I don’t often think of the 80s as being the pinnacle of cinema. That was the decade of my childhood, so I remember vividly going to see a number of terrible films that I loved then, and have mostly forgotten now. I still feel that the 80s is a relatively weak decade, especially compared to the 60s and 70s, but this year in particular was surprisingly strong. The top three are extremely important films and would be near or the top of the list in any year. I have yet to do a best of the decade, but these films will unquestionably be featured prominently.

There are some schlocky, silly movies, like Re-Animator, Fletch, Pee Wee, and Return of the Living Dead. A couple of those are guilty pleasures, and some have simply held up. They are like a theme park compared to the serious top three. The 80s may have had some bad mainstream movies, but there is no shortage in cult comedies.

The one title is noticeably absent from this list is Back to the Future. I remember loving the movie as a child, even purchasing the novelization (not exactly high literature) and seeing it a few times. As I’ve grown older and seen it multiple times, I have become less fond of the movie. It just seems yet another one of those formulaic, mainstream adventure comedies. It is still better than most, but not one of the best.

1. Ran
2. Shoah
3. Come and See
4. Brazil
5. Vagabond
6. Purple Rose of Cairo
7. Breakfast Club
8. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
9. After Hours
10. Lost in America
11. When Father Was Away on Business
12. My Beautiful Laundrette
13. Re-Animator
14. Fletch
15. Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
16. Tracked
17. My Life as a Dog
18. Return of the Living Dead
19. Pale Rider
20. No End