For those who were born after the 1980s, their only perception of that decade are leg-warmers, big hair and fluorescent colours. Even though these things did play a role in that era, there was more to it than Reagan-omics, the Brat Pack and Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
The movies of any decade can only provide a glimpse into the past, but they do become a definition themselves. Films of the 80s are no different and the filmmaking of that time period have become iconic. The team at Reel Dialogue thought we would go through and make our list of the best films that defined the 1980s.
The music of the 80s
- Flashdance
- Footloose
- Purple Rain
- Dirty Dancing
- Little Shop of Horrors
John Hughes films
- Weird Science
- Pretty in Pink
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- The Breakfast Club
- Planes Trains and Automobiles
- Sixteen Candles
Fantasy
- Ladyhawke
- Highlander
- Willow
- Tron
How we defined space travel
- The Last Starfighter
- Empire Strikes Back
- Return of the Jedi
- Aliens
What made us laugh
- Coming to America
- Spaceballs
- Caddyshack
- Beetlejuice
- Beverly Hills Cop
- Stripes
- Tootsie
- A Fish Called Wanda
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High
- Vacation
- Trading Places
- The Blues Brothers
- Raising Arizona (The Coen Brothers enter the world)
- Ghostbusters
When Rob Riener was at his best
- This is Spinal Tap
- When Harry Met Sally…
- The Princess Bride
- Stand By Me
What kids were watching
Little Mermaid- The Land Before Time
- Transformers The Movie (Before Michael Bay)
- Big
- A Christmas Story
- The Never Ending Story (The film that warped a generation)
- The Fox and the Hound
Young adult angst
- St Elmo’s Fire
- Mystic Pizza
- Better Off Dead
- Risky Business
Teen Adventures
- Adventures in Babysitting
- Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
- Valley Girl
- The Lost Boys
- The Karate Kid
- War Games
- Heathers
- Say Anything
- Back to the Future
- The Outsiders
How the adults lived
- Wall Street
- Working Girl
- Field of Dreams
- Moonstruck
- Body Heat
- Blue Velvet
Steven Spielberg defines an era
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (and the Last Crusade)
- The Color Purple
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
- The Goonies
- E.T.
Action of the 80s
- Top Gun
- To Live and Die in LA
- Escape from New York
- Lethal Weapon
- Big Trouble in Little China
- Scarface
- The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2)
- Batman
- Robocop
- Predator
- Blade Runner
- The Terminator
- Die Hard (It is a Christmas Movie)
- First Blood & Rambo
How history was defined in the 80s
- The Untouchables
- Dead Poet’s Society
- Amadeus
- Platoon
- Full Metal Jacket
- Chariots of Fire
- Gandhi
Oh the drama
- Terms of Endearment
- Hannah and Her Sisters
- My Left Foot
- Broadcast News
- Stand By Me
- Do the Right Thing
- Raging Bull
- Out of Africa
- Rain Man
What scared everyone
- Poltergeist
- Gremlins
- The Thing
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- An American Werewolf in London
While you sit in isolation and are looking for some new ideas for films. Netflix and Amazon have nothing to offer, well, here is a way to travel back in time. Enjoy some great films that defined an era.
Send us your favourites and suggestions
