Best Movies of the 1980s

1. 1
   Grave of the Fireflies 1988

   Directed by Isao Takahata · Streaming on Netflix
   8.4

   8.5 · 6.9K votes
2. 2
   Cinema Paradiso 1988

   Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore · Streaming on MGM Plus, Kanopy, Hoopla
   8.4

   8.4 · 5K votes
3. 3
   The Empire Strikes Back 1980

   Directed by Irvin Kershner · Streaming on Disney Plus, YouTube TV
   8.4

   8.4 · 19K votes
4. 4
   Once Upon a Time in America 1984

   Directed by Sergio Leone · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Plex, Plex Channel
   8.4

   8.4 · 6.3K votes
5. 5
   Back to the Future 1985

   Directed by Robert Zemeckis
   8.3

   8.3 · 23K votes
6. 6
   Dead Poets Society 1989

   Directed by Peter Weir
   8.3

   8.3 · 13K votes
7. 7
   The Shining 1980

   Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Streaming on HBO Max
   8.2

   8.2 · 20K votes
8. 8
   Scarface 1983

   Directed by Brian De Palma · Streaming on Netflix
   8.1

   8.2 · 14K votes
9. 9
   Full Metal Jacket 1987

   Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Streaming on HBO Max, MGM Plus, Cinemax
   8.1

   8.1 · 12K votes
10. 10
    Come and See 1985

    Directed by Elem Klimov
    8.1

    8.2 · 2K votes
11. 11
    Michael Jackson's Thriller 1983

    Directed by John Landis
    8.1

    8.3 · 808 votes
12. 12
    The Thing 1982

    Directed by John Carpenter · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus
    8.1

    8.1 · 8.4K votes
13. 13
    My Neighbor Totoro 1988

    Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · Streaming on HBO Max
    8.1

    8.1 · 9.2K votes
14. 14
    Das Boot 1981

    Directed by Wolfgang Petersen · Streaming on fuboTV
    8.0

    8.1 · 2.7K votes
15. 15
    The Elephant Man 1980

    Directed by David Lynch
    8.0

    8.0 · 4.1K votes
16. 16
    Paris, Texas 1984

    Directed by Wim Wenders · Streaming on HBO Max, Shout! Factory TV, Plex
    8.0

    8.1 · 2.4K votes
17. 17
    Amadeus 1984

    Directed by Miloš Forman
    8.0

    8.0 · 5K votes
18. 18
    Stop Making Sense 1984

    Directed by Jonathan Demme · Streaming on JustWatch TV Free, JustWatch TV Plus
    8.0

    8.4 · 401 votes
19. 19
    Aliens 1986

    Directed by James Cameron · Streaming on Netflix, fuboTV, Philo
    8.0

    8.0 · 11K votes
20. 20
    Castle in the Sky 1986

    Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.9

    8.0 · 4.9K votes
21. 21
    Blade Runner 1982

    Directed by Ridley Scott
    7.9

    7.9 · 16K votes
22. 22
    Ran 1985

    Directed by Akira Kurosawa · Streaming on Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
    7.9

    8.0 · 2K votes
23. 23
    Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981

    Directed by Steven Spielberg · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, fuboTV
    7.9

    7.9 · 14K votes
24. 24
    Akira 1988

    Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo · Streaming on Crunchyroll
    7.9

    7.9 · 5.1K votes
25. 25
    Warriors of the Wind 1984

    Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.9

    7.9 · 4.3K votes
26. 26
    Return of the Jedi 1983

    Directed by Richard Marquand · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.9

    7.9 · 17K votes
27. 27
    Pink Floyd: The Wall 1982

    Directed by Alan Parker
    7.9

    8.0 · 1.7K votes
28. 28
    Raging Bull 1980

    Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Hoopla
    7.9

    7.9 · 5K votes
29. 29
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989

    Directed by Steven Spielberg · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, fuboTV
    7.8

    7.9 · 11K votes
30. 30
    Stand by Me 1986

    Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on Philo
    7.8

    7.8 · 6.8K votes
31. 31
    Kiki's Delivery Service 1989

    Directed by Hayao Miyazaki · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.8

    7.8 · 4.8K votes
32. 32
    Die Hard 1988

    Directed by John McTiernan · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube TV
    7.8

    7.8 · 13K votes
33. 33
    Back to the Future Part II 1989

    Directed by Robert Zemeckis
    7.8

    7.8 · 14K votes
34. 34
    The King of Comedy 1982

    Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on Plex Channel
    7.7

    7.8 · 2.7K votes
35. 35
    The Untouchables 1987

    Directed by Brian De Palma · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.7

    7.8 · 6.4K votes
36. 36
    Rain Man 1988

    Directed by Barry Levinson · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, MGM Plus
    7.7

    7.7 · 7.4K votes
37. 37
    Queen: Live at Wembley Stadium 1986

    Directed by Gavin Taylor · Streaming on Kanopy, Fandango at Home Free, Tubi TV
    7.7

    8.5 · 178 votes
38. 38
    Platoon 1986

    Directed by Oliver Stone · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Philo
    7.7

    7.7 · 5.4K votes
39. 39
    Wings of Desire 1987

    Directed by Wim Wenders · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.7

    7.8 · 1.6K votes
40. 40
    Do the Right Thing 1989

    Directed by Spike Lee · Streaming on YouTube Free, ALLBLK, ALLBLK Amazon channel
    7.7

    7.8 · 2.1K votes
41. 41
    Koyaanisqatsi 1983

    Directed by Godfrey Reggio · Streaming on Pluto TV, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.7

    7.9 · 808 votes
42. 42
    The Breakfast Club 1985

    Directed by John Hughes · Streaming on Hulu, YouTube TV
    7.7

    7.7 · 8.8K votes
43. 43
    Vincent 1982

    Directed by Tim Burton
    7.7

    7.8 · 951 votes
44. 44
    The Terminator 1984

    Directed by James Cameron · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel
    7.7

    7.7 · 15K votes
45. 45
    The Princess Bride 1987

    Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on Hulu
    7.7

    7.7 · 5.4K votes
46. 46
    The Blues Brothers 1980

    Directed by John Landis · Streaming on Netflix, YouTube TV
    7.7

    7.7 · 4.7K votes
47. 47
    The Color Purple 1985

    Directed by Steven Spielberg · Streaming on Philo, Tubi TV
    7.7

    7.7 · 2.1K votes
48. 48
    Decalogue I 1989

    Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
    7.7

    8.1 · 277 votes
49. 49
    Isle of Flowers 1989

    Directed by Jorge Furtado
    7.7

    8.2 · 242 votes
50. 50
    Where Is The Friend's House? 1987

    Directed by Abbas Kiarostami · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.6

    7.9 · 460 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Bride of the Orient 1989

   Directed by Urs Odermatt
   6.8

   9.5 · 24 votes
2. 2
   Walt Disney Cartoon Classics, Volume 3: Scary Tales 1983
   6.7

   9.8 · 18 votes
3. 3
   Godzilla Fantasia 1984

   Directed by Ishirō Honda
   6.5

   9.7 · 13 votes
4. 4
   David Bowie: Serious Moonlight 1984

   Directed by David Mallet
   6.6

   8.6 · 21 votes
5. 5
   Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain 1984

   Directed by Xie Jin
   6.5

   8.4 · 23 votes
6. 6
   Radovan the Third 1983

   Directed by Ljubomir Draškić 'Duci'
   6.4

   9.2 · 12 votes
7. 7
   An Audience with Billy Connolly 1985

   Directed by Alasdair Macmillan
   6.5

   8.4 · 22 votes
8. 8
   Rags to Riches 1987

   Directed by Bruce Seth Green
   6.4

   9.5 · 10 votes
9. 9
   Prince and the Revolution: Live 1985

   Directed by Paul Becher
   6.5

   8.6 · 18 votes
10. 10
    A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story 1989

    Directed by Robert Markowitz
    6.5

    8.3 · 23 votes