15 Best Movie Thrillers From The 1980s

The movie that spawned the phrase “Bunny boiler”, Fatal Attraction is admittedly dated in terms of its gender relations - indeed the whole film is as ‘80s as it gets, for better or for worse - but remains a painfully tense and gripping thriller with some of the genre’s most memorable setpieces.

Majorly responsible for the film’s success is Glenn Close, whose Oscar nominated performance as Alex provides the picture with its dark centre. She is a woman scorned, used and cast aside by Dan (Michael Douglas, rarely more smarmy), and while it’s fair to say she takes her rejection a little more personally than most would, she keeps the character understandable, as well as chilling.

Indeed Close is so magnetic that the rest of the film suffers somewhat in her absence. Douglas plays his role well but he’s not a likeable character - luckily the madness is ramped up so much that you can’t help but side with him by the final act.

There are regressive elements to Fatal Attraction - Dan, the adulterer, goes unpunished - but its high points paper over the cracks, particularly in the performances. It remains a hugely influential work, in film and in the wider culture.