Theslasher genreis one of the most popular and gruesome subgenres of horror of all time. While someslashers have stood the test of time for decades, others have not. It’s defined asa killer who stalks and murders a group of people, sadistically racking up a body count, usually in horrific ways, with a blade or other weapons. It’s argued the first slasher film was Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychoback in the 1960s, with a major breakout and renaissance in the 1970s and 80s, producing work that inspired and redefined the genre forever.
Slashers have an enduring legacy,appealing to an audience’s most basic and primal fears,with the best slasher villains, inventive kills, and everyday protagonists who feel like normal people. Classics like 1978’sHalloweenorPsychoare masterpieces of cinema, not just the slasher genre; however, other works likeFriday the 13thorHouse of 1000 Corpseshave gained huge popularity but are often overhyped or derivative from earlier films. Slashers seem to tend to either be instant classics that stand the test of time or more hyped-up films that get unfairly listed as greats within more deserving films.
House of 1000 Corpses
Cast
Rob Zombie steps into the world of filmmaking with House of 1000 Corpses, the first film in the Firefly trilogy. In the film, a group of teenagers heads across the country to compile a book of strange and unique roadside attractions. Unfortunately for them, they happen upon “The Museum of Monsters & Madmen,” which may be their last stop.
House of 1000 Corpsesis a black comedy slasher written and directed by a legend in the genre, Rob Zombie, who also helped craft the menacing score for the film. In his directorial debut and the first film in his ‘Firefly’ series, the plot follows a group of teenage couples as they travel across the country for inspiration for their book before crossing paths with agrotesque and psychopathic family who kidnaps and tortures them. While the film gets many things right, such as grandiose displays of violence, chilling antagonists, and over-the-top depictions that are a staple in the genre, it also leaves a lot to be desired.
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The film draws heavily from previous slasher classics such asThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre(1974) andThe Hills Have Eyes(1977). While it does an excellent job reimagining the most iconic elements, Zombie’s direction and inventiveness often go too far,with scattered intercuts and random black-and-white flashbacks that don’t impact either character development or the narrative. Though it received a lukewarm reception upon release, it has since gone on to achieve a cult classic status, which, while understandable, feels like more than it deserves.
Halloween
Halloween is a horror film released in 1978 that centers on the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, as a masked serial killer terrorizes it. Over a decade after the brutal murder of Judith Myers by her brother, Michael, Michael escapes from the local Sanitarium to continue his silent killing spree- with teenage Laurie Strode being his new potential victim.
ThefirstHalloweenmovieis an independent slasher film directed, written, and scored by the acclaimed Carpenter, who created one of the best films in the genre’s history. The plot follows the now infamous Michael Myers,a mental patient who has been locked up since childhood- after brutally murdering his older sister - and returns to his old neighborhood to hunt and murder babysitters onHalloween. The film features an incredible cast, notably with Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, as she puts in one the best first-time performances in horror history.
Halloweenspawned an enormously successful franchise with 13 films and a branch into novels, video games, and comic books.
Carpenter sprinkled his magic throughout this film, with his hand in all aspects of production, creating a minimalist masterpiece that focuses on representing the vile and brutal without actively showing it explicitly.The film is perfectly paced and masterfully directed as one of the most iconic villains- who always seems to be in the right place despite never rushing - stalks the screen as much as his victims, creating a truly blood-curdling fear. The film was one of the most successful independent films of all time, grossing over $70 million on a shoestring budget while also crafting one of the finest horror films of all time.
Friday the 13th
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 Vorhees, one of the most popular horror icons of all time.
Sean S. Cunningham’sFriday the 13this another independent slasher film that has captured the attention and love of many horror fans. The film’s plot is fairly straightforward,with a group of young teenage camp counselors being killed off in successionby an unknown murderer who is hellbent on revenge at a camp with a mysteriously blood-soaked past. Though the film falls short of the slasher classics in many ways, it was still popular enough to spawn a modern remake and produce a franchise that has gone on to receive success and praise.
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Friday the 13this many things, but overly original isn’t one of them, as it was heavily influenced by Halloween, which came out just a couple of years before. That’s not to say being influenced automatically makes it sub-par, but the film failed to achieve most of the necessities of a classic slasher:genuine tension, gory, brutal kills, and characters audiences can relate to.The film also suffered from a lack of character development and uneven pacing, which many fans can overlook due to the unique visuals, but it overall lacks the finesse and polish of the genre’s best.
Psycho
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother – and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
Widely celebrated and praised as being one of legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s best films,Psychois a timeless horror based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel of the same name. The film stars Janet Leigh as wanted embezzler Marion Crane, who tried to evade authorities by staying in a secluded motel run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and the subsequent investigation by her lover and sister after she goes missing.The film has an exceptionally crafted narrative that sees shocks and twists at every turn, notably for killing off the film’s biggest star early in the story - an idea unheard of at the time.
Psychois widely regarded as one of the first versions of a slasher film ever, a film that helped launch one of the most thrilling subgenres of horror in cinema. The shower scene, with its incredible cinematography and sound design,has gone down as one of the most iconic sequences of all time, helping the film receive four Academy Award nominations and being praised asone of the scariest black-and-white horrors of all time. Hitchcock’s masterful direction, combined with horrifying performances and a perfect story, crafted one of the most influential pieces of cinema in history.
Child’s Play
Child’s Play is a horror-slasher film by director Tom Holland and marked the beginning of the Chucky character from writer Don Mancini, a modern horror icon. When serial killer Charles Lee Ray is slain after a detective catches him, he transfers his soul before he dies into a Good Guy doll, which ends up in the hands of six-year-old Andy Barclay. Naming himself Chucky, the doll begins a killing spree, which leads those around Alex to suspect him as the killer - and his mother is the only one who believes him.
Tom Holland’sChild’s Playis one of the most famous supernatural slashers of all time, a film based on a story by Don Mancini, who co-wrote the film with Holland and John Lafia.It tells the story of a possessed doll named Chuckyafter fatally wounded serial murderer Charles Lee Ray passed his soul overinto the doll during his agonizing final moments. The film’s iconic character Chucky, as well as the inventive story itself, almost single-handedly launched the killer doll phenomenon that caused a whole generation of filmgoers to be terrified of what’s in the playroom.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
6.0/10
Friday the 13th (1980)
6.4/10
6.7/10
6.1/10
7.7/10
8.5/10
7.4/10
7.1/10
Sleepaway Camp (1983)
6.2/10
Though the film was a cultural and commercial success, enough tolaunch a collection of sequels in aChild’s Playfranchise, the film still feels overhyped in many regards. Though the Chucky doll is undeniably iconic,the depiction twists between sadistic and comical and often struggles with the inconsistenciesthis brings to both the action and the narrative itself. Though it has a strong cult following, its overuse of the doll gimmick and sometimes bizarre dialogue and sequences means it feels potentially overappreciated in the larger film landscape.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 1984, explores the terror faced by a group of teenagers haunted in their dreams by Fred Krueger, a vengeful spirit. As they confront a series of mysterious deaths, Nancy Thompson uncovers the truth about Krueger’s dark past and seeks to stop him.
Written and directed by the creative mind of Wes Craven,A Nightmare on Elm Streetis a supernatural thriller that would break ground in the genre and become the first installment of the film’s franchise. The film follows a group of young teenagers who are targeted by Freddy Krueger, devilishly portrayed by Robert Englund,as an undead child murdered who, after being burned alive, stalks and kills the teens through their dreams. The film is the perfect blend of realism and supernatural elements that really play on a person’s deepest and darkest fears.
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The film is an icon in modern cinema for many reasons, notably its deeper undercurrents of violence, guilt, and generational trauma, as well as its incredibly brutal kills and its main antagonist, who would become a pop culture icon of murder and depravity.Englund’s performance is nothing short of impeccable, masterfully blending the horrific elements, with a larger-than-life, almost comical depiction that makes the violence that much more jarring. The film pays homage to many classic tropes of the slasher genre and remains a true highlight for any fan of horror or cinema in general.
Intruder
Intruder is a psychological thriller directed by Noh Gyu-Yeob. The film follows Seo-Jin, portrayed by Kim Mu-Yeol, a grieving architect whose life takes a disturbing turn after his long-lost sister, Yoo-Jin (Song Ji-Hyo), reappears after 25 years. As Yoo-Jin reintegrates into the family, Seo-Jin begins to suspect that she may not be who she claims to be, leading to a suspenseful unraveling of secrets.
Intruderis a lesser-known slasher film that still gets mentioned in the same vein as some of the titans in the genre. Written and directed by Scott Spiegel, its plot focuses on a night shift in a supermarket wherethe eclectic employees get stalked and terrorized by a mysterious killeras they aim to stock the shelves and pass the time. The film is largely remembered and celebrated for its inventive and unique kills that stood out from other slashers at the time, and its visuals and camera work were revolutionary for the period.
Intruderwas partially a remake of an earlier Super-8 short film calledNight Crewby Spiegel.
Though, as often happens in Slasher films, sometimes gruesome, gory, and creative murders shot uniquely can blind fans to other problems in the film who are only focused on violence.Intruder’s pacing leaves a lot to be desired,as certain sections of the film can feel prolonged and drawn out, waiting for the next burst of extreme depravity to come. While fans of murder and gore get their money’s worth, in terms of the broader film landscape, it falls short in many areas that make it deserve to be mentioned in a different category than the genre’s elite.
Black Christmas
Black Christmas is a 1974 horror movie from A Christmas Story director Bob Clark. The Canadian slasher centers on sorority girls who are stalked and killed by a crazed killer during the holiday season. Throughout the film, the teenagers get strange and threatening calls from the killer known as Billy. Black Christmas recieved mixed reviews upon release but has since become a cult classic.
The incredible Bob Clark’sBlack Christmasis a true icon of the slasher genre that, in many ways, set the standard for every other film to come. The story, while feeling formulaic now, was incredibly inventive at the time, seeing a group of girls in a sorority receive horrifying phone calls as they are each stalked and brutalized by the mysterious caller during the Christmas period. The film truly broke ground in the potential of the slasher genreand led the way for future classics like Halloween andThe Nightmare on Elms Street.
WherePsychowas the first film with many slasher elements,Black Christmaswas the first true modern slasher that launched many tropes and influenced a generation of filmmakers with its acting, direction, story, and perfect ending.Many themes and aspects of the film have become so standard in the horror genre, like the terrifying ‘the killer is inside the house’ narrative that has become a major influence on many iconic works. The film’s legacy is its innovation and influence, creating a slasher masterpiece that quite literally defined the genre.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors continues the horror saga with young Kristen Parker being targeted by the dream-stalking Freddy Krueger. She is sent to a psychiatric ward, where she joins other troubled teens and meets Nancy Thompson, who aids in the battle against Freddy’s terror.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriorsis another supernatural fantasy slasher film directed, in his feature directorial debut, by Chuck Russell. The third installment in the franchise sees the surviving cast of characters come backto launch an attack on the returning Freddy Krueger,as a patient in a mental hospital is able to bring others into her dreams, offering an opportunity to defeat the murdered one and for all. Though the film expands the backstory of both Krueger and the characters and his origins, it fails to deliver the influence and impact of its predecessors.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriorsgenerated $44.8 million at the worldwide box office from a budget of $4.6 million.
The acclaim and popularity ofDream Warriorsare spearheaded by its connection toThe Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise. While it is unfair to criticize a sequel to a film for being a sequel to a film,this work lacks the creativity and grounded nature of the first two- especially the original - as it starts to incorporate more self-aware and comical aspects that don’t suit the tone of the series. The film relies on its use of special effects and graphic elements that, on the surface, look great but fail to hide the issues that surround the rest of the work.
Sleepaway Camp
The 1983 cult classic slasher horror Sleepaway Camp follows Angela Baker (Felissa Rose), an introverted teenage girl who’s sent to summer camp years after a traumatizing event deeply affected her. However, she is constantly bullied and abused, and everyone at Camp Arawak begins to die, one by one.
Sleepaway Campis a fantastic slasher film written and directed by the genius mind of Robert Hiltzik in one of the first landmark films in the genre. The film centers on Angela, exceptionally portrayed by Felissa Rose,as a shy and troubled teen who attends a summer campwhen a string and variety of brutal murders happen in quick succession. The film masterfully builds suspense with Hiltzik’s expert direction and Benjamin Davis' cinematography, which helps create unnerving and eerie tension that lasts throughout the whole film.
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The film is a stand out in theslasher genrefor many reasons, including its originality, unsettling performances, and its iconic setting, becoming one of the first andbest summer camp horror films of all time. As well as the intriguing narrative and gruesome kills,the film has aPsycho-esque twist endingthat has sparked numerous arguments and is burned into the zeitgeist of modern slasher lore in a reveal that is one of the most shocking in all of horror cinema.Sleepaway Campis undoubtedly a classic and a treasure trove of tropes that provided the shoulders for more popular slashers to stand on.
