Many of the classic films produced in the 1980s are now available to stream, whether
you're in the mood for a science fiction classic or a raunchy comedy vehicle. From an iconic
John Hughes movie to the debut of a Spike Lee joint and everything between, these are
the best '80s movies to watch on Netflix.
If you're a Spike Lee fan, that means She's Gotta Have It is an essential watch. However,
the film's impact goes far beyond Lee's own career.
Yes, She's Gotta Have It is Lee's debut feature, and the film that helped him go on to make
things like Do The Right Thing and Jungle Fever in the years that followed, but it's
also a milestone for other reasons. Lee worked with a low budget, shot in black and white,
and remained as creative as possible with few resources at a time when independent film
was not yet the booming subculture it would later become. Plus, Lee's film helped blaze
a trail both for his own filmography and for other black filmmakers to come.
Perhaps no other filmmaker is more associated with the overall aesthetic of "'80s Movies"
than John Hughes, the writer/director who rose to prominence over the course of the
decade redefined the teen comedy genre forever. Though Hughes' filmography is actually rather
diverse when taken as a whole, the mid-to-late-1980s were the time in which he very successfully
honed in on a single target, the disaffected American teenager.
Sadly, most of Hughes' teen comedy classics are not available on Netflix at the moment,
but Ferris Bueller's Day Off is there for you to rewatch to your heart's content. The
film follows the title character, played with undeniable charisma by Matthew Broderick,
as he decides to take a sick day from school and turn it into the best vacation possible,
all while his suspicious principal is hot on his trail. It's not the most realistic
of Hughes' films, but it is one of the most delightful.
In the 1970s, both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas had breakout hits that essentially invented
the modern-day blockbuster: Spielberg with his stylish shark scare-fest Jaws and Lucas
with his mythic space opera Star Wars. In the 1980s, the two friends joined forces to
further reinvent mainstream commercial cinema with a series of films inspired by matinee
adventure serials starring a dashing hero with a bullwhip and a fedora.
"Indiana Jones! Help me, Jones!"
The original Indiana Jones trilogy that spans the 1980s still holds up as one of the best
action franchises in film history, starring the iconic Harrison Ford. The first film,
Raiders of the Lost Ark, is basically a perfect adventure movie. Indiana Jones and the Temple
of Doom can't quite live up to its predecessor but still has its defenders, and Indiana Jones
and the Last Crusade brings us the can't-miss superteam of Ford and Sean Connery as Indy's
father. Even if you've seen them dozens of times, the Indiana Jones films are the kind
of experience that don't get dull with time.
The early 1980s was a very fruitful time for horror cinema and produced several highly
influential films that launched careers and paved the way for the genre's prevalence through
the decade. Unknown filmmaker Sam Raimi released a movie he made out in the woods with his
friends, and launched a new wave of splattering supernatural horror.
The Evil Dead not only launched a franchise, but it also launched the careers of Raimi
and star Bruce Campbell. It's a film that courted both controversy and a rabid fan following
thanks to its extreme content and wicked sense of humor, and launched a wave of low-budget,
gory, often darkly comic films in its wake. Raimi's fingerprints are still all over the
horror landscape today, and this is the film that launched it all.
People who have never seen Tootsie might simply dismiss it as that comedy where Dustin Hoffman
crossdresses. While that is indeed the linchpin of the film's plot, Sydney Pollack's movie
about a desperate actor who decides to be a woman to land a job is much more than a
one-note joke. The film has gone down in history as not just one of the best films of the 1980s,
but as one of the best American films of all time.
"You are the first woman character who is her own person who can assert her own personality
without robbing someone of theirs. You’re a breakthrough lady for us."
Dustin Hoffman is, of course, relentlessly entertaining as he dons drag, but the film
also has something more to say about the sexist commercialistic drive of the 1980s which still
holds true today. It's a film about changing attitudes, changing times, and changing people
all wrapped up in a delightful comedic shell. It's as rewarding on the first watch as it
is every time you return.
Cold War films became big, bold metaphors in the 1980s, and they were often just an
excuse to cheer for the American way of life, and Red Dawn is a great example of that.
The film tells the story of a group of teenagers trying to not just survive, but triumph in
the midst of World War III and a Communist invasion of America. The actual war is happening
largely in the background, which means the audience mostly just gets to savor the exploits
of the Wolverines, led by stars like Charlie Sheen, Patrick Swayze, and Lea Thompson. If
you're looking for a film that stands as a very clear testament to the American movie
landscape at the time, Red Dawn is a good place to start.
The 1980s were a particularly robust period when it came to various forms of raunchy comedy,
and there were a few filmmakers who were going to live up to that standard with rapid-fire
jokes, countless sight gags, and actors who were willing to go the extra mile for comedy
gold.
"Why should I tell you?"
"Maybe this'll help."
"I still don't think I should tell you."
"Can you spot me a twenty?"
"How 'bout now."
"Alright."
One of the best examples of this comes in the form of The Naked Gun, the first film
in a trilogy created by Jim Abrahams, Pat Proft, and the Zucker Brothers based on their
short-lived TV series Police Squad!
The film is a delightful sendup of serious cop dramas, and follows detective Frank Drebin,
played by the incomparable Leslie Nielsen, as he tries to protect the Queen of England
during her visit to the United States. The film is just wall-to-wall gags delivered by
the entire cast, and it's a reminder that there was no other comedy star quite like
Leslie Nielsen.
“Follow that car!”
"Miss Stephanie
Check your mirror.”
“Signal. Now pull into traffic.”
Raunchy comedies were all the rage in the 1980s, but there was a particular focus on
films about a ragtag band of misfits who get the better of their authority figures through
open defiance and behind-the-back silliness. It's how we got films like Stripes and Revenge
of the Nerds, and it's also how we got the Police Academy series.
The first film in the franchise follows a group of wannabe cops as they head into the
academy and face off against stern, often cruel supervisors. As the film goes on, they
prove that they can be great cops while also being complete idiots. The film is packed
with memorable performances, but if you're watching it now the best part might turn out
to be Michael Winslow's uncanny sound effects.
Purple Rain still stands as an entertaining film, in part because it really does feel
like nothing more than an excuse to tout the stylish, sensual appeal that Prince had in
the mid-1980s. The Purple One's film works on a purely entertaining level, but then it
goes deeper.
When you really sit down and watch Purple Rain, what you find is a surprisingly emotionally
satisfying story about trauma, recovery, and breaking cycles of abuse through creativity.
Prince is both vulnerable and commanding in the lead role, Morris Day is an absolute scene-stealer,
and by the time of that final number you'll be standing and cheering along with the in-movie
audience.
What made the 1980s slasher boom great, for those who were fans of the subgenre, was the
moments when filmmakers decided to go beyond the roots of the boom and instead just went
as off the rails as possible. You can see the fruits of that labor in films like A Nightmare
on Elm Street, Chopping Mall, and of course, Child's Play.
In some ways, Child's Play is the ultimate 1980s slasher movie story, in that it's basically
a metaphor for consumerism coming for us in the form of an evil product. That wicked little
metaphor is hanging over everything, but it's also just a full-tilt dark comedy horror show
full of creative kills. And no matter how used to seeing him you might be, Chucky still
has the power to scare you over the course of Child's Play's 90 minutes.
When we look back on a pop culture decade as wild as the 1980s, it's intriguing to look
at the films that audiences and critics didn't immediately latch onto that eventually became
cult classics.
Today, Blade Runner ranks as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, lauded as
a groundbreaking piece of dark futuristic storytelling and one of the finest works in
director Ridley Scott's career. When it first debuted, though, Scott's film earned a lackluster
reception despite its dazzling visuals, amazing cast, and unforgettable soundtrack. Now, we
can look back at Blade Runner with the benefit of hindsight in the form of Scott's final
cut of the film, which removes things like the dull voiceover from the original release
and adds back in key scenes that layer deeper meaning into the film.
Martin Scorsese has produced at least one masterpiece every decade since the 1970s,
delivering a diverse and exciting filmography that's so much more than the gangster films
for which he is most famous. Though later classics of the decade would follow, Scorsese
started the 1980s with one of his most dynamic masterpieces: Raging Bull.
The black and white film is the story of Jake "The Bronx Bull" LaMotta, a legendary boxer
determined to be the best and toughest fighter of his generation. Led by Robert De Niro,
who earned his second Oscar for the role, the film follows LaMotta through personal
and professional triumphs and torments as he tries to balance his violent career with
his often tumultuous family life. Brilliant supporting performances from Joe Pesci and
Cathy Moriarty complete the picture, and Raging Bull remains an essential part of the Scorsese
canon.
Movie subgenres are usually not invented overnight. You can't necessarily point to one film that's
the first slasher movie or the first romantic comedy. That’s why we can't really call
Lethal Weapon the first buddy cop movie, particularly not when films like 48 Hrs. came before it.
That said, the film has emerged as the definitive buddy cop movie in the years since its 1987
release.
It follows the now-classic formula, two mismatched cops learning to work together to save the
day. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover have amazing chemistry and the whole film has this sense
of unhinged energy that's hard to replicate. Lethal Weapon launched a franchise with three
sequels and a TV series, but none of them can top the original.
"Rog, meet your new partner."
"Oh, I'm too old for this s---."
Sometimes the stereotypical '80s action movie experience is exactly what you want it to
be, full of corny dialogue and oiled-up men ready to brawl. Bloodsport is definitely that
kind of movie!
"This is for you, Shidoshi."
Jean-Claude Van Damme's breakout film casts him as a U.S. Army captain who decides to
go AWOL so he can head to Hong Kong and fight in a secret, illegal martial arts tournament
against contenders from around the world. Along the way he forges friendships, makes
enemies, and reveals through copious flashbacks why the tournament is so important to him.
Bloodsport has a lot going for it if you're an '80s action fan. Plus it features Van Damme
doing his famous splits over and over again to great effect.
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