Greatest Horror Films of All Time: Slashers

Even if you’ve never seen a slasher movie, you can’t escape their influence. It’s inevitable that every Halloween, you’ll see others dressing up as slasher icons such as Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, or the tall, tan, and handsome Michael Myers.

For the uninitiated, slasher movies are a horror sub-genre that involve the murder of numerous people, usually one at a time, by a psychopathic killer who typically wields a bladed object. The killer is generally human; however, supernatural elements may be at play. The bloody, creative (and sometimes unintentionally funny) kills are the main appeal of these movies. Characters are often underwritten, depicted as teenagers or young adults indulging in evil acts, blissfully unaware of any looming threat. 

The Golden Age of slasher films from 1978 to 1984 is a fan-favorite era in cinematic history. Despite being blasted by critics, 1980s moviegoers couldn’t get enough of slasher movies. The motivation behind these picks for greatest slasher films was to select a diverse set of movies that are not only fun to watch but also serve to represent considerable chronological periods in the genre’s history. 

Halloween (1978)

We begin this list with none other than John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978). Although not the first movie of its kind, Halloween is credited for jumpstarting the Golden Age of slasher films.

The movie aptly takes place on Halloween night, and we follow now legendary scream queen Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis in her on-screen debut). Strode is a teenage girl whose mundane babysitting gig takes a turn for the worst when unbeknownst to her, Michael Myers escapes from a neighboring mental institution and proceeds to stalk and kill Laurie and her friends, one by one. Unlike the genre it inspired, Halloween isn’t about the gory kills but rather the suspense leading up to the inevitable moments.

For someone who’s never seen the original Halloween, the film may come off as basic and straightforward, almost to a fault. The film is relatively tame compared to later slasher movies’ over-the-top kills and questionable lousy acting. Nevertheless, it can still be appreciated for the excellent filmmaking of John Carpenter. Above all else, Halloween deserves a watch because the film served as the blueprint for everything which came after in this subgenre of horror.

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Following the success of Halloween, an avalanche of “Halloween clones” hit theaters, each less creative and less memorable than the last. However, that’s not to say there weren’t a few diamonds in the rough. Friday the 13th is arguably the most famous of these clones and is responsible for solidifying many of the genre’s tropes. Nevertheless, here we shine some light on a lesser-known movie that has a lot of similarities with Friday the 13th. 

Sleepaway Camp (1983) tells the story of a young teenage girl staying at a summer camp that, unsurprisingly, becomes the murder site of numerous campers. Produced during the height of the genre’s popularity, Sleepaway Camp is relatively conventional, sticking to the standard slasher clichés until its infamous twist-ending reveal, which is considered one of the most shocking for the genre and remains highly contentious to this day. Over the years, the film has garnered a cult following and a surprising amount of critical praise. Notably (and kind of hilariously) film scholar Bartłomiej Paszylk called the film “an exceptionally bad movie but a very good slasher.” Ultimately, Sleepaway Camp perfectly encapsulates the genre and is a must-watch for any slasher fanatic.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

As with any trend, the popularity of slasher films soon waned. By 1984, major film studios had braked on a genre that had been immensely profitable just a few years prior. Coupled with escalating controversies and protests surrounding slasher films, the genre was on the verge of its gory death. Leave it to none other than Wes Craven revitalized the whole slasher genre with his now-classic film, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

The movie follows teenager Nancy Thompson as she uncovers the dark truth of her hometown while being haunted by the spirit of a dead serial killer who can only kill Nancy and her friends through their dreams. The tried-and-true slasher formula remains at the movie’s core. Still, the introduction of fantasy and supernatural elements elevates the story. Also contributing to the movie’s success was Robert Englund in the role of the infamous Freddy Kruger. Never before had a slasher villain been as equally disgusting as he was charismatic. The icing on top is creative (and bloody) kills that ideally take advantage of the film’s supernatural elements. Ultimately Wes Craven made a fun and scary movie that intentionally messes with its audience by blurring the line between dreams and reality. 

Candyman (1992)

With the end of the Golden Age of slasher films, there was a substantial decline in the popularity of theatrically released slashers. Big-name franchises that were once money-printing machines, such as Friday the 13th and Halloween, had new installments deemed box office disappointments. The same, however, couldn’t be said for the Elm Street franchise, which dominated the slasher scene, sequel after sequel, throughout the late 1980s. As such, the influence of this franchise can’t be understated and can be seen in the final pick of the list.

Candyman (1992) takes place in the inner-city of Chicago and the story follows Helen Lyle (Virgina Madsen), an ambitious graduate student.  Helen’s research on urban legends leads her to accidentally summon The Candyman (Tony Todd), the ghost of an African American artist and the son of an enslaved man murdered in the late 19th century.

The movie is based on Clive Barker’s chilling short story “The Forbidden,” which revolves around the themes of the British class system in contemporary Liverpool. Director Bernard Rose reworked the story to focus instead on themes of race and social issues present in the United States. It’s uncommon for a slasher film to touch on these types of nuanced subjects; however, by doing so, The Candyman manages to scare its audience with its gore and the ideas it presents. The film not only showcases Tony Todd’s captivating performance as the titular character but also serves as a representation of how far the slasher genre has evolved.