The best decade of horror is difficult to determine if only because of how tastes develop over time. However, there is a consensus on several things in particular. The first is that the 1980s wins in terms of sheer volume. But quantity does not always equal quality, and Redditors consistently suggest some films across multiple threads.

As it turns out, it can often be narrowed down to a single year. Each of the past six decades had at least one year with multiple influential horror movies, and Redditors have a lot to say about which year is best.

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1968

Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is powered by how well it’s assembled across the board. There’s also Mia Farrow’s performance as Rosemary and, especially, Harold and Maude‘s Ruth Gordon as one of the frightening satanic neighbors. A Redditor by the name of Alan-Rickman wrote, “Rosemary’s Baby is amazingly chilling.” Informthemen then came in with “Rosemary’s Baby is one of my favorite movies.”

George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead started a franchise that he’d continue until his death. Two of them, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, have gone on to become classics in their own right. But Night‘s commentary on racism in the 1960s is done in a manner that’s both poignant and far ahead of its time. TWD41 watched Night of the Living Dead for the first time via its stunning Criterion Collection release. As they said, “I was blown away at how well this movie stands the test of time, and the low budget and black and white actually enhance the tension and drama.”

1973

William Friedkin’s The Exorcist has a very fair claim to the title of being the scariest horror movie of all time. Fueled by a beautiful score, masterful performances, engrossing cinematography, and smart pacing, it’s a film that captures the viewer’s attention and never lets go of it. Cabelleurich started a thread to sing the movie’s praises, writing: “Never in my life has a movie subverted and exceeded my expectations more than with this one.”

Perhaps one of the strangest horror movies of the 1970s, The Wicker Man is an intensely unsettlingly cult-themed tale. Sputnik_Rising started a thread to discuss the film after having watched it for the first time: “I had heard it was pretty mind-blowing, but this was nothing I expected. I won’t spoil it if you haven’t seen it, but HOLY HELL.”

1978

John Carpenter’s seminal Halloween is an arguably flawless film that started a series that continues to this day. It also went on to inspire many of the horror films released during the 1980s. A now-deleted user brought Halloween up alongside other prestigious ’70s horror films like Alien, Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, Black Christmas, and Carrie.

Along with The Fly, 1978’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the best horror remakes of all time. Laced with paranoia and impeccably acted by Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, and Jeff Goldblum, it also boasts one of the best endings of horror cinema. As jackruby83 wrote: “I loved the ending and thought the score was great at adding to the suspense….”

1980

Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th was maligned by critics for years as a standard Halloween copy. But time has shown it to be a tightly-constructed 24-hour nightmare. Alphacentaurai brought up Friday the 13th as a movie that’s good any time, writing “…it’s something I’ll casually stick on when I can’t think of something to watch.”

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Stanley Kubrick adapted Stephen King’s The Shining to an initially mixed reception, including from the author himself. But age has shown it to be one of the most revered and referenced horror movies of all time. ThatNameWasTakenToo wrote of Kubrick’s film: “The Shining is certainly the best horror movie (in my opinion)…It’s just an amazing movie is all.”

1982

Part Tobe Hooper and part Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist is an excellent introduction to horror for the younger set. Never outright terrifying, yet with scenes (including a clown and a tree) that cut it close, Poltergeist is in the running with Gremlins for Amblin’s best foray into horror.

With a terrific cast of characters in an isolated setting with practical effects that are nothing short of jaw-dropping, John Carpenter’s The Thing is probably the most mentioned horror film on Reddit threads, the ’80s or otherwise. As evilspacewaffles put it: “Tonight was the first time I saw The Thing. I can see why it’s on so many ‘best of’ horror lists. The concept is truly scary, and the effects were great even for modern standards.”

1984

Wes Craven’s seminal A Nightmare on Elm Street is not just a masterpiece of the slasher subgenre it managed to elevate and push forward, but also just a classic piece of cinema. It’s Wes Craven setting a bar not expected by even the most devout of horror fans, and it created the horror icon in the process. CoolKid0927 said of it after their first viewing: “Seriously, I wasn’t at all anticipating such a masterpiece. Definitely my favorite horror film.”

An ’80s horror classic in need of a remake or requel, Gremlins manages to be funny and frightening in equal measure. A now-deleted user mentioned Gremlins by title, to which Mysterious_Gemini responded with “Love that one! I just watched it not too long ago, and it always makes me cry for some reason lol.”

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1996

Wes Craven helmed a lot of excellent films throughout his career, but he also managed to direct not just one, but two masterpieces. Scream was an adrenaline shot to the genre, which had been struggling in the early ’90s after a particularly prolific ’80s. CreepyRule19 wrote of Craven’s film: “Scream is perfect. My all-time favorite.”

After Quentin Tarantino had made Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, he starred in and wrote From Dusk till Dawn. It’s a movie of two distinct parts, the first being a straight Tarantino-esque crime film before it abruptly shifts to a vampire film. The sudden switch, in particular, is arguably the most effective scene of the film. As Naugrith phrased it: “I consider it an absolute classic. It’s certainly a grindhouse-style schlock-fest, similar to Planet Terror, but not trying so hard.”

2002

Danny Boyle created an indie horror masterpiece with 28 Days Later, a perfectly cast and consistently tense movie with staying power. Evil_power said of Boyle’s film: “28 Days Later is probably my favorite of the 2000s. Too good for its own good.”

Naomi Watts brought her A-game to The Ring, an Americanized remake of the Japanese film Ringu. It’s perhaps the most iconic horror film from the early 2000s, a time when someone couldn’t go a day without hearing someone moan “Seven days.” Or, as thare started their thread to say, “I find it incredible. A movie whose reveal can still come off as a surprise….”

2015

In a decade full of modern horror classics, The Witch proved to be an atmospheric cut above. Widely seen as one of the best horror movies of the 2010s, it also served as the breakthrough of both Anya Taylor-Joy and writer-director Robert Eggers. As hail_freyr wrote: “The Witch is often the first film that comes to my mind when I think favorite of the decade.”

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MildlyCoherent mentioned both The Witch and the underrated Green Room in their list of favorite horror movies of the decade, including “It Follows, The Wailing, Train to Busan: Resolution, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Evil Dead (2013)….”

2017

It managed to be both a box office juggernaut and a relatively faithful adaptation of a difficult Stephen King novel. It also did a great job of scaring the audience. As Nicknock put it: “Stephen King’s It. That Pennywise is one scary f***er.”

Jordan Peele swiftly became a horror auteur with Get Out, a brilliant, well-crafted film with reverence for scary movies of the past. PhilRiverOnTrakt brought up Get Out alongside Upgrade, The Final Girls, and The Cabin in the Woods as examples of horror movies they can rewatch over and over.

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About The Author


Ben Hathaway
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Ben Hathaway is a Senior Writer (Lists) for Screen Rant. A former Therapeutic Day Treatment counselor, Ben is now a career writer. When not working, he is writing and self-publishing (on Amazon) novels under the name Scott Gray. In his spare time, he’s reading on the porch or watching every film under the sun. Ben can be contacted at [email protected].

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