The Best '80s Movies And How To Watch Them

Alan Silvestri composed the score for Back to the Future, a film Robert Zemeckis directed.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The 1980s will forever go down as one of the most significant decades in terms of contributions to pop culture. With timeless classics like Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Breakfast Club, and landmark sci-fi and great horror movies like The Terminator, Aliens, and Friday the 13th, the list of Best ‘80s movies is one that is rich and bursting at the seams with memorable characters, quotable one-liners, and all those iconic songs that are as popular in 2023 as they were in the summer of 1985.

If you have been wanting to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the best movies the decade had to offer, look no further as we have put together a comprehensive list of nearly 60 of the best ‘80s movies and where you can find them streaming, through digital rentals, and old-fashioned physical media. There’s a lot of ground to cover in not much time, so let’s get started…

William Hurt and Kevin Kline in The Big Chill

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

The Big Chill (1983)

Brought together by the sudden passing of a long-lost friend, a once tight-knit group reconnects over the course of a long weekend where they examine their college experience and what’s come after, as well as the unhealed wounds of their 20s. Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill features remarkable performances by Glenn Close, William Hurt, Tom Berenger, Kevin Kline, and more.

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willie mays hayes in major league

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Major League (1989)

After discovering that their team’s new owner is planning on tanking to relocate to sunny Florida, the ragtag group of misfits that make up the Cleveland Indians take matters into their own hands and attempt to pull off the impossible. One of the best baseball movies of all time, Major League hits the triple crown of a sports flick: comedy, drama, and all kinds of web gems.

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Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and Colleen Camp in Clue

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Clue (1985)

Clue follows six random guests, who seem to have nothing in common with one another, as they are summoned to a mansion for dinner, only to discover they are in the middle of a murder mystery where no one can be trusted, not even the staff. 

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Rick Moranis with a magnifying glass

(Image credit: Walt Disney Pictures)

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

The hilarious Rick Moranis movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, shows what happens when a group of adolescents are at the wrong place at the wrong time and are turned to a fraction of their normal size. In a race against time (and all sorts of creatures), the Szalinski and Thompson children attempt to get back to normal while their parents try to figure out what happened.

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Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Field Of Dreams (1989)

 

Ray Kinsella’s (Kevin Costner) life is forever changed after hearing a mysterious voice whisper “If you build it, he will come” while out in his cornfield in Field of Dreams. What follows is one man’s journey to “ease the pain” of his hero, an odyssey that concludes with one of the most emotional scenes in any sports movie.

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Nicolas Cage in Raising Arizona

(Image credit: Disney / Fox)

Raising Arizona (1987)

The Coen Brothers’ 1987 crime comedy, Raising Arizona, follows Herbert “Hi” McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) and Edwina “Ed” McDunnough (Holly Hunter) as they go to great lengths to have a child, even if that means stealing a quintuplet from a wealthy family.

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Dolly Parton in 9 to 5.

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

9 to 5 (1980)

Colin Higgins 1980 workplace satirical comedy 9 to 5 follows three fed-up secretaries, played by Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin, who decide to get even with their tyrannical and sexist boss.

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peter billingsley a christmas story

(Image credit: MGM)

A Christmas Story (1983)

Bob Clark’s 1983 holiday classic, A Christmas Story, follows a young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) as he tries to convince everyone from his parents to his teacher and even Santa Claus himself to bring him a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

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Elisabeth Shue, Keith Coogan, and Maia Brewton in Adventures in Babysitting

(Image credit: Disney)

Adventures In Babysitting (1987)

After being stood up by her boyfriend, high school senior Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) decides to spend the night watching a group of young siblings. What at first seems like a quiet night and easy money quickly turns into anything but in Adventures in Babysitting.

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Robert Hays in Airplane!

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Airplane! (1980)

The 1980 disaster film spoof, Airplane!, answers the question: what happens when a man who’s afraid to fly is the only one who can prevent a jumbo-jet from crashing?

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Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

Aliens (1986)

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is back with a vengeance in James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi action flick, Aliens, and she isn’t stopping until the final Xenomorph is launched into outer space.

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Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future.

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Back To The Future (1985)

When Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) steps into a DeLorean time machine and is transported back to 1955, he must avoid high school bullies and a younger version of his own mom if he wants to get Back to the Future.

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Michael Keaton in 1989's Batman

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Batman (1989)

Tim Burton’s dark and moody 1989 unconventional superhero film, Batman, sees the Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) cross paths with his archenemies The Joker (Jack Nicholson), who is hellbent on bringing chaos, destruction, and death to Gotham City.

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Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Beetlejuice (1988)

When the efforts by a ghostly couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) to scare away the new owners of their country home are fruitless, they turn to a spirit by the name of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to gain back control.

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Eddie Murphy waves while smiling in a warehouse in Beverly Hills Cop.

(Image credit: Paramount)

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Martin Brest’s 1984 buddy action comedy Beverly Hills Cop introduces the world to Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), a wise-cracking and rebellious Detroit police officer who has come to Los Angeles to track down those responsible for his best friend’s murder.

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Tom Hanks in Big.

(Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox)

Big (1988)

When 12-year-old Josh Baskin (David Moscow) wishes he was a little bigger, he gets his wish and then more when he wakes up to find he has been transformed into a full-grown adult (Tom Hanks). Penny Marshall’s timeless comedy sees Baskin navigate 1980s New York City, but as a child trapped in a man’s body and various situations.

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Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

(Image credit: Orion Pictures)

Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure when two dopey high schoolers (played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) are given access to a time-traveling phone-booth to pass their history exam and keep their band together.

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Harrison Ford in Blade Runner

(Image credit: Warner Bros. / Handout)

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s 1982 noir sci-fi thriller Blade Runner follows replicant hunter Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he tracks down four escaped criminals who have returned to earth from an off-world colony. What starts off as a simple game of cat and mouse slowly turns into something much more complex.

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Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet

(Image credit: Sunset Boulevard / Contributor)

Blue Velvet (1986)

David Lynch’s 1986 surrealist crime drama Blue Velvet centers on college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) as he becomes involved with the dark and twisted world of his town’s criminal underbelly led by the psychotic Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).

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Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in The Blues Brothers

(Image credit: Universal)

The Blues Brothers (1980)

John Landis’ 1980 musical comedy The Blues Brothers follows the titular characters (played by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) as they attempt to get their old band back together to help save the orphanage in which they were raised.

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Holly Hunter and William Hurt in Broadcast News

(Image credit: twentieth Century Fox)

Broadcast News (1987)

James L. Brooks’ romantic comedy, Broadcast News, plants the audience in the middle of a love triangle involving a talented news producer (Holly Hunter), her best friend (Albert Brooks), and a handsome yet under-qualified anchorman (William Hurt) all while they try to present the news day in and day out.

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Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Caddyshack (1980)

Set at the Bushwood Country Club, which is infested with rodents and yuppies alike, Harold Ramis’ 1980 sports comedy Caddyshack follows caddies (led by Michael O’Keefe), grounds crew (led by Bill Murray), and all other sorts of characters who spend a summer at the prestigious club.

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Eddie Murphy in Coming to America

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Coming To America (1988)

John Landis’ 1988 comedy, Coming to America, follows Prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) as he travels to Queens to find a wife to bring back to the African nation of Zamunda.

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Ethan Hawke in Dead Poets Society

(Image credit: Disney)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Set in a prestigious college prep academy, the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society follows newly arrived English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) as he spends a semester opening the eyes and changing the lives of his students, for better or for worse.

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Bruce Willis in Die hard

(Image credit: Archive Photos / Stringer)

Die Hard (1988)

NYPD officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself in the right place at the right time in Die Hard when his wife’s holiday Christmas party is overtaken by a group of international terrorists who holds them hostage in hopes of securing unfathomable wealth.

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Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing

(Image credit: Vestron Pictures)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) goes to spend a summer in the Catskills with her family in Dirty Dancing. Thinking she’ll spend the summer bored out of her mind, Baby quickly finds herself learning what it means to dance, love, and stand up for herself thanks to her dance instructor-turned-lover Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze).

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Spike Lee in Do the Right Thing

(Image credit: Universal)

Do The Right Thing (1989)

What initially starts out as a disagreement over which actors should or shouldn’t be included on the wall of a Brooklyn pizzeria quickly escalates into a full-blown riot in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

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Henry Thomas in E.T. The Extra- Terrestrial

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Steven Spielberg’s 1982 sci-fi adventure E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows a young boy (Henry Thomas) as he forms an unbreakable bond with a gentle alien who is trapped on Earth and just wants to go home.

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Kurt Russell in Escape from New York

(Image credit: Sunset Boulevard / Contributor)

Escape From New York (1981)

John Carpenter’s 1981 dystopian thriller Escape From New York sees Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) attempt to save the U.S. President from a group of fanatical criminals who run the streets of Manhattan which has been turned into a prison colony.

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Sean Penn, Ava Lazar, and Lori Sutton in Fast Times at Ridgemont High

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Amy Heckerling’s 1982 raunchy teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High follows the various cliques that call the titular home and how they navigate life, love, and algebra.

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Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

(Image credit: Paramount)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows the charismatic titular high school senior (Matthew Broderick) as he convinces his girlfriend and best friend to skip class and have an epic adventure in Chicago.

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Kevin Bacon in Footloose

(Image credit: Paramount)

Footloose (1984)

When Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), a dance-obsessed high schooler, moves to a small town that has banned all forms of music and dancing, he does what any teenager would do in his position: rebels with loads and loads of dancing in Footloose.

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Betsy Palmer in Friday the 13th

(Image credit: Paramount)

Friday The 13th (1980)

The slasher film Friday the 13th follows a group of counselors as they are picked off one by one by a sadistic killer with one hell of a backstory involving Camp Crystal Lake.

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Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray in Ghostbusters

(Image credit: Archive Photos / Stringer)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Who ya gonna call? Well, Ghostbusters if you’re looking for a fun supernatural comedy involving college professors who use their knowledge to rid New York City of ghostly threats.

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Gremlins

(Image credit: Sunset Boulevard / Contributor)

Gremlins (1984)

Written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante, the 1984 horror flick Gremlins answers the question: What’s the worst that could happen when you spill water on your new pet and feed them after midnight.

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Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon

(Image credit: Bertrand LAFORET / Contributor)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Los Angeles police detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are forced to look past their differences and different lifestyles to uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring in Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon.

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Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin in Midnight Run

(Image credit: Universal)

Midnight Run (1988)

Martin Brest’s 1988 buddy action comedy Midnight Run follows bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) as he sets out to capture mob accountant Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin), who has skipped out on his bail. What follows is a cross-country adventure with the mob and FBI hot on their tail.

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Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall, Chevy chase, and Imogene Coca in National Lampoon's Vacation

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Bumbling father, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), takes his wife and two children on what is supposed to be two weeks of family bonding but quickly devolves into a trip from hell in National Lampoon’s Vacation.

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Robert Englund in A Nightmare on Elm Street

(Image credit: New Line Cinema)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street follows a group of teenagers who are being terrorized by the undead killer Freddy Krueger who attacks them when most vulnerable: while they sleep.

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Willem Dafoe and Johnny Depp in Platoon

(Image credit: Orion Pictures)

Platoon (1986)

Oliver Stone’s 1986 Academy Award-winning military drama Platoon follows a group of American soldiers in the Vietnam War who are pushed to the brink of losing what little humanity they have left.

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Robert De Niro in Raging Bull

(Image credit: United Artists)

Raging Bull (1980)

Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta, a former heavyweight champ whose life is falling apart in Martin Scorsese’s 1980 acclaimed all-time great boxing movie, Raging Bull.

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Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark

(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

The world is introduced to Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first of four movies in the popular Indiana Jones franchise.

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Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in Rain Man

(Image credit: MGM)

Rain Man (1988)

Barry Levinson’s 1988 drama Rain Man netted Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award for his portrayal of Raymond Babbitt, an autistic man who has a knack for counting cards and the game of blackjack.

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Al Pacino in Scarface

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Scarface (1983)

Brian De Palma’s sprawling 1983 crime epic Scarface follows Cuban immigrant Tony Montana (Al Pacino) as he climbs from the bottom of the food-chain to the top of Miami’s booming cocaine market.

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George Wyner, Rick Moranis, and Mel Brooks in Spaceballs

(Image credit: MGM)

Spaceballs (1987)

Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi spoof Spaceballs takes plot point from the likes of Star Wars and other classic adventures and creates a farcical race to save the galaxy from the evil President Skroob (Brooks) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis).

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Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, and Corey Feldman in Stand By me

(Image credit: Columbia pictures)

Stand By Me (1986)

Based on a story by Stephen King, Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming of age story Stand By Me follows a group of childhood friends as they spend the final days of their summer break looking for the dead body of a missing boy.

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Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)

The 1982 sci-fi adventure film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan sees Enterprise commander Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) cross paths with the villainous Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), a genetically enhanced superhuman he never thought he’d have to see again.

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Sally Field in Steel Magnolias

(Image credit: TriStar Pictures)

Steel Magnolias (1989)

The 1989 Golden Globe winner Steel Magnolias follows a tight-knit group of women in northwestern Louisiana who stand together through thick and thin.

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Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris in The Abyss

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

The Abyss (1989)

James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss follows a group of Navy Seals and petroleum engineers as they go to the bottom of the ocean to make a remarkable discovery, one that could destroy or save humanity.

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The Breakfast Club cast

(Image credit: Universal)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

John Hughes’ 1985 “Brat Pack” classic The Breakfast Club follows five high school students from different walks of life who are brought together during Saturday detention, forever changing their lives.

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The Goonies kids

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The Goonies (1985)

Richard Donner’s 1985 coming of age film The Goonies centers on a group of friends who set out for one more adventure together before their neighborhood is demolished and turned into a multi-million-dollar development.

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Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

(Image credit: Disney / Lucasfilm)

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The best Star Wars movie, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back starts off with an epic battle on the ice planet of Hoth and only picks up from there as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) uncovers a dark secret about his past.

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William Zabka and Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

The Karate Kid (1984)

When high schooler Daniel LaRusso is forced to pack up his life and leave the East Coast, he lands in Southern California, where he finds himself the target of the evil Cobra Kai dojo; that is until he learns a few tricks of his own in The Karate Kid.

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Ariel singing Part of Your World Reprise in The Little Mermaid

(Image credit: Disney)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

The 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid follows the rebellious Ariel (Jodi Benson) as she tries to chart her own course in life, even if that means sacrificing everything.

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Robin Wright and Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride

(Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy comedy The Princess Bride offers a new spin on the classic fairy tale setup with an epic and hilarious story about a man who would go to the end of the Earth to save the woman he loves.

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Jack Nicholson in The Shining

(Image credit: Archive Photos / Stringer)

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining follows writer/caretaker Jack Torrance and he descends into madness while isolated with his family in the Overlook Hotel in Colorado one winter.

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One of the robots in The Terminator.

(Image credit: Orion Pictures)

The Terminator (1984)

James Cameron’s iconic sci-fi thriller, The Terminator, centers onSarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) as she is hunted down by a cyborg assassin from the future who has been sent to the past to kill the young waitress before she can give birth to John Connor, humanity’s last hope.

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Kurt Russell in The Thing

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The Thing (1982)

The crew of a remote research facility in Antarctica is torn apart when a shapeshifting alien finds its way into the complex in John Carpenter’s The Thing.

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Roddy Piper in They Live

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

They Live (1988)

Wrestler-turned-actor Roddy Piper plays a drifter armed with a pair of sunglasses that gives him the ability to see behind the illusions of an alien race that has invaded the planet in They Live.

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the stars of tootsie

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

Tootsie (1982)

Fed up with not being able to get a job, struggling actor Michael Horsey (Dustin Hoffman) does the unthinkable in Tootsie and reinvents himself as Dorothy Michaels, a female actor who quickly lands a starring role on a popular daytime soap opera. It only gets more complicated from there.

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Maverick close-up in Top Gun

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Top Gun (1986)

Tom Cruise plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Tony Scott’s 1986 action thriller Top Gun. Upon being invited to a specialized fighter pilot school, Maverick’s skills, as well as his attitude, is put to the ultimate test.

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Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy in Trading Places

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Trading Places (1983)

In John Landis’ 1983 comedy Trading Places, Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy play two men who find their positions reversed as part of a sick game by a duo of villainous millionaires.

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Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy in WarGames

(Image credit: MGM)

WarGames (1983)

The 1983 thriller WarGames follows high school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) as he begins to play what he believes to be a high-tech arcade game but what is actually a supercomputer that could bring on the destruction of the planet through nuclear war.

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Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally

(Image credit: Castle Rock Entertainment)

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, the all-time great romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally follows the titular characters played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as they try to prove that a man and woman can have a relationship that doesn’t involve sex.

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Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

(Image credit: Archive Photos / Stringer)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 live-action/animation hybrid Who Framed Roger Rabbit follows Bob Hoskins’ hardened private investigator who is tasked with proving the titular rabbit has been framed with the murder of a high-profile figure.

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Well, that was a comprehensive list of the best ‘80s movies streaming. In the event you’re looking for recommendations, there is always CinemaBlend’s list of the best movies on Netflix as well as one with all of the best films on Amazon Prime. And if you’re looking for new movies, go ahead and check out our 2024 movie calendar.

Philip Sledge
Content Writer

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.