The history of horror movies is littered with plenty of underrated gems, and the slasher genre has produced more than its fair share of unsung classics. Though the origin of the slasher film is H๏τly debated to this day, there’s no denying that the simple-but-effective subgenre picked up in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the release of films like Halloween and Friday the 13th. As the ’80s wore on, movie theaters and video stores were filled to the brim with a myriad of slashers that ranged from low-budget to bona fide blockbuster franchises and everything in between.

The genre itself isn’t difficult to nail down, and typically involves a killer (whether mysterious or known) who spends the bulk of the film hacking and slashing their way through the ensemble of the movie. However, many great movies have managed to subvert the tropes of the slasher film, and those can sometimes go unnoticed. Because slasher films were so popular to produce for so long, plenty have slipped through the cracks and haven’t become established parts of the horror canon. However, they are still well worth a watch, especially for those who are looking for new and interesting frights.

10

Valentine (2001)

A Throwback To Classic Slashers In An Era Of Self-Awareness

The early Aughts slasher film Valentine hardly reinvents the genre, but it is an interesting and earnest artifact from an era where most horror films were painfully self-aware. Hearkening back to the more straightforward slashers of the ’80s, the film has all the hallmarks of a compelling watch, including a masked killer and a mysterious motivation.

Released at the height of the slasher revival of the early 2000s, Valentine is often buried under the I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream franchises, but it is not a copycat. Its lush red color palate is visually distinct from the usual drabness of early Aughts cinema, and the mystery is paid off with a clever twist that doesn’t undercut the rest of the film’s story.

9

Phantom Of The Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989)

A Campy Slasher That Integrates ’80s Mall Culture

Mall horror movies were a new trend in the 1980s, and alongside cult classics like Chopping Mall, 1989’s Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is a true hidden gem. Integrating elements of Phantom of the Opera into its classic slasher revenge premise, Phantom of the Mall doesn’t cut corners when it comes to using its setting for the maximum effect onscreen.

Besides the usual gnarly kills and suspenseful scenes, Phantom of the Mall is also surprisingly action-packed, and even has a car chase (albeit in stripped-down form). It also gives its main antagonist more complex motivations than the usual slasher villain, and it features some soft commentary on politics in the 1980s.

8

The Mutilator (1984)

A Campy Classic With First-Rate Kills

By the middle of the 1980s, slasher films had quickly become the fastest and easiest genre to produce, and there were a wealth of independent horror films cashing in on the home video rental market. The Mutilator is a rare example that actually succeeds at delivering effective scares and particularly memorable and gory kill scenes.

SH๏τ in coastal North Carolina, the movie’s unique location is also a nice added touch, and the beachfront isn’t the typical setting for a grizzly slasher. Though The Mutilator certainly takes a while to get going, it becomes a mile-a-minute thriller by the end, and uses all the best parts of the slasher genre to its advantage.

7

Fade To Black (1980)

A Strong Slasher That’s Also An Excellent Film

Some horror movies are effectively scary, but aren’t examples of great cinema overall. Fade to Black is a notable exception to that idea, and is a well-made movie first and foremost. Mixing elements of old-school horror with slasher and comedy, Fade to Black is a tribute to horror and its fans.

Anchored by the brilliant performance of Dennis Christopher as Eric, the movie gives the antagonist not one, but many different disguises as he dispatches his victim. This helps add to the visual interest, and also allows for loving tributes to classic movie monsters like Dracula and The Mummy. Fade to Black is not without elements of tragedy too, and is a compelling mix of everything that cinema has to offer.

6

Popcorn (1991)

A Bizarre Early ’90s Gem

With the slasher genre becoming old hat by the end of the 1980s, 1991’s Popcorn arrived to give it a double dose of weird. Following the basic slasher premise of a killer stalking college students in an abandoned movie theater, Popcorn mostly uses that as a jumping-off point for its over-the-top visuals and strange kills.

Not really trying to be frightening, Popcorn has exaggerated gore and an intentionally convoluted plot, but it never grows stale or overstays its welcome. The entire film has a dreamlike quality, and feels less like a grounded horror story and more of a twisted nightmare.

5

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

An Unsung Slasher From The ’70s

Alice, Sweet Alice was released before many of the “rules” of the slasher genre were put in place, and that makes it a truly fascinating viewing experience. More closely resembling darker horror films like Don’t Look Now, the 1976 hidden gem breaks the horror taboo of using children, which only helps to increase the intensity.

Now perhaps best remembered as one of the earliest roles for Brooke Shields, Alice, Sweet Alice explores deep themes like child neglect and the disintegration of the nuclear family. However, it doesn’t skimp on classic slasher scares, and introduces a killer’s mask that is a truly iconic piece of cinema history. The slow and methodical approach is in contrast to the pacing of ’80s slashers, but that serves to make the movie all the more compelling and frightening.

4

Madman (1982)

Another Memorable Campground Killer

Friday the 13th might have truly kicked off the slasher boom of the ’80s, but it wasn’t the only example of a terrifying movie set in a campground. 1981’s Madman is similar to Friday the 13th in its setting, but that’s where the similarities end. Instead of relying on mystery and a few clever twists, the underseen slasher reveals its killer right away, and Madman Marz is a criminally underrated screen villain.

With its faster pace and exaggerated visual approach, Madman is a clear predecessor to the style that many ’80s slashers would emulate. Instead of putting its killer behind a mask, Marz’s face is itself one of the attractions, and the makeup is top-notch for a low-budget film of its time. In another interesting wrinkle, Madman pulls from the Cropsey urban legend of upstate New York, much like its fellow ’80s slasher, The Burning.

3

Mountaintop Motel Mᴀssacre (1983)

An Unconventional Slasher Villain

Mountaintop Motel Mᴀssacre might seem like an over-the-top тιтle for a slasher film, but the 1983 cult classic lives up to its lofty name. Taking a page from Psycho by telling the story of a murderous motel manager, Mountaintop Motel Mᴀssacre is a weird example of a slasher from the decade that produced the most entries in the genre.

Mixing in elements of the supernatural, it is also unique because it casts an older woman as its villain and doesn’t just reveal her at the end in the form of a twist. That’s not to say the movie isn’t without surprises, and its straightforward approach is counterbalanced with effective suspense and clever kills.

2

Hack-O-Lantern (1988)

Satanic Panic Comes For The Slasher Genre

Horror was king in the 1980s, and there were plenty of real-world fears that inspired the genre, and vice versa. Hack-O-Lantern is a reaction to the notorious “Satanic panic” of the latter half of the decade, that saw moral crusaders attacking music, movies, and other forms of entertainment because of their supposed corrupting influence.

Hack-O-Lantern is framed around a classic mystery slasher premise, and it features plenty of brilliant Halloween imagery. Set around the beloved spooky holiday, it also incorporates a fair amount of rock music and devil worship into the mix for a perfect combination of things that many moral panic advocates were railing against. While it might be cheesy and over-the-top by today’s standards, it is a fun time capsule to the waning days of the 1980s.

1

Intruder (1989)

Things Turn ᴅᴇᴀᴅly At The Grocery Store

The best slasher films often take place in unusual settings, and 1989’s Intruder uses a grocery store as its backdrop. While the setting itself is rather mundane, it’s how the movie uses its setting that’s so compelling. Yet another example of the mystery slasher subgenre, Intruder features a red herring that is so obvious it’s almost humorous.

Despite the fact that its attempts at subterfuge are rather poor, the film’s twist ending is well-earned, and speaks to the larger theme of the collapse of small business at the turn of the 1990s. What’s more, Intruder uses its supermarket location to its full extent and includes great kills that feel tied to the environment. Intruder proves that horror movies don’t need to be complex to be effective.