It's officially spooky season! And you know what that means. Time to curl up with the best horror movies and get scared out of your wits. There's a chill in the air, the leaves have faded, and every single major streaming service has unloaded its Halloween-centric offerings. There are the classic Halloween movies, which include a few scary choices that you definitely won't see on our roundup of family Halloween movies. But if you love a good thrill, horror is where its at. Though horror films have been a staple in Hollywood for decades, there's just something about those '80s horror movies.
Whether you're new to horror or you've long been here, there's plenty to dig into - and it might all be quite overwhelming. But '80s horror movies will undoubtedly be on your watchlist this season. Everyone loves the '80s. From the outlandish style to the iconic music, it's no wonder Hollywood continues using the decade as inspiration. Just look at Prime Video's new horror hit, "Totally Killer."
From adaptations of Stephen King books to some of the most unique monsters you could think of, '80s horror movies will always be considered top choices to turn to during the Halloween season (all year long if we have anything to say about it). But what are some of the best '80s horror movies? And what should you watch next?
Below, we've stockpiled 13 essential '80s horror movies everyone should see and recommendations to watch next inspired by each. From slashers to killer aliens, there's a little bit of everything on this list.
'The Blob'
TriStar Pictures
When a group of high school students discovers a gelatinous substance, they learn it consumes the flesh of living creatures. Once it seeps into the sewer system, it grows exponentially and occasionally comes to the surface to eat townspeople. It's an outlandish yet still captivating premise that'll satiate anyone's sci-fi/horror hunger.
Where to watch: Sling, Philo
Recommendation: 'Slither'
Gold Circle Films
A creature from another world slithers (pun intended) into the town called Wheelsy. There's nothing particularly interesting about the neighborhood - until someone goes missing and livestock are slaughtered. Soon, it becomes the most fascinating (and troubled) town in America.
Where to watch: Peacock
'A Nightmare on Elm Street'
New Line Cinema/Getty Images
The sleep demon known as Freddy Krueger gets you in your sleep. And we all have to sleep. There's just no escaping him. When Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) and her friends become the target of Freddy's revenge, they must find a way to stay awake and defeat their worst nightmares. Or else they just may never wake up again.
Where to watch: Max, Philo
Recommendation: 'Daniel Isn't Real'
ACE Pictures
A different sort of demon lies at the heart of "Daniel Isn't Real." Tackling issues of mental health and generational trauma, the film confronts hard truths as young man Luke (Miles Robbins) deals with an imaginary counterpart named Daniel. He grapples with reality, slipping further and further into his delusions until there's nothing left.
Where to watch: Starz, Roku Channel
'The Fly'
SLM Production Group/Brooksfil/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
Jeff Goldblum stars as a rogue scientist, Seth Brundle, who discovers a way to teleport using two pods. What he doesn't account for is a mutation that occurs when a second organism is present inside the pods. He unwittingly melds his DNA with that of a fly, and the results are ghastly.
Where to watch: Max
Recommendation: 'Possessor'
Rhombus Media
With the advent of technology, there come dangerous risks. When a corporate assassin uses a brain implant to take over others' bodies, things go awry. To say the consequences are dire is an understatement. Before long, Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) loses herself to the machine.
Where to watch: Hulu
'Friday the 13th'
Paramount Pictures
When you think "camp slashers," the Sean S. Cunningham-directed picture should top that list. A group of counselors ready Camp Crystal Lake for summer camp. Despite warnings from Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), they proceed with cleaning up the property - and end up slaughtered. There are more Jason films in the franchise if you want a full marathon of all of the "Friday the 13th" movies.
Where to watch: Max
Recommendation: 'A Bay of Blood'
Nuova Linea Cinematografica
Released in 1971, Mario Bava's "A Bay of Blood" (also known as "Twitch of the Death Nerve") served as a precursor to "Friday the 13th." It, too, stars a group of youths who venture out to a secluded camp and meet a grisly death, bookended with a Giallo-type storyline.
Where to watch: Tubi, Plex, Amazon Prime Video
'The Shining'
Getty Images
Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film is an expert exercise in a tightly wound psychological thriller. Starring Jack Nicholson, it follows a family who spend winter vacation in the Overlook Hotel so Nicholson's Jack can write a novel. Instead of inspiration, he discovers murderous impulses that'll make your blood run cold.
Where to watch: Fubo, Max, Philo
Recommendation: 'Bad Things'
Shudder
With its most obvious influence being "The Shining," "Bad Things" pairs nicely with its landmark predecessor. When a group of friends head out to a secluded hotel, things are not as they seem. One among them loses their grip on reality, leading to a total bloodbath.
Where to watch: AMC+
'My Bloody Valentine'
Lions Gate Home Entertainment
"My Blood Valentine" is your typical slasher. It's packed with horrifying death sequences and mountains of tension and mood. Set in a mining town, a former coal miner (believed to be dead) returns to exact his revenge. The townsfolk won't see him coming.
Where to watch: Pluto TV, Roku Channel
Recommendation: 'Hell Fest'
Jackson Lee Davis/2018 Granville Pictures
If you're looking for something frightful yet fun, look no further than "Hell Fest." Set at a Halloween carnival, a group of friends find themselves stalked by an unknown killer through the festival's many attractions, each being bumped off in terrifying ways. The film plays on the free-spirited nature of the holiday but makes it a horrifying watch.
Where to watch: Peacock
'The Evil Dead'
Renaissance Pictures
One of the wildest horror flicks ever made, "The Evil Dead" tells the terrible tale of a group of youths who stumble across the Necronomicon, an ancient text that supposedly resurrects the dead. When one of the group reads from the book, it sets off a series of unfortunate, bloody, and insane events. You have to see it to believe it.
Where to watch: AMC+
Recommendation: 'Malum'
Welcome Villain Films
A remake of the 2014 film "Last Shift," "Malum" ups the ante, from surprising deaths to splashes of blood and guts. It's not for the faint of heart. The story goes: a newbie cop spends the night in an abandoned police station. Her reality begins to blur, and all hell breaks loose as strange events happen around her.
Where to watch: Starz
'Little Shop of Horrors'
Murray Close/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images
A musical remake of the 1960 film, 1986's "Little Shop of Horrors" tells the tale of flower shop clerk Seymour (Rick Moranis), who discovers a plant from another world. In order to keep it alive, he must feed it, leading to a series of murders on Skid Row.
Where to watch: YouTube, SlingTV, Max
Recommendation: 'Anna and the Apocalypse'
Duncan McCallum
It's the end of the world as she knows it. Anna (Ella Hunt) and her friends find themselves amidst a zombie apocalypse. They not only fight, but sing their way through hordes of zombies, hoping to live to see another day.
Where to watch: AMC+
'Child's Play'
United Artists/Getty Images
Chucky is everyone's favorite redhead. In the 1988 original film, a young boy named Andy (Alex Vincent) wants a Good Guy doll more than anything. His mother works overtime to be able to afford that year's hottest ticket item, and instead of playtime, they get murder time.
Where to watch: Max
Recommendation: 'The Boy'
David Bukach/STX Productions
Lauren Cohan ("The Walking Dead") stars as an au pair to an older couple whose son (actually a plastic doll) needs around-the-clock care. After arriving at the estate, strange events begin happening and lead Cohan's character to believe the doll is actually real.
Where to watch: Fubo
'The Lost Boys'
Warner Brothers/Getty Images
"The Lost Boys" tells the story of a gang of vampires. When new kid Michael (Jason Patric) falls in love with Star (Jami Gertz), he finds himself caught in a gnarly web of vampires and their many desires. It's up to Michael's brother Sam (Corey Haim) to save the day.
Where to watch: Max
Recommendation: 'Bliss'
Amazon Studios
A starving artist, Dezzy (Dora Madison Burge), turns to drugs for creative inspiration. An encounter in a bar one night turns into a life-changing event, as she soon finds herself craving blood. As her bloodlust grows, so does her creative energy.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
'Hellraiser'
Murray Close/Getty Images
Pinhead is the ruler of the underworld, a cenobite with a predilection for sexual and painful thrills. After a sexual deviant named Frank (Sean Chapman) fiddles with the Lament Configuration Box, he opens a portal to another world, one riddled with suffering. What results is a descent into the dangerously addicting and macabre.
Where to watch: AMC+, PlutoTV, Tubi
Recommendation: 'Pin'
Lance Entertainment
Pin is a dummy. No literally. He's an anatomy dummy used by Dr. Frank Linden (Terr O'Quinn), who treats the doll like a real person. Even his two kids have learned the same. "Pin" is perhaps one of the most bizarre entries on this list, and it should not be missed.
Where to watch: DVD available for purchase on Amazon
'The Thing'
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
"The Thing" centers around a group of researchers in the Antarctic who discover that a sled dog is actually a creature from another world. The monster can assume the likeness of anything, and soon enough, the group must combat the creature before it kills them all.
Where to watch: AMC+, Peacock
Recommendation: 'Color Out of Space'
TIFF
A meteor crashes into the earth, the farmland of the Gardner family. An extraterrestrial being emerges from the cloud of smoke and debris, resulting in utter chaos and color. The creature takes over their minds, and it's a race against time until it entraps the human race.
Where to watch: AMC+
'Aliens'
20th Century Fox
When you think sci-fi, you likely think "Aliens." Starring Sigourney Weaver, the film serves as the follow-up to the 1979 original. Many cite the sequel as the definitive "Alien" movie, and for good reason: it's packed with tons of action and gruesome deaths with a well-plotted story.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon
Recommendation: 'Underwater'
20th Century Fox
"Underwater," starring Kristen Stewart, is essentially an "Alien" movie set underwater. When water crashes into a drilling station, it spells disaster for everyone inside. They must traipse across the ocean floor to the main facility while combating deadly creatures.
Where to watch: Hulu
