The horror genre is one of the most consistent and prevailing in the movie industry, not least because it keeps audiences on the edge of their seats and delivers memorable thrills and chills in equal measure. Of all the horror movie subgenres, few have contributed to pop culture as heavily as the slasher movie, which has seen some of the best horror movie franchises deliver bloody violence over several decades. However, for every Halloween or Friday the 13th, there are several other slasher movies that fade into obscurity, particularly throughout the decades of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s when the subgenre was arguably at its zenith.
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One of the big draws of the slasher subgenre has always been the ability to make a tense and shocking movie on a relatively small budget. Unfortunately, this saturated the subgenre for many years, with countless slashers sadly failing to achieve the widespread renown of their contemporaries through no fault of their own. This has led to a wealth of hidden and overlooked slasher gems, many of which deserve far more recognition than they ever received.
1) Tourist Trap (1979)
Though Tourist Trap has earned something of a cult following in the years since its release, it’s a movie that simply isn’t talked about enough. Its 1979 release saw it become an early pioneer of the slasher genre, with its creepy mannequin action and paranormal premise setting it apart. The lack of critical acclaim is perhaps one contributor to the general lack of attention for Tourist Trap both at the time of its release and in the years since, but it’s nonetheless a competently frightening slasher that isn’t as widely known as it deserves.
2) Hollow Man (2000)
When talking about the best horror movies of the 2000s, there is some incredibly stiff competition. Perhaps that’s why Hollow Man, a 2000 sci-fi slasher directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, and Josh Brolin is rarely mentioned. It sees Kevin Bacon’s scientist test his own invisibility technology before developing a sinister and homicidal relationship with his coworkers. Considering Hollow Man‘s wealth of talent both in front of and behind the camera, and the delightfully violent nature of its slasher elements, it’s a shame it isn’t talked about more.
3) Theatre of Blood (1973)
The reasons why Theatre of Blood never received the attention it deserved are many. As a British horror movie, it perhaps lacked the wider appeal of its transatlantic cousins in the 1970s, especially as it shared its horror focus with equal parts dark comedy. Somewhat ironically, its slasher premise centered on an actor, played by the legendary Vincent Price, exacting revenge on his critics in poetic and bizarre ways. A rare slasher as funny as it is violent, Theatre of Blood sadly isn’t known as well as it deserves to be.
4) Alone in the Dark (1982)
1982 slasher Alone in the Dark is regularly cited as one of the most overlooked slasher movies of all time. One of the first movies produced by New Line Cinema, Alone in the Dark boasted an impressive cast of Jack Palance, Donald Pleasance, Martin Landau, and Dwight Schultz, and followed several escaped psychiatric patients during a blackout. The movie’s surface similarities to other movies such as Halloween and Friday the 13th did it no favors, leading many to overlook and eventually forget all about Alone in the Dark despite its quality.
5) Hatchet (2006)
There have been many overlooked horror movies over the history of the slasher genre, and Hatchet certainly ranks as one of them. The 2006 movie taps into practically every trope that made the subgenre popular, ticking boxes for horror fans and also boasting a premise that stood out as both fun and violent. Featuring horror legends Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, and Tony Todd, Hatchet plays like a love letter to the slasher movies of decades past that never quite earned the popularity it warranted.
6) Cherry Falls (1999)
The story of Cherry Falls is a sad one, as it’s undoubtedly a movie that deserves to be remembered as one of the greats of the slasher genre. However, issues surrounding its certification and release led to it being severely overlooked, and it never quite reached the heights it could have. Starring Brittany Murphy and Michael Biehn, Cherry Falls centers on a small town terrorized by a serial killer targeting teenage virgins. Its premise was a perfect combination of sex and violence that should have made it slasher royalty, but sadly it isn’t talked about anywhere near enough.
7) Urban Legend (1998)
Many great horror movies are based on urban legends, but few take the idea to the extreme as much as 1998’s Urban Legend. The movie’s premise focuses on a series of violent murders modelled on popular urban legends, brought to life by an exceptional cast including Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Tara Reid, and Michael Rosenbaum. In its ideas, execution, and simple entertainment value, Urban Legend is a slasher movie that bizarrely doesn’t get talked about as much as it should.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
