The 1980s produced so many great movies that many absolute gems have been overlooked, but there are some films that deserve to be revered as classics. Cinema peaked in the ’80s, and nearly every genre was pumping out all-time greats on a yearly basis. Hollywood movies embodied spectacle, while world cinema also began expanding into new territories.
The best ’80s movies will always be beloved, but there are B and even C tier films that go above and beyond their contemporaries. The rise of home video changed the way movies performed, and box office bombs could find new life as rental favorites. With the advent of streaming, older films can finally connect with their intended audiences.
From bold comedies to shocking horror flicks, nothing was off the table in the 1980s. With viewers desperate to find the next great hidden gem, there are ’80s movies screaming to be rediscovered and revered. Some deserve the distinction more than others, and will likely be considered classics sooner or later.
Top Secret! (1984)
Often overshadowed by Airplane and The Naked Gun, Top Secret! is the Zucker brothers at the height of their screwball comedy powers. The goofy flick stars Val Kilmer as an American singer who gets caught up in a resistance movement during WWII. The plot is unimportant, and is mostly just a setting for the wacky visual gags.
Top Secret! is a comedy that demands multiple viewings to be fully appreciated. Every frame is stuffed with jokes, some of which only become apparent in retrospect. ’80s comedies haven’t faded in popularity, but Top Secret! is still overlooked decades later. With comedy in short supply in the modern day, the Zucker brothers gem is soon to be rediscovered.
Near Dark (1987)
Near Dark was released the same year as The Lost Boys, and the gritty vampire film was overshadowed by its more successful contemporary. After getting turned into a vampire by a mysterious woman, a young man joins their roving band. Bleak and action-packed, Near Dark is unlike any other vampire film from the era.
The Kathryn Bigelow movie combines elements of western and horror to create a unique blending of tones. The vampires are gruesome and cynical, and it eschews the romance of gothic horror in favor of gross-out chills. The film bombed and was hard to come by for years, so Near Dark is only now beginning to find its intended audience.
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Richard Pryor’s honest and raw biopic got mixed reviews upon release, and is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. Pryor stars as a fictionalized version of himself, who remembers his life as a comedian while in a coma. Though light on Pryor’s usual bombastic humor, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling is a compelling watch.
Taking moments from his own life and dramatizing them, Pryor lets the audience into his own personal struggles, and it humanizes the legendary comic. Jo Jo Dancer is so unlike other biopics that it deserves attention on that score alone, but it’s also just a well-made movie. Thanks to its Criterion Collection release, the film is widely available again.
Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters (1985)
Writer/director Paul Schrader is a tough artist to pin down, and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is nothing like his famous works. The film chronicles the rise and fall of Japanese author, Yukio Mishima, by dramatizing his life alongside adaptations of his novels. The movie has a staged quality, reflecting an almost theatrical approach to storytelling.
There are no movies like Mishima, which is what makes it such an interesting experience. It is a bit more inaccessible than Schrader’s other films, but that alienation is part of the film’s message. The biopic has been a part of arthouse film circles for decades, but mainstream success remains elusive. As such, it may stay an underrated gem forever.
Southern Comfort (1981)
One of the highlights of the killer hillbilly genre, Southern Comfort deserves a spot among the all-time greats of ’80s cinema. A group of soldiers performs a training exercise in the swamps of Louisiana, only to enrage the locals who begin to hunt them down. The shocking and atmospheric thriller is one of the best rednexploitation movies ever.
With well-written characters and legitimately spooky moments, Southern Comfort is much deeper than what’s on the surface. The film is a commentary about the Vietnam War, but never gets too bogged down in its message. The movie was a box office failure, which is why it still isn’t well-known today. However, its reputation as a survival horror gem is ᴀssured.
Lost In America (1985)
The best movies from the ’80s usually capture something of the zeitgeist of the moment, and Albert Brooks’ Lost in America certainly does that. A couple decide to cash in their nest egg and live a life on the road, only for their plans to immediately fall apart. Brooks’ wit is unmatched, and the movie brilliantly skewers Baby Boomer culture.
Like all of Albert Brooks’ directorial efforts, Lost in America underperformed despite a slew of great reviews. Only in retrospect has the movie begun to get the love it so rightly deserves, mostly because its goofy prognostications have all come true. Though headier than most comedies, Lost in America has few rivals in terms of laughs.
House Of Games (1987)
Playwright and author David Mamet is also an accomplished filmmaker, but movies like House of Games have fallen to the wayside. A psychiatrist becomes obsessed with the world of con artists and falls in with a huckster who shows her the ropes. The neo-noir thriller keeps viewers guessing until the very end, and is a masterclass in suspense.
House of Games missed the 1990s thriller boom by a few years. However, it’s one of the most taut gems of the decade, and deserves as much credit as Mamet’s more famous films. Its small scale didn’t allow it to stand out during the flashy final days of the 1980s, but it demands a second look in the modern day.
Alien Nation (1988)
Science fiction exploded in popularity in the 1980s, and Alien Nation was a film that was bowled over by more successful hits. The story concerns a hardened cop whose new partner is an alien whose race arrived on Earth as refugees years earlier. It blends sci-fi with buddy cop tropes, and throws in a heaping helping of noir visuals too.
Alien Nation spawned a short-lived TV series as well as several TV movies.
The movie was a modest financial success, but quickly gained a cult following thanks to its extended media universe. Alien Nation isn’t perfect, but its messaging about discrimination and immigration is particularly prescient in the 21st century. It’s the sort of small-scale sci-fi film that doesn’t get made anymore, and for that it earns a spot among other ’80s greats.
Black Rain (1989)
Ridley Scott’s filmography has its fair share of hidden gems, but few shine as brightly as Black Rain. Two cops capture a notorious Japanese criminal and return him to his home country, only to get embroiled in a mob conflict. Drenched in ’80s noir, Black Rain looks a lot like Scott’s earlier film, Blade Runner.
The movie got poor reviews at the time, and is still largely overlooked in favor of bigger blockbusters. However, Black Rain has wall-to-wall action and is a nice blend of thriller and noir tropes. The movie is now regarded as a cult classic, but Black Rain might soon just drop the cult aspect from the equation.
The Long Good Friday (1980)
The Long Good Friday isn’t as underrated in its native UK, but the film hasn’t garnered enough attention around the globe. A British mobster attempts to court the American mafia into his business ventures, only for his empire to begin to crumble. Bob Hoskins turns in a stellar lead performance, and the film never takes its foot off the gas.
Crime thrillers are a dime-a-dozen, but The Long Good Friday has a unique sense of humor that doesn’t detract from its suspense. Unfortunately, Hollywood films usually dominate the conversation when it comes to 1980s cinema, but The Long Good Friday is far superior to many established classics.
