The 1980s were full of horror movie classics, many of which bore some incredibly shocking endings. Of all the decades of filmmaking, the 80s could be considered to be the peak of the horror genre. From the establishment of long-running franchises like the Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street movies to gripping one-off adaptations like The Shining, it's safe to say that the decade ushered in a new generation of macabre fanatics with a slew of 80s horror classics.
9 An American Werewolf In London 1981 For whatever reason, compared to the litany of terrifying vampire movies, their folklore siblings, the werewolves, aren't given as much cinematic love. This could simply be because An American Werewolf in London just might be the most perfect werewolf film ever made, and attempting to replicate its success is a losing battle.
7 A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge 1985 The second film to feature slasher hall-of-famer Freddy Krueger and the official start of the long-running Nightmare on Elm Street series, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge kicks the terror up a notch with its surprise ending. When a new family moves into Nancy's old home, teen boy Jesse begins to have nightmares eerily similar to Nancy's own featuring a certain fedora-wearing serial killer.
5 Friday The 13th 1980 Of course, Freddy Krueger is far from the only slasher staple to be established during the 80s, with the archetypal strong but silent killer Jason leading the charge on the Friday the 13th series. However, Jason is actually hardly present in the first film, a twist that made its ending insidiously surprising when it first hit theaters in 1980.