In many ways, 80s movies laid the foundations of the modern movie industry as we know it today. Technologies such as CGI and special effects were in their infancy, the blockbuster boom continued to grow, and previous taboos such as nudity and violence became mainstream.
If you’d like to relive a period of time that many consider to be a harbinger of what was to come, check out these awesome movies from the 1980s on Netflix!
1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
The top-grossing film of the 80s was Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Indeed, it surpassed 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope to become the top-grossing movie of all time—a record it held for 11 years until 1993’s Jurassic Park stole the crown.
2. Top Gun
Is there a more quintessentially 80s movie than Top Gun? Featuring a young Tom Cruise, Cold War connotations, and plenty of high-adrenaline action shots, the film was a huge commercial success. It ended up grossing $356 million off a budget of just $15 million.
3. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark was the movie that launched the Indiana Jones franchise. Released in 1981, “Indy” (Harrison Ford) heads off on a journey through Peru, Nepal, and Egypt in a bid to find the mythical Ark of the Covenant and prevent it from falling into the Nazis’ hands.
4. Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part II was released in November 1989, making it an 80s movie by the skin of its teeth. The film didn’t win as many plaudits as the 1985 original but it was still a box office success.
5. Scarface
Scarface is arguably one of the all-time greatest crime movies. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t a critical success upon release; it received just one Academy Award nomination—for sound editing. But in the following years, the movie’s popularity grew. The story of Cuban gangster Tony Montana is now a cult classic.
6. Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is another of the decade’s greatest movies. It follows a team of parapsychologists who are tasked with combating a supernatural crisis in New York. The film gave birth to a media franchise that remains popular to this day.
7. Ghostbusters II
Hitting cinemas in 1989—five years after the first installment—Ghostbusters 2 never quite reached the same heights as its predecessor. The plot sees the team battle a mysterious slime that appears to spawn ghosts. Everything comes to a head on New Year’s Eve.
8. Full Metal Jacket
Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is widely thought to be one of the best Vietnam War movies ever made. And if you like this you should also watch the best World War II movies ever made. It tells the story of Joker and Cowboy, two marine recruits who will soon head to the front lines. Despite the widespread critical praise, the movie received just one Academy Award nomination.
9. Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society sees Robin Williams take the lead role, a performance for which he earned an Oscar nomination. The film itself won the Academy Award for best screenplay. The story follows the lives of a group of students at an elite boarding school in Vermont as their eccentric-but-inspiring English teacher sends them on a path of self-discovery.
10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Temple of Doom is the second installment in the original Indiana Jones trilogy, but it serves as a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark in the franchise’s universe. It was reportedly filmed as a prequel to avoid using Nazis as the enemy for a second time.
11. Sophie’s Choice
The first of Meryl Streep’s two Oscars for Best Actress came in 1982 when she played the role of a Polish immigrant in Sophie’s Choice (the other was for 2011’s The Iron Lady). The film takes place in New York and tells the story of the relationship between Sophie, her lover Nathan, and Stingo.
12. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
All three films from the original Star Wars trilogy are on Netflix, but A New Hope was released in 1977 so doesn’t make our cut. The Empire Strikes Back is often praised as being the zenith of the entire Star Wars franchise. Indeed, people often hail it as being one of the best films of all time. Darth Vader’s “I am your father” line has become one of the most recognizable quotes in all of cinema.
13. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life is a British musical comedy featuring the famous group of actors. Unlike the two previous films in the 1970s, The Meaning of Life doesn’t tell a coherent story and instead opts for a series of short sketches. The film marked the last time that the six original Pythons were all seen together in film before Graham Chapman’s untimely death at the age of 48 in 1989.
14. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
After a disappointing public response to the first Star Trek film in 1979, The Wrath of Khan was under pressure to succeed. The film certainly delivered; it earned $97 million worldwide and set a world record for its first-day box office takings.
15. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
It’s not the plotline of Who Framed Roger Rabbit that earned it plaudits, but rather its groundbreaking animation in which humans and animated characters co-exist and seamlessly interact. The film is widely credited for reigniting interest in the golden age of American animation, thus laying the groundwork for the modern animation scene.
16. Turner and Hooch
Turner (a cop) and Hooch (a dog) are an unlikely duo. Turner’s obsessive desire for a neat and tidy home is thwarted when his new companion moves in. However, the cop soon realizes his canine friend’s capacity for crime solving, and the two quickly become an effective team. Tom Hanks plays the lead role.
17. The Untouchables
Featuring Kevin Costner, Andy García, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery, 1987 gangster movie The Untouchables offers an all-star cast. The story takes place in the era of prohibition in the United States. The group of gangsters has one aim—to bring Chicago’s Al Capone to justice.
18. Trading Places
Offering a modern interpretation of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, Trading Places sees Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy unwittingly swap roles as a commodities broker and street hustler respectively. The film was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Academy Award.
19. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Return of the Jedi hit theaters in 1983. It was the final installment in the original Star Wars trilogy and left fans begging for more until the disappointing The Phantom Menace was released in 1999.
20. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the third and final film in the Indiana Jones series. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery take the lead roles. The plot sees Indy goes out in search for his father who has been captured by Nazis during the build-up to World War II.
More Awesome Movies to Watch on Netflix
When you’ve finished this list of movies, make sure you check out our lists of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix, the best scary movies on Netflix, and the best Disney movies on Netflix for even more awesome recommendations.
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