The golden era of the 80s is filled with cinematic masterpieces. It is hard to pick a few films that were best of all. But we have tried to cherry-pick a few that the audience at large would love to watch.
And now that we have so many streaming services available, it is not hard to get hold of these classics. The 80s films span across a wide spectrum of movie genres Before the superhero films imploded and captivated the minds of the viewers, the film industry explored a range of genre that touched both ends of the spectrum. We have classics like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink that never get old. Dark affairs like Beetlejuice and Heathers was the idea of horror back then. Action cinema saw marvels like Die Hard, Star Wars: The Return of Jedi.
It’s quite the roster and we are hoping the mood for retro flicks won’t wear off any sooner.
- The Shinning (1980)
A visual masterpiece created by Stanley Kubrick is the idol of horror for today’s horror aficionados. The haunting narrative is picked directly from the novels of the legend of horror stories- Stephen king. Jack Nicholson gives a stupefying performance that pulls you down in the cave of darkness along with him.
- 9 to 5 (1980)
Three women going up against their misogynistic boss builds into a plot that will get you hooked to the screen. The film stars Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda in lead roles. The theme song of the film was the biggest hit of the decade.
- Caddyshack (1980)
The tricks and pranks of this comical romp will leave you in splits. The members of Bushwood Country Club are here to entertain in this classic sports adventure.
- Fame (1980)
The plot is set in New York City performing arts high school and builds around a group of teenagers on a quest of understanding and perfecting their talent. The theme song won the Academy Award for the Best Original Song.
- Mommy Dearest (1981)
Writer Christina Crawford systemically channelled her resentment towards her adopted mother who put her through years of physical and mental abuse. The book garnered a lot of attention than which led it to be made into a film which was also a major success. Fay Dunaway’s performance in the film went on to gain a cult following in the following years.
- Riders of the Lost Arc (1981)
Indiana Jones has a separate fanbase altogether. He is an archaeologist who goes up against dangerous men to retrieve precious artefacts from the past. How hot is that? The franchise was a major hit and then was blown into multiple sequels, a TV series, comic books and Video games.
- Victor/Victoria (1982)
Seven Academy Awards! That should be enough to get you curious and excited about this film. The musical comedy follows the life of a struggling singer who finds her due after she poses as a man on stage following the advice of a gay performer. This is also one of the few mainstream films that portrayed the LGBTQ+ characters with a positive touch and absolutely no controversy.
- An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
The film is a romantic drama that navigates the life of Zack Mayo as he tries to keep up with his life at the United States Navy as an officer under rigorous training while working out his relationship with his love interest Paula Pokrifki.
