Chariots of Fire
1981 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,051 votes
In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. 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.
Asterix in Britain
1986 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 734 votes
One little ancient British village still holds out against the Roman invaders. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
1984 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,671 votes
Winston Smith is a government employee whose job involves the rewriting of history in a manner that casts his fictional country's leaders in a charitable light. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Phenomena
1985 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 924 votes
A young girl, with an amazing ability to communicate with insects, is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Night of the Creeps
1986 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 598 votes
In 1959, an alien experiment crashes to earth and infects a fraternity member. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Romancing the Stone
1984 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 2,078 votes
Though she can spin wild tales of passionate romance, novelist Joan Wilder has no life of her own. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
1989 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,098 votes
A murder takes place in the shop of David Lyons, a deaf man who fails to hear the gunshot being fired. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Road House
1989 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,557 votes
The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and Dalton has been hired to clean it up. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Prince of Darkness
1987 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,174 votes
A priest discovers an ancient canister containing a strange liquid in an abandoned church. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Child's Play
1988 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 3,418 votes
After being shot in a toy store, a serial killer transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Superman II
1980 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 2,561 votes
Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop them. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
An American Tail
1986 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,471 votes
A young mouse named Fievel and his family decide to migrate to America, a "land without cats," at the turn of the 20th century. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Bounty
1984 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 653 votes
An idyllic voyage to Tahiti in 1789 turns a crew aboard the H.M.S. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The 'Burbs
1989 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,395 votes
When secretive new neighbors move in next door, suburbanite Ray Peterson and his friends let their paranoia get the best of them as they start to suspect the newcomers of evildoings and commence an investigation. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Opera
1987 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 534 votes
A young opera singer is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Sixteen Candles
1984 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 2,234 votes
With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha faces her 16th birthday with typical adolescent dread. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Young Sherlock Holmes
1985 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 722 votes
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
History of the World: Part I
1981 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 926 votes
An uproarious version of history that proves nothing is sacred – not even the Roman Empire, the French Revolution and the Spanish Inquisition. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Fletch
1985 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 785 votes
When investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher goes undercover to write a piece on the drug trade at a local beach, he's approached by wealthy businessman Alan Stanwyk, who offers him $50,000 to murder him. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Body Double
1984 · TMDB 6.7/10 · 938 votes
After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.