The 8 Most 80s Movies of the 1980s
The 1980s is arguably the most recognisable decade ever. Whether it’s the sight of an oversized shoulder pad or the crisp sound of synthy Yamaha notes, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Its cinematic output followed suit by creating blockbuster, family-friendly fantasy romps and action heroes by the barrel full. Not to mention slasher movies and slapstick comedy capers.
The hairstyles may have been cheerfully forgotten, but the films have stood the test of time.
Our love affair with the 80s is far from over with an endless stream of remakes such as Ghostbusters: Answer The Call (2016), The A-Team (2010) and Footloose (2011) already released – and plenty more in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Glow’ have done their bit to quench our thirst for nostalgia (TFM has answered why we are desperate for remakes: The Era of Nostalgia in Cinema – Why Are We Watching So Many Remakes?).
But which films truly embody this golden age of film, and what characteristics make them so unapologetically 1980s? In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we offer the most 80s of all the 80s movies, for these: the 8 Most 80s Movies of the 1980s.
Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.
1. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Back to the Future II turned its 80’s amps up to 1.21 gigawatts and blasted a flying time-travelling Deloreon at the cinema screen. It’s a wonder that audiences didn’t run away screaming.
Robert Zemeckis directed one of the most visually “iconic 80’s” movies with self-drying jackets and some of the best Nike AirForce designs the world has ever seen.
With a hop-on hover board, this tech-filled action adventure fantasy sees Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) journey into the future with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to rectify some of their children’s mistakes.
This addition to the franchise has everything that an 80’s audience would expect to see in the future, such as super 3.D holograms of yet another Jaws movie and Griff’s gang of Mad Max-esque cronies.
In what is arguably the most 80’s moment of all, we see the McFly family chow down on some re-hydrated Pizza Hut, while Marty gets fired via… a fax machine.
At least it wasn’t done on a pager.
Recommended for you: Back to the Future Movies Ranked
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Just hearing the theme music to this classic 80’s slasher is enough to transport me back to the glorious decade, and I wasn’t even alive.
Wes Craven’s celebrated nightmare cretin Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has become the epitome of 80’s horror.
His striped jumper and knife gloves scared the socks off of 80’s teenagers, while introducing Johnny Depp in a crop top. How the fashion police didn’t murder him before Freddy did will always remain a mystery.
The film not only spurred on the slasher boom but also transferred over to the wrestling craze of the decade, with pro wrestlers such as Frightmare and Shane Helms naming special moves after the horror franchise.
Freddy didn’t stop selling out there, and managed to permeate into the growing rap scene with artists such as Will Smith, Jazzy Jeff and the Fat Boys dropping bars for Mr. Krueger.
He later went on to release his own album called Freddy’s Greatest Hits, featuring mellow jazzy classics such as Down in the Boiler Room. It can’t get more 80’s than that.
Recommended for you: Nightmare on Elm Street Films Ranked
