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 7.4/10 · 5,833 votes
In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 3,512 votes
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 1,705 votes
While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 8,487 votes
This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1984 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 5,830 votes
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 626 votes
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 856 votes
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,457 votes
A teen girl in 1970s Berlin becomes addicted to heroin. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,070 votes
Two neurotics, working for a suicide hotline on the night of Christmas Eve, get caught up in a catastrophe when a pregnant woman, her abusive boyfriend, and a cross-dresser visit their office. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 727 votes
When churlish mobster Albert Spica acquires an upscale French restaurant in London, he dines there nightly, effectively scaring off the clientele with his bad manners. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 752 votes
Three very different Italians travel to their hometowns on election day: Pasquale, a Southern immigrant living in Munich, finds a country far removed from the one he left behind; Roman civil servant Furio's relentless nitpicking threatens to push his wife Magda over the edge; young Mimmo's journey is repeatedly interrupted by concerns about his grandmother's health. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 6,585 votes
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 519 votes
In Memphis, Tennessee, over the course of a single night, the Arcade Hotel, run by an eccentric night clerk and a clueless bellboy, is visited by a young Japanese couple traveling in search of the roots of rock; an Italian woman in mourning who stumbles upon a fleeing charlatan girl; and a comical trio of accidental thieves looking for a place to hide. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 953 votes
Stingo, a young writer, moves to Brooklyn in 1947 to begin work on his first novel. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,376 votes
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1984 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 10,231 votes
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 5,144 votes
An ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 3,049 votes
A disk jockey goes to Vietnam to work for the Armed Forces Radio Service. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1988 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 3,546 votes
A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 2,136 votes
Life's questions are 'answered' in a series of outrageous vignettes, beginning with a staid London insurance company which transforms before our eyes into a pirate ship. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.