Admit it; there is nothing quite like watching a classicslasherflick on a Friday night with your friends. While horror has given us some iconic entries, the slasher subgenre has produced the most unhinged villains and scariest kill scenes ever committed to screen. Whether it’s Freddy Krueger carving up teens in their dreams or Jason Voorhees stalking counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, slasher films have a nasty habit of haunting us long after we watch them.
Slasher films have been around since the 60s, but the 70s and 80s saw a surge in creative and creepy stories.
Franchises likeHalloween,Friday the 13th, andA Nightmare on Elm Streetpopularized manyslasher tropes like the masked killer, teens in peril, terrifying stalking sequences, and of course, red paint for the blood splatter effects. While bigger productions came to dominate, many cult slasher films flew under the radar, gaining reputation years after their release.
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Some slashers, however, have faded into the void, known only to the most devoted horror fans and genre historians. But we have compiled a list of some forgotten slasher flicks that are worth revisiting. They are filled with compelling, menacing killers, dark and unsettling undertones, and plenty of scares as the victims try to survive. These underappreciated gems will deliver everything you expect from the genre. Blood will spill, prowlers will follow, and paranoia will find a home in you. So, are you ready to play?
10Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)
Silent Night, Bloody Nightis an interesting and forgotten forerunner toBob Clark’s classic Christmas slasher,Black Christmas. While this one is in no way related to it, there are still elements that carry a resemblance – like disturbing phone calls from the killer and a glowering horror set around the holidays.
The movie follows a lawyer (Patrick O’Neal) and his assistant (Astrid Heeren) traveling to a small, creepy town to regard a mansion estate that was once an asylum before it is to be sold. But the local townspeople aren’t too welcoming, and the mayor’s daughter starts getting scary phone calls. Despite its low budget, it crafts a genuinely creepy atmosphere of dread and doom. The killer here is a menace as menacing as any masked madman, fueled by the pain and trauma of his victims. It’s a dark, disturbing take on holiday cheer that will kill your Yuletide spirit.
9Frightmare (1974)
Directed by Pete Walker,Frightmareis a disturbing and deranged slasher flick from the ‘70s. The movie centers around Dorothy (Sheila Keith) and her husband Edmund (Rupert Davies), who were sent to a mental hospital on charges of cannibalism. Now, twenty years later, the two have been released. Edmund’s daughter, Jackie, is not too trustful of them, and she thinks the two still harbor sinister motives. When people from around their cabin start to disappear, Jackie decides to interfere.Frightmareis a mind-bender that blurs the lines of reality and nightmare, leaving you uncertain of the truth until the very end. Its clever, twisty script and unsettling performances create a lingering sense of dread and paranoia.
8Don’t Go in the House (1979)
Don’t Go in the Houseexplores the deepest psychological traumas of the protagonist and the pain inflicted on him by his late mother and turns it into something truly shocking. On the surface, Donny Kohler (Dan Grimaldi) seems to be living a normal life with a normal job, but he cannot really form true connections with people. Especially women. Now maniacal, he invites women that look like his mother into his house, and murders them in the most unsettling ways. It is insane how the movie uses death to represent absolution. It builds the kind of suspense and paranoia that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. With distorting lenses, jarring edits, and frightening slashes, the movie is truly unforgettable.
7Just Before Dawn (1981)
Slasher mixed with a rebellious teen trope always ends in two things: entertainment and murders.Just Before Dawnfollows a group of five Oregon hikers, who after ignoring the repeated warnings of a forest ranger, end up camping close to danger. They soon realize that there is an axe-wielding maniac stalking the area, obsessed with adding their bloodied faces to his collection of victims. Director Jeff Lieberman builds a tense atmosphere in the wilderness, with the killer preying on fear.
The movie uses classic slasher technique by placing the campers in peril and bringing a chilling and twisted revelation. On the plus side, the movie ends on a rather uncommon note,with the final girl redefining herself not just as a survivor, but as an aggressive hero who won’t stop until she pulls her boyfriend out of this madness.
Related:9 Horror Final Girls That Deserved Better
6The Prowler (1981)
Blending the fatigue of a World War II veteran with an obscure intention of killing might seem like a clumsy premise, but all the people involved in the movie – from the cast to the special effects team – came through and created this underrated flick.The Prowlerpits ex-military personnel, weary and crazed by the time he served, against his former girlfriend and her current boyfriend. He is inventive and unshakable in his evil, ready to rehash the 35 years after the double murder. While imperfect, the movie achieves memorable slasher scares and a creepy presence by the protagonist who intrudes even in places he isn’t wanted.
5Death Screams (1982)
The ‘80s were when the slasher trope became synonymous with horror, and fans were thrilled to receive abundant entries from filmmakers. In the rush, it is normal for a bunch of flicks to go unnoticed.Death Screamsis one such movie.
Directed by David Nelson, it features a killer with a deadly agenda: to destroy, decapitate, and severe anyone who’s having fun. Set against the backdrop of a carnival,we see the machete-wielding maniacfollowing a group of 20-somethings, and the waitress-by-day Lily (Susan Kiger), into a night of dim neon lights, carousel rides, and changing scenarios. But one by one, they are taken out with some seriously gruesome and creative killing. The cheap slasher achieves cult classic status through its mood of doom and attitude of bleak cynicism.
4Alone in the Dark (1982)
A slasher that has fun with its innovative premise,Alone in the Darkfollows a group of unhinged psychopaths who escape a mental facility during a breakout. They steal and terrorize the surroundings, and their homicidal tendencies draw them toward the family of Dr. Dan Potter, their new psychiatrist. The movie is a tense and claustrophobic thriller that feeds on the fear of the unknown. Jack Palance and Martin Landau are among the group of runaways, and they seem to be having a blast slaughtering people.Alone in the Darkcrafts a genuinely unsettling suspense, but also brings a logical manner of humor into the setting. Especially when the quartet ends up at a punk-rock club.
3Too Scared to Scream (1984)
Do not get carried away with the title because there definitely is a whole lot of screeching and screaming in the movie. Set in a Manhattan apartment building,Too Scared to Screamis a demented slasher where the tenants surprisingly seem to disappear one after another. Afraid they could be next, the remaining residents are keen on figuring out the killer. A detective (Mike Connors) suspects the mysterious and odd doorman (Ian McShane), who always seems to be too close with the tenants. The movie’s narrative manages to achieve a sleazy and upsetting tone through cheap scares and perverse violence. All in all, Tony Lo Bianco’s direction makes for amust-see slasher for fans of insane and unjustified killing.
Related:10 Classic Horror Movies For Each Holiday
2Hellbent (2004)
Written and directed by Paul Etheredge-Ouzts,Hellbenttakes an unapologetic approach to slasher tropes. The movie follows Eddie and his friends out to have fun at a carnival in West Hollywood, California, but their night becomes something they never imagined. With the neighborhood being stalked by a mask-wearing killer, there is sure to be doom and gloom. Eddie, who always wanted to be in the police, takes his friends to the woods for some examination, followed by a stop at the club, unaware that the killer has been on their scent the entire time.
Back in the 2000s, it wasn’t every day that we sawLGBTQ+ representation in horroror slasher movies. But Hellbent does an excellent job by building a premise made primarily of gays and giving them more than just a small part. It has earned a reputation as ideal midnight favorite for its unwholesome energy the lingers around long after you’ve finished watching.
1Dream Home (2010)
Dream Homeis an underrated slasher from the 2010s, a decade when slasher movies, even if they were low-budget, were received pretty well. The movie revolves around a young professional named Cheng Li-sheung who has one goal in life – to buy her dream home. But real estate prices are at a peak, and somehow, she realizes that her only way to fulfill her desires is to kill. The movie is told in reverse chronological order, and it seems that the bloody and gruesomemurders rise from an honest motive. When you see things from the antagonist’s perspective, you realize that she just wants to buy a house with the view. It is a relatable desire. However, the means to achieve it? Not so much.
