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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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Image via Universal Pictures

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.

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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

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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

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Image via Warner Bros

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

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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.

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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

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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.

Next: 10 Movies From The 1990s Everyone Should See At Least Once