1980 was a great year for genre films. For example, The Shining raked in over $40 million. But how do genre movies from 1980 stack up when you look at the ratio between budget and box office results? Picking 15 of our favorite movies and ranked them with that in mind. Please note we looked at the initial theatrical release data only: we didn’t look at disc or streaming results.
15 The Island
In this action-adventure thriller, a skeptical journalist and his son are stranded on a mysterious island inhabited by a group of savage pirates. The pirates, who have lived undisturbed in the area for centuries, see father and son as new blood for their increasingly inbred clan. The journalist must use all his skills to survive and escape the island, while also trying to save his son from the pirates’ clutches.
Budget: $22 million
Box Office: $4.4 million
That is 0.2 times its budget.
14 The Changeling
In this supernatural horror film, a composer who has lost his wife and daughter in a car accident moves into a secluded mansion in Seattle. He soon begins to feel the presence of a ghost, a boy who drowned in the bathtub there. The composer seeks the assistance of a woman who led him to the house initially in uncovering the secrets of the boy’s death.
Budget: $6.4 million
Box Office: $6.3 million
That is 0.98 times its budget.
13 The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man is a 1980 biographical drama film about Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man in late 19th-century London. The film was directed by David Lynch, produced by Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger, and stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon and Freddie Jones.
The film tells the story of Merrick’s life, from his early years as a sideshow attraction to his death at the age of 27. It is a moving and powerful film about the power of compassion and the importance of seeing the humanity in others.
Budget: $5 million
Box Office: $5.9 million
That is 1.18 times its budget.
12 Altered States
In this science fiction body horror film, a Harvard professor experiments with sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic drugs to unlock different states of consciousness. As he continues his work, he begins to experience altered mental and physical states, and his grip on reality begins to slip away.
Budget: $15 million
Box Office: $19.8 million
That is 1.32 times its budget.
11 Motel Hell
Motel Hell is a 1980 horror comedy film about a seemingly friendly farmer and his sister who kidnap unsuspecting travelers and bury them alive, using them to create the “special meat” they are famous for. The film is a darkly humorous take on the slasher genre, with a strong cast and memorable characters.
Budget: $3 million
Box Office: $6.3 million
That is 2.1 times its budget.
10 The Shining
Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies, with his wife, Wendy Torrance, and young son, Danny Torrance. Danny is gifted with psychic abilities named “shining”. As the winter progresses, Jack becomes increasingly isolated and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.
Budget: $19 million
Box Office: $44 million
That is 2.32 times its budget.
9 Terror Train
A group of college students are targeted by a masked killer on a moving train during a New Year’s Eve party. The killer is one of the students who was hazed three years earlier, and he is seeking revenge. The students must work together to survive and stop the killer before he claims any more victims.
Budget: $3 million
Box Office: $8.1 million
That is 2.7 times its budget.
8 Dressed to Kill
Dressed to Kill is a 1980 American erotic psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and starring Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, and Keith Gordon. It depicts the events leading up to the brutal murder of a New York City housewife (Dickinson) before following a prostitute (Allen) who witnesses the crime, and her attempts to solve it with the help of the victim’s son (Gordon). It contains several direct references to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho.
Budget: $6.5 million
Box Office: $31.9 million
That is 4.91 times its budget.
7 The Exterminator
In a city overrun by crime, one man takes the law into his own hands. Vietnam War veteran John Eastland is tired of seeing innocent people get hurt, so he decides to become the Exterminator, a one-man vigilante who takes down criminals with extreme prejudice.
Budget: $2.5 million
Box Office: $12.6 million
That is 5.04 times its budget.
6 Prom Night
On the night of their high school prom, four teenagers are stalked and killed by a masked killer. The killer is seeking revenge for the accidental death of a young girl that the teenagers were responsible for six years earlier. The movie is a classic slasher film that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Budget: $1.5 million
Box Office: $14.8 million
That is 9.87 times its budget.
5 The Howling
After surviving a near-death encounter with a serial killer, TV reporter Karen White is sent to a rehabilitation camp to get herself back on her feet. But when she arrives at the camp, she soon realizes that the other residents are not what they seem. The camp is actually a front for a group of werewolves, and Karen is now in danger of becoming one of them.
Budget: $1.5 million
Box Office: $17.9 million
That is 11.93 times its budget.
4 The Fog
The Fog is a chilling tale of revenge from beyond the grave. When a mysterious fog rolls into a small coastal town, the residents are soon terrorized by the ghosts of leprous mariners who were killed in a shipwreck a century before. With only a few survivors left, the town must band together to fight back against the undead creatures before they claim everyone’s soul.
Budget: $1.1 million
Box Office: $21.3 million
That is 19.36 times its budget.
3 Maniac
Maniac is a disturbing and violent film that follows the story of Frank Zito, a serial killer who murders young women and scalps them. The film is shot in a gritty and realistic style, and Spinell’s performance is both chilling and pitiable. Maniac is not for the faint of heart, but it is a powerful and disturbing film that is sure to stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
Budget: $350,000.00
Box Office: $10.8 million
That is 30.86 times its budget.
2 The Boogey Man
A young girl witnesses her mother’s lover murdered in the reflection of a mirror. Twenty years later, the mirror is shattered, freeing the evil spirit of the killer, who seeks revenge on the girl and her family.
Budget: $300,000.00
Box Office: $10.6 million
That is 35.33 times its budget.
1 Friday the 13th
A group of young camp counselors are stalked and killed by an unseen assailant while trying to reopen Camp Crystal Lake, the site of a child’s drowning 25 years earlier. The film is a classic slasher movie, and it spawned a long-running franchise.
Budget: $550,000.00
Box Office: $39.7 million
That is 72.18 times its budget.