting in a slasher villain in a Groucho Marx mask, make it really stand out.
April Fool’s Day (1986) – 44%
April Fool’s Day is proof that a full-fledged horror movie can be spun from the tone and structure of a slasher whilst also omitting their trademark gratuitousness.
The story is as conventional as they come, a group of prank-happy college friends finds themselves vacationing at an old house on a deserted island and an unknown maniac picks them off. Fittingly, however, it’s the movie’s sense of humor that actually ends up being the most disturbing thing about it.
Happy Birthday to Me (1981) – 27%
Happy Birthday to Me is as entertainingly all-over-the-place as movies ever come. The combination of talented actors, a director of legendary movies and a genre craze still in its infancy creates a mish-mash of styles and tones that’s never dull to watch.
The basic premise, about an elitist college clique getting its steady comeuppance at the hands of a mysterious killer, is flipped upside down so often by red herrings and plot twists pulled out of thin air that you can enjoy each of its individual pieces without caring that it doesn’t really make a cohesive whole.
My Bloody Valentine (1981) – 55%
My Bloody Valentine was another Canadian slasher from Happy Birthday to Me producers John Dunning and André Link which began filming after Happy Birthday to Me had wrapped but still came out before it in order to hit the desired Valentine’s Day release date that year.
Again, the ideas are so thrown together (a cursed Valentine’s Day massacre in an isolated Nova Scotian mining community) that it’s hard not to be entertained. But, unlike Happy Birthday to Me, its weird flavors actually complement one another quite well and, even in the significantly less-gory cut of the movie (which, for decades, was the only one you could see), the gruesome kills stick with you.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) – 32%
Christmas is pretty popular but it’s sacred in a way that almost transcends religion to some people and the anger surrounding this Christmastime slasher was palpable on its release.
Objectively, the movie is as exploitative and violent as most other slasher movies of that era. But the Christmas setting, and themes of religious guilt and punishment, make Silent Night, Deadly Night one of the more interesting genre cash grabs of the decade.
Prom Night (1980) – 48%
Between her reteaming with Halloween director John Carpenter in the always-worth-mentioning The Fog and Terror Train, Jamie Lee Curtis had a third classic slasher horror movie in 1980.
Prom Night is by far the most conventional movie of the three, and on this list, but that kind of works in its favor. It’s a simple, crowd-pleasing slasher that never strays too far into being weird but still contains a number of memorable stylistic choices.
Tourist Trap (1979) – 40%
Now, if you’re looking for something terrifyingly weird, look no further than Tourist Trap. Its bizarre story comes off as something concocted during a time when producers were desperately searching for a gimmick that hadn’t been tried before but it came out before the slasher craze really even started.
This nightmarishly strange story about killer mannequins and the psychic psycho who controls them is quite unlike anything in the genre, before or since. It’s a rare experience when you honestly don’t know whether you want to laugh at something or scream.
Hell Night (1981) – 56%
Simplicity is key in this tacky but oh-so enjoyable slasher about a group of college kids getting up to no good during a hazing ritual at a local haunted house.
Don’t think that this means that there was no talent working on Hell Night, though. Nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from starring The Exorcist‘s Linda Blair in the main Scream Queen role, future 80s gore maestro Chuck Russell served as executive producer while his still-budding future writing partner, Frank Darabont, toiled as a production assistant.
The Final Terror (1983) – 38%
A great cast, including Daryl Hannah and Joe Pantoliano, coupled with a surprising 70s counter-culture vibe of Vietnam revisionism makes The Final Terror a wholly unusual and satisfying slasher treat.
While certainly still a conventional slasher movie (promiscuous young people being punished for going somewhere they were told not to), the movie ends up breaking just as many slasher rules and traditions as it follows and its final shocking twist does bring genuine terror with it, just not the kind that you might be used to.
