Of all the many subgenres of horror, one of the most popular and well-loved is the slasher. Between the proto-slashers of the ‘60s, giallo films, and the exploitation horror of the ‘70s that gave rise to the golden era of slashers from 1978-1984, there are hundreds of slasher films to satiate your bloodlust.
While the number of slashers produced dropped off dramatically after 1984, the slasher never went away, even jump-starting anew in the ‘90s thanks to Wes Craven’s Scream. All of this to say, with so many offerings in this subgenre, there’s plenty of great entries that have fallen through the cracks.
Some of the best slashers that fizzled at the box office upon initial release have finally found the audience they deserve, like The Burning, but many more remain in obscurity. These 10 slashers fall into the latter category; fun horror movies worth watching that don’t come up in discussion very often.
The die-hard slasher fan will recognize many of these titles, but for those looking to dig beneath the surface these 10 are a great place to start.
Fade to Black
Eric Binford is a socially awkward cinephile obsessed with movies, to the point that he’s bulled and ostracized by his family and peers. Then he meets Marilyn O’Connor, a model that happens to look just like Marilyn Monroe. The resemblance makes her the object of Eric’s cinematic desires, but when he’s accidentally stood up on their first date, it sends him into a homicidal tailspin. While most slashers are of the masked variety and often involve a whodunnit type mystery, we’re with the killer as he ascends to serial killer status. Instead of masks, though, Eric dresses up as a different cinematic icon for every kill. Dracula, the Mummy, Hopalong Cassidy Cowboy, and more become intricate facades for Eric to act out his movie star dreams. Just with a dash of murder. It’s likely because of Eric’s movie method of slaying that’s kept this gem trapped on VHS.
Alone in the Dark (1982)
This cult slasher also changes the formula a bit, as it features four psychopaths as they break out of their mental hospital during a blackout and target the family and home of their new doctor, Dr. Dan Potter. Jack Palance and Martin Landau are clearly having a ball as two members of the quirky psychopath quartet. Look for Donald Pleasence as the eccentric head of the asylum, too. Alone in the Dark mixes black humor with some solid tension and atmosphere, particularly in the second half. It’s as entertaining as it is bizarre.
Next of Kin (1982)
Thanks to a recent release by Severin films, this Australian take on a giallo won’t remain “lesser seen” for much longer. Following the death of her mother, Linda inherits the retirement home that she ran. Soon after, people start dying in strange ways. At its core, Next of Kin is a murder mystery in which an intruder picks off the residents of the retirement home, but it plays out far more atmospheric and moodier than that. It’s spooky and feels like a complement to Kubrick’s The Shining. Again, this one doesn’t feel much like your standard slasher, but it’s a great one.
Dream Home
Proving that not all “lesser seen” slashers emerged from the golden era, this 2010 slasher is a fantastic one that will also appease the gorehounds. Cheng Lai-sheung works two jobs to save up enough money to buy her dream apartment with a stunning view of the harbor. When her dreams are crushed, Lai-sheung decides to keep them alive no matter the cost- including the lives of her neighbors. Told in reverse chronological order, this bloody slasher puts the viewer in the shoes of its killer. That her dreams are completely human and relatable makes this one all the more chilling.
Just Before Dawn
This 1981 slasher likely has a bigger following than any other on this list. And yet it’s still not enough. For whatever reason, Just Before Dawn doesn’t come up in conversation near as much as it should when discussing slashers. I suppose that’s because at first glance, it doesn’t seem to offer anything different; its plot sees five campers that ignore the warnings that there’s an axe-wielding maniac on the loose and find themselves getting picked off one by one. It’s well shot with a haunting score, but it also takes its time to establish the characters (a rarity at this point during the golden era). And it takes an unconventional approach to its Final Girl, too. Basically, Just Before Dawn deserves far more love than it’s received over the decades.
Night School (1981)
An American giallo that sees police perplexed by the recent string of murders, Night School takes a more traditional approach to its formula. The victims are women who have had their heads decapitated by a machete, and the murderer’s identity is concealed under a motorcycle helmet. So, the beheadings are slightly different. But the main thing that sets this one apart from the rest is the killer’s identity. I won’t spoil it for anyone, and there’s a pretty strong chance you’ll guess who it is before the end, but it’s still a standout for the subgenre.
Visiting Hours
Michael Ironside stars as serial killer Colt, a creepy guy obsessed with TV journalist Deborah Ballin. He attempts to kill her, and she barely survives. She’s sent to the hospital to recover from her injuries, and Colt follows her there to stalk and kill anyone that might get in his way of finishing what he started. William Shatner plays Deborah’s concerned boyfriend. Visiting Hours is a violent slasher with something to say, though it does occasionally play for unintentional laughs and loses steam in the logic department toward the end. Even still, Ironside always makes for a terrifying villain.
Frightmare
This one is for those that like schlock with their horror, and those that like their slasher blended with the supernatural. When drama students decide the best way to pay tribute to their favorite horror star is to dig up his body for a party, they’ve unwittingly triggered black magic that sets off the dead star’s quest for vengeance. It’s ‘80s slashers meets Gothic horror, but full on weird. Frightmare also has some pretty great death sequences too, which is usually a main draw of the slasher. One of the best reasons to give this a try, though, is for a young Jeffrey Combs in an early role.
Popcorn
To raise funds for the film department, a group of film students decide to put on a movie marathon fundraiser in a defunct theater scheduled for demolition. They develop William Castle level gimmicks to accommodate their three B-movie horror films, and set their plan in action. But on the night of the event, a murderer begins to kill the students one by one, and assuming their faces to fool his next victim. Popcorn boasts one of the most enjoyable setups in slasher history. The movie within a movie concept with nods to familiar tropes and references is a delight that’s only matched by the strange method of the movie’s killer. And it only gets progressively weirder and dreamlike as it barrels toward its conclusion.
Hell Night
As part of a hazing ritual, four college kids are forced to leave their costume party and stay the night locked in a decrepit mansion where a family massacre once occurred. Their peers have set up scares and traps throughout the mansion to spook them, but no one was aware that the survivor of the family massacre still lurks within. Linda Blair stars as lead protagonist Marti, the good girl turned survivor. Her performance earned her a Razzie nomination, but that’s forgivable. Hell Night offers a haunted house type setting full of gimmicks, but more than that, it provides one hell of a killer reveal that a certain ‘90s slasher received full credit for years later.