Welcome to our big list of the most Essential 1980s movies, showcasing 140 of the decade’s best and most iconic Fresh (and not-so-Fresh) movies. That’s right, we recommend some Rotten additions for your ’80s movie playlists, because this is one decade only fully experienced with the good, the bad, and the feathered neon.
Any ’80s movie with a Tomatometer was considered for our Essentials guide, and after including the truly timeless material (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Raging Bull), we focused on works that represented the cinematic trends and social themes of the era. Some of those include the fantasy epic (NeverEnding Story, Princess Bride), teen movies (Breakfast Club, Weird Science), the new corporate overlord (Wall Street, Trading Places), women making strides in the workplace (Baby Boom, Working Girl), and rising hip-hop culture (Krush Groove, Do the Right Thing).
Now fire up the flux capicator and cue the workout montage because it’s time for Rotten Tomatoes’ 140 Essential ’80s Movies!
#140
Adjusted Score: 46.71%
Critics Consensus: St. Elmo’s Fire is almost peak Brat Pack: it’s got the cast, the fashion, and the music, but the characters are too frequently unlikable.
#139
Adjusted Score: 36.26%
Critics Consensus: All style and very little substance, Flashdance boasts eye-catching dance sequences — and benefits from an appealing performance from Jennifer Beals — but its narrative is flat-footed.
#138
Adjusted Score: 28.634%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#137
Adjusted Score: 53.774%
Critics Consensus: There’s not much dancing, but what’s there is great. The rest of the time, Footloose is a nice hunk of trashy teenage cheese.
#136
Adjusted Score: 55.664%
Critics Consensus: Hardly in the same league as John Hughes’ other teen movies, the resolutely goofy Weird Science nonetheless gets some laughs via its ridiculous premise and enjoyable performances.
#135
Adjusted Score: 58.188%
Critics Consensus: An appreciably wonky and meandering Wizard of Oz sequel, Return pits kiddie characters against situations of real terror.
#134
Adjusted Score: 59.854%
Critics Consensus: Amiable and good-natured but also shallow and predictable, Short Circuit is hardly as deep or emotionally resonant as E.T. — though Johnny Five makes for a charming robot protagonist.
#133
Adjusted Score: 62.998%
Critics Consensus: There’s pacing problems, but Ladyhawke has an undeniable romantic sweep that’s stronger than most fantasy epics of its ilk.
#132
Adjusted Score: 65.805%
Critics Consensus: Rather quaint by today’s standards, Friday the 13th still has its share of bloody surprises and a ’70s-holdover aesthetic to slightly compel.
#131
Adjusted Score: 70.662%
Critics Consensus: Steel Magnolias has jokes and characters to spare, which makes it more dangerous (and effective) when it goes for the full melodrama by the end.
#130
Adjusted Score: 70.724%
Critics Consensus: Eddie Murphy was in full control at this point, starkly evident in Coming to America’s John Landis’ coasting direction.
#129
Adjusted Score: 70.744%
Critics Consensus: People hate Highlander because it’s cheesy, bombastic, and absurd. And people love it for the same reasons.
#128
Adjusted Score: 70.935%
Critics Consensus: A silly and ribald superhero spoof, Toxic Avenger uninhibited humor hits more than it misses.
#127
Adjusted Score: 71.548%
Critics Consensus: Purple Rain makes for undeniably uneven cinema, but it’s held together by its star’s singular charisma — not to mention a slew of classic songs.
#126
Adjusted Score: 71.793%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated and genuinely endearing, The Land Before Time is sure to please dino-obsessed tykes, even if it’s a little too cutesy for older viewers.
#125
Adjusted Score: 59.674%
Critics Consensus: There’s fine spoofery and amusing characters in Spaceballs, though it’s a far cry from Mel Brooks’ peak era.
#124
Adjusted Score: 73.161%
Critics Consensus: Undeniably lowbrow but surprisingly sly, Revenge of the Nerds has enough big laughs to qualify as a minor classic in the slobs-vs.-snobs subgenre.
#123
Adjusted Score: 53.886%
Critics Consensus: Good production value and decent special effects, but the story is too insipid and slowly paced.
#122
Adjusted Score: 58.533%
Critics Consensus: A surprisingly dark, emotional, and almost excessively cynical experience for Transformers fans.
#121
Adjusted Score: 73.677%
Critics Consensus: Sci-fi parodies like these usually struggle to work, but Buckaroo Banzai succeeds through total devotion to its own lunacy.
#120
Adjusted Score: 58.946%
Critics Consensus: Though it features some of the most memorable and electrifying aereial footage shot with an expert eye for action, Top Gun offers too little for non-adolescent viewers to chew on when its characters aren’t in the air.
#119
Adjusted Score: 74.473%
Critics Consensus: It follows college tropes, but Real Genius has an optimistic streak that puts you on Val Kilmer’s side all the way.
#118
Adjusted Score: 76.957%
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
#117
Adjusted Score: 77.806%
Critics Consensus: The plot is as barebones a space movie will allow, but The Last Starfighter captures an era and eager style of filmmaking well.
Directed By:
#116
Adjusted Score: 78.048%
Critics Consensus: Mystic Pizza is like its namesake food: it’s cheesy, topped with romance, and rises to the occasion.
#115
Adjusted Score: 64.203%
Critics Consensus: UHF is bizarre, freewheeling, and spotty, though its anarchic spirit cannot be denied.
#114
Adjusted Score: 79.188%
Critics Consensus: Better Off Dead is an anarchic mix of black humor and surreal comedy, anchored by John Cusack’s winsome, charming performance.
#113
Adjusted Score: 79.681%
Critics Consensus: Sweet and spry, Adventures in Babysitting gets by on its amiable tone.
#112
Adjusted Score: 79.805%
Critics Consensus: Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores with its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly quotable dialogue.
#111
Adjusted Score: 79.886%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#110
Adjusted Score: 81.131%
Critics Consensus: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are just charming, goofy, and silly enough to make this fluffy time-travel Adventure work.
#109
Adjusted Score: 81.185%
Critics Consensus: Sleepaway Camp is a standard teen slasher elevated by occasional moments of John Waters-esque weirdness and a twisted ending.
#108
Adjusted Score: 81.943%
Critics Consensus: Scanners is a dark sci-fi story with special effects that’ll make your head explode.
#107
Adjusted Score: 82.84%
Critics Consensus: With engaging performances from its two leads, Valley Girl is a goofy yet amiable film that both subverts and celebrates the cheerful superficiality of teen comedies.
#106
Adjusted Score: 85.659%
Critics Consensus: Slick on the surface but loaded with artful touches, Brian DePalma’s classical gangster thriller is a sharp look at period Chicago crime, featuring excellent performances from a top-notch cast.
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