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The 2020s are nobody’s favorite decade, so why not retreat into the past (i.e. long before anyone wore face masks outside of a medical context, or thought of Donald Trump as anything other than a buffoonish real-estate mogul) with a nostalgic retrospective of the best 1980s movies? Sure, the films from that period can feel dated—the clothes! the makeup! the hair!—but we’d argue that’s just part of the fun.
Here, a guide to the best 1980s movies to discover (or revisit) now.
Caddyshack (1980)
This Harold Ramis hit set at an upscale country club introduced the world to Rodney Dangerfield as a genuine movie star, alongside Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video or YouTube.
Raging Bull (1980)
Arguably Scorsese at his best, this biographical sports drama stars Robert De Niro as a rage-consumed boxer and Joe Pesci as his well-intentioned brother and manager.
How to watch: Stream on Max, Apple TV, or YouTube.
Grease 2 (1982)
Does it compare to the original, 1978 version of Grease? No—but in this sequel’s defense, absolutely nothing does, and there’s still plenty of fun to be had watching Maxwell Caulfield and a young Michelle Pfeiffer cavort and sing their hearts out.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Paramount+, or Prime Video.
Risky Business (1983)
Remember when Tom Cruise was a lovable young comedic leading man? Return to those days with this coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Paul Brickman.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Terms of Endearment (1983)
It’s not easy to get through this James L. Brooks-directed familial tragicomedy without straight-up sobbing, but the central relationship—between Debra Winger’s Emma Greenway-Horton and her mother, Shirley MacLaine’s Aurora Greenway—is not to be missed. Plus, Danny DeVito!
How to watch: Stream on MGM+, Paramount+, Apple TV, or Prime Video.
Purple Rain (1984)
This semi-autobiographical rock musical starring Prince as troubled Minneapolis frontman The Kid is a classic for a reason, and you’re not going to finish it without longing for some purple velvet of your own.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Arguably John Hughes’s most iconic film, this teen romp follows a motley crew of high school kids stuck in weekend detention as they become something resembling friends (for the day, anyway).
How to watch: Stream on Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
The Goonies (1985)
Sloth love chunk! This adventure comedy about a ragtag group of kids in Oregon hunting for treasure is a true cult gem.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Blue Velvet (1986)
I may have lied about loving this pivotal David Lynch film on my first date with an older guy years ago, but now that I actually have seen Blue Velvet, my only regret is that I didn’t see it earlier. The controversial crime thriller starring Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, and Isabella Rossellini has deep cultural staying power for a reason.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, Tubi, or YouTube.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Skipping school has never been as cool as it was when Matthew Broderick did it as happy-go-lucky Ferris Bueller, accompanied by his mopey sidekick Cameron (Alan Ruck) and ultracool girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara).
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Paramount+, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
What prom-bound teenage girl didn’t dream of dressing up in a pink confection as memorable as Molly Ringwald’s? This John Hughes rom-com is made even better by supporting performances from Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, and Gina Gershon.
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Spike Lee’s first feature-length film features Tracy Camilla Johns as Nola Darling, a too-cool-for-school Brooklyn girl juggling three boyfriends to disastrous effect.
How to watch: Stream on Netflix or Apple TV.
Stand by Me (1986)
A coming-of-age tearjerker for the ages, Stand by Me was adapted from the Stephen King novella The Body and features four teenagers (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O Connell) hiking to find the dead body of a missing boy.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Top Gun (1986)
This action-adventure romp about Navy fighter pilots still hits, as the kids are known to say. Jury’s still out on the recent sequel.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Paramount+, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Broadcast News (1987)
This James L. Brooks comedy plumbing the ethics of broadcast journalism stars the great Holly Hunter as a driven news producer trying to let her besotted best friend Aaron (Albert Brooks) down easy as she pursues the handsome, slightly himbo-ish new anchor at work (William Hurt).
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
Patrick Dempsey, a.k.a. McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy (RIP) as a nerd? Will wonders never cease? Despite his baseline handsomeness, Dempsey pulls off his role as a dorky outcast who secretly pays his high school’s queen bee to pretend to be his girlfriend with aplomb. “Cindy’s hot, Ronald’s not”!
How to watch: Stream on Prime Video or YouTube.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
This feel-good film starring Jennifer Grey as a spoiled summer vacationer and Patrick Swayze as the hunky dance instructor she falls for will have you weeping “nobody puts Baby in the corner.”
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Raising Arizona (1987)
This crime comedy, which stars Nicolas Cage as an ex-convict who attempts to kidnap a child for his wife (played, again, by the great Holly Hunter) but is thrown into a saga involving bank robberies, bounty hunters, and hand grenades is a laugh-out-loud departure from the Coen brothers’ much darker first movie, the crime thriller Blood Simple.
How to watch: Stream on Disney+, Raising Arizona, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Spaceballs (1987)
Even if you’ve never seen Star Wars, you’re sure to appreciate this zany Mel Brooks parody starring Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis. (Joan Rivers’s voice also makes an unforgettable guest appearance.)
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, MGM+ Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Does it get any better than a Tim Burton movie about a young goth girl (Winona Ryder) befriending ghosts in the spooky old house where her family has been consigned to live for 125 years? No, it does not.
How to watch: Stream on Max, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Coming to America (1988)
Eddie Murphy effortlessly carries this romantic comedy about a prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda who comes to New York in search of his queen—and quickly finds work at a restaurant that is definitely not McDonald’s.
How to watch: Stream on Paramount+, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Die Hard (1988)
Who says you can only watch Die Hard at Christmas? This thriller featuring Bruce Willis as tough-guy cop John McClane and Alan Rickman as his nemesis, Hans Gruber, is perfect year-round viewing.
How to watch: Stream on Paramount+, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Heathers (1988)
This Winona Ryder–led black comedy explores the dark side of teenage popularity with unbridled venom. To quote bad boy J.D. (a.k.a. Christian Slater), “Our love is God. Let’s go get a slushie.”
How to watch: Stream on Tubi, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
If you can get through this movie without crying so hard your eyes swell up, you’ll be rewarded with a treasure trove of a cast; Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles all appear in this campus-themed drama.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Do the Right Thing (1989)
This Spike Lee comedy-drama is set in Bed-Stuy on the hottest day of the year. Complete with sex, love, betrayal, and racial tensions, it may not be a breezy watch, but it is required viewing.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Overboard (1987)
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell (longtime IRL partners, by the way!) shine in this oddball comedy about a rich, beautiful heiress who begins living the simple life as a carpenter’s wife after she develops amnesia and forgets her real identity. The plot is a bit formulaic, but the fashion…so deeply ’80s, and yet so good.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV or Prime Video.
Say Anything (1989)
If Lloyd Dobler holding that radio up to Diane Court’s window and blasting Peter Gabriel doesn’t melt your heart, do you even have one?
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
Let’s not to forget to appreciate this late-’80s classic about a Beverly Hills socialite on the brink of divorce who sets out to prove to her estranged husband that she can be responsible by leading local troop of Wilderness Girls (I assume the name “Girl Scouts” didn’t clear Legal). Come for Shelley Long, stay for Jenny Lewis in her film debut, and, of course, a young Tori Spelling.
How to watch: Stream on Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
Uncle Buck (1989)
This isn’t one of John Hughes’s more famous endeavors—at least compared to his rom-coms—but if you don’t find John Candy hilarious as an endearing slob tasked with taking care of his nieces and nephew, I’m not entirely convinced you’re human.
How to watch: Stream on AMC+, Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video, or YouTube.
