The Best Films of the 1980s

1. Blade RunnerRidley Scott1982
2. Raging BullMartin Scorsese1980
3. NostalghiaAndrei Tarkovsky1983
4. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her LoverPeter Greenaway1989
5. Fanny and AlexanderIngmar Bergman1982
6. A Short Film About KillingKrzysztof Kieslowski1988
7. DekalogKrzysztof Kieslowski1989
8. The ShiningStanley Kubrick1980
9. Do the Right ThingSpike Lee1989
10. BrazilTerry Gilliam1985
11. The SacrificeAndrei Tarkovsky1986
12. RanAkira Kurosawa1985
13. Once Upon a Time in AmericaSergio Leone1984
14. Blue VelvetDavid Lynch1986
15. Heaven’s GateMichael Cimino1980
16. Distant Voices, Still LivesTerence Davies1988
17. A Zed & Two NoughtsPeter Greenaway1985
18. Rumble FishFrancis Ford Coppola1983
19. PossessionAndrzej Żuławski1981
20. The Belly of an ArchitectPeter Greenaway1987
21. Blow OutBrian de Palma1981
22. AmadeusMiloš Forman1984
23. FitzcarraldoWerner Herzog1982
24. Raiders of the Lost ArkSteven Spielberg1981
25. Dead RingersDavid Cronenberg1988
26. The Empire Strikes BackIrvin Kershner1980
27. Mishima: A Life in Four ChaptersPaul Schrader1985
28. Hannah and Her SistersWoody Allen1986
29. Back to the FutureRobert Zemeckis1985
30. Women on the Verge of a Nervous BreakdownPedro Almodóvar1988
31. Mon Oncle d’AmeriqueAlain Resnais1980
32. Stranger Than ParadiseJim Jarmusch1984
33. Stardust MemoriesWoody Allen1980
34. E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialSteven Spielberg1982
35. Come and SeeElem Klimov1985
36. ThiefMichael Mann1981
37. Crimes and MisdemeanoursWoody Allen1989
38. The Adventures of Baron MunchausenTerry Gilliam1988
39. DamnationBéla Tarr1988
40. One From the HeartFrancis Ford Coppola1981
41. LolaRainer Werner Fassbinder1981
42. Wings of DesireWim Wenders1987
43. Full Metal JacketStanley Kubrick1987
44. Blood SimpleThe Coen Brothers1984
45. Broadway Danny RoseWoody Allen1984
46. The Elephant ManDavid Lynch1980
47. VideodromeDavid Cronenberg1983
48. The Last EmperorBernardo Bertolucci1987
49. ScarfaceBrian De Palma1983
50. Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorGeorge Miller1981
51. The FlyDavid Cronenberg1986
52. RedsWarren Beatty1981
53. The ThingJohn Carpenter1982
54. ManhunterMichael Mann1986
55. Who Framed Roger RabbitRobert Zemeckis1988
56. Out of AfricaSydney Pollack1985
57. PlatoonOliver Stone1986
58. Die HardJohn McTiernan1988
59. Dressed to KillBrian De Palma1980
60. AliensJames Cameron1986
61. Body HeatLawrence Kasdan1981
62. The TerminatorJames Cameron1984
63. The King of ComedyMartin Scorsese1982
64. The Green RayÉric Rohmer1986
65. Withnail and IBruce Robinson1987
66. The UntouchablesBrian De Palma1987
67. Cobra VerdeWerner Herzog1987
68. Red SorghumYimou Zhang1988
69. The Cotton ClubFrancis Ford Coppola1984
70. The Draughtsman’s ContractPeter Greenaway1982
71. My Dinner with AndreLouis Malle1981
72. Paris, TexasWim Wenders1984
73. The KillerJohn Woo1989
74. BatmanTim Burton1989
75. Mauvais SangLeos Carax1986
76. After HoursMartin Scorsese1985
77. FranciscaManoel de Oliveira1981
78. My Neighbour TotoroHayao Miyazaki1988
79. A Short Film About LoveKrzysztof Kieslowski1988
80. Jean de Florette & Manon of the SpringClaude Berri1986
81. Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomSteven Spielberg1984
82. Escape From New YorkJohn Carpenter1981
83. The DeadJohn Huston1987
84. Body DoubleBrian de Palma1984
85. SweetieJane Campion1989
86. The Right StuffPhilip Kaufman1983
87. Something WildJonathan Demme1986
88. Raising ArizonaThe Coen Brothers1987
89. Drugstore CowboyGus Van Sant1989
90. The Purple Rose of CairoWoody Allen1985
91. AkiraKatsuhiro Otomo1988
92. Sophie’s ChoiceAlan J. Pakula1982
93. As Tears Go ByWong Kar-wai1988
94. When Harry Met SallyRob Reiner1989
95. Sid and NancyAlex Cox1986
96. White DogSamuel Fuller1982
97. The Breakfast ClubJohn Hughes1985
98. A Better TomorrowJohn Woo1986
99. The VerdictSidney Lumet1982
100. TootsieSydney Pollack1982
Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)

4 thoughts on “The Best Films of the 1980s”

      1. dom's avatar
        dom

        Well since a good chunk of them are on Tubi and I own some of them on dvd, it will be Back to the Future, Full Metal Jacket, Ran, Blue Velvet, Heaven’s Gate, The Belly of an Architect, Fitzcarraldo, Dead Ringers, The Fly, Thief, My Dinner with Andre, and Paris, Texas. Some I already saw like The Thing, Raging Bull, and Scarface might get a second viewing soon, but the others are a main priority.

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