The list of the best ‘80s movies is a massive and diverse list of everything from iconic action movies to Best Picture winners, and so much more. With so many great movies having come out in the penultimate decade of the 20th century, keeping track of all those rom-coms, sci-fi thrillers, horror flicks, and tear-jerking dramas is no easy task.
Looking for a way to revisit your favorites from the ‘80s while waiting for those new releases on the 2025 movie schedule? Well, come with us as we explore the best the ‘80s had to offer and how to watch those movies on some of the best streaming services. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s go back to the ‘80s with these great movies…
The Big Chill (1983)
The Director: Lawrence Kasdan
The Cast: Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt
What It’s About: A group of college friends reunite to bury one of their own who has committed suicide. Together for the first time in years, the once close-knit gang examine their college experience and what has changed.
What To Expect: With one of the best movie soundtracks ever assembled, incredible performances by some of the biggest ‘80s stars, and an unflinching story about friendship and identity, The Big Chill has it all.
Major League (1989)
The Director: David S. Ward
The Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes
What It’s About: After discovering that their team’s new owner is planning on tanking the team 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.
What To Expect: 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.
Clue (1985)
The Director: Jonathan Lynn
The Cast: Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean
What It’s About: Six seemingly random strangers, who appear to have nothing in common with one another, 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.
What To Expect: With its multiple endings, hilarious gags, and unforgettable performances by some of the funniest people in Hollywood, Clue takes a classic board game and turns it into a classic whodunit comedy.
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)
The Director: Joe Johnston
The Cast: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Amy O’Neill
What It’s About: After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, a group of teenagers are turned into a fraction of their normal size and are forced to survive the dangerous hellscape that is their backyard.
What To Expect: One of the most hilarious Rick Moranis movies, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, is full of great practical effects, a wild story, and some of the most iconic movie moments of the ‘80s.
- Stream Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Amazon.
- Get Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on DVD on Amazon.
Field Of Dreams (1989)
The Director: Phil Alden Robinson
The Cast: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: 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.
Raising Arizona (1987)
The Director: The Coen Brothers
The Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman
What It’s About: A down-on-their-luck couple goes to extreme lengths to have a baby of their own, even if that means kidnapping one from a wealthy family.
What To Expect: One of the Coen Brothers’ best movies, Raising Arizona has a perfect blend of comedy and crime, as well as no shortage of iconic and unforgettable characters.
9 to 5 (1980)
The Director: Colin Higgins
The Cast: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton
What It’s About: A trio of fed-up secretaries team up to get even with their sexist boss, but things get out of hand when they learn their dream may have come true.
What To Expect: In addition to having one of the best movie songs of all time, 9 to 5 also has one of the best premises of the ‘80s and a cast that is untouchable.
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Director: Bob Clark
The Cast: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon
What It’s About: A young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) 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.
What To Expect: Made up of a series of vignettes showcasing life in 1940s Indiana, A Christmas Story perfectly captures childhood obsession and what happens when reality brings your dreams crashing down.
Adventures In Babysitting (1987)
The Director: Chris Columbus
The Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Anthony Rapp, George Newbern
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Adventures in Babysitting, one of the best movies set in Chicago, is full of great and hilarious moments, all kinds of danger, and Elisabeth Shue in all her glory.
- Stream Adventures in Babysitting on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy Adventures in Babysitting on Amazon.
- Get Adventures in Babysitting on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Airplane! (1980)
The Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
The Cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen
What It’s About: With the crew and passengers incapacitated and no one else left to land the plane, a nervous pilot has to rise to the occasion and save the day.
What To Expect: 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?
Aliens (1986)
The Director: James Cameron
The Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn
What It’s About: After spending decades floating through space, Ellen Ripley is awoken and sent with a group of highly-trained space Marines to investigate a mining colony that has gone dark.
What To Expect: Ripley 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.
Back To The Future (1985)
The Director: Robert Zemeckis
The Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Llyod, Lea Thompson
What It’s About: 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 1985.
What To Expect: With great time-traveling scenes, Michael J. Fox at his best, and some hilarious scenarios (both in the past and the present), Back to the Future has everything you’d want in an ‘80s movie.
Batman (1989)
The Director: Tim Burton
The Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger
What It’s About: After falling into a vat of toxic chemicals, one of Gotham’s most ambitious and dangerous criminals is transformed into the prince of crime, and only Batman can stop him.
What To Expect: Tim Burton’s dark and moody 1989 unconventional superhero film, Batman, forever changed the face of comic book movies and gave audiences one of the best representations of the iconic character.
Beetlejuice (1988)
The Director: Tim Burton
The Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin
What It’s About: When the efforts by a ghostly couple (played by 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 regain control.
What To Expect: More than 35 years after its release, Beetlejuice remains one of the most inventive, iconic, and hilarious additions to Tim Burton’s massive library of movies.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
The Director: Martin Brest
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton
What It’s About: A wise-cracking and rebellious Detroit police officer comes to Los Angeles to track down those responsible for his best friend’s murder.
What To Expect: Expect to laugh, like a lot, because this Eddie Murphy classic starts and doesn’t stop until the credits roll.
- Stream Beverly Hills Cop on Paramount+.
- Rent/Buy Beverly Hills Cop on Amazon.
- Get Beverly Hills Cop on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Big (1988)
The Director: Penny Marshall
The Cast: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia
What It’s About: 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).
What To Expect: 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.
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
The Director: Stephen Herek
The Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Looking for righteous time-traveling sequences, air guitar, and Napoleon going to a water park? Well, look no further.
- Rent/Buy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Amazon.
- Get Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Blade Runner (1982)
The Director: Ridley Scott
The Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
What It’s About: 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 To Expect: What starts off as a simple game of cat and mouse slowly turns into something much more complex.
Blue Velvet (1986)
The Director: David Lynch
The Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini
What It’s About: College student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) becomes involved with the dark and twisted world of his town’s criminal underbelly after finding a dismembered ear.
What To Expect: Come in expecting Lynchian twists and turns, unforgettable characters (that you’ll want to forget), and a great soundtrack.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
The Director: John Landis
The Cast: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Carrie Fisher
What It’s About: Two brothers attempt to get their old band back together to help save the orphanage in which they were raised.
What To Expect: In the mood for great music, even better characters, and quite possibly the best car chase of all time? Well, look no further than The Blues Brothers.
- Stream The Blues Brothers on Prime Video.
- Rent/Buy The Blues Brothers on Amazon.
- Get The Blues Brothers on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Broadcast News (1987)
The Director: James L. Brooks
The Cast: Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, William Hurt
What It’s About: In addition to presenting the news day in and day out, a news producer finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with her longtime best friend and a dreamy yet under-qualified anchorman.
What To Expect: James L. Brooks’ romantic comedy, Broadcast News, finds the perfect balance between drama and comedy, composure and awkwardness, and so much more.
- Stream Broadcast News on Starz.
- Rent/Buy Broadcast News on Amazon.
- Get Broadcast News on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Caddyshack (1980)
The Director: Harold Ramis
The Cast: Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Considered one of the best sports comedies ever made, Caddyshack has some of the subgenre’s most quotable scenes and one of Hollywood’s most hatable villains.
Coming To America (1988)
The Director: John Landis
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: If you’re in the mood for classic Eddie Murphy moments, some outrageous characters, and a great look at ‘80s NYC, this will do the trick.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
The Director: Peter Weir
The Cast: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Dead Poets Society, one of the great coming-of-age stories of all time, is at times incredibly hopeful while at others utterly heartbreaking.
Die Hard (1988)
The Director: John McTiernan
The Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
What It’s About: 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 hold them hostage in hopes of securing unfathomable wealth.
What To Expect: Bruce Willis’ wisecracks, explosive action scenes, and one of Alan Rickman’s great villains all make Die Hard an unforgettable classic.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
The Director: Emile Ardolino
The Cast: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach
What It’s About: Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) goes to spend a summer in the Catskills with her family in Dirty Dancing. Thinking she’ll spend the time 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).
What To Expect: There is no short order of romance, drama, dancing, and legendary ‘50s music in this decorated classic.
Do The Right Thing (1989)
The Director: Spike Lee
The Cast: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: If you’re looking for comedy, drama, and a large dose of social commentary, give Do the Right Thing a shot.
- Stream Do the Right Thing on Prime Video.
- Rent/Buy Do the Right Thing on Amazon.
- Get Do the Right Thing on Blu-ray on Amazon.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
The Director: Steven Spielberg
The Cast: Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: This 1982 sci-fi classic is full of wonder, adventure, and quite possibly one of the best John Williams scores of all time.
Escape From New York (1981)
The Director: John Carpenter
The Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: With one of Kurt Russell’s most badass characters, some great practical effects by James Cameron, and a legendary John Carpenter score, there’s a lot to love here.
- Stream Escape from New York on Prime Video.
- Rent/Buy Escape from New York on Amazon.
- Get Escape from New York on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
The Director: Amy Heckering
The Cast: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold
What It’s About: The school lives, social lives, and love lives of several teenagers are explored both in and outside their California high school.
What To Expect: If you’re looking for a movie that captures the heart and soul of the ‘80s high school experience, look no further than Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Yes, that includes the good, the bad, and the unbearingly uncomfortable.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
The Director: John Hughes
The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: A quintessential ‘80s movie, and one of John Hughes’ best cinematic experiences, there are few teenage comedies that hit as hard (or as often) as this one.
Footloose (1984)
The Director: Herbert Ross
The Cast: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: If you’re in the mood for angry dancing, John Lithgow villains, and great movie songs, look no further than Footloose.
Friday The 13th (1980)
The Director: Sean S. Cunningham
The Cast: Betsy Palmer, Kevin Bacon, Adrienne King
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: You won’t see Jason Voorhees tracking down and killing teenagers this time around, but the killer in this iconic slasher is just as brutal and perhaps even more unhinged.
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Director: Ivan Reitman
The Cast: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Want to go back and see how the Ghostbusters got started? Want to see the Marshmallow Man walk through NYC again? Want to experience one of the best ‘80s movies? Here’s your chance!
Gremlins (1984)
The Director: Joe Dante
The Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton
What It’s About: 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?
What to expect? Well, you’ll find out what happens when you feed a gremlin after midnight. That’s for sure!
Lethal Weapon (1987)
The Director: Richard Donner
The Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey
What It’s About: Los Angeles police detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are forced to look past their differences and opposing lifestyles to uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring in Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon.
What To Expect: If you want to see one of the premier buddy action movies, Lethal Weapon is going to do the trick, and then some.
Midnight Run (1988)
The Director: Martin Brest
The Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, John Ashton
What It’s About: Bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) sets out to capture mob accountant Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas (Charles Grodin), who has skipped out on his bail.
What To Expect: What follows is a cross-country adventure involving two personalities that mix like oil and water. But with mobsters, bounty hunters, and the FBI hot on their tail, they’ll have to work together.
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
The Director: Harold Ramis
The Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Expect chaos. Pure chaos!
- Rent/Buy National Lampoon’s Vacation on Amazon.
- Get National Lampoon’s Vacation on Blu-ray on Amazon.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
The Director: Wes Craven
The Cast: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: If you came looking for an iconic horror villain to be both unbelievably brutal yet undeniably hilarious, as well as terrifying dream sequences, this franchise starter will do the trick.
Platoon (1986)
The Director: Oliver Stone
The Cast: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Don’t go into Platoon looking for a happy-go-lucky or romantic view of war, because this brutal, realistic, and unflinching military drama doesn’t hold back.
Raging Bull (1980)
The Director: Martin Scorsese
The Cast: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: You won’t find likable or redeemable characters, but you will find one of the most engaging and hard-hitting stories ever told in and out of the boxing ring.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
The Director: Steven Spielberg
The Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies
What It’s About: The world is introduced to Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, which kicked off the Indiana Jones franchise with a story about the mysterious Ark of the Covenant.
What To Expect. You can expect legendary movie sequences, Nazis losing their faces, and Harrison Ford being charming as all hell.
- Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Disney+.
- Stream Raiders of the Lost Ark on Paramount+.
- Rent/Buy Raiders of the Lost Ark on Amazon.
- Get Raiders of the Lost Ark on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Rain Man (1988)
The Director: Barry Levinson
The Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Rain Man features what could be one of Hoffman’s best performances as well as a story that is both heartwarming and incredibly maddening at times.
Scarface (1983)
The Director: Brian De Palma
The Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Though being a remake itself, Scarface would go on to become one of the most influential crime films of the ‘80s and of all time, thanks to its electric tone, over-the-top violence, and one of Al Pacino’s most unhinged characters.
Spaceballs (1987)
The Director: Mel Brooks
The Cast: Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, John Candy
What It’s About: Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi spoof Spaceballs takes plot points 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).
What To Expect: Spaceballs has some of the most hilarious spoof movie gags, great comedic moments, and one of the wildest villains of the decade.
Stand By Me (1986)
The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: This is perhaps the best “end of childhood” movie ever released, as well as a drama that never gets old no matter how many times you watch it.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
The Director: Nicholas Meyer
The Cast: William Shatner, Ricardo Montalban, Leonard Nimoy
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: In the mood for one of the best Star Trek movies as well as an iconic space film, look no further.
- Stream Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Paramount+.
- Rent/Buy Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Amazon.
- Get Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Steel Magnolias (1989)
The Director: Herbert Ross
The Cast: Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton
What It’s About: The 1989 Golden Globe winner, Steel Magnolias, follows a tight-knit group of women in northwestern Louisiana who stand together through thick and thin.
What To Expect: Expect to laugh, cry, and then cry some more. Seriously, try watching this movie without crying.
- Stream Steel Magnolias on Max.
- Rent/Buy Steel Magnolias on Amazon.
- Get Steel Magnolias on DVD on Amazon.
The Abyss (1989)
The Director: James Cameron
The Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: If you want to see state-of-the-art visuals from the late ‘80s that stand up 36 years later, an engaging story, and one of Ed Harris’ best performances, check out The Abyss.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Director: John Hughes
The Cast: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: This is one of the best “Brat Pack” films and a movie that everyone needs to watch at least once.
- Stream The Breakfast Club on Peacock.
- Rent/Buy The Breakfast Club on Amazon.
- Get The Breakfast Club on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Goonies (1985)
The Director: Richard Donner
The Cast: Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: An adventure like no other, The Goonies is all of your childhood dreams (and nightmares) come to life. Pirate ships, mobsters, a “monster” who’s actually a hero, and so much more.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Director: Irvin Kershner
The Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Seriously, this is the greatest sequel ever made.
- Stream The Empire Strikes Back on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy The Empire Strikes Back on Amazon.
- Get The Empire Strikes Back on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Director: John G. Avildsen
The Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: You want karate? You want drama? You want evil dojo owners willing to do anything and everything to win? Time to watch The Karate Kid.
- Stream The Karate Kid on Netflix.
- Rent/Buy The Karate Kid on Amazon.
- Buy The Karate Kid on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
The Cast: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: There’s a reason why people say The Little Mermaid helped start the Disney renaissance that would follow in the early ‘90s. Simply put, this movie is a masterpiece of animation.
- Stream The Little Mermaid on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy The Little Mermaid on Amazon.
- Get The Little Mermaid on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Princess Bride (1987)
The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: The Princess Bride is a great movie that literally anyone in the family can enjoy, which isn’t something you can say too often.
- Stream The Princess Bride on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy The Princess Bride on Amazon.
- Get The Princess Bride on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Shining (1980)
The Director: Stanley Kubrick
The Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
What It’s About: Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining follows writer/caretaker Jack Torrance as he descends into madness while isolated with his family in the Overlook Hotel in Colorado one winter.
What To Expect: The Shining slowly builds the tension until the movie reaches a tipping point and we’re given one of the most unsettling yet exciting chase sequences ever captured on film.
The Terminator (1984)
The Director: James Cameron
The Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
What It’s About: James Cameron’s iconic sci-fi thriller, The Terminator, centers on Sarah 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.
What To Expect: Want to see an emotionless silent killer stalk his prey through 1980s Los Angeles, as well as one of the best sci-fi thrillers of all time? Well, time to start watching The Terminator.
The Thing (1982)
The Director: John Carpenter
The Cast: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Please know that this movie will make you twist and turn in your chair, leave you with trust issues, and will leave you traumatized (especially when it comes to that dog sequence).
They Live (1988)
The Director: John Carpenter
The Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster
What It’s About: Wrestler-turned-actor Roddy Piper plays a drifter armed with a pair of sunglasses that give him the ability to see behind the illusions of an alien race that has invaded the planet in They Live.
What To Expect: Come for the sunglasses scene, stay for the best fight ever recorded on film.
Tootsie (1982)
The Director: Sydney Pollack
The Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr
What It’s About: Fed up with not being able to get a job, struggling actor Michael Dorsey (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.
What To Expect: Tootsie has just about everything you’d want in an ‘80s movie, plus one of the best “walking through NYC” shots of all time.
Top Gun (1986)
The Director: Tony Scott
The Cast: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis
What It’s About: 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, are put to the ultimate test.
What To Expect: Beach volleyball, epic dogfights, and multiple iconic ‘80s tracks are on full display here.
Trading Places (1983)
The Director: John Landis
The Cast: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: A young Eddie Murphy steals the show in this 1983 comedy classic.
WarGames (1983)
The Director: John Badham
The Cast: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy
What It’s About: The 1983 thriller WarGames follows high school student David Lightman (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.
What To Expect: If you’re looking for a chess match between a teenager and a supercomputer, here ya go!
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The Director: Rob Reiner
The Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher
What It’s About: 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.
What To Expect: Seriously, this movie is perfect. No notes.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
The Director: Robert Zemeckis
The Cast: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer
What It’s About: Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 live-action/animation hybrid, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, follows Hoskins’ hardened private investigator who is tasked with proving the titular rabbit has been framed with the murder of a high-profile figure.
What To Expect: Here is what can best be described as the ultimate animation/live-action hybrid and a tremendous example of competing movie studios working together to create an unprecedented cinematic experience.
- Stream Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Disney+.
- Rent/Buy Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Amazon.
- Get Who Framed Roger Rabbit on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Well, that was a comprehensive list of the best ‘80s movies streaming. Now that you know where and how to watch all these classics, all you have to do is start watching (but hopefully not all in one big marathon).
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