John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween may have set the gold standard for slasher movies, but don’t limit yourself! Check out these 10 slasher movies like Halloween this October.
The horror subgenre of slasher flicks is traditionally defined by three key elements. The first being that the killer is a human, not a ghost or monster. The second is that killer usually racks up a body count by going after a group of people, killing them with sharp blades or similar tools.
The third, and perhaps most important, is that slasher movies put the audience in the perspective of the killer, using POV shots that emphasize the killer’s unyielding violence and mercilessness.
These elements came together to spawn one of the most popular and successful horror franchises of all time: Halloween. What began as a humble yet horrifying flick in 1978 has given way to almost a dozen sequels. This weekend, director David Gordon Green brings the newest sequel – also titled Halloween to the big screen.
Green’s movie may be a rather uninspired entry into the franchise, but there are plenty more slasher movies like Halloween for you to enjoy this October. Check out our list below!
‘Black Christmas’ (1974)
Bob Clark, well known for directing the popular A Christmas Story, started by making a Christmas movie of a different variety. Black Christmas is one of the first slasher movies ever and also one of the best; set in a sorority house in the days before Christmas, the house begins receiving terrifying and threatening phone calls as the girls are stalked and murdered by a mysterious killer. Black Christmas undoubtedly paved the way for slasher movies like Halloween and it still holds up today.
‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ (1974)
In the same year as Black Christmas, young horror director Tobe Hooper brought The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Leatherface to life. It’s interesting that Black Christmas and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre would be released in the same year — one Canadian, the other American — and have such a huge impact on the slasher genre. The fusion of low-budget film making combined with its utterly horrifying climax make The Texas Chain Saw Massacre a uniquely terrifying experience worth revisiting even if you’ve already seen it.
‘Sleepaway Camp’ (1983)
In the decades since its original release, Sleepaway Camp has earned a status as a cult film. It epitomizes those movies that straddle a delicate line between being bad and so bad it’s good; it’s a low-budget, campy, stylized slasher flick that delivers scares and laughs in equal measure. The basic premise of Sleepaway Camp is revenge, but the movie keeps a secret as to who is getting revenge until the very last shot. You’ve heard (and probably seen) Friday the 13th, so let Sleepaway Camp fill the void of slasher films set at summer camp.
‘You’re Next’ (2011)
The horror movie subgenre has evolved in such a way that it no longer looks like it did in the late ’70s and early ’80s, but every so often a movie comes along that surprises you. You’re Next is that surprise. While it comes with the high-concept stunts and kills that are common in horror movies nowadays, it still delivers the perfect slasher movie scares.
‘Candyman’ (1992)
Starring Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd, Candyman is one of the most iconic slasher films of all time. The film’s unique blend of the slasher genre with fantasy elements makes it a unique installment in the canon. The movie centers on Helen, a graduate student completing her thesis on urban legends. After encountering the legend of “Candyman,” Helen accidentally sets of a chain of events with homicidal consequences.
‘Tourist Trap’ (1979)
If you’ve seen (and loved) House of Wax (yes I’m talking about the Paris Hilton version), then Tourist Trap is a must. A group of friends on a road trip run across a strange a roadside museum full of mannequins. Slowly but surely, the friends find themselves hunted down one by one. The strange and unsettling location — a museum full of creepy masks and unnerving mannequins — makes for a terrifying backdrop for a slasher flick.
‘The Strangers’ (2008)
The Strangers typifies many of the key elements of slasher movies: an isolated and empty house, a woman alone waiting for her husband, and masked killers who kill without any discernible reason. The Strangers came with its own mythology, claiming to be based on a true story, and has lived on in the decade since its release as a favorite among horror fans.
‘A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge’ (1985)
You’ve probably seen the first installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but if you haven’t seen the direct sequel, Freddy’s Revenge, now is the perfect time. What’s particularly cool about Freddy’s Revenge and wasn’t appreciated upon its release, is that the movie bakes in some really wild homoerotic subtext that will make this an especially fun watch for viewers who like to read between the lines. Like Halloween, the Nightmare franchise is riddled with sequels — the difference between the two is that most of the Nightmare sequels are actually really good.
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (1997)
While Wes Craven’s Scream is undoubtedly the more popular ’90s slasher horror flick, its deconstruction and commentary on the slasher genre sets it apart in a field of its own. If you’re looking for a more traditional ’90s slasher movie like Halloween, then you absolutely must see I Know What You Did Last Summer. Starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe, the movie is packed with actors that defined the era. The movie follows a group of teens who, after hitting a man with their car and dumping him in the ocean, find themselves hunted by the very same man.
‘Wolf Creek’ (2005)
2005 Australian horror film Wolf Creek asks audiences one terrifying question: How can you be found when no one knows you’re missing? Based on real life murders in the desolate Australian outback, Wolf Creek centers on a group of friends hiking through the outback who end up kidnapped and hunted by a psychotic killer. The deserted Australian outback makes for the perfect backdrop for the film, setting its characters alone and isolated with a crazed killer behind them and empty desert in front of them.