The 30 best Horror movies of the 1980s

1. 1

   The Shining (1980)

   directed by Stanley Kubrick · 146 min · 8.2 19,320 votes

2. 2

   The Thing (1982)

   directed by John Carpenter · 109 min · 8.1 8,226 votes

3. 3

   Come and See (1985)

   directed by Elem Klimov · 142 min · 8.2 1,945 votes

4. 4

   Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)

   directed by John Landis · 14 min · 8.3 797 votes

5. 5

   Evil Dead II (1987)

   directed by Sam Raimi · 84 min · 7.5 3,639 votes

6. 6

   A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

   directed by Wes Craven · 91 min · 7.4 5,906 votes

7. 7

   The Fly (1986)

   directed by David Cronenberg · 96 min · 7.4 5,120 votes

8. 8

   An American Werewolf in London (1981)

   directed by John Landis · 98 min · 7.4 2,784 votes

9. 9

   The Evil Dead (1982)

   directed by Sam Raimi · 85 min · 7.3 4,697 votes

10. 10

    Videodrome (1983)

    directed by David Cronenberg · 89 min · 7.3 2,556 votes

11. 11

    Poltergeist (1982)

    directed by Tobe Hooper · 114 min · 7.2 3,436 votes

12. 12

    Gremlins (1984)

    directed by Joe Dante · 106 min · 7.1 7,131 votes

13. 13

    The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

    directed by Dan O'Bannon · 91 min · 7.2 2,351 votes

14. 14

    Possession (1981)

    directed by Andrzej Żuławski · 124 min · 7.3 1,415 votes

15. 15

    The Lost Boys (1987)

    directed by Joel Schumacher · 97 min · 7.1 2,381 votes

16. 16

    Angel Heart (1987)

    directed by Alan Parker · 113 min · 7.1 1,791 votes

17. 17

    Re-Animator (1985)

    directed by Stuart Gordon · 104 min · 7.1 1,722 votes

18. 18

    The Dead Zone (1983)

    directed by David Cronenberg · 104 min · 7.0 1,896 votes

19. 19

    Dead Ringers (1988)

    directed by David Cronenberg · 116 min · 7.1 1,041 votes

20. 20

    Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

    directed by Frank Oz · 94 min · 7.0 1,691 votes

21. 21

    Fright Night (1985)

    directed by Tom Holland · 106 min · 7.0 1,596 votes

22. 22

    Manhunter (1986)

    directed by Michael Mann · 119 min · 7.0 1,587 votes

23. 23

    Day of the Dead (1985)

    directed by George A. Romero · 101 min · 7.0 1,442 votes

24. 24

    Hellraiser (1987)

    directed by Clive Barker · 90 min · 6.9 2,976 votes

25. 25

    Santa Sangre (1989)

    directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky · 122 min · 7.2 520 votes

26. 26

    Christine (1983)

    directed by John Carpenter · 110 min · 6.9 2,316 votes

27. 27

    Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

    directed by Kazuki Ōmori · 105 min · 7.4 312 votes

28. 28

    The Changeling (1980)

    directed by Peter Medak · 107 min · 7.0 745 votes

29. 29

    Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

    directed by Shinya Tsukamoto · 67 min · 7.0 732 votes

30. 30

    The Return of Godzilla (1984)

    directed by Koji Hashimoto · 103 min · 7.2 348 votes

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Method: TMDb audience rating weighted by vote count, with a vote floor per list. No position is editorial opinion; it is the catalogue, ordered.

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