5 slasher films that defined the genre

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There are plenty of reasons why B-Sides and Badlands is obsessed with the slasher genre. Out of the many sub-genres of horror, slashers are the most visceral, a psychic stab at the all too familiar sensations of pain, suspense, and ill motive. A determined human killer with access to sharp objects brings something to the screen that dangerous aliens or demons simply can’t. At its heart, slashers occupy a space in the horror genre that is closest to reality.

Halloween (1978)

When it comes to defining the slasher sub-genre of horror, no other movie can hold a candle to John Carpenter’s Halloween. While many blood-soaked, genre-making slasher films have come before it, only 1978’s Halloween managed to violently drag the gritty, low-budget, independent slasher genre into the mainstream limelight. As a testament to its longevity, there’s already talk of an upcoming sequel to the 2018 revamp of the movie, in which original villain Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in 1978, is reportedly ready and willing to make an appearance. Given the many slasher films that have elements directly traceable back to Halloween, watching this 1978 film in 2019 is both a familiar and refreshing horror experience.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Although it’s not obvious today, Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street is a clever subversion of the classic slasher genre, which at the time of its 1984 release was already established as a pillar of horror. The villain Freddy Krueger took the world by storm by terrorizing victims where they’re the most vulnerable – in their dreams. This movie put the perfect supernatural twist on a genre that’s known for granular realism, and ended up as one of the most memorable and influential slashers of all time.

Candyman (1992)

Clive Barker’s masterpiece is a prime example of how the slasher genre can be used to tell a complex story that involves romance, sensuality, racial history and urban social reality. The urban legend of the ghost of the slave with a hook for a hand is given due justice via Candyman, screen adaptation written and directed by Bernard Rose, a vivid combination of old school noir, gothic romance, low-key subversion and straight-up gore. Jim Vorel wrote in Paste Magazine: “In terms of uniqueness alone, ‘Candyman earns’ its own strange, little corner in the slasher canon.” It’s a biting critique of modern capitalism disguised as a haunting interpretation of urban folklore.

Psycho (1960)

The seminal Psycho by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock is arguably what inspired many of the films on this list. If Halloween took the slasher genre to its peak, none of it would have even been possible without Psycho. While the genre has evolved significantly since the release of Psycho almost six decades ago, no revamp, sequel or tributary work has ever truly captured the tension contained in the original Hitchcock masterpiece. CBS recalls that Psycho was the first movie to put viewers into the killer’s perspective, offering a truly unnerving experience never before seen on film – as well as the first movie to make adults fear taking a shower.

Student Bodies (1981)

Although not as famous as the other films on this list, Student Bodies made the cut by being the first actual slasher movie to satirize the genre from the inside. In this movie, the killer – called The Breather – only kills teenagers currently engaged in sexual activity, a direct reference to the many slasher films that came before it in which the characters’ promiscuity relates to body count. At the same time, instead of a knife, the killer’s weapons of choice include chalkboard erasers, paper clips and other objects found in classrooms. A must-see for both students of the sub-genre and lovers of cleverly-produced cinematic satire.

Movies like these are why horror never goes out of fashion and continues to be popular across different entertainment platforms. In literature, horror author Stephen King continues to be popular following his 2018 novel, The Outsider. On the Internet, horror has never been more intriguing and horror themed titles are featured heavily on Slingo Slots with games including Bloodsuckers II, Dracula and Halloween Jack popular among die-hard fans. These show how classic horror characters and themes never go out of fashion despite some being around for over a century. Meanwhile, Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has revamped a wholesome classic into a modern horror thriller. Like the above-mentioned movies, these modern iterations of classic horror prove that unlike other genres, which rise and dip in popularity, horror truly never goes out of style.

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