A Reel Opinion: The Top 10 Best Films of the Eighties

We are now at the tail end of 2019, which means it will be 30 years since one of the most beloved, hated, forgotten, and laughed-at eras came to an end; the era known as The Eighties (1980-1989). With three decades now passed between now and New Year’s Eve 1989, the time is right to take a look back at the Best Films of the era. 

The Eighties was an era defined by its fashion and music. Many of those fashions such as big hair and rolled-up jeans did not make it out of the decade…and the same can be said for the overly-synthesized music. A lot of that made its way into cinema, and for that reason many films from the era did not age very well. But there was still room for some most-excellent movies, with the best ones being made so well that they transcended the era and are still popular today. The best criteria to work with in judging the films of The Eighties are the ones that aged well; the ones that still feel relevant and transcend the era from which they came. 

So buckle up, because this blog doesn’t need roads…

10. STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

After the 1979 feature film debut for the famed space-trekking franchise (read more about that HERE), it was decided that the next STAR TREK film needed a strong villain, and a strong villain they did find. Reaching back into TREK’s TV past, the mighty Khan was selected and then reprised by the late great Ricardo Montalban. The result was a thrilling revenge story with the classical sensibilities of Moby Dick, and yet it was a surprisingly introspective exploration of old age, youth, and life and death. TREK II not only stands as the best film of the franchise, but also as a model of how sci-fi should be; exciting and thoughtful. 

9. STAND BY ME (1986)

Films of The Eighties were known for adventures with teens and pre-teens, and Rob Reiner’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel is a standout. Four boys (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell), head out on a late summer journey to see a dead body; leaving as boys and returning changed forever. It’s Heart of Darkness for young teens, and unlike most kid-adventures of The Eighties, ends on a somber note…with that sad melancholy of passing youth. 

8. THE GOONIES (1985)

Similar to STAND BY ME, this Richard Donner-directed, Steven Spielberg-produced adventure had a group of pre-teens searching for pirate’s treasure so they could save their hometown. With a wonderful cast of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey, and Robert Davi…the film is a laugh-a-minute, and to this day still speaks to the kid in all of us who took off with friends into the unknown. 

7. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

In this Robert Zemeckis film, Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, a high school student who gets whisked back to 1955 and interferes with his parent’s courtship…which threatens his own existence. Christopher Lloyd plays Doc, the scientist who builds a time machine out of a DeLorean, and the chemistry between he and Fox helps to create one of the most-quoted films of the last 30 years. Everyone today can quote BACK TO THE FUTURE. 

6. GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis star as the founders of a ghost-busting business. Directed by Ivan Reitman, GHOSTBUSTERS is another one of those films that is endlessly quotable and re-watchable. Elements such as the proton packs, Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, Slimer, and Ecto-1 are instantly recognizable 30 years later, as it stands as a significant entry into pop culture. 

5. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

Steven Spielberg may have had his magnificent debut in The Seventies with JAWS, but he made his biggest mark in The Eighties. His 1982 film about a young boy (Henry Thomas) who befriends a stranded alien not only showcases Spielberg’s ability to capture childhood whimsey, but also his knack for bringing on the emotion. Anyone who doesn’t bawl at the end of E.T. simply has no soul. 

4. THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)

Five high school students (Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy) get detention and spend a Saturday afternoon battling it out before bonding. During that, they come to terms with themselves and discover who they are. Director John Hughes spent a lot of The Eighties exploring youth, and he did it the best in THE BREAKFAST CLUB, which took the high school cliques of jocks, rebels, geeks, loners, and princesses…and defined high school movies right into the present day. 

3. PLATOON (1986)

Charlie Sheen’s character in Oliver Stone’s Best Picture winner says that hell is the impossibility of reason, and the impossibility of reason is exactly how the Vietnam War unfolds in this powerful war drama. Based on Stone’s own experiences in the war, PLATOON not only had harrowing and terrifying battle scenes, but also had an existential element that makes it transcendent over most war films. Sheen, along with his castmates Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe, center the film about an embattled platoon who battles each other just as much as the enemy. 

2. STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

The second episode in the STAR WARS franchise not only wowed audiences with breathtaking action sequences, it also sent everyone staggering out of the theatre after one of the greatest twists in cinema followed by a galactic-sized cliffhanger of an ending. Directed by Irvin Kershner and produced by series creator George Lucas, EMPIRE set the standard for blockbuster sequels; where the first film set the stage and had fun, the second dug-in with its characters while expanding its universe. Today, major franchises such as X-MEN, AVENGERS, PIRATES, and the DC films have modeled their sequels after EMPIRE, which gives this STAR WARS movie, considered to be the best in the franchise…an endless legacy. 

1. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

There is no question that Steven Spielberg owned The Eighties, so it should come as no surprise that he would own the top spot. Indiana Jones, a creation of George Lucas, was a globe-trotting archeologist who could dig up a mummy just as easily as he could throw a bare-knuckled punch, and he swung into our hearts in the early part of the decade and stayed there. Harrison Ford adds a perfect balance of toughness and charm, and his chemistry with Karen Allen lights up the screen.  Standout scenes such as the truck chase, the Well of Souls, and a thrilling opening temple-raid and jungle chase sequence are iconic, and John Williams’ score is one of his greatest in his massive catalog of greatness. RAIDERS is made with classic cinema in mind, and its period setting of the 1930’s makes it timeless. Quotable, beloved, re-watchable, and memorable in every way, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK transcends its era the best.  

REEL SPEAK'S TOP 10 BEST FILMS OF THE EIGHTIES

1. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
2. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
3. PLATOON
4. THE BREAKFAST CLUB
5. E.T. 
6. GHOSTBUSTERS
7. BACK TO THE FUTURE
8. THE GOONIES
9. STAND BY ME
10. STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN