Many slasher films released decades ago continue to attract cult followings. Notable slasher films include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Black Christmas (1974), Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Child's Play (1988), Candyman (1992), Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). The genre hit its peak between 19 in an era referred to as the 'Golden Age' of slasher films.
Ĭritics cite the Italian giallo films and psychological horror films such as Peeping Tom (1960) and Psycho (1960) as early influences. Although the term 'slasher' may occasionally be used informally as a generic term for any horror film involving murder, film analysts cite an established set of characteristics which set slasher films apart from other horror subgenres, such as splatter films and psychological horror films. Film subgenre that involves a killer murdering people using bladesĪ slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed tools.
