There are movies that you watch once and that’s it. Then there are those movies where no matter how many times we watch, it’s still as good as the first time we saw it. With all the different streaming platforms, many of these greats are just one click away.
The 1980s gave us countless classic films, and narrowing it down to just a few is tough work. To that end, we’ve put together a list of films from the 1980s that everyone should watch — at least once in their lifetime.
When Harry Met Sally
Director: Rob Reiner
Writer: Nora Ephron
Cast: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
Can a man and a woman maintain a platonic relationship? When Harry Met Sally is a story that spans over ten years — telling the story of Harry Burns (Billy Crystal), and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan), as they share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York. Whether it was fate or not, they meet again ten years later, and develop a close friendship — the pair, along with their respective best friends attempt to stay friends, not wanting sex to ruin the relationships they’ve built.
This film is a beautifully scripted piece of work — quite possibly one of the best romantic comedies to date. The sitcom sense of compatibilities paired with the banter between the characters makes for a charming, fun, and timeless film.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Eiko Kadono (novel), Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman, Debbie Reynolds, Matthew Lawrence, Janeane Garofalo
Kiki’s Delivery Service is about young witch Kiki as she’s on her mandatory one year of independent living in accordance to her village’s traditions for witches in training. When Kiki arrives at a seaside town with her cat, Jiji, she tries her best to fit into the community while supporting herself with her air courier service.
This makes for a heartwarming tale about a young girl trying to navigate life and discovering her place in the world along the way. Miyazaki conjures such an immersive and well-built world that incorporates universal topics within the story — exceptional work that’s enjoyable for all ages.
Flashdance
Director: Adrian Lyne
Writer: Thomas Hedley Jr., Joe Eszterhas
Cast: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Cynthia Rhodes, Lee Ving, Sunny Johnson, Lilia Skala
Flashdance follows Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals), a young woman who works at a steel mill during the day, and works as an exotic dancer at night. Although she’s scared of failure, she pushes through her fears and submits her application to try and get into a prestigious dance conservatory — with the help of her boss Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), and her mentor Hanna Long (Lilia Skala).
This is a movie that has stood the test of time — with original musical scores, paired with Beals’ fresh, engaging, and natural talents.
Back to the Future
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Galel
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
This is an '80s sci-fi classic. Back to the Future takes place in a small California town as a 17-year-old Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is catapulted back thirty years in a time-traveling DeLorean when Doc Brown’s (Christopher Lloyd) science experiment going awry. Marty must figure out a way to head home while also ensuring his parents fall in love so that he doesn’t cease to exist.
Back to the Future is a lighthearted and cleverly written story that deserves all the praise and accolades that it’s received, and it's easily one of the best time travel movies ever made. It’s a wonderful fantasy that gives the right amount of excitement and laughs — impossible not to enjoy.
Heathers
Director: Michael Lehmann
Writer: Daniel Waters
Cast: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Kim Walker, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Carrie Lynn
In a world where cliques rule, and jocks dominate — Heathers centers around Westerburg High School where the most snobby clique consists of the popular girls who are all named Heather. When mysterious new kid Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) joins the clique, she gives teen angst new meaning.
Heathers is a cynical and subversive film and a great anti-Valentine's Day classic that changed the game for all comedies that came after. Dark, wicked, and deviously hilarious, this remains a cult favorite.
The Shining
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stephen King (novel), Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Louise Burns, Lisa Burns
Psychological horror film The Shining follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) with his wife and son as they take care of the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado for the winter. As the family settle in, a sinister presence threatens their livelihood by possessing Jack and turning him into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on wrecking havoc and terrorizing the family of three. All the while, his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) is plagued with horrific visions.
Showcasing the chilling turn into madness, Kubrick’s brilliant display of visual images and storytelling builds an atmosphere of unease that viewers can’t help but want more of even after the credits roll.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Melissa Mathison
Cast: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
E.T. tells the story of friendship between a troubled child and gentle alien that gets stranded on Earth. Elliot (Henry Thomas) brings the alien to his home, but when it falls ill and the government is brought in, a dire situation ensues for the pair of friends as Elliot tries to help E.T. return to its home world.
E.T. is a touching sci-fi adventure that showcases childhood simplicity and innocence. This is easily one of Spielberg’s best works — a well crafted story that leaves viewers in awe.
Fatal Attraction
Director: Adrian Lyne
Writer: James Dearden
Cast: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Latzen
Love and compulsion is quite a thin line. Fatal Attraction explores that concept as it follows Dan Gallagher’s (Michael Douglas) life. Although happily married, and with a loving daughter, he has a one-night stand with sultry book editor Alex (Glenn Close). Although it was a casual fling for Dan, the book editor wanted more — she starts to become unstable, escalating her erratic behavior from aggressive pursuit to stalking.
Fatal Attraction is a movie that explores the gray area between love, lust, and obsession, and the consequences that come along with these things. Even after so many years, this suspense thriller remains influential within the genre.