There’s hardly any other subgenre of horror that’s more beloved than slashers. There’s always a devoted fanbase behind these types of movies, ones who love and celebrate how thrilling and terrifying they are. Since its conception, the slasher subgenre has produced trailblazing masterpieces that dominated the box office, scared generations of audiences, and changed horror cinema forever.
There truly were some perfect slasher movies made throughout the years. The best slashers were the ones that shaped the subgenre into the powerhouse it is in modern cinema. These films were ahead of their time, undoubtedly classic today, and above all, are still epically frightening. They defined what it means to be a slasher and continue influencing generations of other films to be bigger and bolder. From an ’80s B-movie classic to a ’70s grindhouse masterpiece, here are ten essential horror movies that defined the slasher subgenre.
10 ‘Friday the 13th’ (1980)
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham
Not only is the first Friday the 13th film an essential slasher classic, but it’s one of the most outstanding B-movie horrors ever made. Directed by Sean S. Cunningham and released in 1980, this beloved fan favorite kick-started an iconic slasher franchise that lasted over three decades. While the series would become known for featuring its iconic, hockey mask-wearing slasher, Jason Voorhees, this original entry follows his deranged mother, who goes on a killing spree at Camp Crystal Lake to avenge her drowned son.
Before Jason, there was Mrs. Pamela Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), one of cinema’s most iconic and terrifying female villains. Her part in this film was instrumental to its success and legacy, leading to further sequels. Friday the 13th captured the attention of countless moviegoers in the early ’80s, during the height of the slasher craze following John Carpenter’s Halloween. While some of the other entries in this series have surpassed the original in terms of quality and memorability, the first one is undoubtedly a classic. It features many terrifying moments that have become legendary in pop culture.
Friday the 13th is a horror-slasher film by director Sean S. Cunningham and follows a group of camp counselors who are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer known to be the site of a child’s drowning and a grisly double murder. The film began a decades-long franchise that would eventually lead to the creation of Jason Voorhees, one of the most popular horror icons of all time.
- Release Date
- May 9, 1980
- Director
- Sean S. Cunningham
- Cast
- Peter Brouwer , Adrienne King , Betsy Palmer , Jeannine Taylor , Kevin Bacon , Robbi Morgan , Harry Crosby
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
9 ‘Deep Red’ (1975)
Directed by Dario Argento
The name Dario Argento is synonymous with giallo horror. Bold, brash, and incredibly ambitious, this iconic Italian filmmaker has created films that have influenced slashers and horror in general. His works were not only striking but brilliantly intense. One could argue his greatest achievement was Deep Red, a 1975 slasher thriller about a talented jazz pianist who takes on a dangerous task to uncover a deranged murderer after he witnesses the brutal slaying of a renowned psychic.
Since its release, Deep Red has and continues to be a massive influence on the slasher subgenre. Many of its iconic moments have inspired countless other scenes in horror throughout the decades, like the bathtub kill scene in Halloween II and, most notably, this film’s use of a creepy mechanical puppet would go on to inspire Billy the Puppet in James Wan’s Saw. This remarkable Italian slasher flick will remain legendary in the annals of horror history for all the inspiration it’s given to the subgenre. For any slasher buff, this classic is undoubtedly a must-watch.
After witnessing the murder of a psychic, jazz pianist Marcus Daly teams up with reporter Gianna Brezzi to solve the case. As they delve deeper, they uncover a web of secrets and encounter more murders. The investigation leads to a chilling revelation about the true identity of the killer.
- Release Date
- March 7, 1975
- Director
- Dario Argento
- Cast
- David Hemmings , Daria Nicolodi , Gabriele Lavia , Macha Méril , Eros Pagni , Giuliana Calandra , Piero Mazzinghi , Glauco Mauri
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
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8 ‘Peeping Tom’ (1960)
Directed by Michael Powell
One of the most shocking and controversial horror films of the 1960s was Michael Powell‘s Peeping Tom. Cited as one of the first slashers ever made, it’s an eerie early classic that helped usher in a new era of horror. Starring Karlheinz Böhm, it sees him starring as the disturbed Mark Lewis, a fear-obsessed filmmaker who murders women while recording them to capture their last moments of terror.
This is a chilling and incredibly unnerving classic that still disturbs audiences today. Böhm’s brilliant performance is as unsettling as it is fascinating, and his acting undoubtedly contributed to the film’s legacy. Peeping Tom was one of the first of its kind, even utilizing Point of View shots and having a story mostly centering around a serial killer’s daily activities. It broke new ground and helped get the slasher subgenre running. Though it garnered much controversy upon release, it’s since become viewed more as a significant benchmark in the history of slashers.
Mark Lewis, a disturbed cameraman, films the reactions of women as he murders them, a habit rooted in his father’s cruel psychological experiments. Mark’s obsession with capturing fear on film leads him into a relationship with his neighbor Helen, who discovers his horrifying secret. As the police close in, Mark chooses to end his life on camera, completing his macabre documentary.
- Release Date
- May 16, 1960
- Director
- Michael Powell
- Cast
- Karlheinz Böhm , Anna Massey , Moira Shearer , Maxine Audley , Brenda Bruce , Miles Malleson , Esmond Knight , Martin Miller
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
7 ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984)
Directed by Wes Craven
The slasher subgenre changed forever when director Wes Craven brought his talents to the big screen in 1984. At that time, he released an iconic slasher film so memorably terrifying and incredibly petrifying that it’s regarded as one of the scariest movies of all time. That film was A Nightmare on Elm Street. Starring Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp, it follows a group of Ohio teenagers battling a terrifying supernatural killer who can torment them in their dreams.
A Nightmare on Elm Street elevated slashers to new heights, partly thanks to its iconic, one-liner-spewing villain Freddy Kruger, who’s become a pop-cultural sensation. This film introduced new ideas for how slasher villains can work. They didn’t always have to be silent, hulking brutes. Here, it shows these killers could have personalities, more terrifying backstories, and even thrilling lines to say.A Nightmare on Elm Street is a staple of horror that never shows any sign of being forgotten. It’s still terrifying and iconic today, and one slasher lovers seem to enjoy often.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Release Date
- November 9, 1984
- Cast
- Heather Langenkamp , John Saxon , Ronee Blakley , Amanda Wyss , Jsu Garcia , Johnny Depp , Robert Englund , Charles Fleischer , Joseph Whipp , Lin Shaye , Joe Unger , Mimi Craven , Jack Shea , Ed Call , Sandy Lipton , David Andrews , Jeff Levine , Donna Woodrum , Shashawnee Hall , Carol Pritikin , Brian Reise , Ash Adams , Don Hannah , Leslie Hoffman , Paul Grenier
- Runtime
- 91 minutes
6 ‘Scream’ (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
Of course, Nightmare on Elm Street wasn’t the only game-changing slasher Wes Craven brought to horror cinema. Released during a stagnant period for slashers, along came Scream, a 1996 dark horror comedy that reinvigorated audiences’ fascination with the subgenre. It’s about a small California community terrorized by a mysterious ghost mask-wearing serial murderer who is taking inspiration from iconic horror movies.
Scream practically saved the slasher subgenre in the mid-’90s, when it was being saturated with overdone tropes and forced sequels.It had the most fun picking apart clichés and stereotypes by having a cast of hilarious and relatable characters who were well aware of other horror films. It’s sharply written, expertly acted and has the perfect mix of laughs and chilling scares to thrill audiences the entire runtime. Horror going forward into the latter half of the decade and the early 2000s owed a great deal of gratitude to Craven’s masterpiece, as it truly captivated countless new moviegoers. It can’t be denied how much of an impact this film has on modern slashers.
Scream
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
- Release Date
- December 20, 1996
- Runtime
- 111 minutes
5 ‘A Bay of Blood’ (1971)
Directed by Mario Bava
It’s undeniable how much of an impact Italian director Mario Bava has had on the horror genre. The “Master of the Macabre” has left an incredible legacy, creating some of the most highly inspiring and violent horror films of the 20th century. One that’s considered his most influential film was 1971’s A Bay of Blood, an early proto-slasher about a picturesque estate turning into the site of a grizzly mass murder when greedy family members start killing each other after the slaying of a wealthy countess.
A Bay of Blood was a prelude to the slasher subgenre and the most influential. It laid the groundwork for others to come, even introducing many iconic tropes, like the idea of a mystery killer, close-ups of the killer using a knife, and the concept of teens going to a secluded place in the woods and being killed off one by one. Even the iconic bed impalement scene inspired a similar killing in Friday the 13th Part II. It’s an early slasher that brought new things to the table and helped other films get off the ground.
A series of brutal murders takes place around a secluded bay, igniting a savage fight among several parties vying for control of the land. With each turn, the motives grow darker and the deaths more gruesome in this early slasher film that laid the groundwork for the genre.
- Release Date
- May 3, 1972
- Director
- Mario Bava
- Cast
- Claudine Auger , Luigi Pistilli , Claudio Camaso , Anna Maria Rosati , Chris Avram , Leopoldo Trieste , Laura Betti , Brigitte Skay
- Runtime
- 85 Minutes
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4 ‘Halloween’ (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
There’s no discussion about slasher movies without mentioning perhaps the most definitive slasher of all time: Halloween. Directed by the legendary John Carpenter, it’s a chilling suburban horror thriller about an unhinged mask-wearing murderer as he escapes his mental asylum and returns to his childhood home to continue the violent murder spree he started fifteen years prior.
It’s not hard to see why this film has become a staple of pop culture. It’s simply iconic from start to finish. Everything from its foreboding atmosphere, memorable locations, and thrilling characters has been edged in the memories of its fans. This also features the killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle), a frightening and intimidating slasher villain who has become a cinematic legend. Halloween wasn’t the first slasher, but it catapulted the subgenre to the spotlight, effectively kick-starting what would later become known as the “Golden Age of Slashers.”
Halloween
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
- Release Date
- October 27, 1978
- Runtime
- 91 minutes
3 ‘Psycho’ (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The great Sir Alfred Hitchcock didn’t take long to draw in his audience. Praised as the Master of Suspense, he terrified viewers by building tension and clueing them in on what terrible fates await his characters before they even happen. The most shining example of skill was his 1960 masterpiece Psycho, a nail-biting thriller about a chilling series of events when a young woman checks into an isolated motel operated by a seemingly shy desk clerk with a dark, murderous secret.
Psycho is one of the most influential horror movies of all time. It pushed the boundaries of the time, showing many other films to come, including slashers, that audiences were ready for more shocking and violent stories. The plot is intense, the acting is spectacular, and it features some of cinema’s most terrifying sequences. It truly was one of the first slashers, one that introduced a human killer, which is always more horrifying than any generic, fake-looking monster.Psycho is an undeniable masterpiece that continues to be beloved by slasher fans.
Psycho
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
- Release Date
- June 22, 1960
- Cast
- Anthony Perkins , Vera Miles , John Gavin , Martin Balsam , John McIntire , Simon Oakland
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
2 ‘Black Christmas’ (1974)
Directed by Bob Clark
Considered by many to be the film that spawned the slasher subgenre, Bob Clark‘s 1974 holiday horror classic Black Christmas is a true landmark in horror history. It’s pulse-poundingly thrilling, monumentally terrifying, and unsurprisingly iconic. Set during the holiday season on a college campus, a group of sorority girls become the targets of a mysterious, deranged stalker lurking somewhere in their house.
It goes without saying that this film walked so others could run.Black Christmas set the bar for other slashers to come. It predates Halloween in terms of holiday-themed slashers and introduced many iconic tropes that would become legendary. Its kills are memorable, the suspense is nail-biting, and its characters are likable and distinct. This is an undeniable slasher masterpiece that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Though only one film defined the subgenre more than this, it’s still a massive influence.
Black Christmas
During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger.
- Release Date
- December 20, 1974
- Director
- Bob Clark
- Cast
- Olivia Hussey , Keir Dullea , Margot Kidder , John Saxon , Andrea Martin , Marian Waldman
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
1 ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Finally, at number one, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a film that most defines what it means to be a slasher. What better to take the top spot than the one that started most audiences’ fascination with the subgenre? Directed by the late Tobe Hooper, this trailblazing masterpiece is about a group of friends whose trip through the Texas countryside goes wrong when they encounter a cannibalistic butcher and his family of deranged killers.
There’s no denying the impact The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has had on slasher movies going forward. It’s gritty and intense, with some of the most disturbing imagery ever. It popularized many slasher tropes, like the killer having a creepy-looking mask and being a towering, unstoppable force. The antagonist, Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), is one of cinema’s most fascinating and groundbreaking villains, whose look and actions continue to influence pop culture. It’s safe to say The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will forever be known as one of the most essential movies in slasher history.
A group of friends traveling through rural Texas encounter a family of deranged cannibals, including the terrifying Leatherface. As they explore an old homestead, they are systematically hunted down in gruesome ways. The film culminates in a harrowing chase and a desperate escape attempt by the last survivor, Sally, who narrowly evades the murderous Leatherface.
- Release Date
- October 11, 1974
- Cast
- Marilyn Burns , Allen Danziger , Paul A. Partain , William Vail , Teri McMinn , Edwin Neal
- Runtime
- 83 minutes
