The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland List: Slasher Films

 How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:   

Slasher Films

Peeping Tom (1960)

Who is one of the most impressive visionary directors that all your favorite directors love? Michael Powell, an idol of Martin Scorsese, delivered a visually arresting and deeply intense cinematic experience with Peeping Tom. Going inside the head of a voyeuristic filmmaker and a serial killer certainly makes for a wild slasher experience.

Psycho (1960)

What is the most iconic horror film of all time that changed the game for the genre before it blew up? Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is a culturally transcendent experience that is iconic and beloved by many who are not ever fans of horror. Janet Leigh’s protagonist takes us on a journey before iconic antagonist Anthony Perkin’s Norman Bates takes audiences into a truly haunting and twisted place.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

When you hear “Giallo” horror, who is the name you think of first? Dario Argento popularized the highly stylized, bloody, and mysterious genre that became such an iconic piece of Italian cinema. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is just the beginning of Argento’s string of engrossing films which delivers a mysterious murder, striking visuals, and plenty of blood to boot.

Black Christmas (1974)

What is more terrifying than the darkness coming from inside your own house? Black Christmas is an iconic slasher that highlights a group of sorority women under siege by a mysterious and dangerous killer. There are plenty of iconic moments in this holiday slasher including a disturbing image of a head wrapped in plastic that once gasped for air.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Who was the first iconic slasher killer to capture the cultural zeitgeist? A combination of real-life serial killers like Ed Gein along with other traits, Leatherface immediately terrified audiences with his massive size, human skin mask, and penchant for brutal kills. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is wholly visceral and terrifies with a surprising amount of restraint from what Tobe Hooper.

Halloween (1978)

What makes Halloween the ultimate slasher film? John Carpenter created one of the most iconic themes in horror history and delivered plenty of impressive filmmaking including his penchant for POV shots. Jamie Lee Curtis is the ultimate final girl, Donald Pleasance brings weight, and Michael Myers is one of the most terrifying embodiments of evil ever put to screen.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

What slasher flick made it cool to mix dark humor and brutal kills? Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street is an iconic slasher with some of the most creative and inventive kills ever put into film. It is hard to keep Robert Englund’s iconic killer Freddy Krueger from haunting your dreams for evermore.

Child’s Play (1988)

Who hasn’t come across a toy that was so terrifying that you would expect it to come to life and try to murder you? Child’s Play has all the slasher elements you want but is also an interesting commentary on commercialism and toys. But it is Brad Dourif’s Chucky that makes this film so entertaining and terrifying as well as launching such a bellowed franchise.

Scream (1996)                                                            

What is the slasher film that changed the game for a whole new generation? After making the slasher as creative as it ever was with A Nightmare on Elm Street, Craven took his beloved slasher genre and turned it on its head with this meta-cinematic experience. Self-award and brutal, Scream would go on to define the slasher horror genre for the 90s and the 21^st century and Ghostface has become a cultural touchstone.

Happy Death Day (2017)

What happens when you mix a classic fun slasher formula with the basic premise of Groundhog Day by dying over-and-over again? Happy Death Day was such a fun mash-up with an impressive leading turn from Jessica Rothe. A clever concept, a good sense of humor, fun kills, and a memorable killer makes Christopher Landon’s contribution to the slasher genre a welcomed one.

Ready or Not (2019)

Just how good is Radio Silence? This crew of filmmakers crafted a slasher with a healthy dose of comedy and supernational elements with a genius concept as a filthy rich family hunts Samara Weaving’s bride. A killer game of hide and seek is just so much better when you have a committed and charismatic cast of characters as well (with Weaving breaking out with this darkly charming protagonist role).

X (2022)

Ti West swung big into the horror scene with his Maxine trilogy, didn’t he? One of the most unexpected franchises in recent memory, X launched the story of the unhinged dreamer with an old school, throwback slasher flick with a pair of killer old folk hunting a crew from a porn shoot. A fantastic cast goes a long way with some wild kills, but Mia Goth’s dual performance will get you talking long after the credits roll (and the teaser trailer for Pearl ends).