Is there any well-prepared list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies for the classic lovers to watch? Well, the search is over as this article contains exactly what a movie enthusiast needs. Now, if you look at the word ”classic movie” then what first comes to mind? One which is some or many years old and loved universally. A classic movie in modern times is a movie that still has the strength to forcefully stick a viewer in his place till the movie ends.
The Evil Dead, Willow, Batman, and many more might come into the minds of those who enjoyed the 80s movie when these were released. Well, the 80s best movies haven’t lost their importance yet. In modern times, everything in the film industry has changed and developed to a far extend. But, the movies in the 80s had lots of creative minds working hours and days to release a masterpiece. They were growing and developing themselves with every release. Many movies among those are still evergreen in the hearts of a number of populations around the globe. Furthermore, it might be difficult to choose among all of the great movies of that time. So, we are here with the best picked 40 Best Classic 80s Movies to Watch.
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Here is the list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies that includes all the hits of the 1980s. All the movies are ranked according to the viewers’ experience and interest in the movie. Also, these movies are picked from more than 100s movies that were out in the decade. The decade when hellraiser, after hours, and many such movies were leveling up the craze among the viewers. Therefore, read on to save time for searching the best movies of that era as the list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies is well prepared to clear all the confusion.
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a bit violent movie that shows slashes and even frightens out viewers. Thus, it is a horror movie, and an ugly beast is the core of the movie. So, the story begins when a couple heads towards an old house. Their main motive is to find a man who was once the woman’s lover. That lover was also the brother of the women’s husband.
But, as the ex-lover has now turned into a beast, the story turns to be a horror one. Furthermore, the movie was out in 1987, and Clive Barker was the director of the movie. Also, Christopher Figg was the producer, and the movie made $1 million at the box office.
Gremlins
Gremlins is a horror movie, but the story has fantasies in it. Sounding entertaining! So yes, it is. Hence, it is on the list of best 80s movies. The storyline is unique. If we look back in the 80s, no such movies were out like this one. Now, the storyline is that there is a kid named Billy. His loving father bought him a pet from china, and this pet was weird. It came with three certainly important instructions. His father thought of gifting the kid something unique, but this unique creature turned out to be a monster.
The reason was simple; the kid didn’t follow the instructions, so the creature turned into a monster. And the story begins with several twists and turns. The movie was out in 1984, and Joe Dante was the director of the movie. Also, the movie was a success at the box office with a $212.9 million figure.
They Live
Nada, in the movie, is a man who lives in Los Angeles, and he finds a pair of glasses. These glasses have somewhat weird features as it shows the reality of the world. A person just needs to put on those glasses as he can explore the world exactly the way it is. So, the lead character sets on a mission to save humanity as he sees that the world is in danger with corrupt high profile people.
The movie “They live” is Sci-Fi one and it was out on 4th November 1988 in the USA. Also, the director of the movie is the talented John Carpenter.
Willow
Willow is more of a fantasy movie where there are adventures, and everything is out of the real world. A man named Willow is all set to explore this imaginary, or we can say a different world. Also, he faces challenges there, so it must be exciting for viewers to watch it.
Hence it is on the list of 40 best 80s Classic movies. Furthermore, the movie was out on 20th May 1988, and the director of the movie was Ron Howard.
The Karate Kid
The movie Karate Kid is an action movie, but it can be said that it has some motivations in it. When Daniel LaRusso, a teenager, is harassed. A boy who is good at martial arts bullies him. Hence, Daniel started learning martial arts. There is an expert in his apartment, so he took his help.
Furthermore, these movies’ sequels were blockbusters. However, this one also did great in cinemas. The movie was out on 16th February 1985, and the director was John G. Avildsen.
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The Lost Boys
Vampires, a word which was used a lot in the early 90s as many movies were on the way to cinemas after the success of the movie “The Lost Boys”. Hence, it is on the list of best 80s classic movies. In the story, a woman named Lucy moves with her two young sons in a small town. Now, the boys get involved in unexpected things and people.
Furthermore, the movie was out on 31st July 1987, and the director was Joel Schumacher. Also, it collected around $32.2 million at the box office.
Labyrinth
Labyrinth is a musical one and has a fantasy world. Also, the story has adventures in it. And it can be identified when a teenager, Sarah, gets into a maze. She wishes to get back her little brother, but she has to face a goblin king.
The movie was out in cinemas on 27th June 1986 in the USA, and the director was Jim Henson. Moreover, David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly were in the lead roles.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Every sequel of Indiana Jones was doing wonders in those years, and hence there is another movie on the list of 40 best 80s classic movies, Indiana Jones and the temple of doom. In this movie, a legendary archaeologist is out to help some Indian villagers. These villagers asked him to help find them an idol that an evil priest took away.
The movie was out in cinemas on 8th May 1984 in the USA. Steven Spiel was the director of the movie, and George Lucas gave the story. Furthermore, the movie was hit with a collection of $28.17 million.
The Professional
The Professional is so professional that it made its way on the 40 best classic 80s movies. The storyline is good, but it is recommended to watch it for a better experience of action and adventures simultaneously. So, there is a secret agent, Josselin Beaumont, who comes across many challenges. That is because he is on a mission to kill the dictator of Malagawi.
The movie was out in cinemas on 21st October 1981 in France, and the director of the movie was Georges Lautner. Also, the movie was a hit with a collection of $63.4 million at the box office.
Batman
Batman was a sensation and is still residing in the hearts of most of the population of the world. This movie was a hit in the 80s too. So, this movie has to be on the list of best 80s movies. Batman is a superhero who is on a mission to keep every citizen safe in Gotham City. This is because an evil joker threatens the people as it has some evil desires to capture the city.
The director of the movie was Tim Burton, and Sam Hamm gave the story of this amazing movie. It was out in cinemas in 1989 and made a huge figure at the box office.
Also Read: Batman: Arkham Knight Ending Explained
The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead is a horror movie in which evil devils or negative energies are ready to scare away people who come into their area. So, a group of five friends plans a trip and visits a forest where they find a remote cabin. Also, they played a play a voice recorder with incantations. Now, this act releases demons, and the horrible adventures begin.
Now, let’s have a look at some info about the movie. It was out in cinemas on 2nd January 1984 in India, and the director was Sam Raimi. This movie was also a hit, and many people loved the story.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
In this story, there is a killer with horrifying claws, and with the help of these claws, he kills people. So, when a young girl got to know about this killer, she got scared. Also, she realizes that she has to stay awake at night. Otherwise, this killer will kill her too. Further, her friends were also dying one by one because of this clawed killer.
The film was out in cinemas on 16th November 1984 in the USA, and Wes Craven was the director for this movie. Charles Bernstein was responsible for horrifying music in this Horror/Mystery movie. Further, the movie gained $57 million at the box office, and Robert Shaye was the producer of ”A Nightmare on Elm Street”.
BeetleJuice
Beetlejuice is a horror movie, but it becomes more horrible when the ghosts become a matter of joke. In this movie, there is a big house in which a couple resides, but they are ghosts as they passed away years ago. A family bought that house and moved in. But, the ghost couple didn’t want them to stay, so they started scaring the family, but the family was two steps ahead. As a result, the ghosts had to hire another ghost to scare that family away.
The story is extremely hilarious. The helpless ghosts and the family makes the movie worth putting among the best 80s movies. This creative story was from Michael Mcdowell and Larry Wilson. Also, the director of the movie was Tim Burton, and it was out in cinemas on 30th March 1988.
After Hours
What happens when you get a chance to go for a late-night date with a woman? Probably, it would be fun and peaceful as there must be no work pending. But, it wasn’t fun and exciting for this movie’s lead hero. It certainly becomes the worst nightmare for the lead character. Thus, to know the challenges, you must spend 1 hr 37 min on this movie.
This movie’s storyline is worth putting on the list of 40 best classic 80s movies. Further, Martin Scorsese was the director of the movie, and Howard Shore was responsible for the music in the movie. This film gained $10.6 million at the box office and it was also nominated for various awards.
The Goonies
Kids always find some of the other things interesting. So, here, the movie, the Goonies, is ready with some kids who are known as goonies. These kids got a map that promises to take them to an area where there is a long-lost treasure of pirates. Now, the kids are all set to get those gold and Diamonds. But, Wait! Didn’t they face any challenges? Well, they certainly face a lot of challenges.
This adventurous movie was out in cinemas on 7th June 1985, and people gave their positive responses to it. Richard Donner was the director of the movie, and Dave Grusin was responsible for the music. This movie did a collection of $124 million at the box office.
Ferris Bueller’s Day off
When a high school student gets a holiday, then that one day becomes one of the best days for him. Ferris Bueller is one of those above-mentioned students. So, he faked his sickness to take a day off. He wanted to chill with his girlfriend and his best friend. But his dean has no chills, and he starts spying on Ferris.
This movie has a pinch of romance and lots of hilarious scenes that make the movie amazing. Now, let’s talk about the makers. So, John Hughes is the director of the movie, and Ira Newborn was responsible for the music. This comedy/romance movie garnered $70.7 million at the box office.
Predator
If you are looking for the best 80s movies that must be a Sci-Fi then the movie Predator wants your attention. In this movie, some hostages in Central America are in danger. Thus, the team of Dutch is all set to rescue them, but they have to face a weird creature.
The movie is full of actions and thrills, but as a sci-fi of today’s era is on the next level, so you might find it not as worthy as today’s sci-fi. But, what will you expect from 80s classic movies? Well, it still has a good story. John McTiernan was the director of the movie, and Alan Silvestri was responsible for the music. This movie gained around $98.3 million at the box office, and it was out in cinemas on 12th June 1987.
Ghostbusters
Imagine you want to go out of the house in the night, just to walk around, but you hear someone say that ghosts are ruling over the town. It sounds horrible! Well, New York City wants some help. A group of scientists lost their jobs and came up to rescue the natives. The movie has humor, action, fantasy, and a pinch of thrills. Sounds like a pack of every feeling. Hence, it grabbed its place in the list of best 80s movies.
The movie is 1 hrs 45 mins, and it was out on 1st June 1984 in the USA. Ivan Reitman was the director, and Elmer Bernstein was responsible for the music in the film. The movie was an absolute hit as it garnered around $295.2 million at the time of the 80s.
The Breakfast Club
The movie, the breakfast club revolves around five teenagers who are students of high schools. They all are filled with egos and finds it very difficult to adjust to each other. However, when they grow older, they become good citizens, and their ego just fades away. As a result, all of them become friends, and the story has a happy ending.
It might interest to see their chemistry since their teens. Also, teens of today’s era can learn from it. The movie was out on 3rd May 1986 in India, and it did a collection of $51.5 million. John Hughes was the director of the movie.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Aliens are the ones that are most gossiped, and it is always on the list of top mysteries around the world. None of the people on the globe is confirmed that the aliens exist or not. Still, the movie makers fantasies and create a movie on it. E.T is the earliest one to be picked up with the craziest story for an imaginary alien. So, the movie has an alien that has been left out by the spaceship, and he meets Elliot, who protects the alien from being available to the government. Elliot, the alien, and their other kids become good friends.
The story was a blockbuster with a collection of $792.9 million at the box office. Steven Spielberg was the director and John Williams was truthful for the music. This creative story was written by Melissa Mathison.
The Untouchables
Illegal works and illegal happening should always be behind bars, right! Well, The Untouchables is doing illegal work of selling illicit liquor all over the city. This business is prohibited, but still, a mobster won’t rest until he becomes a successful gangsta of the town.
But, wait! Is anyone spying on him? Let’s introduce our federal agent, Eliot. He is all set on a mission to expose the mobster and do some cleaning of the town. The movie is from the crime/drama category, and it was out on 3rd June 1987. Brian De Palma was the director, and Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley wrote this creative story.
Do The Right Thing
“Do The Right Thing”, the name seems to be teaching something but what? Well, this movie was teaching something very crucial for our society. As we all know how the racism has restricted society to grow. This movie has a concept related to racism and that was important in the 80s.
The movie was out on 21st July 1989 in the USA, and Spike Lee was the director of this drama/comedy-drama movie. Ernest Dickerson was responsible for the cinematography, and the movie did a collection of $6 million at the box office. Also, the movie was nominated for various awards.
The Terminator
Next on the list is The Terminator. It is a sci-fi one with some action scenes. Time-traveling is one of the most interesting things to know about. Also, a movie related to such sci-fi things always attracts people. So, in the story, a person goes in past to kill a woman whose son is responsible for a horrific war in the future.
Therefore, the movie was good enough to get a positive response, so it did a collection of $6.4 million. James Cameron was the director of the movie, and Brad Fiedel was responsible for all the music tracks present in the movie. Also, for cinematography, they had Adam Greenberg with them.
Platoon
When a brave soldier finds himself in the mid of the horrific situation of war and silly decisions of political masters, it becomes depressing for him. Well, this story is similar to that condition. When a group of American soldiers has to fight and die in the forest of Vietnam.
This war/drama movie was a hit of the 80s with a collection of $138.5 million. A different story that showed some truths about the combat field gained a lot of positive responses. Oliver Stone was the director of the film, and it was out in cinemas on 24th December 1986 in the USA. Also, It won several awards for the team’s hard work.
Stand by Me
There was a boy who was plucking blueberries in the wild and met with a train accident. No one came to his rescue as the accident took place in a deserted area. When Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern came to know about this, they thought they should find the corpse, so they set to do so.
The movie has only drama in it, and it did a collection of $52.3 million with good responses. Stephen King was the director of the movie, and Jack Nitzsche was responsible for the music. Further, the movie was out in cinemas on 22nd August 1986 in the USA.
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets society movie has a good and calm storyline which is a teen drama film. Here, a progressive English teacher teaches their students to grow well and live a peaceful life. The movie is good and understandable to any teen so all the members of a family can see it together.
This movie had a talented director, Peter Weir, and Maurice Jarre was responsible for the musical part. It was out in cinemas on 2nd June 1989 in the USA, and Tom Schulman wrote the movie. Also, it did a successful collection of $235.9 million, which is a huge figure for the 80s. Hence, the movie grabbed a place in the list of best 80s movies.
The Thing
Antarctica has research centers, and we all know that. So, the makers of “The Thing” chose that arena as a concept for their movie. The storyline of “The Thing” is that some scientists are living in Antarctica for research purposes, and they find a helpless dog. After rescuing this dog, they started facing challenges as this dog wasn’t normal.
The movie, “The Thing” is a horror/sci-fi one. The movie’s graphic might appear outdated but remember, it was the 1980s. It was out in cinemas on 10th December 1982 in India and John Carpenter was the director of this unique movie. The movie did a collection of $19.6 million but the positive responses took it to the place above others.
The Princess Bride
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess and a very handsome prince. They love each other, and the storyline of the movie “The Princess Bride” begins. So, in this imaginary story, a prince and princess meet each other after a long time. But, this meeting was not easy as they had to fight with evil energies to get back to each other. The story has several romantic scenes, and the love story may turn all the couples on.
Rob Reiner was the director of the movie and the movie was out in cinemas to spread its magic on 9th October 1987 in the USA. Also, it successfully settles down into the hearts of the viewers and did a collection of $30.9 million at the box office. Mark Knopfler was responsible for the music and William Goldman for the screenplay. Also, the runtime of the movie is 1 hr 38 mins.
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a sci-fi and action movie that can leave the viewers in awe and confused. The storyline of the movie speaks loudly about the high level of creativity in the script. Here, some violent Androids are not letting the city sleep in peace. These androids must be destroyed or exterminated, and Rick is willing to save everyone from these robots. He was a policeman, but for the sake of this mission, he had to be a special agent to exterminate these Androids. Now, the story’s twist and turns will not let you leave your position while watching it.
The skillful director was Ridley, and the movie was out in the theatres on 25th June 1982 in the USA. Hampton Fancher and David Peoples were responsible for the screenplay, and Jordan Cronenweth was for the cinematography. Also, the positive responses from the audience help them with a collection of $41.5 million at the box office.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
“Indiana Jones and the last crusade” was one of the Indiana Jones sequels, and these movies were ruling over two decades, the 70s and 80s. Thus, the movie is worth putting on the list of best 80s classic movies. This movie also garnered a lot of support and love from the viewers. People used to wait for movies having Indian Jones because of the quality of the storyline. In the movie Indian Jones and the last crusade, an archaeologist faces challenges after knowing about his father vanishing while looking for a Holy Grail.
The runtime of the film is 2hrs 7min and every minute is exciting to watch such a blockbuster. Yes, it was a blockbuster as it did a collection of $474.3 million at the box office. Steven Spielberg did a great job while directing the team, and John Williams gave the music. The team released the movie in theatres on 14th September 1989 in Germany.
Die Hard
Detective John McClane planned to take out some romantic moments from his busy life and spend those moments with her wife. As her wife does not live with him, so he has come back to L.A. just to celebrate Christmas with his beautiful lady. But, fate had planned something else and put them in a harsh situation. In an office building, some hostages are stuck in a hard situation, and John has to go for the mission of rescuing them as his wife is also one of them.
The movie was out in theatres on 22nd July 1988 in the USA, and it garnered around $35 million at the box office. To raise the hostage situation in a movie was the one thing which loved by all, so the movie is on the list of best 80s classic movies. John McTiernan was the director of the movie.
Amadeus
Mozart is a great musician, and he is so well at his work that Antonia Salieri feels jealous of him. Antonio wants to get that power which Mozart has. The concept of the movie is certainly very unique, and the responses from the public pushed the movie to the top position of best 80s classic movies.
Further, the movie was in theatres on 19th September 1984 in the USA. The director was Milos Forman, and Miroslav Ondríek was responsible for the cinematography. Also, the movie was nominated for many awards because of the perfection that the makers put in.
Aliens
Aliens movie is the next movie on the list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies as it had a good response in its time and it gave concepts to other writers to write great movies. Hence, in today’s era, there are many movies on such concepts, and they have even higher qualities than this. So, it was among the origins. The unique storyline is that a woman lands on a planet, planet LV-426 with full of wild creatures, and the challenges begin.
The movie was out in cinemas on 11th July 1987, and it did a collection of $18.5 million at the box office. James Cameron was the director behind this amazing movie, and Gale Anne Hurd was the producer of the movie. Ellen Ripley played the lead character of the movie.
Full Metal Jacket
The movie Full Metal Jacket revolves around Vietnam War. The story shows the training part and the struggles faced by the soldiers on the ground. The movie gives a proper look at the combat field. The pressure at the field and all the dark parts were put into it perfectly. Every soldier has different stories, but the war field has its own. However, the movie teaches a lot of things as to how to tackle any stressful situations.
This movie can motivate one to fight with every emotion, just like the soldiers. Further, the director of the movie was Stanley Kubrick, and Abigail Mead prepared the music for the movie. Also, it was out in theatres on 26th June 1987 in the USA and collected $120 million at the box office.
Scarface
Tony and his best friend Manny established a great empire and became the mafia of the town. They chose this illicit drug business to touch the sky in no time. However, their fate did help them. They became extremely rich, and their empire was growing with every passing day. They used to celebrate their illegal success and used to work more in this field. But, Tony could not digest this much richness and developed a very egoistic nature into him. As a result, his supporter started cheating him and gradually plaguing his empire. The twist and turns and drama they are showing in the movie is par excellence.
This crime/drama movie was out in theatres on 9th December 1983 in the USA. Brian De Palma was the director of the movie, and Giorgio Moroder gave the music. Further, it collected around $66 million at the box office, and Oliver Stone was responsible for the screenplay.
Once Upon a Time in America
Once upon a time in America had mixed responses from the audience at first, but then most of them were praising. The movie was an actual jewel for the 80s audience. The efforts and hard work from the makers’ end were visible in the movie. Hence, people admired their jobs very much. As a result, it is on the list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies. Be it costumes, settings, script, music, or any other thing. The makers took care of every detail. The storyline has its uniqueness, and that made the movie a success in that 80s era.
Further, the movie was under the direction of Sergio Leone, and Ennio Morricone had the responsibility of music. The movie was out in theatres on 23rd May 1984 in France. Also, it was nominated for the BAFTA Award for the best original score and more awards. This awards list clearly shows the reach of this legendary movie.
Also Read: Once Upon A Time In America: Storyline & Filming Locations
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Another Indiana Jones on the list of 40 Best Classic 80s Movies. But, this one is Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones is again on a mission, an unsaid mission. This adventurous movie had stepped down into the hearts of the 80s public. It was a blockbuster again with a collection of $389.9 million at the box office. Also, people still give their positive to these Indiana Jones sequels.
The new concept and storyline in every movie are just so good that people used to wait for these movies. Also, the makers are still happy with their blockbuster. Indiana Jones was certainly ruling over other movies. This particular movie, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, was out on 10th December 1981 in India to conquer cinemas. Steven Spielberg, along with his team, was all set to give another blockbuster after this one.
The Shining
Another horror movie on the list, but this one has more interesting happening going on in a building. Well, this building is a hotel, and a person named Jack wanted to live in it. So, he took his family and drove to this hotel to have a stay there. This hotel was isolated, and Jack found it fit for his family’s peace. They already had a very horrific past, so they needed this isolation. But, fate had something else for this family. With every passing day, Jack started losing his mind, and this affected his family. It was getting difficult to manage him.
There is a lot to see in the movie. It has a unique storyline, and it did receive a lot of positive feedback. It was out on 23rd May 1980 in the USA, and Stanley Kubrick was the director of the film. Also, it made a collection of $47 million at the box office.
Cinema Paradiso
It always sounds very satisfying when a lost guy finds someone who is very caring and supportive. Salvatore Di Vita, who is a very young boy, finds a projectionist, Alfredo. He shows the boy the path to success by instilling a deep love and passion for movies. Young Salvatore started following films and film stars and saw movies as his future. But, there comes a beautiful young lady. Salvatore and that girl fell in love with each other, but Alfredo wanted the guy to pursue his dreams with a very focused mind. He convinces the guy to leave everything and go for his passion.
The story is motivating and amazing with this outstanding storyline. As a result, it is on the list of best 80s movies. Further, the movie was out in theatres on 17th November 1988 in Italy. Guiseppe Tornatore was the director of the movie, and Blasco Giurato was responsible for the cinematography.
Back to the Future
Time Travel is an exciting mystery that every person wants to know about. People wish they could travel into the future or the past, and the moviemaker read the minds of their audience to present the masterpiece named “Back to the Future”. Marty is one of the lead characters who rejoice in the fun of traveling through time but faces a lot of challenges.
But what could these challenges be? Well, he has to make his parents fall in love with each other so that he can come back to the future. Here, the story takes many turns and makes it more interesting with every passing minute. Further, the movie was out in cinemas on 3rd July 1985 in Canada, and Robert Zemeckis was the director of the movie. Also, Alan Silvestri was responsible for the music. This movie garnered around $388 million at the box office.
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