5 best horror movies of the 1980s

The 1980s is one of the most beloved decades for a plethora of reasons, from the likes of music, style, and of course horror movies. Some of the best, if not the best horror films, were released during this time and arguably stand the test of time.

There are a multitude of reasons why audiences look fondly at 1980s horror films, whether it be for their nightmare-inducing content or their cheesiness in an attempt to be scary. We're looking at five of the best horror movies from this decade that tell bone-chilling tales from the likes of vampires, ghosts, and sentient cars.

Let's begin!

The Lost Boys

Beginning our list is the cult classic from 1987, Joel Schumacher's The Lost Boys. Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Dianne Wiest, it's perhaps one of the best yet underrated vampire horror films of all time.

When Lucy (Wiest) gets divorced, she and her two sons Michael (Patric) and Sam (Haim), move to Santa Carla, "The Murder Capital Of The World," to live with her father. But what the family doesn't know is that the string of disappearances is due to a group of vampires with David (Sutherland) as their leader.

After Michael becomes a half-vampire, it's up to him, Sam, and Sam's new friends, the Frog brothers (Feldman and Jamison Newlander), to figure out a way to save him. While the film is mostly remembered for the live performance of "I Still Believe" by a chained, greasy saxophone playing Tim Cappello in tights, the star-studded cast plays out a unique, scary, and entertaining vampire film that embodies a lot of '80s nostalgia.

The film isn't overly gratuitous with violence or sex, for that matter, but it holds an R rating and still manages to instill fear in audiences even today, especially when we see the vampires' true form for the first time. Bonus points for the cover of The Door's song "People Are Strange" in the opening credits.

Monster Squad

Also released in 1987 is the PG-13-rated Monster Squad. The film, starring Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan, and Ryan Lambert is perhaps the epitome of the '80s.

Between the slang, outfits, product placements, overall plot, and setting of suburbia (why is it always the suburbs?), this film comes off more like the horror response to The Goonies. The story follows five friends who are obsessed with horror movies and movie monsters to the point it's all they seem to talk about.

As luck would have it, they are the only ones who can stop the classic movie monsters of the Mummy, the Wolfman, the Gill Man, and Frankenstein's Monster led by Dracula (Regehr). Thanks to the possession of Van Helsing's diary, they learn the monsters are in town in search of an amulet, and thus chaos, comedy, and action ensue.

The film is in no short supply of explosions, cursing, and friendship. For those who love horror films without the overkill of violence, gore, sex, and other adult activities, this one fits the bill.

It's an underrated treasure that easily channels what makes monster movies fun and thrilling without the traumatic and horrific imagery.

Fright Night

No, we are not talking about the remake from 2011 (although we highly recommend watching it anyway) but the original 1983 Fright Night, which starred Chris Sarandon (yes, Prince Humperdinck), William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, and Amanda Bearse. Yes, this film also features vampires, but in all the right ways.

Like the boys from Monster Squad, the main character Charley (Ragsdale), is a horror movie fanboy, which enables him to uncover that his neighbor Jerry (Sarandon) is a classic blood-sucking vampire. And we are talking classic, down to the attractiveness and seduction he exudes to the disgusting and terrifying form he takes as a bloodthirsty vampire.

Seeking the help of television show vampire-killer Peter Vincent (McDowall), Charley must find a way to kill Jerry because failure is not an option. This isn't Twilight, folks. This film is rated R for violence, but we'll admit there were times when a chuckle or two was warranted.

Christine

Oh, now our list is really getting good as we're moving away from supernatural creatures to something a little different. What do you do when you discover your car is not only alive but also a killing machine?

No, this isn't Transformers or Stephen King's other homicidal vehicle-themed horror tale Maximum Overdrive (which also had a theatrical release in the 1980s). We're talking about Christine. Released in 1983, the film stars Keith Gordon as main character Arnie, an unfortunate recurring Stephen King bullied, doormat, product of super strict parents character trope who finds the answer to his problems, a car with a reputation, Christine.

It doesn't take long for Arnie to realize this isn't any ordinary 1958 Plymouth Fury, and together, she changes him for the worse while also solving his problems (or making things worse). Now, a car coming to life with free will and killing to protect its owner might not initially sound scary, but this R-rated John Carpenter film does not disappoint.

It may not be your run-of-the-mill gore and scare fest, but it absolutely deserves a spot on our list.

The Shining

Last but not least is The Shining. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this horror movie has all the gore, violence, and scares that continue to hold up all these years later (which includes the continuous debate about the final scene).

Released in 1980, The Shining stars Jack Nicholson in the lead role of Jack Torrance. Jack, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd) get more than they bargained for when Jack agrees to be the off-season caretaker of the remote and definitely haunted Overlook Hotel. What do we mean by haunted?

Well, unless the events that follow are all in someone's head (which we highly doubt), we have creepy kid ghosts who were brutally murdered, a demonic naked ghost lady who haunts Room 237, and dozens more ghosts who we can only assume died on the property. What Jack doesn't realize is that while he's interacting with some of these said ghosts, so is his son, who has a psychic ability just like Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers), the head chef of the hotel.

Get ready to watch between your fingers, jump at every scene change, and uncover what happens to a family in a highly concentrated haunted location with no way of escape. This film is rated R for a whole lot of gruesome, disturbing content and violence.

What are some of your favorite horror movies of the 1980s?

To stay up to date on all things horror and 1428 Elm, follow our Facebook page and Twitter account.