Curated by SceneIt · United States
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
Titles are ranked by TMDB audience rating with a minimum vote threshold, then checked for relevance to the release decade.
1987 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 1,944 votes
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 918 votes
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 569 votes
In this, the sequel to Jean de Florette, Manon has grown into a beautiful young shepherdess living in the idyllic Provencal countryside. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 9,327 votes
A team of elite commandos on a secret mission in a Central American jungle come to find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 5,461 votes
After high school slacker Ferris Bueller successfully fakes an illness in order to skip school for the day, he goes on a series of adventures throughout Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, all the while trying to outwit his wily school principal and fed-up sister. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 2,528 votes
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1985 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 1,074 votes
Officer Chan Ka Kui manages to put a major Hong Kong drug dealer behind the bars practically alone, after a shooting and an impressive chase inside a slum. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 3,574 votes
Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1988 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 6,260 votes
Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,038 votes
No one expects much from Christy Brown, a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 12,122 votes
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 736 votes
Au revoir les enfants tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 676 votes
Young writer Richard Collier is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 2,166 votes
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1985 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 6,306 votes
Young teen Mikey Walsh and his friends set off on a quest to find Pirate One-Eyed Willie's treasure in hopes of saving their homes from demolition. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 6,981 votes
When former Green Beret John Rambo is harassed by local law enforcement and arrested for vagrancy, he is forced to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1984 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 9,854 votes
After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 3,352 votes
14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1985 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,787 votes
Desperate to escape his mind-numbing routine, uptown Manhattan office worker Paul Hackett ventures downtown for a hookup with a mystery woman. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,836 votes
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.