Drama / Crime / Erotic / Mystery
1980
American Gigolo
Armani, a hit single and a loneliness you can almost wear.
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Mystery movies from the 80s
Mystery movies of the 1980s moved between classic investigations, psychological thrillers, horror, crime and science fiction.
Whether uncovering a murder, conspiracy or something far stranger, these films used unanswered questions to pull audiences into some of the decade's darkest and most unusual stories.
51 movies so far
Mystery movies
Slasher / Horror / Crime / Teen / Thriller / Psychological Thriller / Psychological Horror / Crime Thriller / Mystery / Suspense / Independent / Splatter / Exploitation
1980
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th: mortality and friendship, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Horror / Supernatural / Supernatural Horror / Mystery / Slasher / Splatter / Thriller / Drama / Fantasy
1980
Inferno
Inferno: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Horror / Thriller / Mystery
1980
The Changeling
The Changeling: family and the safety of home, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / War / Mystery / Time-travel
1980
The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown: fear and isolation, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Horror / Mystery / Ghost / Slasher / Supernatural Horror / Independent / Thriller / Suspense / Drama / Supernatural
1980
The Fog
A radio voice, a lighthouse and a sea of revenge — Stevie Wayne stands between Antonio Bay and the fog.
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Crime / Mystery / Science Fiction / Political Thriller
1980
The Formula
The Formula: corporate power and exploitation, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Crime / Mystery
1980
The Mirror Crack'd
The Mirror Crack'd: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Horror / Psychological Horror / Drama / Mystery / Ghost / Supernatural Horror / Thriller / Psychological Thriller / Psychological Drama / Suspense
1980
The Shining
A hotel that remembers you — and a man who forgets who he is.
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Horror / Science Fiction / Mystery / Ghost
1980
The Watcher in the Woods
The Watcher in the Woods: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.
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Crime / Mystery / Political Thriller / Neo-noir / Drama / Suspense / Action / Independent / Police Procedural / Thriller / Psychological Drama / Psychological Thriller / Crime Drama / Crime Thriller
1981
Blow Out
A detective story where the clues are on a tape, and the investigator listens harder than anyone else.
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Neo-noir / Mystery / Erotic Thriller / Drama / Erotic / Thriller
1981
Body Heat
Heat, greed and a lawyer who forgot to say no.
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Horror / Zombie / Science Fiction / Mystery
1981
Dead & Buried
Dead & Buried: mortality and fear, and why this 1981 movie still matters.
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Vigilante / Rape And Revenge / Girls With Guns / Horror / Drama / Thriller / Exploitation / Neo-noir / Action / Crime / Crime Drama / Crime Thriller / Independent / Mystery / Suspense
1981
Ms. 45
Ms. 45: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.
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Thriller / Science Fiction / Mystery / Horror / Action
1981
Scanners
Telepathy, corporate control and one of cinema’s most unforgettable practical stunts.
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Musical / Heist / Mystery / Comedy
1981
The Great Muppet Caper
The Great Muppet Caper: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.
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Mystery / Comedy Thriller / LGBTQ-related / Crime
1982
Deathtrap
Deathtrap: the safety of home and fear, and why this 1982 movie still matters.
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Horror / LGBTQ-related / Giallo / Mystery / Exploitation / Thriller / Psychological Horror / Suspense / Psychological Drama / Psychological Thriller / Drama / Slasher
1982
Tenebrae
Tenebrae: the safety of home and mortality, and why this 1982 movie still matters.
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Horror / Science Fiction / Mystery / Body Horror / Science Fiction Horror / Monster / Drama / Splatter / Thriller / Survival / Action / Suspense
1982
The Thing
A frozen outpost, a dog, and a man who must choose who to trust — The Thing still knows how to make suspicion feel like a physical thing.
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Horror / Mystery / Drama / Thriller / Supernatural Horror / Supernatural / Fantasy / Action / Teen / Suspense / Science Fiction
1983
Christine
Obsession, adolescence and a car that won't let go.
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Horror / Adventure / Thriller / Mystery / Natural Horror / Suspense / Drama / Action
1983
Jaws 3-D
Jaws 3-D: freedom and authority, and why this 1983 movie still matters.
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Horror / Mystery / Thriller
1983
Psycho II
Psycho II: family and the safety of home, and why this 1983 movie still matters.
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Horror / Science Fiction / Political Thriller / Science Fiction Horror / Suspense / Thriller / Supernatural Horror / Psychological Thriller / Psychological Horror / Psychological Drama / Drama / Independent / Fantasy / Mystery / Supernatural
1983
The Dead Zone
A quiet schoolteacher, an awful glimpse of tomorrow and the heavy work of knowing too much.
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Horror / War / Drama / Supernatural Horror / Fantasy / Suspense / Thriller / Mystery
1983
The Keep
The Keep: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1983 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / Adventure / Drama / Mystery
1984
2010: The Year We Make Contact
2010: The Year We Make Contact: our relationship with technology and humanity, and why this 1984 movie still matters.
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Mystery / Thriller / Horror / Erotic Thriller / Erotic / Crime Drama / Crime Thriller / Crime / Drama / Slasher / Psychological Drama / Psychological Horror / Suspense / Neo-noir / Satirical / Psychological Thriller
1984
Body Double
A film about watching — and about what watching does to the watcher.
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Action / Mystery / Spy / Crime
1984
Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger: family and freedom, and why this 1984 movie still matters.
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Action / Science Fiction / Drama / Mystery / Biographical / Time-travel
1984
The Philadelphia Experiment
The Philadelphia Experiment: loss and authority, and why this 1984 movie still matters.
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Horror / Thriller / Adventure / Mystery / Comedy
1985
Cat's Eye
Cat's Eye: family and fear, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Horror / Science Fiction Horror / Action / Zombie / Thriller / Drama / Independent / Splatter / Post-apocalyptic / Mystery / Suspense / Dystopian
1985
Day of the Dead
A bunker drama with zombies, a scientist who won a festival, and a soldier who won't listen.
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Horror / Thriller / Suspense / Drama / Mystery / Action / Supernatural Horror / Supernatural / Zombie
1985
Demons
Demons: freedom and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Romantic Comedy / Mystery / Drama
1985
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan: authority and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy / Crime / Mystery
1985
Fletch
Fletch: greed and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Teen / Mystery / Christmas
1985
Young Sherlock Holmes
Young Sherlock Holmes: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Horror / Slasher / Mystery
1986
April Fool's Day
April Fool's Day: friendship and mortality, and why this 1986 movie still matters.
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Mystery / Thriller / Drama
1986
Blue Velvet
A severed ear, a curious student and a town that isn’t what it seems.
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Neo-noir / Independent / Crime Thriller / Psychological Thriller / Crime / Horror / Thriller / Mystery / Drama / Crime Drama / Psychological Drama / Psychological Horror
1986
Manhunter
Profiling, loneliness and the thin line between hunter and hunted.
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Crime / Thriller / Mystery / Horror / Drama / Medieval
1986
The Name of the Rose
A murder mystery where books are as fragile — and dangerous — as secrets.
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Neo-noir / Fantasy / Mystery / Erotic Thriller / Erotic / Horror / Satanic
1987
Angel Heart
Angel Heart: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.
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Monster / Comedy Horror / Horror / Comedy / Fantasy / Anthology / Thriller / Black Comedy / Mystery / Slasher / Science Fiction Horror
1987
Creepshow 2
Creepshow 2: freedom and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.
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Psychological Thriller / Erotic Thriller / Mystery / Drama / Thriller / Erotic
1987
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.
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Horror / Fantasy / Zombie / Supernatural Horror / Supernatural / Religious Horror / Suspense / Mystery / Thriller
1987
Prince of Darkness
Prince of Darkness: fear and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.
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Neo-noir / Horror / Drama / Mystery
1987
The Believers
The Believers: the safety of home and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.
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Horror / Mystery / Psychological Horror Fiction / Slasher
1988
Child's Play
Child's Play: family and freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.
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Drama / Horror / Psychological Thriller / Mystery / Psychological Horror / Body Horror / Thriller / Psychological Drama / Suspense
1988
Dead Ringers
Revisiting Dead Ringers and the reasons it still deserves to be watched.
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Crime / Action / Thriller / Mystery
1988
Frantic
Frantic: our relationship with technology and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1988 movie still matters.
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Comedy / Teen / Coming-of-age / Mystery
1988
Heathers
Heathers: peer pressure and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.
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Horror / Zombie / Supernatural / Supernatural Horror / Fantasy / Adventure / Suspense / Thriller / Folk Horror / Mystery
1988
The Serpent and the Rainbow
The Serpent and the Rainbow: mortality and lifespan and corporate power, and why this 1988 movie still matters.
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Crime / Mystery / Comedy
1989
Fletch Lives
Fletch Lives: family and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.
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Comedy Drama / Horror / Adventure / Mystery
1989
The 'Burbs
Suburban suspicion, small-time vigilantes — and one man who would rather spy than sunbathe.
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Science Fiction / Adventure / Drama / Mystery
1989
The Abyss
Deep-sea scares, a tense countdown and a foreman who keeps everyone breathing.
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