← All Horror Lists

Best Horror Movies

of the 1980s

The 20 highest-rated horror movies released between 1980 and 1989, ranked by IMDb score.

1

Michael Jackson's Thriller(1983)

8.7 IMDb

A night at the movies turns terrifying when Michael and his date are attacked by zombies. Released at the height of Thriller’s success, the short film redefined the music video, broke racial barriers,

2

The Shining(1980)

8.4 IMDb84% RT68 Meta

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 prep

3

The Thing(1982)

8.2 IMDb85% RT57 Meta

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

4

Evil Dead II(1987)

7.7 IMDb88% RT72 Meta

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 pl

5

Santa Sangre(1989)

7.5 IMDb88% RT

A former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless, cult leader mother, and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name.

6

A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984)

7.4 IMDb94% RT76 Meta

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, wh

7

The Return of the Living Dead(1985)

7.3 IMDb71% RT66 Meta

When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

8

Gremlins(1984)

7.3 IMDb86% RT70 Meta

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

9

Poltergeist(1982)

7.3 IMDb88% RT79 Meta

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.

10

The Evil Dead(1981)

7.3 IMDb85% RT71 Meta

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.

11

Dead Ringers(1988)

7.2 IMDb86% RT86 Meta

Elliot, a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly. Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest,

12

The Lost Boys(1987)

7.2 IMDb75% RT63 Meta

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

13

Manhunter(1986)

7.2 IMDb92% RT75 Meta

FBI Agent Will Graham, who retired after catching Hannibal Lecktor, returns to duty to engage in a risky cat-and-mouse game with Lecktor to capture a new killer.

14

The Dead Zone(1983)

7.2 IMDb89% RT69 Meta

Johnny Smith is a schoolteacher with his whole life ahead of him but, after leaving his fiancee's home one night, is involved in a car crash which leaves him in a coma for 5 years. When he wakes, he d

15

Angst(1983)

7.2 IMDb100% RT

A killer is released from prison and breaks into a remote home to kill a woman, her handicapped son and her pretty daughter.

16

Possession(1981)

7.2 IMDb86% RT75 Meta

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 fin

17

Re-Animator(1985)

7.1 IMDb89% RT73 Meta

Conducting clandestine experiments within the morgue at Miskatonic University, scientist Herbert West reveals to a fellow graduate student his groundbreaking work concerning the re-animation of fresh

18

Fright Night(1985)

7.1 IMDb83% RT62 Meta

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.

19

The Return of Godzilla(1984)

6.8 IMDb

After a fishing boat is attacked, the sole surviving crew member realizes it is none other than a resurrected Godzilla. However, efforts to bring the story to light are suppressed by the Japanese gove

20

Godzilla vs. Biollante(1989)

6.5 IMDb75% RT

After the previous Godzilla attack, a miniature arms race ensues to collect his cells. Concerned over Godzilla's possible return, the Japanese government uses the cells to create a new bio-weapon, ANE

Browse other decades

Looking for something to watch right now?

Search on WhatToStream.ai