This is the second in a series of articles covering the top lesser known Eco-Horror Films by decade. Eco-Horror features narratives about Global Warming, Climate Change, Biohazards and other ecological disasters that affect the environment. A majority of these films also include elements of Natural Horror (or Animals Attack) films where the animal, mammal or marine life has suffered a mutation due to environmental negligence by humans.
Most Eco-Horror Films reside within the Horror, Sci-Fi and Thriller genres and are often closely aligned with other film subgenres including Disaster Films, Survival Dramas, Monster Films, Survival Horror Films, Biotech Films, Dystopian Future Films, Films About Genetic Engineering, Aquatic Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers and Films About Pandemics & Viruses.
Eco-Horror narratives tend to parallel the societal and ecological concerns of the era: nuclear proliferation and radiation in the 1950’s & 1960’s, climate change and corporate conspiracies in the 1970’s & 1990’s, genetic engineering in the 1980’s & 2000’s, and a combination of climate change, genetic engineering and dystopian futures in the 2010’s to the most recent subgenre films. Popular Eco-Horror Films over the decades include Them! (1954), Matango (1963), Soylent Green (1973), Jaws (1975), The Stuff (1985), Mimic (1997), The Host (2006), Annihilation (2018) and The Animal Kingdom (2023).
This second article will cover the Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen from the 1980’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Eco-Horror Films over the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Best Recent Eco-Horror Films
- Best Eco-Horror Films of All Time
While the 1980’s were a banner decade for horror films, most of the decade’s classic horror films were from the aliens, ghosts and slashers subgenres. For eco-horror, however, many quality and classic films of the subgenre were few and far between. Themes of the 1970’s carried over into this decade while also introducing a few new ecological horror themes including the effects of nuclear waste, the dangers of contaminated water and food supplies, wildlife impacted by drought and famine and conspiracies involving genetic engineering gone wrong.
Nuclear war in the 1980’s was a frightening concept that made its way into films such as The Day After (1983), Testament (1983) and Threads (1984). While these films focused on the real-world situations and aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, Eco-Horror Films varied from frightening to the comedic while covering the effects of exposure to nuclear radiation and waste. The Children (1980) focused on a nuclear power plant leak which turned children into atomic zombies while other films such as The Toxic Avenger (1984) and Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986) were eco-horror comedies.
Toxic waste contaminating water and food supplies would become a popular and recurring theme of the subgenre and in the 1980’s there was no shortage of films utilizing this theme. Bitter Harvest (1981) involved agricultural contamination poisoning people. Corn grain contaminated with steroids that produced large rats with a taste for human flesh was the subject of Deadly Eyes (1982). And Wild Beasts (1984) featured zoo animals run amok in a city after ingesting water contaminated with PCP. Other notable films involving toxic waste and mutations included C.H.U.D. (1984) and Slugs (1988).
African drought and famine became a worldwide concern in the 1980’s and these ecological disasters also made their way into subgenre films. Savage Harvest (1981) covered ravenous lions affected by drought that attack a family. And drought conditions driving chacma baboons to suddenly start attacking the human populace was the subject of In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1986).
And finally, genetic engineering would continue its ascent as one of the major themes of the subgenre while also coming into its own as an entirely separate sci-fi and horror film subgenre. Notable 80’s Eco-Horror Films involving genetic engineering included Humanoids from the Deep (1980), Alligator (1980), Swamp Thing (1982) and The Nest (1988).
Our complete list of Eco-Horror Films features over 175+ films from 1954 – 2024. This collection features almost every horror or sci-fi film involving a biohazard, ecological disaster or man-made disaster such as climate change affecting the environment. As we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Eco-Horror Films, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
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Classic Eco-Horror Films of the 1980’s: Alligator (1980), Savage Harvest (1981), Wolfen (1981), Swamp Thing (1982), C.H.U.D. (1984) and The Stuff (1985).
Eco-Horror Films of the 1980’s that didn’t make our list: The Night of the Hunted (1980), Night of the Zombies (1980), Bitter Harvest (1981), Piranha II (1982), Deadly Eyes (1982), Spasms (1983), The Being (1983), Razorback (1984), Night Shadows (1984), Rats: Night of Terror (1984), The Return of Godzilla (1984), Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986), Slugs (1988), DeepStar Six (1989) and Aliens from the Deep (1989).
Here is our list of the Top Eco-Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s:
#10
The Children
Plot: A nuclear plant leak turns a busload of children into murderous atomic zombies with black fingernails.
Eco-Horror Element: Nuclear Waste
KBZ’s Take: We’re including this film for nostalgic reasons more than anything else. If you grew up in the 1970’s or early 1980’s, there’s a good chance you remember the zombie children with black fingernails and the cheesy special effects of people burning as they are hugged – that is this film.
While it’s not particularly scary (nowadays), it does have its moments and is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: There’s a big drought in Africa. Food and water are scarce. 90,000 wild baboons suddenly start attacking humans and eating them in order to survive. Some people find themselves being hunted by the starving monkeys and must do whatever they can to stay alive.
Eco-Horror Element: Drought / Famine
KBZ’s Take: We didn’t have many quality films to choose from during the 1980’s and In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro was slightly better than other films that did not make our list. This was released in theaters during the 1980’s, so older viewers might have seen the film (as we did).
As for the film, it’s quite a mess with a very anti-climatic ending, but there are a few scenes of the baboons attacking that are memorable and worth seeing (for eco-horror fans).
Unfortunately, or fortunately based on your view of the film, it has never had a proper U.S. DVD release so if you’re in the mood to relive your childhood, a YouTube link of the film is below.
Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube
#8
The Nest
Plot: Horrifying shocker as a biological experiment goes haywire when meat-eating mutant roaches invade an island community, terrorizing a peaceful New England fishing village and hideously butchering its citizens.
Eco-Horror Element: Genetically Engineered Roaches
KBZ’s Take: After every conceivable creature received the Animals Attack treatment in the 1970’s, it was only a matter of time until cockroaches made an appearance. And what better way to introduce genetically engineered mutant cockroaches in arguably the grossest and goriest subgenre film of the decade.
This isn’t a great film by any means and it’s not particularly scary but if you’re already averse to the creepy crawlers, this is one film on our list you might want to pass on. If you do brave the film and like it, Slugs (1988) is a similar film that didn’t quite make our Top 10 but is equally gory and gross.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: After a new cannery introduces scientifically augmented salmon to a seaside town in the Pacific Northwest, a species of mysterious, mutated sea creatures begin assaulting and killing women.
Eco-Horror Element: Genetically Engineered Salmon
KBZ’s Take: One of the forgotten horror films of the early 1980’s, Roger Corman’s Humanoids from the Deep has his usual blend of exploitation with a good amount of sleaze, nudity and gore. Despite this, it’s a surprisingly good horror film. It’s not a great film, but there are some decent creatures designs in the film with some genuinely scary moments.
However, the film also has quite a bit of terrible acting that makes the film come off as an unintentional comedy and features some subject matter that would never be made today. We would still recommend checking out the film if you’re fan of the subgenre or early 80’s horror.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when mop boy Melvin Junko falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.
Eco-Horror Element: Nuclear Waste
KBZ’s Take: We debated if we should include The Toxic Avenger on this list as it’s Troma’s most popular film that spawned a rash of sequels and is very well known in horror circles (especially among Splatter & Gore fans). We decided to include it for younger fans of eco-horror who might not have seen it yet.
As for the film, it has an equal number of fans and detractors. Troma’s brand of comedy appeals to a very specific subset of horror fans who like B-level horror movies with very juvenile comedy and bucket loads of gore. If that’s your type of thing, you’ll likely enjoy the film. If not, there’s quite a few other subgenre films of the decade we’d recommend checking out before this film.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#5
Wild Beasts
Plot: Animals at a zoo turn into vicious killers after drinking contaminated water.
Eco-Horror Element: Contaminated Water
KBZ’s Take: Wild Beasts is a very underrated and forgotten Italian horror film of the 1980’s. Despite its ludicrous plot involving zoo animals high on PCP, it has some memorable scenes including a tense sequence involving a cheetah chasing after a speeding motorist.
The film is dated (like most 1980’s films), but it’s one we can recommend for a rainy day, horror movie-thon on the couch.
Where to Stream / Buy: Vudu
Plot: A family in Africa is besieged by a group of lions, driven to desperation by the drought.
Eco-Horror Element: Drought / Famine
KBZ’s Take: Savage Harvest is a great example of a film rated “PG” back in the day that would probably be rated PG-13 or R nowadays. This hard-to-find film stars Tom Skerritt who must defend his family and home from drought-stricken and hungry lions and has some very frightening scenes that might be too intense for children under the age of 13.
Unique to this film are the choreographed scenes with the lions that are incredible even 40 years later. This film also is a Home Invasion-type horror film as the lions continually find ways into the family’s home.
Additional Lists: Top Animals Attack Films You Haven’t Seen #3
Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube
#3
Alligator
Plot: A baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives by eating discarded lab animals that have been injected with growth hormones. The now gigantic animal escapes the city sewers and goes on a rampage, pursued by a cop and a big-game hunter.
Eco-Horror Element: Water Contamination / Genetic Engineering
KBZ’s Take: Unless you were a child of the 1970’s or early 80’s, it’s hard to explain how frightening the trailer for Alligator was at the time. Though it came out a few years after the initial Animals Attack wave of films including Jaws (1975), Grizzly (1976) and The Pack (1977), Alligator was memorable for the tease of the genetically modified alligator bursting through concrete in front of horrified kids.
Though the film does feature a backstory involving genetic engineering and eco-horror, it’s rarely brought up and the film is much more focused on David Madison’s (Robert Forster) pursuit of the larger-than-life man-eating gator. It’s close to a must-see subgenre film of the decade and one that fans of Lake Placid (1999) and Crawl (2019) will also enjoy.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
C.H.U.D.
Plot: A rash of bizarre murders in New York City seems to point to a group of grotesquely deformed vagrants living in the sewers. A courageous policeman, a photojournalist and his girlfriend, and a nutty bum, who seems to know a lot about the creatures, band together to try and determine what the creatures are and how to stop them.
Eco-Horror Element: Toxic Waste / Mutation
KBZ’s Take: This is another B-level horror film on our list that was popular in the mid-80’s but we are again including for younger fans of eco-horror. C.H.U.D. or Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers was ripped apart by critics upon its release but has developed a cult following over the years.
From a pure eco-horror standpoint, it doesn’t get better than C.H.UD. The film features a government conspiracy involving toxic waste, mutated homeless people and some tense Home Invasion scenes that emulate the style of John Carpenter.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
The Stuff
Plot: Amalgamated Dairies hires David Rutherford, an FBI man turned industrial saboteur, to investigate a popular new product called ‘the Stuff’ – a new dessert product that is blowing ice cream sales out of the water. Nobody knows how it’s made or what’s in it, but people are lining up to buy it. It’s got a delicious flavor to die for!
Eco-Horror Element: Alien Invasion / Contaminated Food Supply
KBZ’s Take: If you’ve read some of our other horror subgenre lists, you’ve likely seen other Larry Cohen films featured including God Told Me To (1976) and Q: The Winged Serpent (1982). While those are decent horror films from their respective subgenres, The Stuff is arguably Cohen’s best film and one that has all the best elements of eco-horror.
While the film also sits within the Horror Comedy subgenre, the comedy is satirical in nature skewering villains of eco-horror including the FDA, corporations and consumerism. And though the satire is prevalent throughout the film, it’s also a horror film with elements of Body Horror, Films About Zombies and even Alien Invasion Films.
We noted earlier in this article that there weren’t many quality or classic films of the subgenre from the 1980’s, but The Stuff is one of them and one of the best overall Eco-Horror Films of any decade.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
