The 50 Best '80s Movies

An official ranking of the decade's standout films.

heathers an 80s movie
(Image credit: Getty/Shutterstock)

Popular culture is obsessed with the '80s—Stranger Things, anyone?—and it's not hard to see why. The '80s were a golden decade in film, boasting must-watch movies that you've likely seen many times before even if you were a '90s or '00s baby. Dirty Dancing, Footloose, E.T.—so many of our golden films were born in the '80s and have proven themselves to be very watchable in the decades since.

Which doesn't necessarily mean that the films have aged well—on the contrary, a lot of these are problematic when looked at with the benefit of hindsight. Which doesn't mean you can't watch these movies, per se, but that it's important to look at them through an analytical lens. We've added content warnings throughout to identify relevant subjects. (And if this list inspires you to take a walk down memory lane, take a gander at our list of the best '90s (opens in new tab) and '00s movies (opens in new tab).)

Quinci LeGardye
Quinci LeGardye

Quinci LeGardye is a Contributing Culture Editor who covers TV, movies, Korean entertainment, books, and pop culture. When she isn’t writing or checking Twitter, she’s probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car.