10 Hidden Gem '80s Slasher Horror Movies

by Andrew Pollard

1. Psycho II

Psycho II
Universal

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is obviously one of the most famous, influential films in the history of cinema, period, but what most people don't talk about is that picture's sequels. Granted, some of those follows-up are a little rough around the edges, but 1983's Psycho II is an absolute belter.

Picking things up as Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates is freed after 22 years in a mental asylum, Psycho II centres on Norman as he tries to reintegrate into society... all as a spate of new murders begin to take place in and around the famed Bates Motel.

What makes Psycho II particularly impressive is the performance of Perkins here, with him conveying a whole slew of emotions as his Norman genuinely doesn't know whether his "Mother" personality is back and committing these murders. Elsewhere, we have the presence of Lila Loomis, the sister of Marion Crane - Janet Leigh's character who was famously butchered in a Bates Motel shower in Hitchcock's 1960 picture - and some serious revelations about Norman's backstory.

It's always going to be a tough ask to deliver a sequel to Psycho, let alone a sequel that arrived 23 years after that classic, but Psycho II delivers a fascinating spin on the slasher subgenre.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.