1980s nostalgia has been relatively ubiquitous in media over the last decade, and nowhere has it been more prevalent than in horror cinema. The horror genre, even more so than most genres, moves in waves. Each decade has been dominated by distinct horror trends that encompass everything from the popularity of particular subgenres to the types of scares used, with 1980s horror being primarily characterized by teen slashers, gruesome practical effects and popular franchises receiving a plethora of both theatrical and direct-to-video sequels.
Many modern horror films have capitalized upon the 1980s nostalgia trend, but while trends have a reputation for being cynical, many of these films have in fact engaged with the subject matter in unique and thought-provoking ways, such as critiquing common prejudices of the time and deconstructing the sanitized view of the ’80s present throughout much of pop culture. These are 10 great modern horror films that are heavily inspired by the 1980s, either in their period setting, audio and visual aesthetics or their engagement with and recreations of the unique tropes of ’80s horror.
10’The Lure' (2015)
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska
The Lureis a 2015 Polish body horror musical directed byAgnieszka Smoczynska, inspired byHans Christian Andersen’sThe Little Mermaid. Set in the 1980s, the film follows Silver (Marta Mazurek) and Golden (Michalina Olszańska), two mermaid sisters who leave the ocean to become nightclub singers and have vastly different experiences with the human world. Silver falls in love with a human man (Jakub Gierszał) and begins to change her body for him while Golden craves human blood and worries for her sister’s safety.
The film is one of themost underrated international horror films, with its musical elements and focus on mermaids making the film highly original. The film is simultaneously dark and wildly entertaining, featuring great songs, bloody horror visuals and compelling feminist critiques of the misogynistic and patriarchal aspects of 1980s culture.The Lureis one of the most unique and best modern horror films set in the ’80s.
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9’Totally Killer' (2023)
Directed by Nahnatchka Khan
Directed byNahnatchka Khan,Totally Killeris a 2023 sci-fi comedy slasher film. The film takes place in a town previously terrorized by a serial killer targeting 16-year-old girls, who reemerges decades later to kill Pam (Julie Bowen), a friend of the victims. The film follows her daughter Jamie (Kiernan Shipka),a Gen-Z teenagerwho uses a time machine created by her friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema) to travel back to 1987 and stop the killer.
Totally Killercontains a funny and entertaining blend of science fiction, slasher and comedy writing, drawing comedic comparisons between the cultures of the 1980s and 2020s through its time travel plot. As a modern teen, Jamie finds herself unable to blend in among the ’80s fashion and slang of the other teens, excusing her behavior as a cultural difference between Americans and Canadians in order to keep her cover. With a great lead performance from Kiernan Shipka,Totally Killeris a charming love letter to ’80s horror and teen cinema.
Totally Killer
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8’The Final Girls' (2015)
Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson
The Final Girlsis a 2015 slasher comedy directed byTodd Strauss-Schulson. The film follows Max (Taissa Farmiga), a teenager whose actress mother Amanda (Malin Åkerman) appeared in an ’80s slasher film called ‘Camp Bloodbath’. On the anniversary of her mother’s death, Max and her friends attend a screening of the movie and find themselves magically transported inside the slasher. Determined to bring her mother back, Max bonds with her fictional analog Nancy and attempts to save her and the other characters from the killer.
The film is a love letter to 1980s summer camp slasher movies likeFriday the 13th, both poking fun at and engaging with the subgenre’s iconic tropes. Featuring charming comedic performances from the supporting cast as well as a strong lead turn from Taissa Farmiga, the film successfully balances its humor and its more earnest elements, leading to an extremely heartfelt and thematically resonant climactic scene set to ‘Bette Davis Eyes’. Shot with a vibrant color pallet and striking pops of neon lighting,The Final Girlsis an underrated send-up of ’80s horror witha sweet mother-daughter storyat its heart.
The Final Girls (2015)
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7’The Void' (2016)
Directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie
The Voidis a 2016 Canadian cosmic horror film written and directed bySteven KostanskiandJeremy Gillespie. Featuring an ensemble cast, the film takes place over one night in a hospital as a mysterious and sinister cult surround the building. As the night progresses, the hospital becomes infiltrated by horrifying creatures and reality itself begins to crumble when it is revealed that a member of the hospital’s staff (Kenneth Welsh) has unleashed these otherwordly nightmares in an attempt to gain immortality.
With a frantic pace that causes the situation to quickly devolve into absolute chaos, the film is intentionally disorientating with the intention of mirroring the Lovecraftian theme of the universe being impossible for the human mind to comprehend. Due to its themes, imagery and its use of grotesque body horror, the film bears many similarities to 1980s horror films, especially thoseadapted from or inspired by Lovecraft’s works.The Voidis a striking horror film that deserves far more attention, with its highlight being its stunning and inventive practical effects reminiscent of 1982’sThe Thing, which are highly impressive for the film’s low, largely crowd-funded budget.
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6’Summer of 84' (2018)
Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell
Summer of 84is a 2018 Canadian psychological horror film directed byFrançois Simard,Anouk WhissellandYoann-Karl Whissell. Set in 1984, the film follows Davey (Graham Verchere), a young teen boy fascinated by mysteries and conspiracy theories, who recruits his friends to help him spy on a neighbor (Rich Sommer) he believes to be a serial killer. Despite their initial childlike excitement about the project, as the summer progresses, the boys begin to put themselves in increasingly grave danger investigating the case.
The film focuses on the paranoia of 1980s missing children moral panics and the dark underbelly of suburbia, exploring the idea that you can never truly know or trust the people around you. Anchored bystrong performances from its teenage cast, the film is genuinely intense and shockingly dark. Featuring a bold synth score and iconic 1980s imagery like milk carton missing posters,Summer of 84is a smart and sinister deconstruction of ’80s nostalgia.
Summer of 84
5’V/H/S/85' (2023)
Directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, David Bruckner, Natasha Kermani, Scott Derrickson and Mike P. Nelson
2023’s installment of thecult classicV/H/Shorror series,V/H/S/85, is a found footage anthology film featuring segments from directors includingGigi Saul Guerrero,David BrucknerandScott Derrickson. The shorts, all set in 1985, follow a variety of plots ranging from a news crew trapped in a building during the 1985 Mexico City earthquake to a mysterious psychic who can predict murders through his dreams. Brought to life with VHS found footage aesthetics, the shorts are creepy, creative and thrilling.
TheV/H/Sseries as a whole is a celebration of home video and the horror genre, allowing filmmakers' imaginations to run wild in their short time slots. A particular stand-out isMike P. Nelson’s two-part entry, consisting of ‘No Wake’ and ‘Ambrosia’, which utilize the trappings of teen camping horror and cult horror to tell an interwoven and unique story with some great shock moments. As an entire series themed around VHS tapes, making an ’80s-themed entry was only inevitable, andV/H/S/85makes great use of its period setting.
4’House of the Devil' (2009)
Directed by Ti West
Written, directed and edited byTi West,The House of the Devilis a 2009 horror film. Set in the 1980s, the film follows a student, Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), who accepts a babysitting job only to be informed she is instead to care for a mysterious elderly woman. As the night goes on, Samantha begins to notice strange details about the house, from family pictures implying that the home’s true owners are not the people she is aware of to sinister creaking noises upstairs, all pointing to the fact that she may be in grave danger.
The film is heavily inspired by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, even referencing it in the opening text, and explores the question of what it may have looked like if the entire moral panic was justified. The film makes a strong attempt at fidelity to its time period through the utilization of period-accurate filmmaking techniques and being shot on retro 16mm film rather than more modern digital technology. One of Ti West’s strongest films,The House of the Devilis a creepy and underrated ’80s throwback horror.
The House of the Devil
3’The Guest' (2014)
Directed by Adam Wingard
Written bySimon Barrettand directed byAdam Wingard,The Guestis a 2014 horror-thriller. The film centers on David (Dan Stevens), a veteran who moves in with the family of his deceased comrade. While he bonds with teen son Luke (Brendan Meyer), older daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) becomes suspicious about David’s backstory when people around town begin mysteriously showing up dead, and takes it upon herself to investigate his claims.
The Guestis a tightly paced and intelligently written thriller with a bold slasher climax. Thebest Adam Wingard filmto date,The Guestis elevated by Dan Stevens' electrifying lead performance as David, perfectly balancing charisma with an icy sense of inhumanity and menace. Taking clear inspiration from classics likeThe Terminator, the film’s ’80s aesthetic is greatly enhanced by its striking neon lighting and synth soundtrack, cementing it as one of the best ’80s-inspired modern horror films.
2’Mandy' (2018)
Directed by Panos Cosmatos
Directed and co-written byPanos Cosmatos,Mandyis a 2018 psychedelic horror film. Set in the early 1980s, the film follows couple Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) and Red (Nicolas Cage) as their isolated domestic peace is interrupted byan LSD-obsessed cultwho violently abduct Mandy in the hopes that she will join their movement. However, when Mandy insults the cult leader Jeremiah (Linus Roache), they burn her to death in front of Red, which prompts him to venture on a brutal revenge quest against the cult in honor of her.
The film is extremely unique in terms of pacing and tone, with director Panos Cosmatos demonstrating immense confidence in his vision. While the film is bloody and ultraviolent, it is also heartfelt and deliberately slow, taking its time to flesh out the characters and their relationship in a way that makes the loss of Mandy acutely impact the audience. Featuring references to ’80s pulp novels, heavy metal bands and even a Ronald Reagan speech,Mandyis a quintessentially ’80s modern horror film.
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1’It Follows' (2014)
Directed by David Robert Mitchell
Image via RADiUS-TWC
Written and directed byDavid Robert Mitchell,It Followsis a 2014 supernatural slasher film. Set in an indeterminate time period, the film centers on a sexually transmitted supernatural curse where the affected person is pursued by a mysterious shape-shifting entity that seeks to kill them. The film follows Jay (Maika Monroe), a teenage girl who is given the curse by her boyfriend Hugh (Jake Weary) and is forced to find a way to destroy the entity with the help of her friends.
Although not set in the 1980s, favoring instead to create a timeless feel to the film through the use of an anacronistic mix of technology,It Followsemploys a strong ’80s aesthetic. The film ishighly atmospheric, featuring beautiful cinematography and an excellent synth soundtrack from composerDisasterpiece. In addition, adding to the ’80s feel, the film’s horror centers primarily on the potential consequences of teenage sexuality, in a nod to common tropes of early slashers.It Followsis a scary, visually striking and critically acclaimed ’80s-inspired modern slasher.
