Best 80s Horror Films You Could Rent on Video

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

To discuss Cannibal Holocaust is to discuss the very limits of what cinema is allowed to be. Often dismissed by the uninitiated as mere exploitation, a true critic recognises it as a masterclass in horror.

Released by GO Video in the early 80’s, It is arguably the crown jewel of the Official Video Nasties list. the most ferocious of the Italian cannibal boom, and undoubtedly the most convincing.

Director Ruggero Deodato didn’t just make a movie, he crafted a legend. As an early pioneer of the ‘found footage’ genre – decades before The Blair Witch Project made it fashionable!

Deodato achieved such a terrifying level of unflinching realism that he famously landed in court to prove his actors hadn’t actually been murdered on screen.

But look past the controversy, and you find a film of startling technical proficiency. The on-screen atrocity is underscored by Riz Ortolani’s hauntingly beautiful, orchestral score. It creates a cognitive dissonance that unsettles the viewer more than the gore alone ever could.

It is a punishing watch, yes, but an undeniable classic of the medium.

The Burning
(1981)

If Cannibal Holocaust is the challenge, The Burning is the comfort food, provided your comfort food involves garden shears and summer camps.

Often unfairly languishing in the shadow of Friday the 13th, this film appeared on the infamous DPP 39 list, yet it holds up as a superior piece of filmmaking in many respects and is one of the best 80s horror films to be released on video.

Filmed just a year after Cunningham’s trip to Crystal Lake, the DNA is similar: teenage campers, a secluded wood, and a campfire legend come to life. However, The Burning boasts a villain, ‘Cropsy’, who feels more grounded and meaner than Mrs. Voorhees. The film’s true weapon, however, is the legendary Tom Savini.

Savini’s special effects here are some of the best of the early 80s, turning every kill into a grotesque work of art. The raft scene alone remains a masterclass in pacing and practical effects.

For the connoisseur of the slasher sub-genre, The Burning isn’t just a clone; it is a polished, ruthless, and essential entry that represents the peak of the campsite slaughter cycle.

The Evil Dead
(1981)

There are films you watch, and then there are films you survive. The Evil Dead falls firmly into the latter category. For many of us, this title is synonymous with the “forbidden fruit” era of UK video rental shops.

I recall it being removed from shelves during the panic, only to be brought home in a clandestine operation, hidden inside a jacket like contraband. It was loaded into the top-loader VCR as quickly as one could whisper, “Book of the Dead!”

Sam Raimi’s debut is a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for cinema. It transcends its shoestring budget through sheer, manic energy. It takes the viewer through a gauntlet of emotions: terror, revulsion, and a strange, hysterical laughter born of disbelief.

While the sequel leaned into slapstick, the original is a relentless assault. It taps into a primal childhood fear: the idea that you and your friends could open a book and accidentally unleash a force that doesn’t just kill you, but unmakes you. The demon makeup, the aggressive camera movements, and the sheer quantity of fluids make it a visceral experience. It is low-budget filmmaking as high art.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
(1984)

By 1984, the slasher formula was beginning to stale. The silent, masking-wearing hulk had been done to death. Enter Wes Craven to rewrite the rules. A Nightmare on Elm Street didn’t just scare us; it invaded the one place we thought we were safe, our sleep.

Released just after the initial “Video Nasty” scare, it escaped the lists but seared itself into the public consciousness. I remember the collective trauma of watching this at a sleepover around 1985, Mike, Paul, Daz, and myself huddled together, terrified to close our eyes. Great early horror film memories.

What makes Nightmare stand the test of time is its surrealism. It is not bound by the physics of the real world. Freddy Krueger was a villain with a personality, a dark sense of humour, and a backstory that was genuinely repulsing.

The practical effects – the stretching wall, the blood geyser, the tongue phone, were revolutionary. It bridged the gap between the gritty slashers of the early 80s and the fantasy-horror that would dominate the later years. It remains, quite simply, one of the best 80s horror films ever made.

The Prowler
(1981)

Making the Top 5 of our best 80s horror films, we turn to a hidden gem that often slips through the cracks of casual conversation, but remains a favourite among true devotees: The Prowler (also known as Rosemary’s Killer).

While Halloween gave us Michael Myers and Friday the 13th gave us Jason, The Prowler gave us a killer dressed in full WWII combat gear, bringing the trauma of the battlefield to the dance floor of a college graduation. It is a cold, efficient, and brutal film.

Another graduate of the Section 3 Video Nasties list, the uncut version is a revelation. Once again, we see the fingerprints of Tom Savini, who has gone on record stating that The Prowler features some of his best work.

The practical gore is visceral, unflinching, and surprisingly realistic, lending weight to the kills that many bloodless slashers lacked. It captures a specific mood of post-war disillusionment wrapped in slasher tropes.

If you are looking for the quintessential retro slasher that values atmosphere and execution over franchise potential, this is it. One of the best 80s horror films in our opinion.