Happy Halloween! It’s the season of scares, and we’re lucky enough to have the most wonderful holiday of them all actually fall on a Saturday this year. That’s a rare treat. That undoubtedly means many people will be in costume, out on the town partying. Or, of course, handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters of the world. But for those who want to stay inside and get a lil’ spooky with a horror movie, we’ve got you covered. Specifically, with some selections for slasher fans out there.
See also: 41 Horror Movies To Put You In The Halloween Spirit
Now, it would be easy to recommend John Carpenter’s brilliant masterpiece Halloween or just about any one of the Friday the 13th movies. However, this list is designed to be more all-encompassing, bringing forth selections from various decades, cut from different cloths. Some of these are well known, while others are hidden gems. None of them are among the most obvious selections you're likely to find. We’re here to help slasher fans find something slightly off the beaten path to improve their holiday viewing.
All of these movies are currently streaming, so they’re also easy to watch. We’re not going to make this difficult. Let’s dive in, shall we?
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My Bloody Valentine (1981) - Streaming on Pluto TV
MY BLOODY VALENTINE. (Credit: Paramount Pictures) When it comes to great slasher movies that never got a sequel, it’s hard to find a better example than 1981’s My Bloody Valentine. Featuring an incredibly designed killer wielding a pickaxe and the perfect location for such shenanigans, namely a quiet mining town, it’s a damn good time. Directed by George Mihalka, it’s quite possibly the greatest one-and-done ‘80s slasher movie ever made.
Taking place twenty years after a Valentine’s Day tragedy claimed the lives of five miners, Harry Warden returns for a vengeful massacre among teen sweethearts gearing up for another party. Blood spills, chaos ensues. It’s full of recognizable plotting and tropes from the era, yet feels a cut above much of the rest, fully distinguishing itself with style, great locations, and a killer villain.
It’s easy to see how this was pitched and sold in the heart of the ‘80s slasher craze as a cash grab. Yet, unlike so many forgettable slashers that came before and after, this one really sticks. With some great kills and a satisfying ending, it’s the real deal. Whether you're revisiting it or watching it for the first time, this is a damn fine choice. With all due respect, make sure you watch the original, not the 2009 remake. Unless, you know, that's your thing.
Candyman (1992) - Streaming on Peacock and Prime Video
Tony Todd in CANDYMAN. (Credit: TriStar Pictures) When we talk about the greatest horror movies of all time, Bernard Rose’s Candyman, for my money, doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Featuring not one but two remarkable performances from Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd, respectively, with a finely crafted urban legend at the center of the bloodshed, this one is special. It’s not just a slasher movie; it’s the best movie on this list by far. It’s the kind of movie that’s so good, even people who don’t like horror can see its value.
Skeptical graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) is researching superstitions in a housing project on Chicago's Near North Side and learns about the Candyman (Tony Todd), a knife-wielding figure of urban legend that some of her neighbors believe to be responsible for a recent murder. After a mysterious man matching the Candyman's description begins stalking her, Helen fears that the legend may be all too real.
Granted, there are some problematic elements of Candyman that must be reckoned with. But hey, it’s not like this is the only horror classic out there with a complicated legacy. What’s impossible to deny is that Rose crafted a slasher movie that transcends the middle-of-the-pack fare the genre is often known for. It’s more than just a great slasher movie; it’s a damn fine piece of cinema. Period.
Todd is downright transcendent as the titular, clawed slasher, while Madsen delivers arguably a career-best performance. It looks great. The kills are great. It kicks wholesale ass.
Hatchet - Streaming on Tubi and Pluto TV
Kane Hodder in HATCHET. (Credit: Anchor Bay Entertainment) In the realm of delightfully gory, low-budget slasher movies, one would be hard-pressed to find a better example than director Adam Green’s Hatchet. Frankly, I’d be comfortable recommending any entries from this franchise, but for the uninitiated, it’s worth starting from the beginning. Featuring Friday the 13th icon (and the best Jason Voorhees actor ever), Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley, the backwoods swamp killer at the center of the bloodshed, it’s the best time you’ll ever have watching some of the grossest, corniest horror the genre has to offer.
The movie follows college students in New Orleans enjoying Mardi Gras who decide to take a boat tour of an allegedly cursed bayou. Meeting up with several other tourists, they are entertained by their guide, who regales them with tales of a ghostly serial killer who wanders the swamp. They laugh off the stories until something starts picking off members of the group.
Green is one of those guys who managed to make a lot out of a little. Not unlike what Damien Leone did on a shoestring budget with Terrifier, Green created a modern slasher icon without major-studio backing. Some of the kills are not only brutal, but wildly inventive. So much so that it’s hard not to laugh, despite the absurd levels of gore on display.
Delightfully, corny, brisk, and bloody, there’s nothing quite like Hatchet. In a better world, we’d have Hatchet 5 already, but for now, it’s worth celebrating the movies we do have, starting with the OG.
Dude Bro Party Massacre III - Streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV and Prime Video
DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III. (Credit: 5-Second Films) Dude Bro Party Massacre III is, for the right sort of viewer, a real diamond in the rough. Another wildly inventive low-budget affair, directors Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, and Jon Salmon present it as the only surviving VHS copy of a reviled horror franchise’s third and final installment, complete with commercials, since it’s presented as being taped off television. The result? One of the very best horror/comedies of the 2010s. Full stop.
It takes place in the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico’s frat row. Loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to investigate his twin brother's murder at the hands of the serial killer known as Motherface.
Featuring Greg Sestero from The Room and rocker Andrew W.K., among others, this scrappy little slasher is made with real reverence for ‘80s horror. The problem with so many horror comedies is that they can excel at one and fail at the other, or leave both sides of the coin a little lackluster in pursuit of both. DBPM3 is laugh-out-loud funny while also featuring everything a slasher lover could possibly want. It’s the total package.
This is far and away the most underrated movie on this list. It’s the hidden gem waiting to be discovered. (The “Broterion Collection” release from Vinegar Syndrome is also worth it, for our physical media heads out there.)
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 - Streaming on Netflix.
FEAR STREET PART TWO: 1978. (Credit: Netflix) I'm not recommending Fear Street Part Two: 1978 operating under the assumption that you, dear reader, have seen Part One: 1994. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a damn fine slasher that you should absolutely watch. But within this trilogy released on Netflix in 2021, there’s no question that director Leigh Janiak’s 1978 edition is far and away the best pure slasher of the bunch. It’s one of the best summer camp slashers in recent memory, scratching a very specific itch.
Set in Shadyside in 1978, school’s out for summer, and the activities at Camp Nightwing are about to begin. But when another Shadysider is possessed with the urge to kill, the fun in the sun becomes a gruesome fight for survival.
Tommy Slater almost instantly establishes himself as an axe-wielding successor to Jason Voorhees. For those who are eagerly awaiting a new Friday the 13th movie, something we haven’t had in more than 17 years, this movie scratches that itch better than anything else out there. It’s bloody, wonderfully paced, and looks better than a great many other slasher movies out there. It’s the real deal.
Aside from the first few minutes that connect directly to Part One, most of this movie can be enjoyed on its own. And for hardcore slasher fans, it's a joy. In a just world, Tommy Slater would be at the center of his own series of slasher films by now. But we should all be thankful that Janiak and R.L. Stine let him exist in the first place.
