American cinema during the 1980s is generally remembered for its turn from the serious, auteur-driven work of the 1970s to big budget Hollywood blockbusters. These audience-friendly movies included major titles in the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Ghostbuster franchises.
This pivot toward studio-driven movies – for which box office profits were often more important than artistry – resulted in numerous flops and forgotten films. However, the decade also produced numerous classic movies, loved by audiences and critics alike.
To highlight the positive side of 1980s cinema, 24/7 Wall St. has determined the best films of the decade by creating an index based on user ratings from the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes.
Click here to see the 75 best movies of the 1980s.
There is a reason that audiences are drawn to major blockbusters. Such successful wide-appeal movies are often impeccably crafted, delivering effortlessly the humor, excitement, and spellbinding storytelling that people love. Examples of such films that appear on the list of best movies of the 1980s include “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Back to the Future.” Each of these films grossed over $200 million at the domestic box office and spurred numerous additional movies in their respective franchises.
The 1980s also marked a notable return to comedy – a genre that was somewhat neglected and looked down upon during the more somber period of cinema of the preceding decade. Over one-third of the 75 best movies of the 1980s are categorized as comedy by IMDb, including “Airplane!,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” and “This is Spinal Tap.”
The decade also produced numerous successful action franchises, including the Rambo, Lethal Weapon, and Predator films. While these films did not make the list, the excellent “Die Hard” and “The Terminator” both did.
While the average director did not retain the level of creative control directors had prior to the 1980s, a few filmmakers did. David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick both have two films on the list, and Rob Reiner, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg each have three. The always prolific Woody Allen has the most films on the list, with an impressive six titles featured.
To determine the best movies of the 1980s, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes average critic rating, Rotten Tomatoes’ average audience rating, and Internet Movie Database average user rating. To be considered, each film had to have at least 10,000 total user ratings between IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and 10 approved Tomatometer critic reviews.
We averaged the user ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb and weighted by the number of votes for each. The combined user rating was then averaged with the Rotten Tomatoes critic rating. Box office data is from IMDb and is not adjusted for inflation.
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
75. Dead Poets Society (1989)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Peter Weir
> Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke
> Domestic box office: $95.86 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
74. Body Heat (1981)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
> Director: Lawrence Kasdan
> Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna
> Domestic box office: $24.06 million
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
73. Ghostbusters (1984)
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
> Director: Ivan Reitman
> Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
> Domestic box office: $238.63 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
72. Broadcast News (1987)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
> Director: James L. Brooks
> Starring: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter
> Domestic box office: $51.25 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
71. Witness (1985)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
> Director: Peter Weir
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas
> Domestic box office: $68.71 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
70. The Fly (1986)
> Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
> Director: David Cronenberg
> Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
> Domestic box office: $40.46 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
69. Never Cry Wolf (1983)
> Genre: Adventure, Drama
> Director: Carroll Ballard
> Starring: Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnaq
> Domestic box office: $29.60 million
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
68. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
> Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy
> Domestic box office: $156.45 million
Source: Courtesy of Twilight Time
67. Salvador (1986)
> Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
> Director: Oliver Stone
> Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy
> Domestic box office: N/A
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Artisan Entertainment
66. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
> Genre: Crime, Drama
> Director: Gus Van Sant
> Starring: Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros
> Domestic box office: $4.73 million
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
65. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Jim Jarmusch
> Starring: John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson
> Domestic box office: $2.44 million
[in-text-ad]
64. The Untouchables (1987)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
> Director: Brian De Palma
> Starring: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro
> Domestic box office: $76.27 million
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
63. My Favorite Year (1982)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: Richard Benjamin
> Starring: Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper
> Domestic box office: $20.12 million
Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures
62. Places in the Heart (1984)
> Genre: Drama
> Director: Robert Benton
> Starring: Sally Field, Lindsay Crouse, Ed Harris
> Domestic box office: $34.90 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
61. Diner (1982)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Barry Levinson
> Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon
> Domestic box office: $14.10 million
Source: Courtesy of New Yorker Films
60. My Dinner with Andre (1981)
> Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
> Director: Louis Malle
> Starring: Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, Jean Lenauer
> Domestic box office: $5.25 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
59. After Hours (1985)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
> Director: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom
> Domestic box office: $10.60 million
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
58. The Evil Dead (1981)
> Genre: Horror
> Director: Sam Raimi
> Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor
> Domestic box office: $2.40 million
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
57. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: John Hughes
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
> Domestic box office: $70.14 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
56. Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
> Director: Michael Apted
> Starring: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm
> Domestic box office: $67.18 million
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
55. Reds (1981)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Warren Beatty
> Starring: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann
> Domestic box office: $40.38 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
54. Missing (1982)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Costa-Gavras
> Starring: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron
> Domestic box office: $14.00 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
53. Radio Days (1987)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Mike Starr
> Domestic box office: $14.79 million
Source: Courtesy of Universal Studios
52. The Thing (1982)
> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
> Director: John Carpenter
> Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David
> Domestic box office: $13.78 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
51. Midnight Run (1988)
> Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
> Director: Martin Brest
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto
> Domestic box office: $38.41 million
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
50. House of Games (1987)
> Genre: Crime, Thriller
> Director: David Mamet
> Starring: Lindsay Crouse, Joe Mantegna, Mike Nussbaum
> Domestic box office: $2.59 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
49. Victor Victoria (1982)
> Genre: Comedy, Music, Musical
> Director: Blake Edwards
> Starring: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston
> Domestic box office: $21.93 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
48. Ordinary People (1980)
> Genre: Drama
> Director: Robert Redford
> Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch
> Domestic box office: $54.80 million
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
47. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
> Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
> Domestic box office: $10.63 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
46. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
> Genre: Drama, Romance
> Director: Philip Kaufman
> Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin
> Domestic box office: $10.01 million
Source: Courtesy of Courtesy of Orion Pictures
45. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte
> Domestic box office: $10.60 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
44. The Verdict (1982)
> Genre: Drama
> Director: Sidney Lumet
> Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden
> Domestic box office: $54.00 million
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
43. The Breakfast Club (1985)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: John Hughes
> Starring: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
> Domestic box office: $45.88 million
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
42. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Director: Nicholas Meyer
> Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
> Domestic box office: $78.91 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
41. Airplane! (1980)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
> Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen
> Domestic box office: $83.40 million
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
40. Evil Dead II (1987)
> Genre: Comedy, Horror
> Director: Sam Raimi
> Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
> Domestic box office: $5.92 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
39. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Director: Richard Marquand
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Domestic box office: $309.13 million
24/7 Wall St.
38. The Last Emperor (1987)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
> Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole
> Domestic box office: $43.98 million
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
37. Hope and Glory (1987)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
> Director: John Boorman
> Starring: Sarah Miles, David Hayman, Sebastian Rice-Edwards
> Domestic box office: $10.02 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
36. Zelig (1983)
> Genre: Comedy
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Patrick Horgan
> Domestic box office: $11.80 million
Source: Courtesy of MGM / UA Communications Company
35. Rain Man (1988)
> Genre: Drama
> Director: Barry Levinson
> Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino
> Domestic box office: $172.83 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Island Pictures
34. Down by Law (1986)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
> Director: Jim Jarmusch
> Starring: Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni
> Domestic box office: $1.44 million
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
33. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
> Genre: Family, Sci-Fi
> Director: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
> Domestic box office: $435.11 million
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
32. Scarface (1983)
> Genre: Crime, Drama
> Director: Brian De Palma
> Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer
> Domestic box office: $45.60 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures
31. Glory (1989)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Edward Zwick
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes
> Domestic box office: $26.83 million
Source: Courtesy of The Criterion Collection
30. Blood Simple (1984)
> Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
> Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
> Starring: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya
> Domestic box office: $2.15 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
29. A Christmas Story (1983)
> Genre: Comedy, Family
> Director: Bob Clark
> Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
> Domestic box office: $19.29 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
28. The King of Comedy (1982)
> Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
> Director: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott
> Domestic box office: $2.50 million
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
27. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Bill Bernstein
> Domestic box office: $18.25 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
26. Platoon (1986)
> Genre: Drama, War
> Director: Oliver Stone
> Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe
> Domestic box office: $138.53 million
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
25. Gandhi (1982)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Richard Attenborough
> Starring: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Candice Bergen
> Domestic box office: $52.77 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
24. Stand by Me (1986)
> Genre: Adventure, Drama
> Director: Rob Reiner
> Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman
> Domestic box office: $52.29 million
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
23. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Director: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody
> Domestic box office: $197.17 million
22. The Terminator (1984)
> Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
> Director: James Cameron
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
> Domestic box office: $38.40 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Cinecom Pictures
21. Matewan (1987)
> Genre: Drama, History
> Director: John Sayles
> Starring: Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell
> Domestic box office: $1.68 million
Source: Courtesy of Toei Company
20. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
> Genre: Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
> Director: Hayao Miyazaki
> Starring: Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyôda
> Domestic box office: N/A
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures Corporation
19. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Woody Allen
> Starring: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine
> Domestic box office: $40.08 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
18. Die Hard (1988)
> Genre: Action, Thriller
> Director: John McTiernan
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
> Domestic box office: $83.01 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
17. The Princess Bride (1987)
> Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy
> Director: Rob Reiner
> Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright
> Domestic box office: $30.86 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
16. The Elephant Man (1980)
> Genre: Biography, Drama
> Director: David Lynch
> Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft
> Domestic box office: N/A
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
15. Paris, Texas (1984)
> Genre: Drama
> Director: Wim Wenders
> Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell
> Domestic box office: $2.18 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
14. Back to the Future (1985)
> Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
> Domestic box office: $210.61 million
Source: Courtesy of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
13. Blue Velvet (1986)
> Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
> Director: David Lynch
> Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper
> Domestic box office: $8.55 million
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
12. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
> Genre: Drama, War
> Director: Stanley Kubrick
> Starring: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D’Onofrio
> Domestic box office: $46.36 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Embassy Pictures
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
> Genre: Comedy, Music
> Director: Rob Reiner
> Starring: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest
> Domestic box office: $0.19 million
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
10. Blade Runner (1982)
> Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
> Director: Ridley Scott
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young
> Domestic box office: $27.00 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
9. The Shining (1980)
> Genre: Drama, Horror
> Director: Stanley Kubrick
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
> Domestic box office: $44.02 million
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
8. The Right Stuff (1983)
> Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
> Director: Philip Kaufman
> Starring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris
> Domestic box office: $21.50 million
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
7. Do the Right Thing (1989)
> Genre: Comedy, Drama
> Director: Spike Lee
> Starring: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee
> Domestic box office: $27.55 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
6. Amadeus (1984)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, History
> Director: Milos Forman
> Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge
> Domestic box office: $51.97 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
5. Aliens (1986)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
> Director: James Cameron
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
> Domestic box office: $85.16 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
4. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
> Genre: Crime, Drama
> Director: Sergio Leone
> Starring: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern
> Domestic box office: $5.32 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
3. Raging Bull (1980)
> Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
> Director: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
> Domestic box office: $23.38 million
Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
2. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
> Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
> Director: Irvin Kershner
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Domestic box office: $290.48 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
> Genre: Action, Adventure
> Director: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
> Domestic box office: $248.16 million
Sponsored: Attention Savvy Investors: Speak to 3 Financial Experts – FREE
Ever wanted an extra set of eyes on an investment you’re considering? Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply
clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help guide you through the financial decisions you’re making. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
