Best Movies of 1980
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Movies of 1980" contains films with the following parameters. Style: eighties, talky, realistic, cult classic, melancholic and serious. Plot: storytelling, dialogue, runaway, mentor, catastrophe, violence, culture clash, chase, brutality and adaptation. Genre: Drama, Comedy and Adventure. Country: USA, UK and Canada.
Best Movies of 1980
TOP Movies: Raging Bull (1980), The Fog (1980), Superman II (1980), Atlantic City (1980), Ordinary People (1980), The Shining (1980), Airplane! (1980), The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Elephant Man (1980), Shogun (1980), The Changeling (1980), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Fame (1980), Somewhere in Time (1980), Caddyshack (1980), Hero at Large (1980), Friday the 13th (1980), Melvin and Howard (1980), The Long Good Friday (1980).
List of Best Movies
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky ...
Style:
futuristic, epic, visually stunning, cult classic, action packed ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, chick flick, family friendly, boys' night ...
Plot:
star wars, space opera, outer space, space and aliens, sword fight, spacecraft, space travel, space battle, alien, creature, mentor, jedi ...
Time:
future, 20th century, year 1980, 80s
Place:
space western
Is relevant?
407K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his ...
Style:
bloody, breathtaking, depressing, harsh, cerebral ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
boxing, character study, redemption, rise and fall, boxer, violent, bad temper, brutality, mafia, jealousy, dysfunctional family, rage ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, 1940s, year 1980, 60s ...
Place:
new york, bronx new york city, chicago, italy, florida ...
Is relevant?
91K
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
Strange things begin to occurs as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses ...
Style:
gothic, creepy, atmospheric, suspenseful, slasher ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
lighthouse, ghost, revenge, supernatural horror, haunted house, small town, blood, radio station, sword, campfire story, murder, chase ...
Time:
80s, year 1980, 70s, 20th century, year 1979
Place:
california, northern california, usa, pacific ocean
Is relevant?
124K
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Three escaped criminals from the planet Krypton test the Man of Steel's mettle. Led by Gen. Zod, the Kryptonians take control of the White House and partner with Lex Luthor to destroy Superman and rule the world. But Superman, who attempts to ...
Style:
saga, breathtaking, exciting, epic, cult classic ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, teens, boys' night, pre-teens
Plot:
superhero, superhuman powers, alien invasion, revenge, space and aliens, niagara falls, superman, superpower, female alien, prison escape, villain, space ...
Time:
80s, year 1980, year 2016
Place:
washington d.c., new york, usa, idaho, north america ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: France, Canada
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Lou, a small time gangster who thinks he used to be something big, meets and falls for a sexy casino employee named Sally. She needs his help realizing her dream of going to Monte Carlo, a symbol of the glamorous life that she has been looking for ...
Style:
cult classic, neo noir, realistic, aesthetic, cynical ...
Plot:
casino, gangster, gambling, murder, older man younger woman relationship, drug, voyeurism, mafia, mobster, cocaine, passion, redemption ...
Time:
year 1980, 20th century, 70s
Place:
new jersey, philadelphia, atlantic city new jersey, atlantic city, california ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always preferred his brother and is having ...
Style:
depressing, realistic, crying, sentimental, compassionate ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
dysfunctional family, therapy, suicide attempt, suicide, grief, coming of age, depression, psychiatrist, alienation, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, loner ...
Time:
20th century, year 1980, 70s, 80s
Place:
chicago, usa, illinois, houston texas, middle east ...
Is relevant?
1.2M
Genre: Drama, Horror
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 146 min.
Story:
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
Style:
psychological, suspense, scary, disturbing, atmospheric ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
isolation, hotel, insanity, supernatural, psychopath, stephen king, ghost, snow, imaginary friend, danger, evil, haunting ...
Time:
20th century, year 1980, 80s, 1920s, 70s
Place:
colorado, denver colorado, persia, usa, miami ...
Is relevant?
285K
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Alcoholic pilot, Ted Striker has developed a fear of flying due to wartime trauma, but nevertheless boards a passenger jet in an attempt to woo back his stewardess girlfriend. Food poisoning decimates the passengers and crew, leaving it up to ...
Style:
parody, spoof, absurd, slapstick, funny ...
Audience:
teens, date night, kids
Plot:
airplane, airport, satire, pilot, food poisoning, absurd humor, aviation, stewardess, passenger, disaster, flight attendant, deadpan ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, year 1980, 70s
Place:
los angeles, chicago
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Country: South Africa, Botswana
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
Misery is brought to a small group of Sho in the Kalahari desert in the form of a cola bottle. In his quest to throw the evil object over the edge of the earth, Xixo encounters Western "civilization," a haphazard doctor and a tyranical ...
Style:
funny, light, humorous, cult classic, feel good ...
Audience:
kids, teens, family outing
Plot:
desert, culture clash, tribe, wilderness, on the road, rivalry, danger, heartwarming, wild animal, african, road trip, animal ...
Time:
year 1980, 80s, 20th century, 70s
Place:
africa, south africa, cape town south africa
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Music, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
Jake Blues is just out of jail, and teams up with his brother, Elwood on a 'mission from God' to raise funds for the orphanage in which they grew up. The only thing they can do is do what they do best – play music – so they get their ...
Style:
funny, road movie, hilarious, surreal, action comedy ...
Audience:
kids, boys' night, teen drama
Plot:
music, chase, prison, blues, race against time, road trip, car chase, redemption, musician, police chase, on the road, nun ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1980
Place:
chicago, illinois, indiana, arizona, usa ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph ...
Style:
emotional, touching, psychological, sad, poignant ...
Audience:
family outing, teens
Plot:
disability, hospital, dignity, freak, melancholy, disfigurement, social misfits, cruelty, isolation, hopes, biopic, humanism ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, ancient times, 20th century, turn of the century ...
Place:
england, london, britain, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 159 min.
Story:
In the 16th Century, a Dutch ship sails the Pacific from the Americas in order to escape the Spanish. Blackthorn is the pilot of the ship and the first to realize the possibilities of Japan. Japan is a feudal society which has a strong presence of ...
Style:
realistic, captivating, serious, exciting, saga
Plot:
samurai, feudal japan, seafaring, shogun, jesuit, politics, war, heroes, escapades, betrayal, sword duel, samurai sword ...
Time:
17th century, 16th century, middle ages
Place:
japan, portugal
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Country: Canada
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A man staying at a secluded historical mansion, finds his life being haunted by the presence of a spectre.
Style:
suspense, gothic, creepy, spooky, atmospheric ...
Plot:
haunted house, ghost, isolated house, macabre, haunted, mansion, musician, supernatural, senator, death of wife, revenge, murder ...
Time:
year 1980, victorian era, 20th century, 70s, 1900s ...
Place:
seattle, usa, new york, washington d.c., washington state ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
Style:
sentimental, inspirational, touching, sweet, realistic ...
Plot:
country music, music, female protagonist, biopic, poverty, rags to riches, musician, dysfunctional marriage, musician's life, teenage pregnancy, price of fame, mining ...
Time:
1950s, 1940s, 70s, 20th century, 60s ...
Place:
kentucky, usa, nashville tennessee, appalachia, washington state
Is relevant?
26K
Genre: Drama, Music, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts
Style:
inspirational, teen, retro, realistic, sincere ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, date night, kids, teen drama
Plot:
teenager, music, teacher, high school, audition, coming of age, dancing, dance, father son relationship, mother daughter relationship, piano, musician ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 70s
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa, bronx new york city
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Young writer, Richard Collier is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to, "Come back to me." Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early 1900s. ...
Style:
romantic, sentimental, period piece, sweet, heartbreaking ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
time travel, love story, passion, obsession, time, hotel, playwright, love triangle, supernatural, love and romance, fall in love, love affair ...
Time:
1900s, 80s, year 1980, victorian era, edwardian era ...
Place:
usa, chicago, america, michigan, north america
Is relevant?
134K
Genre: Comedy, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
At an exclusive country club, an ambitious young caddy, Danny Noonan, eagerly pursues a caddy scholarship in hopes of attending college and, in turn, avoiding a job at the lumber yard. In order to succeed, he must first win the favour of the elitist ...
Style:
funny, slapstick, parody, light, intense ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, adult
Plot:
golf, country club, female nudity, nude girl, teenage girl, nudity, public nudity, swimming pool, pregnant teenager, bare breasts, peeping tom, passionate kiss ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 70s
Place:
nebraska, usa, seattle, canada
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
An idealistic but struggling actor finds his life unexpectedly complicated when he stops a robbery while wearing the costume of Captain Avenger, a superhero character of a film he is hired to to promote. He decides to dabble at being a superhero ...
Style:
offbeat, semi serious, realistic, witty, humorous ...
Audience:
kids
Plot:
superhero, superhero spoof, unemployment, mistaken identity, comedy of errors, heroes, politics, rescue, crime fighter, anti hero, disorder, righting the wronged ...
Time:
year 1980, 70s, 80s
Place:
new york, new jersey
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning.
Style:
slasher, suspense, classic horror, cult classic, teen horror ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, murder, maniac, camp, gory, summer camp, revenge, psycho killer, teenager, disturbed individual, summer, blood ...
Time:
1950s, 80s, year 2016, 70s, 20th century ...
Place:
new jersey, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
The story of hard-luck Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes.
Style:
cult classic, humorous, funny, game show, semi serious ...
Plot:
desert, working class, bittersweet, redemption, christmas, howard hughes, female nudity, ugly duckling, nude girl, american history, divorce, wedding ...
Time:
year 1980, 70s, 20th century, 80s
Place:
las vegas, utah, california, usa, los angeles ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand, a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for a future ...
Style:
neo noir, cynical, harsh, atmospheric, tense ...
Audience:
manly, boys' night
Plot:
gangster, ira, organized crime, mafia, crime boss, terrorist, car bomb, danger, revenge, rivalry, criminal's revenge, murder ...
Time:
70s, year 1980, 80s, 20th century
Place:
england, ireland, london, britain, europe ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
A mysterious, tall, blonde woman, wearing sunglasses murders one of a psychiatrist's patients, and now she's after the prostitute who witnessed it.
Style:
sexy, neo noir, erotic, slasher horror, tense ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
murder mystery, serial killer, psychopath, voyeurism, female nudity, murder, voyeur, infidelity, blonde, psycho killer, sexual content, sexual desire ...
Time:
year 1980, 20th century, 70s, 80s
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant?
21K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.
Style:
realistic, factual, suspense, harsh, serious ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
prison, corruption, prison warden, abuse of power, undercover, prison escape, fighting the system, justice, abuse, liberal, murder, politics ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 60s
Place:
arkansas, louisiana, columbus ohio, southern usa, california ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
43K
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
Frank Hart is a pig. He takes advantage in the grossest manner of the women who work with him. When his three assistants manage to trap him in his own house they assume control of his department and productivity leaps, but just how long can they ...
Style:
funny, retro, light, rom com, witty ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night, teens, girls' night
Plot:
workplace, female protagonist, revenge, feminist, strong female lead, satire, girl power, sexual harassment, kidnapping, farce, marijuana, fighting the system ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 70s
Place:
california, los angeles, usa, new york, seattle ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Clifford Peach (Chris Makepeace), an easygoing teenager, is finding less than easy to fit in at his new high school, where a tough-talking bully (Matt Dillon) terrorizes his classmates and extorts their lunch money. Refusing to pay up, Clifford ...
Style:
realistic, entertaining, humorous, feel good, touching ...
Audience:
teens, kids, family outing, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
high school, teenager, bodyguard, coming of age, school bully, grandmother grandson relationship, motorcycle, bully, boy, father son relationship, swimming pool, child protagonist ...
Time:
year 1980, 20th century, 70s, 80s
Place:
chicago, usa, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Three twentieth century astronauts travel through a time warp and crash on Earth in 3085 A.D.. One of the astronauts is killed in the impact, and the two survivors, Alan Virdon and Pete Burke, find that they have returned to an Earth where their ...
Style:
action adventure, suspenseful, melancholic, psychotronic, futuristic
Plot:
planet of the apes, ape, time travel, astronaut, travel, post apocalyptic, escape, dystopia, post apocalypse, survival, ancient civilization, court martial ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
A research scientist (William Hurt) explores the boundaries and frontiers of consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from native American shamans, he explores these altered states of consciousness and finds that memory, ...
Style:
atmospheric, psychedelic, psychological, surreal, scary ...
Plot:
drug, science, surrealism, obsession, experiment gone awry, male nudity, hallucination, body horror, transformation, psychology, mad scientist, insanity ...
Time:
20th century, future, 70s, year 1967, 60s ...
Place:
harvard university, bronx new york city, san francisco, california, boston ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, War
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
A veteran sergeant of the World War I leads a squad in World War II, always in the company of the survivor Pvt. Griff, the writer Pvt. Zab, the Sicilian Pvt. Vinci and Pvt. Johnson in Vichy French Africa, Sicily, D-Day at Omaha Beach, Belgium and ...
Style:
bleak, realistic, semi autobiographical, cynical, political ...
Plot:
world war two, military, infantry, war, hospital, soldier, nazi soldier, world war, desert, great war, sniper, sergeant ...
Time:
1940s, year 1943, year 1942, year 1980, 1910s ...
Place:
africa, america, sicily, europe, normandy ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Country: Italy
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A rich farmer is well known for being very unkind. He's misanthropic, misogynous and cantankerous. Until he meets by chance a gorgeous girl...
Style:
romantic, humorous, erotic, witty, funny ...
Plot:
unlikely couple, opposites attract, battle of the sexes, vineyard, playing footsie, love and romance, strange person, farmer, snobbism, change of heart, disorder, female nudity ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, 80s
Place:
italy
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 219 min.
Story:
Harvard graduate James Averill (Kris Kristofferson) is the sheriff of prosperous Jackson County, Wyo., when a battle erupts between the area's poverty-stricken immigrants and its wealthy cattle farmers. The politically connected ranch owners ...
Style:
epic, period piece, controversial, erotic, talky ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
violence, immigrant, cattle ranch, epic battle, ranch, skinny dipping, prostitute, brothel, culture clash, gunfight, controversy, female nudity ...
Time:
19th century, 1890s, year 1980, 1800s, 1870s ...
Place:
montana, wyoming, usa, harvard university, america ...
Is relevant?
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