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 7.3/10 · 5,119 votes
A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1986 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 2,795 votes
Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1988 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 4,584 votes
When the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin investigates events following the shooting of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 605 votes
A unicorn learns from a riddle-speaking butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the monstrous Red Bull. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 530 votes
Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 817 votes
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1980 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,337 votes
A Coca-Cola bottle dropped from an airplane raises havoc among a normally peaceful tribe of African bushmen who believe it to be a utensil of the gods. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1982 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 4,588 votes
In 1979, a group of college students find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they've rented for a weekend getaway. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 516 votes
For Norman and Ethel Thayer, this summer on golden pond is filled with conflict and resolution. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,906 votes
A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1985 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 501 votes
A significantly deformed but highly intelligent teenage boy and his biker gang mother attempt to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 575 votes
In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1987 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 2,254 votes
An irritable marketing executive, Neal Page, is heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving when a number of delays force him to travel with a well meaning but overbearing shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1985 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 1,655 votes
The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,516 votes
As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,817 votes
The story of an old Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan and her relationship with her black chauffeur, Hoke. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,438 votes
The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 8,674 votes
Having witnessed his parents' brutal murder as a child, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne fights crime in Gotham City disguised as Batman, a costumed hero who strikes fear into the hearts of villains. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1983 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 3,713 votes
A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,742 votes
It's Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.