Year 1981 movies and TV shows – page 3
Best films
New films
| Perla (2025) | 7.1 | |
| Flag Day (2021) | 5.5 | |
| Uproar (2023) | 6.7 | |
| Whiskey on the Rocks (2024) | 7.0 | |
| The Traitor (2019) | 7.1 |
List of year 1981 movies
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A group of friends race their high-powered cars up and down a dangerous and deadly mountain road known as Mulholland Drive to see who can claim the title of "King of the Hill."
Plot:
carsploitation, racing, auto racing, car chase, gang, car, classic car, car race, road accident, auto mechanic, friendship, video game ...
Time:
year 1981
Place:
los angeles, mulholland drive
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Thatcherism and the Irish troubles provide the backdrop for this study of Mick, a well-meaning youth in Sheffield, who has, unlike Dickens' Pip, no expectations. Mick lives with his parents, works on his motorbike, looks for work, and every two ...
Style:
independent film, black and white, serious, realistic, psychological ...
Plot:
unemployment, passionate kiss, job interview, boy, little boy, injustice, power relations, family relations, friends, society, coming of age, youth ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s, future
Place:
england, bristol, europe, ireland
Is relevant?
Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Based on the acclaimed novel by Doris Lessing, this dystopian science fiction tale concerns a woman struggling to make her way in a post-apocalyptic society. D (Julie Christie) is living in a city that's at the point of collapse following a ...
Style:
independent film, serious, atmospheric, offbeat, stylized ...
Plot:
post apocalypse, apocalypse, post apocalyptic, distopia, surrealism, atomic bomb, nuclear war, wasteland, epidemic, post-apocalyptic future, naked woman, gang ...
Time:
year 1981, future, 19th century
Place:
england, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Jealous, harried air traffic controller Max Fielder, recently dumped by his girlfriend, comes into contact with nuclear waste and is granted the power of telekinesis, which he uses to not only win her back, but to gain a little revenge.
Style:
funny, humorous, feel good, semi serious, light ...
Audience:
teens, kids, date night
Plot:
air traffic controller, nuclear waste, levitation, supernatural, vengeance, paraplegic, dinner, maid, beach house, marital reconciliation, possessiveness, jealousy ...
Time:
80s, year 1981
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
A film editor breaks up with his girlfriend, unsure if he is in love.
Style:
humorous, melancholic, intense, funny, disturbing ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick
Plot:
obsession, love, honest, character study, love and romance, couples, self discovery, breakup, fall in love, doomed romance, crazy love, boyfriend girlfriend relationship ...
Time:
20th century, year 1981, 80s, 70s
Place:
usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
While everyone knows you can't fight City Hall, there are those who, for whatever reason, can't resist the challenge. Three slightly disturbed psychiatric patients decide to take on the government. What ensues includes car chases, a ferry ...
Style:
semi serious, realistic, humorous, witty
Plot:
memory loss, mental illness, gangster, violent content, city life, urban, vengeance, misfit, self discovery, multiple personality disorder, cannon, mayor ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
florida, miami
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Lester is a homeless shoeshine boy living in a railway station. He's got this funny knack for picking the winning horses' names out of the paper while shining shoes. When word gets around, though, everyone wants a piece of the action.
Style:
independent film, fable
Plot:
horse riding, homelessness, horse race, racehorse, male female relationship, train station, railway, locker, pizza, juvenile detention, police officer, mayor ...
Time:
year 1981
Place:
chicago
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
A boozy Broadway actress comes out of a 12-week cure to face the problems of her best friends as well as her needy daughter. She tries to balance the terrors of returning to work with the demands of all around her with humor and insight, while ...
Style:
realistic, talky, touching, sentimental, clever ...
Plot:
mother daughter relationship, slice of life, drug, women, envy, alcoholic, best friend, friendship, rehabilitation, alcohol abuse, socialite, drunkenness ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
manhattan new york city, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
The mating rituals of two teenage surf chicks from the southern suburbs of Sydney.Meet Sue, a teenage Australian girl in the late 70s, whose life mainly consists of doing what everyone else does - watch the surfing boys and have sex with the same ...
Style:
teen sex comedy, sex comedy, anamorphic, realistic, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens, date night
Plot:
teenage sexuality, lifeguard, surf, teenage girl, beach, teenage boy, swimming pool, adolescence, teen drinking, high school, dating, teacher ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
sydney australia, australia
Is relevant?
Genre: Thriller
Country: UK, Italy
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
An Italian policeman investigates a series of murders involving people in prominent positions. Left behind at each murder scene is a drawing of a salamander. The policeman begins to suspect these murders are linked to a plot to seize control of the ...
Style:
realistic, serious, suspense, captivating, enigmatic ...
Plot:
murder, political conspiracy, politics, police investigation, danger, political corruption, society, dishonesty, state affairs, torture, carabinieri, hairy chested man ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s, 20th century
Place:
italy, europe, zurich switzerland, rome italy, central europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
After his family moves to a new house, a young boy discovers a mysterious book that details a curse hanging over the date of Saturday the 14th. Opening the book releases a band of monsters into the house and the family must join together to save ...
Style:
parody, scary, humorous, satirical, absurd ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
old dark house, vampire, supernatural, haunted house, nothing goes right, monster, book, transformation, curse, little boy, satire, danger ...
Time:
80s, year 1981
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
A wife unhappy in her marriage begins an affair with an art student, unaware that her husband, a race driver, is also having an affair.
Style:
cult classic, independent film, serious, realistic, touching
Plot:
nude model, infidelity, marital crisis, bare breasts, unfaithful wife, female nudity, nudity, male female relationship, nightclub, couples, family problems, unfulfillment ...
Time:
year 1981, future
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Janet and Brad Majors, unhappily married, are separated after appearing on a game show. Janet becomes a superstar while Brad is thrown into a mental hospital. But what does fast food magnate Farley Flavors have up his sleeve?
Style:
surreal, allegory, spoof, cult classic, horror musical ...
Plot:
satire, nervous breakdown, cheerleader, brainwashing, fictional game show, social commentary, small town, insanity, psychiatric hospital, surrealism, rock band, mental health ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Yugoslavia
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A young man grows up in Sarajevo in the 1960s, under the shadow of his good, but ailing father, and gets attracted by the world of small-time criminals.
Style:
romantic comedy, cult classic, insightful, contemplative, serious ...
Plot:
first sexual experience, older woman younger man, coming of age, pimp, communist, hypnosis, love, gang rape, chess, prostitute, brother brother relationship, communism ...
Time:
60s, year 1981, 20th century
Place:
bosnia herzegovina, balkan, former yugoslavia, bosnia, eastern europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
The movie begins with the volcano's awakening on March 20 and ends with its eruption on May 18, 1980
Style:
independent film, realistic, serious, exciting
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
disaster, natural disaster, volcano, survival, darkness, climate, evacuation, journalism, danger, escapades, society, racism ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s, 20th century, year 1980
Place:
oregon, washington state
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Director Mickey Rose's zany send-up of teen slasher flicks features a maniacal psycho known as the Breather (played by Jerry Belson), who stalks –and murders– promiscuous students at a suburban high school. The fanatical killer's ...
Style:
parody, slasher, humorous, not serious, bloody ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
cheerleading, high school, serial killer, murder, cheerleader, psychopath, gory, dark humor, sex doll, fetishist, american football, investigation ...
Time:
80s, year 1981
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A junior executive is ordered to boost output in the hometown brewery where his old friends work.
Style:
independent film, realistic, semi serious, humorous, neo western ...
Plot:
beer, working class, hillbilly, trucker, power relations, revolution, workplace situations, workplace romance, unemployment, self discovery, nothing goes right, rebellion ...
Time:
80s, year 1981
Place:
iowa, usa, new jersey
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
A mad cap private-eye caper about a team of detectives who are following, and are being followed by, a group of beautiful women.
Style:
rom com, semi serious, realistic, humorous, romantic comedy ...
Audience:
chick flick
Plot:
private detective, love, adultery, country singer, older man younger woman relationship, surveillance, country music, taxi, female singer, detective agency, womanizer, infidelity ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
manhattan new york city, new york, usa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
A suicidal tuba player hires a hit-man to rub him out...but the next day he falls in love.
Style:
dark comedy, offbeat, black comedy, independent film, life affirming ...
Plot:
hitman, suicide, assassin, loneliness, contract killing, moral dilemma, deadpan, meet cute, redemption, love at first sight, suicide attempt, urban ...
Time:
year 1981
Place:
new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sport, War
Country: UK, USA, Italy, Hungary
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
A group of POWs in a German prison camp during World War II play the German National Soccer Team in this powerful film depicting the role of prisoners during wartime.
Style:
inspirational, serious, exciting, suspenseful, cult classic ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, kids
Plot:
prison, world war two, soccer, football, escape, nazi, war, pow, contests and competitions, against the odds, world war, prison escape ...
Time:
year 1981, 20th century
Place:
germany, paris france, europe, france, argentina ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Part fact and part fiction, Zoot Suit is the film version of Luis Valdez's critically acclaimed play, based on the actual Sleepy Lagoon murder case and the zoot suit riots of 1940s Los Angeles. Henry Reyna is the leader of a group of ...
Style:
independent film, stylized, realistic, serious, captivating ...
Plot:
racism, gang, racial discrimination, american culture, underworld, generation, colonialism, foreign legion, legion, culture clash, rock, coming of age ...
Time:
1940s, year 1981
Place:
los angeles, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Western
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
George Hamilton stars in a dueling dual role as twin sons of the legendary Zorro. Soon after the dashing Don Diego Vega inherits his father's famous sword and costume, a broken ankle prevents the masked avenger from fulfilling his heroic ...
Style:
parody, cult classic, funny, witty, humorous ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
zorro, swashbuckler, glbt, sword fight, satire, chivalry, lgbt, chase, destiny, brother brother relationship, vigilante, sword duel ...
Time:
year 1981, 19th century, 80s, victorian era, 1840s
Place:
mexico, latin america, madrid, los angeles, california ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
In this eleven parts British television serial, Charles Ryder's involvement with members of the aristocratic Marchmain/Flyte family is followed throughout the years between the two World Wars.
Style:
costume drama, avant garde, historical drama, sitcom, spiritual ...
Plot:
world war two, friendship, closeted homosexual, gay, atheist, homosexuality, catholicism, homosexual subtext, voice over narration, religion, forbidden love, illicit love ...
Time:
1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 20th century, year 1981
Place:
oxford university, england, venice, paris france
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
249K
Genre: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
When a group of college students finds a mysterious book and recording in the old wilderness cabin they've rented for the weekend, they unwittingly unleash a demonic force from the surrounding forest.
Style:
bloody, splatter, demonic, scary, psychotronic ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, manly, date night, adult
Plot:
gory, zombie, evil dead, demonic possession, supernatural horror, nightmare, demon, monster, extreme violence, violence, sexualized violence, evil ...
Time:
80s, year 1981, 20th century, 70s
Place:
usa, michigan, tennessee, north america
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Zambia, Sweden
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A city-woman moves to a foreign country with her future husband, giving up all the comforts of cosmopolitan life. Life in the countryside finally takes its toll on her, and she finds herself involved sexually with another man
Style:
serious, realistic, gloomy
Plot:
colonialism, nudity, marriage crisis, rural area, violent content, losing-it hero, misfit, love and romance, dull life, couples, culture clash, love affair ...
Time:
1940s, year 1981, 60s, 20th century, year 1960
Place:
zimbabwe, africa, south africa
Is relevant?
4K
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
International terrorists attempt to kidnap a wealthy couples child. Their plan comes unstuck when a deadly Black Mamba, sent by mistake instead of a harmless snake, escapes and the terrorists and several hostages are trapped in the boy's London ...
Style:
grindhouse, psychotronic, natural horror, suspense, slasher ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
snake, creature feature, killer snake, animal attack, terrorism, killer animal, creature, dangerous animal, kaiju, shark, nature, monster ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
london, england, europe
Is relevant?
677
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Music
Country: UK, Austria, Hungary
Duration: 300 min.
TV show
Story:
A huge panorama of Wagner's life and work, from before the 1848 Revolution, through his exile in Switzerland, his rescue by the besotted King Ludwig II of Bavaria to the final triumph at Bayreuth.
Style:
historical drama, serious, realistic, epic, emotional ...
Plot:
composer, opera, musician, classical music, politics, biopic, singing, singer, orchestra, anarchist, classical composer, anti semitism ...
Time:
19th century, 1850s, year 1981, victorian era
Place:
germany, europe, prussia, switzerland, austria ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Comedy
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A rich man's son (Yuen Biao) believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a ...
Style:
cult classic, serious
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
wing chun, martial arts, kung fu, wuxia, kung fu master, fight, ninja, hand to hand combat, kung fu classic, anti hero, power relations, tough heroes ...
Time:
year 1981, 19th century, 1880s
Place:
hong kong, asia, china
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
A group of husbands with their wives participate in a reunion where everybody will find his hidden secret. The methods used are terrible, but usually work. Just usually.
Style:
independent film, fast, tense, serious, psychological ...
Plot:
humiliation, brainwashing, sexual abuse, obesity, trapped, wedding, promotion, torture, death, fistfight, nudity, top executive ...
Time:
year 1981, 20th century, 80s
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Poet/lecturer Charles Serking awakens from his alcoholic haze long enough to take a bus back to L.A. and plunge into an orgy of drink and sexual depravity.
Style:
sexual, erotic, absurd, disturbing, powerful ...
Plot:
poet, alcoholic, passion, ex husband ex wife relationship, arrest, addiction, prostitute, teenage life, self mutilation, suicide attempt, binge drinking, drunkenness ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s
Place:
los angeles, usa, california
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
