There were only two highly anticipated major horror flicks in 1984 that ended up being total misfires: Mark L. Lester’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter and Wes Craven’s stock-footage-stuffed The Hills Have Eyes Part II. Of the other A-list or B+-list projects, it was an overall solid year. The great thing about ’80s horror is that it’s littered with notable entries that really only could have come from that decade. And, if there’s any specific year of the ’80s that proves this, it certainly must be ’84. From iconic dream demons to cannibalistic humanoids, it was a weird year for the genre.
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What follows are the best of the major horror films from 1984. Some are fun little cultural curiosities, others are stone-cold classics, and all of them are worth watching at least once.
1) C.H.U.D.
C.H.U.D., or Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, is more cult curiosity than great film, but it’s certainly a wild ride when it wants to be. The only issue is that it stretches itself too thin from time to time. But really, there are greater crimes than ambition in the horror genre.
There are a few reasons for the culturally curious to check out the film. For one, the title monsters are impressively ugly little things. Two, if there’s any ’80s horror movie with a surplus of pre-fame stars, it’s this one. Home Alone‘s John Heard and Daniel Stern, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey‘s Kim Greist, The Silence of the Lambs‘ Frankie R. Faison, The Crow‘s Jon Polito, and Home Improvement‘s Patricia Richardson, they’re all here. There’s even a cameo from a young John Goodman.
Stream C.H.U.D. on Prime Video.
2) Children of the Corn
Quality-wise, one wouldn’t expect Children of the Corn to be the Stephen King adaptation that led to a long, long-running franchise, but it was. And, while the original is the best of the bunch, that’s less a testament to its quality than it is an indictment of its remakes and sequels’ lack thereof.
However, there’s a charm to 1984’s Children of the Corn. It has Linda Hamilton as one of the two leads the same year she fronted The Terminator. Additionally, it can be spooky (until some truly terrible special effects turn it into an unintentional comedy). Plus, John Franklin and Courtney Gains are genuinely iconic as young villains Isaac and Malachai.
Stream Children of the Corn on Prime Video.
3) The Company of Wolves
The same year she started playing Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote, Angela Lansbury starred alongside The Omen‘s David Warner in The Company of Wolves. While it doesn’t skimp the audience on scares and practical effects-generated lupine transition sequences, it is without a doubt the artiest film on this list.
After all, it was the sophomore film of Neil Jordan. One might recognize his name as the director of 1992’s The Crying Game, 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, 1996’s Michael Collins, and 2018’s Greta.
Stream The Company of Wolves on Prime Video.
4) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Filled with some well-drawn characters and a few of the most memorable kills in the whole franchise, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is many of the IP’s fans’ favorite for good reason. There’s just something about the first four Friday the 13th films. They are the definitive check your brain at the door slashers. After this, it was a bit downhill for the franchise, but even then, there were high points, most notably Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.
There’s a distinct three-point layout to the Friday the 13th films, and The Final Chapter is the one that found the best balance between those three points. First, a group of young people is introduced. All of them are fairly similar to one another, but slight differences in personality are established. Then, Jason (or, the first time, Mrs. Voorhees) picks them off in various ways one by one. Lastly, the survivor (or, in the case of The Final Chapter, two survivors) engages in a long chase with Jason that ultimately results in them barely escaping with their lives. What helps The Final Chapter stand out is that it carries a sort of John Hughes-like aura to it. The characters are slightly more well-developed, and even a kid is brought into the mix (played by Corey Feldman, much less). Toss in a goofball dance from Crispin Glover, one year shy of Back to the Future, and this is top-tier Friday the 13th.
Stream Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter on Paramount+ Apple TV channel.
5) Gremlins
Joe Dante’s Gremlins was one of those movies that inspired numerous copycats, none of which came even close to replicating its success (though the original Critters managed to do fairly well for itself, ironic considering it’s the only one that wasn’t actively copying Gremlins). It’s both a product of its time yet fully timeless.
To the former point, Gremlins is arguably the ultimate example of a movie that could have only come from the ’80s. But, thanks to its fantastic creation of an almost Mayberry-like setting and the work of the cast, it’s impossible to dislike, even if you’re watching it over 40 years later. Furthermore, its little toothy jerks were crafted by top-level practical effects, so they’re sure to continue spooking kids for many generations to come.
Rent Gremlins on Prime Video.
6) Night of the Comet
A zombie movie you can watch once you’re caught up on The Last of Us, Night of the Comet is also a great companion piece to something like Gremlins. Not unlike Joe Dante’s film, it manages to balance several genres (specifically, horror, sci-fi, and comedy) and do so in a way that never shortchanges any of them.
The narrative follows a pair of teenage sisters as they wake up to find the world greatly changed. For one, there are far fewer people around. The vast majority have been reduced to red dust. Worse yet, the sisters also have to contend with both violent (and speaking) zombies as well as a group of thugs. The biggest surprise of all, though, is just who is behind all this.
[RELATED: Friday the 13th Reveals New Franchise Logo, Jason Mask for 45th Anniversary]
Stream Night of the Comet on fuboTV.
7) A Nightmare on Elm Street
The same year Wes Craven directed his worst film, the aforementioned The Hills Have Eyes Part II, he almost helmed his best, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Even factoring in how great A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is, there’s simply no topping Craven’s original masterpiece (one of two he helmed, including Scream).
With haunting music, the perfect amount of screentime for Freddy Krueger, and two of horror’s best death scenes, it’s not only one of the best horror films of all time, it’s a near-perfect film regardless of genre. There’s really just the issue of Ronee Blakley’s performance, but even the over-the-top nature of her work has its charms.
Rent A Nightmare on Elm Street on Prime Video.
8) Razorback
A woefully underappreciated monster movie, Razorback was essentially Australia’s answer to Jaws. Quite a few copycat movies came out in the wake of Steven Spielberg’s classic. On the lower end of the quality scale, there was stuff like Grizzly and Orca. On the higher end, there was Alligator and Joe Dante’s Piranha.
Razorback is definitely more in the Alligator and Piranha column. The title beast, a massive wild boar, is an impressively ugly creation, and, as is the key to all when animals attack movies, he’s not overused. Razorback also comes equipped with some solid acting for the subgenre (not across the board, but a few of the performances are as modulated as they should be). More often than not, Russell Mulcahy’s movie works.
Stream Razorback on Hoopla.
9) Silent Night, Deadly Night
A movie that’s disturbing to this day, Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the more well-known B-level slashers. Given how it was the most controversial slasher of the ’80s, its clout is less due to supreme quality and more do to graphic violence and trailers that were inevitable nightmare fuel for children.
On the whole, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a slightly above-average slasher. It’s more here because it’s important. At the very least, it’s better than Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, which is a stock footage parade until its now-iconic suburb-set finale.
Rent Silent Night, Deadly Night on Prime Video.
10) The Toxic Avenger
The Toxic Avenger was never an IP that had macro-scale appeal, but its fan base is strong enough to warrant a forthcoming reboot. It makes sense because it’s certainly one of the more unique superhero movies out there.
The narrative follows a scrawny janitor who suffers daily torment at the hands of the members of the health club where he works. After falling into a vat of toxic waste, he becomes the title character, going all around the city beating up small-time crooks and drug dealers. It’s not a traditional horror film, but it’s not a traditional superhero movie or comedy movie either. It certainly contains some horrific injuries. After all, this movie has a kid’s head get run over within the first 10 minutes.
Stream The Toxic Avenger on Prime Video.
