The Karate Kid
1984 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 4,789 votes
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. 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.
Thief
1981 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 865 votes
Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The NeverEnding Story
1984 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 4,436 votes
While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Withnail & I
1987 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 632 votes
Two out-of-work actors -- the anxious, luckless Marwood and his acerbic, alcoholic friend, Withnail -- spend their days drifting between their squalid flat, the unemployment office and the pub. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Big Trouble in Little China
1986 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 3,425 votes
Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Last Temptation of Christ
1988 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,210 votes
Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Last Metro
1980 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 524 votes
In occupied Paris, an actress wed to a Jewish theater owner must keep him hidden from the Nazis while doing both of their jobs. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
A Fish Called Wanda
1988 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,467 votes
While a diamond advocate attempts to steal a collection of diamonds, troubles arise when he realises he’s not the only one after the collection. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Beverly Hills Cop
1984 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 4,659 votes
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Clue
1985 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,000 votes
Clue finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Tootsie
1982 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,950 votes
When struggling, out of work actor Michael Dorsey secretly adopts a female alter ego—Dorothy Michaels—in order to land a part in a daytime drama, he unwittingly becomes a feminist icon and ends up in a romantic pickle. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Dangerous Liaisons
1988 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,283 votes
In 18th century France, Marquise de Merteuil asks her ex-lover Vicomte de Valmont to seduce the future wife of another ex-lover of hers in return for one last night with her. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Return of the Living Dead
1985 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,327 votes
Two employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a toxic gas from a misplaced top-secret U.S. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Professional
1981 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 597 votes
Josselin Beaumont, a French secret agent, is tasked with assassinating Njala, the president for life of Malawi in Africa. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Big
1988 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 4,101 votes
When a young boy makes a wish at a carnival machine to be big—he wakes up the following morning to find that it has been granted and his body has grown older overnight. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Midnight Run
1988 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,306 votes
A bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Steel Magnolias
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 741 votes
A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship and welcome her into the fold. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,677 votes
When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize Earth's oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Santa Sangre
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 511 votes
A former circus artist escapes from a mental hospital to rejoin his armless, cult leader mother, and is forced to enact brutal murders in her name. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Outsiders
1983 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,577 votes
In 1960s Tulsa, class divisions ignite a violent rivalry between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.