Slashers have been around for a good long while, with entries like Peeping Tom and Psycho dating back to the year 1960. The subgenre has seen some highs and lows over the years, but there's little denying that it has birthed some of the most influential horror films of all time.
With slasher films back in the public eye with the roaring success of X, the Ti West-directed slasher released by A24 that has been called a love letter to the retro horror and porn genres, it is time to take a look at some of the most entertaining and underrated slasher films in existence. Grab your kitchen knives and lock your doors; here are eight criminally underrated slasher films.
Slumber Party Massacre (2021)
This smart and inventive requel to the 80s flick brings the infamous driller killer into the modern era. Directed by Canadian writer-director Danishka Esterhazy this film echoes its predecessor by being a female-directed slasher flick that subverts the genre. While the original The Slumber Party Massacre provided subtle feminist subtext, this entry shows the entire cast updated to fit the modern world when a group of young women is stranded at a cabin in the woods.
While the premise may sound familiar, this stylish modern slasher tips the genre on its head while offering up plenty of laughs, gruesome kills, and wild entertainment. One of the better horror films in recent years, this is essential for anyone looking for something different, with, of course, plenty of bloodshed.
The Final Girls (2015)
This hilarious yet heartfelt meta-slasher-comedy film follows a group of high schoolers who are transported into a fictional 1986 slasher film, Camp Bloodbath. Starring names such as Adam Devine and Taissa Farmiga, with direction by Todd Strauss-Schulson, it is safe to say the talent involved is immense.
Part comedy, part 80s slasher, the film sees the teens try to find their way out of the film (and a time loop) while dealing with every over-the-top horror tropes under the sun. The Final Girls is a smart, fun, and freaky film that is a fresh addition to the genre.
The Strangers: Prey At Night (2018)
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A loose sequel to The Strangers, released a decade prior, The Strangers: Prey At Night follows a family of four staying at a remote caravan park for a night while on the road. They are soon stalked by three masked killers who seemingly want to chop them into little pieces.
With stellar performances from Martin Henderson (X) and Christina Hendricks, this film is a straight-up lock the doors fright fest that doesn't just rely on jump scares to unsettle the audience. The tension and atmosphere are immense while you actually care for the characters. Highly recommended for those looking for some thrills with their kills.
Hush (2015)
Directed by modern horror maestro Mike Flanagan, Hush is an intriguing story of a deaf writer who has retreated to a remote house to write a novel. She is soon a prisoner in her own home as a killer stalks her.
Starring frequent Flanagan's frequent collaborator and wife Kate Siegal, Hush is an edge-of-your-seat game of cat and mouse, The film is an exploration into what someone can and will do to stay alive while they cannot hear what is going on around them. Flanagan is a master of suspense, building plenty of tension and ultimately this quality elevates Hush as an original and exciting modern horror film.
Pieces (1982)
For an almost forgotten cult classic, we had to delve back into the golden age of slashers, the 1980s. The tagline for Pieces is, "You don't have to go to Texas for a chainsaw massacre" and the tagline doesn't lie. Pieces is a brutal film that is uniquely bizarre and entertaining. The plot follows a detective on the hunt for a killer murdering university coeds while dialing the kills and the silliness up to 11.
Pieces gives us an aerobics montage, gory kills (involving said chainsaw), and era-specific shenanigans so out of this world, you'll have to question what was really going on during filming. If you are looking for an 80s slasher that is unique, strange, and absolutely underrated, check out Pieces, "It's exactly what it says it is".
Blood Rage (1987)
The original Thanksgiving slasher movie, Blood Rage has found a dedicated cult following in recent years due to its wild acting, kills, and Thanksgiving-themed setting. The plot involves two twin brothers, Terry and Todd, one of which is sent away to an institution after committing a murder perpetrated by his brother. Todd escapes the institution on the night a killing spree begins.
An entertaining slice of 80s horror with bad decisions and even worse fashion sense, the strange choice of setting adds to the unsettling nature of the film. Against all odds, this is a highly entertaining and mostly forgotten slasher that provides genuine suspense and entertaining kills. Just remember, "That's not cranberry sauce."
The Banana Splits Movie (2019)
This gory comedy-horror places a retro Hanna-Barbara family show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour into an entirely different universe with the lovable characters existing in the present day, a world where “the splits” never went away and have continued to exist in an empty lot for decades. The Banana Splits are still singing and dancing but have much more sinister intentions than their 1960s counterparts.
This is an inventive little slasher flick with killer robots executing rather violent kills and, uh, dancing. The Banana Splits Movie is a lot of fun and although you may feel bad for laughing at the gleeful violence dished out on the hapless humans the story ticks along at a rapid pace and the gore is plentiful. This is destined to be a future cult classic.