Best Slasher Movies to Watch on Shudder Right Now

Run Time: 104 minutes | Director: Dario Argento

Cast: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia, Clara Calamai, Giuliana Calandra, and Geraldine Hooper

Like a good slasher, Dario Agento‘s Deep Red begins with a brutal murder of a psychic medium. Marcus Daly (David Hemmings), a jazz musician and pianist, witnesses the act and becomes intertwined in the investigation. Something about the murder catches his interest, and he soon becomes obsessed with solving it, along with the help of a journalist named Gianna (Daria Nicolodi). The more the two investigate, the bloodier it gets.

Run Time: 86 minutes | Director: Danishka Esterhazy

Cast: Hannah Gonera, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Mila Rayne, Alex McGregor, and Reze-Tiana Wessels

Slumber Party Massacre is a remake of the 1982 film of the same name, Some argue the original is better, while others opt for this much bloodier version. The plot remains somewhat the same, with the focus being a slumber party turned into pure carnage and destruction. Yet, somehow, this film feels like it could be a sequel or its own standalone movie with the right mix of comedy, horror, and gore. Even if you’ve seen the original, this remake has a few twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Run Time: 85 minutes | Director: Juan Piquer Simón

Cast: Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Frank Braña, Paul L. Smith, and Edmund Purdom

Fans of blood and gore, take note. Pieces is a graphic and violent slasher that’s gained a cult following among slasher aficionados. The film begins on a university campus – like most good slashers do – where a killer goes on a murderous rampage with a chainsaw in hand. It doesn’t take long for a diligent and altruistic cop to land the case. Lieutenant Bracken (Christopher George) realizes he’s in over his head when his investigation leads to a disturbing discovery of a human jigsaw puzzle made of human body parts.

Run Time: 90 minutes | Director: Joseph Zito

Cast: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lawrence Tierney, Farley Granger, and Cindy Weintraub

The Prowler, better known as Rosemary’s Killer, is a classic slasher film that gained popularity in the early ‘80s. Set in the fictional town of Avalon Bay during World War II, we see Rosemary get brutally murdered at a town dance by someone in a military uniform. Viewers are led to believe that her boyfriend is behind the tragedy, but we don’t know for sure until the very end. The film then jumps ahead several years later to the first town dance since the murder, when again, a killer goes on a rampage.

Run Time: 91 minutes | Director: Mark Rosman

Cast: Kathryn McNeil, Eileen Davidson, Janis Ward, Robin Meloy, Harley Jane Kozak, Jodi Draigie, and Ellen Dorsher

Mark Rosman’s 1983 American slasher checks off all the boxes. The House on Sorority Row revolves around a group of sorority sisters, who are set on celebrating their graduation. Their housemother, on the other hand, does not approve of the party. In retaliation, the sisters play a prank on her that ultimately results in her death. Given that it was an accident, the sisters panic and decide to hide their housemother’s body. Soon after, they begin receiving dark, threatening letters from an anonymous sender. Slowly, one by one, the sorority sisters begin to die in gruesome and mysterious ways.

Run Time: 90 minutes | Director: Michele Soavi

Cast: David Brandon, Barbara Cupisti, Domenico Fiore, Robert Gligorov, and Giovanni Lombardo Radice

Stage Fright is an Italian slasher horror film that is refreshingly inventive. Its atmospheric storytelling is complemented by a cast of theater actors and crew members who are first seen rehearsing for a musical. It’s not until a rehearsal that goes later than usual is disturbed by a cast member’s injury. While the distraction takes up much attention, an escaped convict decides to hide inside the theater. And, of course, a killing spree within the building ensues.

Run Time: 90 minutes | Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, and Charles Cyphers

John Carpenter’s infamous and satisfyingly gruesome Halloween is a cult classic horror slasher. There’s little we can say that hasn’t been said already – it’s a suspenseful, iconic, influential, menacing, gripping, and bloody slasher worth having on repeat this October.

Run Time: 83 minutes | Director: Tobe Hooper

Cast: Marilyn Burns, Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger, and Paul A. Partain

Another iconic and creepy slasher on this list is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which follows a group of five friends on a seemingly normal, fun road trip. It’s evident that a series of terrifying events is about to unfold after the group picks up a bizarre and unsettling hitchhiker. Eventually, the friends kick the hitchhiker out of the vehicle. The crew finally arrives at their destination when the infamous chainsaw-wielding Leatherface appears and begins to terrorize and kill off each person in the group.

Run Time: 91 minutes | Director: Mark Herrier

Cast: Jill Schoelen, Tom Villard, Dee Wallace, Freddie Simpson, Kelly Jo Minter, and Ivette Soler

This ‘90s horror-comedy landed on this slasher’s list because of its adequate amounts of blood, gore, and bizarre list of deadly events. Popcorn follows a group of university film students who host a fundraiser in an abandoned movie theater. Overall, it’s a quirky and self-aware film with an A+ for effort in creativity but struggles a bit with pacing and tonal consistency. It’s definitely worth a watch this spooky season – plus, the big reveal at the end is intriguing, to say the least. Plus, it’s campy and traditional horror wrapped in one – what’s not to love?

Run Time: 87 minutes | Director: William Lustig

Cast: Joe Spinell, Hyla Marrow, Caroline Munro, Tom Savini, and Rita Montone

This gritty slasher follows Frank Zito (Joe Spinell), a disturbed man residing in New York City. Viewers see Frank battle childhood trauma and an unsettling compulsion to murder and scalp women. Maniac is an unrelenting and horrifying look inside the mind of a mentally unstable and deranged murderer. Its grimy, low-budget aesthetic adds to the plot in a unique manner that makes the film worth journeying into.

Run Time: 90 minutes | Director: Charles Kaufman

Cast: Nancy Hendrickson, Deborah Luce, Tiana Pierce, Frederick Coffin, and Michael McCleery

Mother’s Day is a controversial and brutal film directed by none other than Charles Kaufman. It’s gained popularity for being dark, funny, and disturbingly violent. It revolved around three women who go on a camping trip to reconnect post-college. Of course, they venture a bit too far into the woods and end up stumbling upon a creepy house inhabited by three crazed women. This one is definitely not for everyone, considering its excessive violence. It’s a confrontational slasher that will stay with you long after it’s over.

Run Time: 85 minutes | Director: Rick Roessler

Cast: Don Barrett, Sherry Leigh, Bill Brinsfield, Jason Collier, and Joe B. Barton

Slaughterhouse is another low-budget, seedy horror film that made it on our list because of its memorable and imposing sequence of events. This no-frills, old-school slasher is set in a rural town that’s facing a financial crisis because of its outdated nature and offerings. When Buddy Bacon (Joe B. Barton) learns that the town’s slaughterhouse is going to shut down, he goes on a killing spree to get revenge on those he deems responsible. While the plot might not be groundbreaking or fresh, it does center on revenge and taps into a primal fear we love when watching these types of movies.