One of the most iconic decade of tonic culture is the 1980s . bully picture show and shows of every genre , pop and careen music soundtracks to accompany them , memorable fashion choices , big hair , and arcade game , all make it the era that ’s perhaps most called back to in the zeitgeist today . The symbolic memorabilia that everyoneexpects to see in movies do in the 1980shas come to define the decade and its indelible ethnic footmark . Many movies , shows , song , graphical novels , and record in the modern era are either influenced by or heavily reference ' 80s culture .

Some ofthe good ' 80s moviesare funniness or lighthearted cinema , demonstrating that , among other writing style , the feel - upright movie also attain a creative height in that decade . read-only storage - coms , come - of - age dramas , slapstick comedies , and giddy action movies , fun motion picture of all musical genre were made in the 1980s , and they all exalt felicity in some chassis . Someexcellent , screaming 1980s comedy movies have been forgottentoday , but if one wants a fun , lighthearted , and cool time , the eighties have more than enough feel - effective movies to fulfill .

10The Karate Kid (1984)

Directed By John G. Avildsen

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Birthing a franchise consisting of multiple picture and TV shows , John G. Avildsen’sThe Karate Kidis an influential action film from the 1980s , with its alone portmanteau of martial arts and coming - of - age . The two genres do sometimes commix in traditional warriorlike humanities film , butThe Karate Kidsuccessfully recontextualized it to the urban settingwhile managing to persist true to the roots of the martial humanities musical genre .

The Karate Kid dealership has address Mr. Miyagi ’s first name several times through the decades , but it ’s still undecipherable which of his titles is right .

With an electric soundtrack , include Joe Esposito ’s " You ’re the in force " , one ofthe best songs from a 1980s action picture show , The Karate Kidis an entertaining film from start to refinement . A beautifully enthusiastic training collage , a narrative take with heart , a memorable mentor in Mr. Miyagi , and an unforgettable end scene – these are smart as a whip elements in the motion-picture show that will live forever and a day in people ’s hearts and thinker .

Custom image of Pat Morita smiling smugly as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid

9Ghostbusters (1984)

Directed By Ivan Reitman

The 1980s were a great decade for movie franchise all around , as before the MCU ’s conception in 2008 withIron Man , several of the biggest dealership in Hollywood were have in the ' 80s . Among them areThe Karate Kidand theGhostbustersfranchises , the latter of which is also still continuing , over four decades later . Despite the modal evaluation , there is positive news about asequel from the director ofGhostbusters : Frozen Empire(2024 ) , the latest movie in the series .

TheGhostbustersFranchise

Movie / TV Show

The Breakfast Club Brian Ferris Bueller Sixteen Candles Samantha

Year(s )

Director / Showrunner

Ghostbusters

Doc and Marty with a fire trail under their feet in Back to the Future

1984

Ivan Reitman

The Real Ghostbusters(TV )

Imagery from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Princess Bride

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

1986 - 1991

Joe Medjuck & Michael C. Gross

Ghostbusters II

The Karate Kid Poster

1989

Extreme Ghostbusters(TV )

1997

Headshot Of Ralph Macchio

Jeff Kline & Richard Raynis

2016

Paul Feig

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Ghostbusters : Afterlife

2021

Jason Reitman

Ghostbusters 1984 Poster

Ghostbusters : Frozen Empire

2024

Gil Kenan

Headshot Of Bill Murray In The 65th BFI London Film Festival: ‘The French Dispatch’ premiere

When a group of parapsychologists loses their academic place , they take off doing exorcisms , except with no spiritual artifacts . They use large proton gun and their cognition of wraith behavior to bust ghost out of haunted space , or else of exorcize demon . The goofy action drollery is lighthearted fun , especially if one enjoys ghost chronicle that are n’t scary . Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , and Harold Ramis are uproarious , not just with their word , but with their physical structure language as well , and makeGhostbustersa classic feel - good film .

8The Breakfast Club (1985)

Directed By John Hughes

The tallness of ' fourscore nostalgia in today ’s pop culture often comes in the grade of call back to far-famed motion picture and their iconic scenes and rail line . While John Hughes made great finger - honest movies , their politics often seem dated and debatable , and yet , they ’re depend back on with philia . One such example is arguably his secure moving picture , one of the most influential come - of - age movies ever , The Breakfast Club . It is widely considered to be the quintessential ' 80s teenage movie .

The Breakfast Clubis cited as an inspiration for Netflix’sSex Education ; in one episode , some school scholarly person have a therapeutic time together as a group and decide to take action , just like the scholarly person in Hughes ' moving picture , except , this clock time , the subject matter was boldly anti - patriarchal .

Five student from different social classes , each representing an pilot of adolescent societal living , are put in detentionand of necessity form a adherence by the end of the movie . The jock , the swot , the socially ungainly peasant lady friend , the princess , and the rebel / stoner are all there to deliver meaningful messages to the watcher . However , despite making some upright level and depicting rum friendships , the movie undermines its message of individualitywith one of the most incense makeover scenesever .

Headshot of Dan Aykroyd

7Airplane! (1980)

Directed By Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, & David Zucker

The airplane disaster flick had been around for a while , and even though Harrison Ford was n’t going to play the president in his airplane for another 17 years , the genre was very democratic leading into the ' 80s . So , the Zucker brothers , indite and direct alongside Jim Abrahams , saw 1980 as the sodding year to make a comedy spoof of the genre , and thus was bornAirplane ! , one of the funniest ' 80s movie there is .

While it is 100 % a product of its time , with many offensive bits , as an artifact of the ' LXXX , it is perfect . Thebest quotes fromAirplane!demonstrate how witty the screenwriters are and how they were n’t holding back in burlesque the genre and masses ’s compulsion with it . The jokes do n’t hold up today , but some of the satirical observations the flick crap about multitude ’s behavior during a crisis are still relevant . Every jest is delivered uproariously , making it an enjoyable movie , if one can go for how dated it is .

6Steel Magnolias (1989)

Directed By Herbert Ross

In an earned run average when many moving picture were still using misogyny as their premise for sense of humor and fun quality , Herbert Ross’Steel Magnoliasfocused on six women who felt like authentic characters . While they ’re not as superimposed and complex as they merit to be , these figures are meaningful because of the path their existence challenges prevalent norms in the ' eighty . They ’re funny , grieving , witty , open , and experience a impregnable sensation of sisterhood for each other .

While the cast of characters is stacked and gifted , Sally Field is the standout actress , with her fiery performance of grief and that unforgettable monologue . When area emotes and delivers her speech about want to make someone else find her pain , it ’s impossible not to empathize with her . While it explores harsh realities , the togetherness between the fiber makesSteel Magnoliasanother quintessential palpate - good picture .

5Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

When it come to frivolous ' 80s film , especially teen comedies , John Hughes will of necessity be mentioned multiple metre . While his most influential work isThe Breakfast Club , which created the blueprint for the unlikely Quaker group trope , Ferris Bueller ’s Day Offis arguably his funniest picture . Much like every other comedy from the ' fourscore , some of its humor is date , and might even palpate mingy - gritty at times , but the hilarity of the shenanigans will carry viewers through it .

There ’s one contingent in one of John Hughes ' most popular teen movies that confirm it ’s part of the same universe as another one of his movies .

Hughes did n’t invent the malcontent teen , but he certainly reinvented the trope withFerris Bueller ’s Day Off . From the Elliot Page comedy that earned him his first Oscar nominating address , Juno , to Hughes ' afterwards movieBaby ’s Day Out , the movie has inspire many films since its release most four decade ago . Somequotes fromFerris Bueller ’s Day Offare relatableeven today , and its most iconic composition of dialogue , the closing job , is important even today : " living moves reasonably fast . If you do n’t stop and look around once in a while , you could overlook it . "

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4When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Directed By Rob Reiner

The read-only storage - com genre would n’t be what it is today without Meg Ryan , or in the ' 90s , Julia Roberts . While the latter is stillmost known for her breakout roleinPretty Woman(1990 ) , the former broke out a yr sooner with Rob Reiner’sWhen Harry Met Sallyopposite Billy Crystal . It ’s one of the most influential work in the genre , creating many of the tropes prevalent in rom - coms , and inspiring romantic films for years to add up .

While it is the archetypical quixotic comedy , as one would expect of a read-only storage - com from the ' 80s , When Harry Met Sallyis overtly heteronormative in its approach to romantic love . The entire premise is hinge on the male lead ’s title that men and women ca n’t be friends . While his title is based on his flawed sensing that sex will get in the way , and is not preserve by the film , it does still depict them becoming " more than " friends because of love . However , that impassioned construction of love life at the endmakesWhen Harry Met Sallya beloved and uplift romance .

3The Princess Bride (1987)

" Hello . My name is Inigo Montoya . You killed my Father of the Church . Prepare to die ! " – one ofthe serious eighties movie quote , these words have become an essential part of pop finish . Repeated several times by Inigo inThe Princess Bride , it is a cathartic resolution of vengeance for the character . For many viewers , The Princess Brideis an ideal fantasy drama . It is cockamamy , simplistic , and regal , with a funny script filled with jokes that never run out to land , and a sense of valiancy that will enthrall everyone .

Robin Wright ’s breakout performance as Princess Buttercup micturate her one of the most impressive distaff characters in a male - dominate movie . While being the Princess Bride is her bearing in the film , she ’s far from a one - dimensional damsel - in - distressand stand her ground whenever possible . This is what makes the film so good – it has a revisionist approach to traditional tropes of the phantasy genre . With vivid sword fights , a romance to root for , a secure female fiber , beautiful visuals , and nostalgia galore , The Princess Brideis the perfect happy ' LXXX flick .

2Stand By Me (1985)

Rob Reiner was the king of the ' eighty , having made some of its greatest and most influential movies . His Stephen King adaptation , possibly the good version of a story compose by the legendary writer , is a brilliant coming - of - age film . It follows four friends who set up out on a quest to see the physical structure of someone their eld who has died . They face rough Truth about each other , hamper over collective and individual hurt , and harness unanticipated danger on their journey .

While they deal a name , Ben E. King ’s birdcall " stomach By Me " was written long before the movie was conceived . It is feature in the film and promotional cloth , but it did n’t inspire the film , which is establish on Stephen King’sThe Body . The championship was changed , and the song was used after Rob Reiner heardKiefer Sutherland and River Phoenix singingit .

The palpable red ink of innocence in the film is attractively get by the four lead child actors , all of whom deliver poignant and composed performance . While it does n’t shy away from exploring granulose realness , the film is in the end a feel - good movie because of the themes of friendship and the soldering between the friends that drives the report . They develop unexampled inside jokes , part heartwarming moments that will inevitably become fond retentiveness in the future tense , and survive difficult situations by feature each other ’s backs throughout .

Headshot Of Molly Ringwald

1Back To The Future (1985)

Directed By Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis ' crosscurrent - howl sci - fi comedy classic still take hold up four decennium on from its release and is a fitting reminder of the power of love .

Headshot Of Ally Sheedy In The 25th Anniversary Gala

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Headshot Of Sally Field

Headshot Of Dolly Parton

Headshot Of Shirley MacLaine

Headshot Of Daryl Hannah

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Headshot Of Matthew Broderick

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Headshot Of Meg Ryan

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Headshot Of Mandy Patinkin

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Headshot Of Kiefer Sutherland

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Headshot Of Michael J. Fox

Headshot Of Christopher Lloyd In The Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 15th Annual Kirk Douglas Award

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