Dead Ringers
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,015 votes
Elliot, a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Curated by SceneIt · United States
Best 1980s Movies
Revisit standout releases from 1980 through 1989, selected for viewers who want a strong starting point instead of an exhaustive catalog.
Updated 2026-08-03 · Ratings from TMDB
How we chose these titles
Titles are ranked by TMDB audience rating with a minimum vote threshold, then checked for relevance to the release decade.
National Lampoon's Vacation
1983 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,768 votes
Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Moonwalker
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 677 votes
This fantastical movie inspired by the music of Michael Jackson features imaginative interpretations of hit tracks from the iconic 1987 album “Bad”. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Top Secret!
1984 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,435 votes
Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Brubaker
1980 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 522 votes
The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Rocky IV
1985 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 4,890 votes
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,060 votes
Con artist Lawrence Jamieson is a longtime resident of a luxurious coastal resort, where he enjoys the lavish fruits of his deceptions -- that is, until a competitor, Freddy Benson, shows up. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Witness
1985 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,925 votes
While protecting an Amish boy—the sole witness to a brutal murder—and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life comes under threat. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Police Story 2
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 647 votes
The Hong Kong super-cop must stop a group of blackmailing bombers at the same time that the villains of the first Police Story are out for revenge. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Accused
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 691 votes
Out drinking one night after a fight with her boyfriend, three men brutally rape Sarah Tobias in a bar while people watch and cheer. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Drugstore Cowboy
1989 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 624 votes
Portland, Oregon, 1971. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Top Gun
1986 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 9,732 votes
For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
WarGames
1983 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 2,208 votes
High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Gods Must Be Crazy II
1989 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 564 votes
Xixo is back again. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Bloodsport
1988 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 2,218 votes
An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Gallipoli
1981 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 552 votes
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Raising Arizona
1987 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 2,372 votes
When a childless couple—an ex-con and an ex-cop—take one of a wealthy family’s quintuplets to raise as their own, their lives grow more complicated than anticipated. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Great Mouse Detective
1986 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,822 votes
When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps London's master toymaker, the brilliant master of disguise Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson try to elude the ultimate trap and foil the perfect crime. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Luxo Jr.
1986 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 671 votes
A baby lamp finds a ball to play with and it's all fun and games until the ball bursts. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Re-Animator
1985 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,702 votes
Conducting clandestine experiments within the morgue at Miskatonic University, scientist Herbert West reveals to a fellow graduate student his groundbreaking work concerning the re-animation of fresh corpses. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.