Horror Movies Released in 1981
Part of the Dyer Almanac series
1981 produced a rich selection of horror films with theatrical releases worldwide, including slasher sequels, lycanthrope classics, and supernatural chillers. This almanac details verified entries in chronological order by earliest confirmed theatrical release date, each with a concise factual synopsis.
Scanners – 14 January 1981 (USA)
A commercial artist endowed with psychic scanning abilities is recruited by security forces to halt a conspiracy by rogue scanners seeking global domination.
My Bloody Valentine – 11 February 1981 (USA)
Miners in a small town receive ominous Valentine’s cards before a masked killer attacks during the annual dance, dredging up past mining disasters.
The Howling – 13 March 1981 (USA)
A television reporter attends a self-help retreat to recover from trauma and discovers a colony of werewolves behind recent murders.
The Funhouse – 13 March 1981 (USA)
Four teenagers spend the night in a travelling carnival funhouse and face pursuit by a murderous attendant and his deformed brother.
Omen III: The Final Conflict – 20 March 1981 (USA)
Adult Antichrist Damien Thorn, now a rising diplomat, orders the deaths of all boys born on March 24 to eliminate any potential rival saviour.
Dead & Buried – 3 April 1981 (USA)
A coastal town’s sheriff probes horrific murders where reanimated corpses, controlled by the coroner, murder visitors and conceal the undead secret.
The Beyond – 29 April 1981 (Italy)
A woman renovates a Louisiana hotel situated atop a gateway to Hell, triggering plagues of the undead and otherworldly terrors.
Friday the 13th Part II – 1 May 1981 (USA)
New camp counsellors reopen a facility near Crystal Lake and fall prey to Jason Voorhees, seeking vengeance for his drowned mother.
The Monster Club – 2 May 1981 (UK)
A vampire shares tales of shadews, hybrids, and other monsters with a journalist at an underground club for the undead.
The Burning – 8 May 1981 (USA)
A vengeful camp caretaker, scarred from a prank fire set by children years prior, stalks and slaughters teens at a lakeside summer camp.
Graduation Day – 22 May 1981 (USA)
A high school track team faces killings by a sabre-wielding assassin following the mysterious death of their star runner.
Possession – 28 May 1981 (France)
A dissolving marriage spirals into physical mutation, infidelity, and grotesque body horror for a couple in West Berlin.
Madman – 28 May 1981 (USA)
Staff and students at a special needs school summon the wrath of axe-wielding Madman Marz by uttering his name.
Wolfen – 24 July 1981 (USA)
A veteran detective tracks ritualistic killings in the South Bronx perpetrated by ancient, intelligent wolf-like creatures.
Hell Night – 7 August 1981 (USA)
Pledges to a sorority complete an initiation at a derelict mansion haunted by the legacy of a murdered frat boy and his family.
Heavy Metal – 7 August 1981 (USA)
An animated anthology unites disparate tales of terror, fantasy, and eroticism through a malevolent glowing orb passed between stories.
An American Werewolf in London – 21 August 1981 (UK)
An American hiker mauled on the moors resurrects as a werewolf while his undead friend warns him of the impending full moon curse.
Just Before Dawn – 11 September 1981 (USA)
Friends exploring remote woods disturb feral twins escaped from an insane asylum, leading to brutal ambushes.
Night School – 24 September 1981 (USA)
Beheadings plague an evening institute for adults, drawing a detective to the school’s authoritarian director.
Student Bodies – 25 September 1981 (USA)
A suburban high school suffers absurd slasher killings by a sex maniac, spoofing genre conventions throughout.
Bloody Birthday – 23 September 1981 (USA)
Three sociopathic children, born during a solar eclipse, embark on a murder spree targeting neighbours and family.
Absurd – 1 October 1981 (Italy)
A bulletproof, unstoppable child rampages through a town, tracked by a Vatican emissary and a surgeon seeking a cure.
The Evil Dead – 15 October 1981 (USA)
Students reciting from the Necronomicon in a forsaken cabin release demonic forces that possess and slaughter them one by one.
Halloween II – 30 October 1981 (USA)
Escaped Michael Myers infiltrates a hospital to finish off Laurie Strode and her acquaintances on Halloween night.
Full Moon High – 30 October 1981 (USA)
A teenager transforms into a werewolf after a Transylvanian bite and hides his affliction amid high school life.
The Prowler – 6 November 1981 (USA)
A wartime killer returns on prom night to dispatch graduates with bayonet and brute force.
Ghost Story – 18 December 1981 (USA)
Four aged friends recount a youthful crime that summons the drowned woman’s spectre to torment them.
Check back tomorrow for the next entry in cinema history.