With some legendary titles, the top 10 of the 1980s off IMDb's Top 250 list are decade-defining features. Movies of the 1980s, whether included in the Top 250 or not, generated franchises and pop culture references still idolized today. The decade wouldn't be complete without its iconic one-liners, heavy-hitting combinations with director-stars and acting duos, and sci-fi technology.

From anime to horror, no genre was left unturned when it comes to the best of the 80s. It was also a decade of international features and critical acclaim with Oscar winners, nominations, and snubs. There's a film for every type of movie lover within the 1980s best of IMDb's Top-Rated list.

10 'Once Upon a Time in America' (1984)

Once Upon a Time in America - 1984 (2)
Image via Warner Bros.

IMDb Rating: #81 — 8.3/10

Certainly not director Sergio Leone's highest-ranked movie on IMDb's Top 250, this almost four-hour film finds a home among the best 10 best of the 1980s. Once Upon a Time in America is the story of a Prohibition-era Jewish ex-gangster who returns to Lower East Side Manhattan three decades later to confront his past.

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The great Robert De Niro leads an incredible cast featuring James Woods and Rose McGovern. While the runtime was off-putting to some viewers, the film still earned high praise from critics and moviegoers alike despite no Oscar nominations. Another excellent installment in Leone's catalog, the crime drama produced stunning visuals and captured a wide range of emotions with its powerful performers.

9 'Das Boot' (1981)

Das Boot (1981)

IMDb Rating: #77 — 8.3/10

This six-time Oscar nominee is one of the best not only from the '80s but from the war genre. Facing tense battles, raging storms, and dwindling supplies, a crew aboard a World War II German U-Boat tests their mental resolve as time drags on and claustrophobia sets in.

Das Boot feels terrifyingly authentic as its actors and production design feel eerily real. A hybrid, the psychological thriller and war drama genres blend seamlessly as director Wolfgang Petersen smashes the standard tropes, instead focusing on the human psyche and elements of fear and courage.

8 'Amadeus' (1984)

Amadeus

IMDb Rating: #72 — 8.3/10

Snagging eight of its 11 Oscar nominations, Amadeus is perhaps the best period piece to come from the decade. Featuring a few creative liberties, the historical drama follows young composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and the intensifying rivalry with fellow composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham).

Despite deviating from history, Amadeus received praise for his imaginative approach that elevated the film instead of cheapening it. Taking home Best Picture rewarded the risk of director Milos Foreman and screenwriter Peter Shaffer — both Foreman and Peter took home statues for their respective nominations. Lavish, Amadeus is worth every bit of the almost three-hour runtime.

7 'Aliens' (1986)

Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley with a flamethrower in 'Aliens'
Image via 20th Century

IMDb Rating: #65 — 8.3/10

The epic follow-up to the ultimate tale of a sci-fi final girl, Aliens, featured Sigourney Weaver back and more badass than before. Ellen Ripley (Weaver) is called back decades after her first alien encounter to protect a 9-year-old lone survivor named Newt (Carrie Henn) from the Alien Queen and her colony.

While the original 1979 feature ranks higher among the Top 250, this sequel isn't far behind. This time with James Cameron at the helm, the sci-fi movie earned seven Oscar nominations, taking home two for its visual and sound effects. While Alien was a slow-burn horror, Aliens is an action-adventure piece, focusing more on the special effects for which it was ultimately rewarded.

6 'The Shining' (1980)

boy writing redrum on door holding knife: mother sleeping in bed in background
Image via Warner Bros

IMDb Rating: #61 — 8.4/10

The feud between author Stephen King and director Stanley Kubrick is one of the most infamous examples of creative differences in page-to-screen adaptations. After taking a job as a groundskeeper during the closed winter months at the Overlook Hotel, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family become victims of isolation as sinister presences prey on their vulnerable minds.

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It's a horror film that fell victim to what seems to be a regular genre snubbing from the Academy Awards, but it didn't stop moviegoers from establishing The Shining as one of the best horror movies of all time. Whether it's the draw from names like Kubrick, King, or Nicholson, this movie does not disappoint with its scares and mind games.

5 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark’  (1)

IMDb Rating: #56 — 8.4/10

Harrison Ford once again provided his leading talents to a franchise whose legacy endures to this day. Teaming up with Steven Spielberg, Ford is the titular character Indiana Jones, an archaeologist hired by the American government to find a powerful relic with mystical powers before the Nazis do. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark kicked off a five-movie series, with the latest installment featuring Ford at 80 donning the iconic hat.

From its legendary score to the big names attached to it, Indiana Jones continues to reach new generations decades later. The first installment earned nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and secured four wins. Career-defining, genre-defining, and decade-defining, there will never be a genre franchise that achieved what Indy did.

4 'Cinema Paradiso' (1988)

Salvatore Cascio looking at developed film roll in 'Cinema Paradiso'

IMDb Rating: #49 — 8.4/10

Cinema Paradiso is one for cinephiles and movie lovers of all kinds. In this tale about the magic of movies, a filmmaker, Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin), reflects on his life as a young boy and the beloved friendship he formed with projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) at the movie house in his war-torn Sicilian village.

The Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film (which has been renamed Best International Feature in 2020), Cinema Paradiso is pure nostalgia for the early days of filmmaking and the theater-going experience. An Italian feature among a barrage of 80s classics, this international tale is the ultimate celebration of the craft and the impact movies have on youth.

3 'Grave of Fireflies' (1988)

Grave of the fireflies

IMDb Rating: #44 — 8.5/10

This Studio Ghibli film is hauntingly sad but one of the genre's best, ranking a few spots below 2001's Spirited Away. Grave of Fireflies features the devastating tale of a young boy who must care for his sister after an Allied bombing during World War II kills their mother.

In an era where several happy-go-lucky animated features dominated movie lovers, this anime tale demonstrated that the medium can handle heavy topics like war and death with grace and dignity. Despite being a top-rated movie, Grave of Fireflies earned no mainstream award nominations during its release decade.

2 'Back to the Future' (1985)

Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future
Image via Universal Pictures

IMDb Rating: #30 - 8.5/10

Another pop-culture feat for the respected Robert Zemeckis Back to the Future is a decade-defining movie worthy of a top-rated spot. Traveling in the DeLorean time machine invented by his friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is accidentally sent back in time 30 years where he runs into his parents and must make sure they get together, or he will cease to exist.

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The ultimate '80s movie, Back to the Future, is one that, if you haven't seen it, you've heard of it. Its popularity inspired two sequels and a wave of pop culture references and memorabilia that is enjoyed by audiences of the generation and those discovering it decades later. The four-time Oscar nominee is still celebrated today and continues to age gracefully with movie lovers.

1 'Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)

luke-skywalker-mark-hamill-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back

IMDb Rating: #15 — 8.7

Following up the first franchise installment in 1977, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back rates higher on IMDb's Top 250 compared to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The beloved trio and their droid and Wookie counterparts return to continue the battle against the Empire. Luke (Mark Hamill) travels to Dagobah in search of help from Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz) as the dark side of the force beckons him.

The sequel earned four Oscar nominations and one win for Best Sound. Number one for its decade, The Empire Strikes Back revealed one of the most historic plot twists in the history of movies as the hero learns the villain is his father. The storyline choice inspired movies of all genres forever to utilize the trope, making this Star Wars entry one of the greatest movies of all time.

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