The slasher film genre has its origins in other types of horror, such as the Italian giallo and influential murder mysteries like Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal Psycho. The fall of the studio system in the 1970s gave way to an entire movement of young, disaffected filmmakers who made their own kinds of movies, free of the rigid constraints of Hollywood. Chilling terror classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the original Halloween came out of this period, and laid the blueprint down for slasher films to come.
The genre hit its stride in the early 1980s and has stuck around ever since, seeing occasional dips and spikes in popularity, as well as many different evolutions, but never losing the stabby and frequently sleazy spirit that made it what it is. In the list below, we’ve collected the 12 highest-rated slashers according to Rotten Tomatoes, ranked in order of their “freshness” on the Tomatometer!
12 The Burning (1981) – 77%
The Burning is a highly underrated slasher about a horribly mutilated, garden-shear-toting maniac embarking on a bloody killing spree at a summer camp in Upstate New York.
According to Gizmodo, “Released in May 1981 – almost exactly a year after Friday the 13th – summer-camp slasher The Burning could have been written off as an attempt to capitalize on that film’s huge success. But despite similarities between the films, The Burning has some unique elements that have assured its own cult status.” To be sure, the film is very reminiscent of Friday the 13th, though the extremely gory kills and a handful of inspired tricks and twists up its sleeves elevate The Burning far and above the countless other copycats and knock-offs.
11 Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) – 77%
Alice, Sweet Alice is technically more of a “proto-slasher,” as it came out before Halloween established the slasher formula. Regardless, its inclusion on this list is no mistake – the movie is a riveting stab ‘em up that more than deserves its certified fresh rating of 77% on the Tomatometer.
It follows a series of mysterious killings that occur in and around a Catholic Church. Weird, shifty characters lurk around every corner of this surreal mystery, which is played out from the perspective of a young girl. Alfred Sole directs with style, and deftly keeps the suspense building ever higher until the film explodes into its shocking and utterly unforgettable conclusion.
10 Candyman (1992) – 79%
Candyman is a supernatural slasher flick about a legendary killer who stalks the alleys of Chicago at night. Acclaimed for its creative premise, intelligent writing, gory kills, and an iconic performance by Tony Todd in the role of the titular killer, Candyman is one of the best horror movies of the 1990s.
According to Collider, “It is a great example of how horror movies can incorporate social issues into their messaging, arriving decades before filmmakers like Jordan Peele, who wrote and produced the 2021 entry, popularized the idea.” While the 2021 sequel isn’t bad at all, nothing beats the original.
9 You’re Next (2011) – 79%
An extremely underrated modern slasher classic, You’re Next follows an estranged family who reluctantly arranges a get-together at a fancy vacation home, where they fall prey to a band of murderers decked out in animal masks.
Despite being an early film from director Adam Wingard, he proves his ability to strike the perfect balance between vicious horror violence and dark humor, as well as telling an effective story about a separated family coming back together again. All the elements come together nicely and form a uniquely satisfying (and thoroughly terrifying) slasher experience that no horror fan should miss.
8 Halloween (2018) – 79%
The 2018 sequel/soft reboot Halloween revitalized the Halloween franchise by retconning many of the worst sequels, and putting the emphasis of the story back on the “Shape” and his arch-nemesis Laurie Strode.
Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the role that put her on the map, and does a phenomenal job portraying an older, wiser, and downright meaner version of the Strode character. Meanwhile, Michael Myers is scarier than ever, ruthlessly tearing up the town in far-gorier fashion than in any of the previous entries in the series. That said, the movie doesn’t sacrifice its suspense for shocking kills. It’s overall a rock-solid, back-to-basics slasher, and a surprising high point for the long-running series.
7 Scream (1996) – 81%
Scream is Wes Craven’s clever deconstruction of the slasher movie, loaded with in-jokes and yet still packing a wallop of a horror punch. It’s about a group of high school students who become the targets for a mysterious and horrifying killer by the name of “Ghostface.”
The movie set a bold new standard for the slasher movie, which by 1996 had become a slog of the same-old tired tropes and plot devices. As a result, this iconoclastic horror gem is one of the best slashers ever made.
6 Sleepaway Camp (1983) – 81%
Generally considered to be one of the greatest slashers of all time, Sleepaway Camp is a low-budget wonder about a disgruntled killer hunting down teenage prey at a summer camp in Upstate New York. It sounds like just about every other slasher from the early ‘80s, right? Well, it would be if not for its wild characterizations, noteworthy kills, and a wholly unexpected twist ending that continues to shock audiences to this day.
It was followed by multiple sequels, which doubled-down on the weirdness but lose most of the scare factor. They’re worth checking out for hardcore horror fans only, whereas the original is a must-see slasher for all.
5 Dressed to Kill (1980) – 82%
One of Brian De Palma’s best films, Dressed to Kill is a psychological thriller about a prostitute who witnesses a murder and is subsequently stalked by the killer. Although the film definitely has less in common with American slasher films and more with Italian gialli, it’s an exhilarating murder mystery bolstered by incredible performances from Nancy Allen and Michael Caine. De Palma is at the top of his game here, directing with plenty of flashy style that's backed up with a great deal of blood-drenched substance.
4 A Bay of Blood (1971) – 86%
A Bay of Blood is a, if not the, quintessential “proto-slasher” film about a whole community of greedy folks who start murdering each other for possession of a hot-ticket slice of beachfront property. Directed by the legendary Italian horror craftsman Mario Bava, the film is as luridly violent as it is gorgeously lensed, and contains many incredibly brutal moments that would go on to influence countless later entries in the slasher genre. It is an out-and-out classic, and fully deserving of its high score on the Tomatometer.
3 Opera (1987) – 90%
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Opera is a wild giallo and slasher film about a hooded maniac who forces a young singer to watch as he kills performers in a blood-soaked rendition of Macbeth. One of Italian giallo director Dario Argento’s greatest works, the film makes full and inspired use of its unique location, and features boatloads of style and inventive murder set pieces. All in all, Opera is a beautifully brutal killer caper, and one of the most creative horror movies of the ‘80s.
2 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – 95%
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an iconic slasher from Wes Craven about a disfigured madman who invades the dreams of a group of suburban teenagers. Featuring performances from Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and Johnny Depp, this incredibly popular franchise-spawner gave the world one of its scariest cinematic monsters: Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger. The franchise became known for its wildly creative kill scenes at Krueger’s hands, and many of the best ones are found in the original movie.
1 Halloween (1978) – 96%
Could there be any other choice for the number one spot? Halloween is, in many ways, the original slasher. Sure, there were plenty of films about knife-wielding maniacs before it – most notably lacking from Rotten Tomatoes’ ranking is Bob Clark’s Black Christmas – but Halloween stripped the genre down and established the winning formula for decades after.
The film is about an insane killer escaping from a psychiatric hospital and returning to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, to carve up the populace on Halloween night. The original and best in the long-running Halloween franchise, John Carpenter’s seminal slasher flick kicked off the genre cycle and launched not only his career as one of the great horror masters, but also the career of superstar Jamie Lee Curtis.