Movies from the 80s

9 to 5: the safety of home and authority, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A pilot who can’t fly, a plane full of nonsense — and the odd inflatable hero called Otto.

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A head-trip that never forgets the man at its centre: curiosity, marriage and a tank of trouble.

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Armani, a hit single and a loneliness you can almost wear.

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Any Which Way You Can: courage and heroism, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Battle Beyond the Stars: fear and family, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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War, orders and the politics of blame.

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Brubaker: mortality and greed, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Slobs, snobs and one remarkably relaxed golfer.

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Can't Stop the Music: love and friendship, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Cannibal Holocaust: loss and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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City of the Living Dead: family and mortality, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Coal Miner's Daughter: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Undercover, unsettled and uncomfortably watchable — Steve Burns is why you should look again.

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Voyeurs, doubles and a very composed doctor.

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Fame: family and corporate power, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Brash heroics, operatic spectacle and a Queen soundtrack — Flash Gordon wears its pulp heart on its sleeve.

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Friday the 13th: mortality and friendship, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Inferno: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Little Darlings: family and love, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Maniac: mortality and family, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Melvin and Howard: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Motel Hell: heroism and freedom, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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My Bodyguard: courage and friendship, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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New Year's Evil: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Grief, family tension and one father trying to keep things from falling apart.

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Popeye: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Private Benjamin: family and love, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Prom Night: mortality and lifespan and loss, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Raging Bull: family and courage, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Raise the Titanic: exploitation, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Seems Like Old Times: the safety of home and family, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A love so determined it teaches itself to travel.

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A harsher lesson in heroism: mentorship, bad luck and the cost of growing up in a galaxy far, far away.

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Stir Crazy: greed and consumerism, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Love, duty and a handful of Kryptonians — Superman II asks what a hero gives up to be human.

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Terror Train: mortality, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Big Red One: heroism and courage, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Blue Lagoon: family and mortality, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Blues Brothers: authority and freedom, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Changeling: family and the safety of home, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Competition: family, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Dogs of War: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A film that asks us to look — and not to turn away.

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The Exterminator: family and fear, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Final Countdown: fear and isolation, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A radio voice, a lighthouse and a sea of revenge — Stevie Wayne stands between Antonio Bay and the fog.

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The Formula: corporate power and exploitation, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Hunter: mortality and lifespan and the safety of home, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Island: family and freedom, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A gangster who wants a boardroom as much as a fiefdom — and pays for both.

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Harold Shand thinks he owns London. One very bad weekend is about to prove otherwise.

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The Mirror Crack'd: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Ninth Configuration: humanity and authority, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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A hotel that remembers you — and a man who forgets who he is.

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The Stunt Man: authority and freedom, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Watcher in the Woods: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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The Young Master: heroism and courage, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Urban Cowboy: family and the safety of home, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Xanadu: love and family, and why this 1980 movie still matters.

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Absence of Malice: love and friendship, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A ghost, a bite and a man trying not to become a monster — and somehow all three stay interesting.

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An Eye for an Eye: courage and authority, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A detective story where the clues are on a tape, and the investigator listens harder than anyone else.

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Heat, greed and a lawyer who forgot to say no.

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Running for pride, belief and the thin line between them.

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A labour of gods, monsters and one man who won't be pushed around.

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Continental Divide: love, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Dark Night of the Scarecrow: family and mortality, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Authority, steel and a very small boat: why Der Alte still steers Das Boot.

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Dead & Buried: mortality and fear, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Dragonslayer: heroism and parents protecting their children, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Endless Love: family and love, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Escape from New York: freedom and heroism, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Escape to Victory: freedom, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Myth, a sword and a man being made — Excalibur still asks what makes a king.

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Revisiting Eye of the Needle and the reasons it still deserves to be watched.

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A quieter Bond with teeth — revenge, a sunken spy ship and surprisingly human stakes.

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Friday the 13th Part 2: mortality and loss, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Galaxy of Terror: fear and parents protecting their children, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A sprinting friendship that runs straight into history — and doesn't let you look away.

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Ghost Story: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Laurie Strode, a hospital corridor and a revelation that rewrites everything — Halloween II doubles down and gets messy in the best 80s way.

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Happy Birthday to Me: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Knightriders: family and courage, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Looker: our relationship with technology and consumerism, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Petrol, fury and a man who would rather ride away — Mad Max 2 still hits like a fistful of sand.

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Modern Problems: the safety of home and friendship, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Ms. 45: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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My Bloody Valentine: courage and parents protecting their children, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Neighbors: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Nighthawks: the safety of home and authority, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Omen III: The Final Conflict: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A summer cottage, a stubborn old man and a boy who quietly upends the whole family.

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Outland: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Possession: family and love, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Prince of the City: authority, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Quest for Fire: mortality and freedom, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A museum-minded professor, a globe-trotting chase and a very particular taste in religious artefacts.

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A movie about witness, appetite and the private cost of public conviction.

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Roar: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Telepathy, corporate control and one of cinema’s most unforgettable practical stunts.

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Sharky's Machine: the safety of home and authority, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Southern Comfort: mortality and lifespan and loss, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A ragged platoon, one endlessly inventive idiot, and the sort of male friendship that still makes you grin.

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Taps: freedom and authority, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Tarzan, the Ape Man: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Beyond: the safety of home and loss, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Boogens: family and love, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Burning: fear and freedom, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Cannonball Run: authority and fear, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Evil Dead: fear and freedom, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A childhood friendship that learns the hard way what loyalty and duty actually cost.

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The French Lieutenant's Woman: love and loss, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Funhouse: fear and greed, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Great Muppet Caper: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The House by the Cemetery: the safety of home and loss, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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A TV reporter, a therapist's retreat and an appetite for practical prosthetics — The Howling still bites.

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The Incredible Shrinking Woman: freedom, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Legend of the Lone Ranger: courage and heroism, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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The Prowler: the safety of home and mortality, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Thief: family and the safety of home, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Frank can open almost any safe in Chicago. Getting out of the life proves considerably harder.

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A child's map, six small thieves and a very big imagination.

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Wolfen: fear and humanity, and why this 1981 movie still matters.

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Two days, one cop who cuts corners, and the partner he absolutely didn't ask for.

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Amityville II: The Possession: family and the safety of home, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A hard-edged coming-of-age wrapped in military drill, unexpected tenderness and one stubborn loner.

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Annie: family and freedom, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Four engineered years, a handful of memories and a detective who isn’t sure he wants to do his job.

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Cat People: love and loss, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Class of 1984: family and the safety of home, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A musclebound quest that talks about steel, fate and how to be remade by violence.

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Five nasty little tales, a comic-book wrapper and one perfectly awkward professor.

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Death Wish II: family and the safety of home, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Deathtrap: the safety of home and fear, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A wedding on the horizon, a diner as confessional — and one man's doubt that makes the rest of them stop pretending.

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A story about a lonely boy, a stranded stranger and the small, uncanny bravery of childhood.

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Evil Under the Sun: friendship and peer pressure, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A family drama where theatre, childhood fancy and a stubborn bishop collide — and Alexander refuses to be small.

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Teenage hormones, mall jobs and one surfer who won't be quiet about it.

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Firefox: family and the safety of home, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A small-town arrest turns into a jungle lesson about soldiers nobody taught to come home.

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Fitzcarraldo: belief in the supernatural and exploitation, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Friday the 13th Part III: the safety of home and fear, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A long, careful movie about a very particular kind of courage: the refusal to meet violence with violence.

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Halloween III: Season of the Witch: family and freedom, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Megaforce: fear and friendship, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Missing: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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My Favorite Year: family and courage, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Night Shift: authority and love, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A rock-star unravel on film: loud, strange and still oddly intimate.

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A suburban home, a frightened child and a television that isn't just background noise — Poltergeist still makes the domestic uncanny feel dangerously familiar.

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Rocky III: mortality and lifespan and courage, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A woman's past refuses to stay in the past — and Zofia keeps pulling the film with her.

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: parents protecting their children and fear, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Swamp Thing: freedom and fear, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Tenebrae: the safety of home and mortality, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Beastmaster: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: love and our relationship with technology, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A puppet epic about a broken world — and the quiet Gelfling who must fix it.

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The Last American Virgin: the safety of home and friendship, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Last Unicorn: mortality and lifespan and loss, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Plague Dogs: freedom and loss, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Secret of NIMH: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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The Sword and the Sorcerer: family and freedom, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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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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The Toy: family and friendship, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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A one-case comeback: morality, mistake and a lawyer with nothing left to lose.

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The Year of Living Dangerously: mortality and lifespan, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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An actor in drag discovers how the world really treats women.

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A film about authorship, arcade‑style justice and a man who literally has to fight for his credit.

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A clever musical about disguise, showbiz and the friendships that make it bearable.

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Zapped!: family and the safety of home, and why this 1982 movie still matters.

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Nine years old, a single-minded wish, and a narrator who never lets you forget it.

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A maverick pilot, a flying surveillance machine and a paranoid 1980s that still feels eerily familiar.

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Obsession, adolescence and a car that won't let go.

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A mother, a boy and a locked car — Donna Trenton holds the line.

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De Lift: corporate power and our relationship with technology, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Easy Money: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A working‑class hairdresser, an exasperated tutor and a lesson that changes both of them.

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Flashdance: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Jaws 3-D: freedom and authority, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Local Hero: corporate power and greed, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Lone Wolf McQuade: heroism and parents protecting their children, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A very British banquet of bodily comedy, institutional savaging and one famously explosive dinner.

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Mr. Mom: family and consumerism, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A disastrously planned holiday that somehow still makes you laugh — and wince.

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Sean Connery comes back, the nukes go missing, and the old Bond gets a very 1980s second act.

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A Fabergé egg, a travelling circus and the Cold War — Bond still does spectacle like a Trojan horse.

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Psycho II: family and the safety of home, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A suburban teenager, a one‑night business and the day ambition learned to look dangerous.

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A refugee's hunger for respect turns into reckless rule — and a very expensive mess.

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Sleepaway Camp: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: mortality and lifespan and mortality, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Sudden Impact: fear and friendship, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Superman III: our relationship with technology and courage, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A sharp, sentimental and sometimes infuriating love story — mostly between a mother and her impossible daughter.

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A funeral, a stack of records and a weekender where old promises get examined.

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The Black Stallion Returns: friendship and freedom, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A quiet schoolteacher, an awful glimpse of tomorrow and the heavy work of knowing too much.

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The Hunger: the safety of home and family, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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The Keep: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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The Man with Two Brains: love and authority, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Ponyboy's voice, a neighbourhood at war, and the moment childhood truly ends.

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A lone test pilot, a public spectacle — and the stubborn shape of American heroism.

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The Survivors: authority, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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To Be or Not to Be: family and the safety of home, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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A rigged bet, a culture-swap and Louis Winthorpe III — still very funny, still very sharp.

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Uncommon Valor: parents protecting their children and family, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Valley Girl: the safety of home and friendship, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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Television as a drug, a weapon and a wound — and Max Renn is the addict in the middle of it.

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A teenage prank that becomes national panic — and a neat little film about humans still being better at meaning than machines.

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Yentl: family and love, and why this 1983 movie still matters.

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2010: The Year We Make Contact: our relationship with technology and humanity, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A Passage to India: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Against All Odds: family and greed, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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All of Me: authority and friendship, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A tale of genius through the jealous eyes of a faithful man — and a confession that never lets you look away.

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Bachelor Party: friendship and love, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A fast-talking cop, a culture clash and a synth hook.

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Birdy: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A small-town crime with very big, very stupid consequences — and Ray is at the centre of the mess.

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A film about watching — and about what watching does to the watcher.

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Breakin': friendship, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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C.H.U.D.: fear and authority, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Children of the Corn: parents protecting their children and family, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Cloak & Dagger: family and freedom, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Conan the Destroyer: courage and love, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Dreamscape: authority and freedom, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A sandstorm of prophecy, politics and prodigy — and Paul Atreides stands square in the middle of it.

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Electric Dreams: love and our relationship with technology, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Firestarter: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Teen rebellion, a ban on dancing and one determined outsider — Footloose still kicks up dust.

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Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A ragged band of scientists, a sardonic frontman and a city that refuses to behave — Ghostbusters still sells the joke.

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A cuddly Christmas present, three simple rules — and a small town that learns what consequences look like.

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A globetrotting pulp rush that’s equal parts kid-rescue thriller and teeth-grinding ritual horror.

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Johnny Dangerously: loss and mortality, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Moscow on the Hudson: family and love, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Sisters, malls and a comet — Night of the Comet is a B-movie that learned how to be fun and oddly wise about survival.

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A long, sad fable about boys who grow up — and can’t entirely remember who they were.

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A man walks out of the desert and asks to be let back into his family — simple, ruthless and utterly centred on one figure.

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Places in the Heart: family and heroism, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Misfits, pratfalls and one bloke who’d rather dodge jail than grow up.

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Protocol: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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One musician, First Avenue and a mess of ambition — Purple Rain still hums.

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Red Dawn: family and freedom, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Revenge of the Nerds: the safety of home and our relationship with technology, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A romance novelist, a smuggler, an emerald and a jungle: the adventure that taught Joan Wilder to stop waiting and start kicking.

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Runaway: our relationship with technology and family, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Silent Night, Deadly Night: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Teenage longing, family oblivion and one very awkward bet — with Samantha Sam Baker keeping the whole thing human.

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A mermaid arrives in New York, a sensible man gets sensible about love — and the rest is splashy business.

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: our relationship with technology and family, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A road movie in which an alien borrows a dead husband's face and, with a borrowed curiosity, teaches a widow how to keep living.

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Streets of Fire: courage and authority, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Supergirl: love and power, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: freedom and courage, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The Company of Wolves: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The Initiation: family and mortality, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A teenager, a handyman, and the long, strange apprenticeship that taught a generation how to stand up for themselves.

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A reporter’s conscience, a translator’s survival — and a film that forces you to keep looking.

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A trailer-park teenager, an arcade cabinet and a very old-school call to adventure.

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The Muppets Take Manhattan: family and friendship, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The Natural: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A boy, a book and a disappearing world — imagination as the only weapon left.

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The Philadelphia Experiment: loss and authority, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The Pope of Greenwich Village: greed and consumerism, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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The River: family and heroism, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A relentless machine, a desperate human, and a future that won't wait.

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The Woman in Red: friendship and freedom, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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Tightrope: family and the safety of home, and why this 1984 movie still matters.

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A rock star, a resistance, and a barrage of nonsense — Top Secret! still loves to make sense of nothing.

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A Chorus Line: love and memory, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge: the safety of home and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A View to a Kill: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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After Hours: our relationship with technology, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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American Ninja: family and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A time machine, a restless teenager and a very particular set of family problems.

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Better Off Dead: family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A man who daydreams his way out of paperwork—and into trouble.

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Richard Pryor has thirty days to spend $30 million without keeping anything to show for it — and somehow spending a fortune turns out to be much harder than it sounds.

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Cat's Eye: family and fear, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Old men, alien cocoons and a very convincing dip in the pool — friendship and second chances, with Ron Howard steering the canoe.

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Code of Silence: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A retired commando, his kidnapped daughter and a short, very noisy principle: family first.

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A bunker drama with zombies, a scientist who won a festival, and a soldier who won't listen.

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Death Wish 3: authority and fear, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Demons: freedom and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Desperately Seeking Susan: authority and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Enemy Mine: humanity and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Explorers: our relationship with technology and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Fletch: greed and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Friday the 13th: A New Beginning: family and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A suburban boy, a suave neighbour and a late‑night horror show — Fright Night makes vampire panic feel uncomfortably domestic.

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Girls Just Want to Have Fun: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Gotcha!: freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Invasion U.S.A.: fear and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Just One of the Guys: growing up, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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King Solomon's Mines: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Kiss of the Spider Woman: authority and love, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Ladyhawke: courage and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Legend: parents protecting their children and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Lifeforce: mortality and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A gladiator ring, a methane economy and one reluctant road warrior — Mad Max still knows how to make survival feel personal.

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Mask: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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My Beautiful Laundrette: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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National Lampoon's European Vacation: family and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Before Jim Carrey became one of the biggest comedy stars on the planet, he was being chased around Los Angeles by a centuries-old vampire looking for a very particular kind of blood.

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Out of Africa: love and greed, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A pale horse, a stranger and a town asked to stand or sell — Eastwood's late-Western handshake with Shane.

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Phenomena: family and the safety of home, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Police Story: freedom and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Rambo: First Blood Part II: courage and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A medical-school madman, a glowing green reagent and enough stage blood to cause moral indigestion.

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Real Genius: the safety of home and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Red Sonja: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Rocky IV: courage and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Runaway Train: freedom and mortality, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Silver Bullet: loss and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Four strangers ride into town. One of them makes you care.

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Spies Like Us: fear and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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St. Elmo's Fire: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Summer Rental: family and the safety of home, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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A teenage werewolf, a basketball court and a lesson about who you really want cheering for you.

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Five teenagers. One Saturday. A surprisingly savage, oddly tender interrogation of who we're told to be.

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Sisterhood, survival and a voice that refuses to be erased.

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A scrappy band of kids, a busted attic map and Mikey’s stubborn heart — that’s The Goonies in a nutshell.

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The Jewel of the Nile: parents protecting their children and heroism, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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The Last Dragon: courage and power, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Revisiting The Man with One Red Shoe and the reasons it still deserves to be watched.

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The Protector: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Brains, bad decisions and Burt — a punky, gory little time-bomb.

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The Stuff: corporate power and mortality, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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The Sure Thing: friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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Obsession, counterfeit identities and a freeway chase that won't behave.

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Fast talk, bad luck and a very literal wish come true — with consequences.

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A grizzled cop, an Amish farm and a culture clash that refuses to be polite.

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Young Sherlock Holmes: mortality and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.

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About Last Night...: family and friendship, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Motherhood, marines and monsters: why Ripley still makes Aliens sing.

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An American Tail: family and freedom, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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April Fool's Day: friendship and mortality, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Armed and Dangerous: parents protecting their children and loss, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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At Close Range: family and authority, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Back to School: family and corporate power, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A swaggering trucker, ancient sorcery and a Chinatown that hides a very odd basement — this is John Carpenter being playful and dangerous at the same time.

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A severed ear, a curious student and a town that isn’t what it seems.

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Children of a Lesser God: family and love, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Chopping Mall: our relationship with technology and freedom, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Club Paradise: corporate power, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Cobra: courage and authority, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Critters: freedom and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A bushman's grin in Manhattan — watch Crocodile Dundee and you remember why that mismatch still makes you laugh.

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A tramp in a pool, a wealthy family with holes in their living room — and satire that still has teeth.

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Ferris Bueller's Day Off: family and the safety of home, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A boy, eight missing years and a chrome spaceship that needs him as much as he needs home.

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Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives: parents protecting their children and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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From Beyond: freedom and our relationship with technology, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Hannah and Her Sisters: love and greed, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Heartbreak Ridge: parents protecting their children and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Immortality, loneliness and very sharp swords.

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Hoosiers: family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Howard the Duck: courage and heroism, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Iron Eagle: parents protecting their children and heroism, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Jumpin' Jack Flash: our relationship with technology and freedom, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A teenager, a goblin king and a maze that asks you to grow up.

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Legal Eagles: loss and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A doo‑wop musical about bad decisions, worse plants and one man’s awkward climb out of obscurity.

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Lucas: friendship and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Profiling, loneliness and the thin line between hunter and hunted.

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Maximum Overdrive: humanity and freedom, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Mona Lisa: friendship and authority, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Murphy's Law: parents protecting their children and mortality, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Night of the Creeps: the safety of home and mortality, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Peggy Sue Got Married: family and growing up, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A soldier’s education in moral compromise — and why Chris Taylor still matters.

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Police Academy 3: Back in Training: authority, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A working‑class girl, a prom dress and a triangle that still stirs up arguments.

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Rad: greed and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Raw Deal: authority and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Running Scared: heroism and freedom, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Ruthless People: authority and family, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Salvador: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Nola Darling: not needy, just complicated — and still brilliant company.

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A lightning-struck robot, a handful of humans who care, and an argument about what counts as being alive.

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Sid and Nancy: love and friendship, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Something Wild: authority and love, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A small-town road trip that quietly teaches you how to become an adult.

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Humpback whales, a stranded starship crew and Admiral Kirk’s habit of ignoring the rulebook — in other words, proper Star Trek business.

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Fast Eddie returns, and the lesson is not just about pool.

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The Delta Force: parents protecting their children and heroism, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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The Fly: humanity and our relationship with technology, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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The Golden Child: parents protecting their children and mortality, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A lift you regret for the rest of your life.

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A seaside sequel about duty, dancing and learning when not to fight.

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A soldier who drags his armour to the altar — and a priest who answers with music.

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The Money Pit: the safety of home and love, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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The Mosquito Coast: family and our relationship with technology, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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A murder mystery where books are as fragile — and dangerous — as secrets.

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A chainsaw, a grieving ex‑ranger and a very loud 1986 satire — bloody ridiculous and oddly stubborn.

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A loud, fast, slightly brutal toy advert that somehow turns a brash kid into a leader.

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A vaudeville-sized comedy about showmen who must learn to be something more than a good performance.

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A roaring, macho thrill ride — but it’s Maverick that keeps the heart beating.

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Youngblood: family and courage, and why this 1986 movie still matters.

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Nancy comes back to teach a new generation to fight Freddy — and she brings a team.

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A one-night odyssey that turns babysitting into a crash course in grown-up choices.

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Angel Heart: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Au revoir les enfants: family and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A refugee, a single extravagant dinner and the curious way generosity becomes a kind of worship.

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Batteries Not Included: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Beverly Hills Cop II: authority and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Black Widow: greed and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A newsroom rom‑com that prefers arguments to punchlines — and Tom Grunick makes those arguments pay.

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Can't Buy Me Love: friendship and peer pressure, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Creepshow 2: freedom and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Cry Freedom: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Death Wish 4: The Crackdown: freedom and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Dirty Dancing: family and love, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Dolls: family and fear, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Dragnet: authority and exploitation, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A child's obsession with flight becomes the lens for war, survival and a very awkward apprenticeship in adulthood.

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A one-man brawl with the Book of the Dead: nasty, daft and brilliantly alive.

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Extreme Prejudice: greed and authority, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Fatal Attraction: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Two halves, one soldier: Joker carries Kubrick’s Vietnam from drill yard to Huế.

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A loud, furious hello from a man who thinks radio can fight censorship and loneliness at once.

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Harry and the Hendersons: love, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II: mortality and loss, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A puzzle box, a family that’s already broken, and a heroine who refuses to be another victim.

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Hope and Glory: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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House II: The Second Story: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Innerspace: our relationship with technology and freedom, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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La Bamba: family and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Less Than Zero: family and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A buddy cop movie with a suicide note in its pocket and an unpredictable heart.

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Mannequin: love and corporate power, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Masters of the Universe: heroism and freedom, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Moonstruck: family and love, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Lost Boys made them cool. Fright Night made them frightening again. Once Bitten turned vampirism into a dating problem. And then there was My Best Friend Is A Vampire.

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A road romance that turns into a hunt — and Caleb is the moral compass that keeps you watching.

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No Way Out: mortality and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Over the Top: family and greed, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Overboard: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A road trip comedy that keeps its feet — and its heart — firmly on the tarmac.

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Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol: authority and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A squad of soldiers, a silent hunter — and mud becomes a weapon.

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Prince of Darkness: fear and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Radio Days: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A robber who wants a nursery more than a life of crime — and it’s the contradiction that keeps the laughs coming.

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A murdered cop rebuilt as a product — RoboCop still asks who gets to sell justice.

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Roxanne: family and love, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A madcap space spoof where a reluctant hero, a man-dog and a merchandising gag steal the show.

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Stakeout: the safety of home and love, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Summer School: family and authority, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Superman IV: The Quest for Peace: courage and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Believers: the safety of home and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Brave Little Toaster: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Chipmunk Adventure: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Gate: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Hidden: mortality and lifespan and mortality, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A throne without power: Puyi’s life as a study in being acted upon.

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A leaner Bond, a staged defection and a Cold War that still bites.

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A seaside teen vampire movie about belonging, bad choices and the family that refuses to let you go.

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A band of kids, Van Helsing’s diary and a rooftop full of monsters — Sean Crenshaw leads the charge.

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A swashbuckling love story told like a bedtime tale — and still disarmingly good company.

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The Principal: authority and courage, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Television as theatre of cruelty — and one man who won't shoot.

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The Secret of My Success: corporate power and family, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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The Stepfather: family and mortality, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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A straight-arrow in crooked times: mentorship, morality and a very noisy stairwell.

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Seduction, sisterhood and a very inconvenient devil — and yes, it's still worth the trouble.

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Three Men and a Baby: family and the safety of home, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Throw Momma from the Train: family and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Greed, schooled and sold — and yes, Gordon Gekko still talks like someone you half-admire.

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Angels with notebooks, a city that remembers and one angel who wants to feel.

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Withnail and I: the safety of home and friendship, and why this 1987 movie still matters.

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Manners, mendacity and a key hidden in fish food — a very English heist with teeth.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master: parents protecting their children and friendship, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Above the Law: freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Action Jackson: heroism and courage, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A haunted house, a rules-bound afterlife and one gloriously unhelpful bio‑exorcist.

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Big: our relationship with technology and friendship, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Black Eagle: courage and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Kumite, loyalty and a very particular kind of 80s machismo.

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Bright Lights, Big City: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Mentorship, rites of passage and a catcher called Crash — Bull Durham still teaches a lesson.

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Child's Play: family and freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A love letter to mentorship, the little reels that keep memory alive, and the reason we go to the pictures.

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Cocktail: family and greed, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Colors: authority and loss, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A prince in disguise, a fast-food job and a fairy-tale that prefers laughs to pomp.

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Critters 2: The Main Course: fear and mortality, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Crocodile Dundee II: friendship and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Dangerous Liaisons: love and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Revisiting Dead Ringers and the reasons it still deserves to be watched.

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One cop, a Christmas party gone wrong and a marriage he can't ignore.

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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: greed and consumerism, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Eight Men Out: loss and greed, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Frantic: our relationship with technology and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood: the safety of home and fear, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Fright Night Part 2: friendship and fear, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Funny Farm: family and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Gorillas in the Mist: mortality and love, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Hairspray: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers: the safety of home and freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Heathers: peer pressure and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Hellbound: Hellraiser II: freedom and family, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Teenagers spot a circus in the woods, everyone else shrugs — then the popcorn guns start firing.

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License to Drive: family and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A cross-country manhunt that’s really about two very different men learning how to care — and how to argue for money.

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Mississippi Burning: family and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Mystic Pizza: family and love, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Night of the Demons: the safety of home and freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Oliver & Company: family and greed, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Phantasm II: freedom and mortality, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach: authority and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Pumpkinhead: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A road trip about brothers, cash and an extraordinary memory.

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Rambo III: courage and heroism, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Red Heat: authority, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Return of the Living Dead Part II: freedom and family, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Scrooged: fear and belief in the supernatural, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Shoot to Kill: family and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Tequila Sunrise: love and the safety of home, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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The Accused: fear, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: loss and mortality, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Teenagers, a creeping alien goo and a whole town that won't listen — welcome back to The Blob.

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The Great Outdoors: family and greed, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Is it a vampire movie? Folk horror? Monster movie? Black comedy? A wildly sexual Gothic nightmare involving an ancient snake g

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A small longneck, a fierce loss and a journey that still finds you where you live.

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A fierce, searching film about a man who can’t stop being human — and the choices that make him more than that.

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A straight-faced detective, a ridiculous assassination plot and enough sight gags to make you snort tea through your nose.

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The Serpent and the Rainbow: mortality and lifespan and corporate power, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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The Vanishing: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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Sunglasses, slogans and a man who will not let you look away.

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A mismatched pair, a lab experiment and a very 1980s idea of family.

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There are vampire movies that creep quietly through the shadows, and then there is Vampire’s Kiss.

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Waxwork: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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A private eye, a jittery rabbit and a very British fondness for messing about with genre.

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Willow: family and freedom, and why this 1988 movie still matters.

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One woman's Staten Island ferry commute to the boardroom.

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Young men, a murdered mentor and a young Billy the Kid riding herd on revenge and loyalty.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Hoverboards, alternate 1985s and one man trying to stop his whole family from unravelling—again.

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A stylish, strange take on Gotham where the man behind the cowl keeps the picture grounded.

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Best of the Best: mortality and lifespan and family, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A daft time‑travel comedy where being mates saves the world — and yes, Ted matters more than you remember.

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Black Rain: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A patriot’s faith, broken and rebuilt — Ron Kovic keeps the film honest.

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A genteel New York morality play where privilege meets decision — and conscience is the loudest character.

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Cyborg: mortality and heroism, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Dead Calm: parents protecting their children and heroism, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A teacher who insists you stand up to be seen — and a classroom that still rattles our idea of growing up.

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DeepStar Six: fear and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A day on one Brooklyn block that still asks the same uncomfortable question: what does 'doing the right thing' actually look like?

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Driving Miss Daisy: mortality and lifespan and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A heist movie where the loot is medicine and the real score is survival.

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A whisper in a cornfield, a man who listens, and a small miracle of a movie about fathers and second chances.

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Fletch Lives: family and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan: freedom and loss, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A sequel that doubles down on goo, grumpiness and grown-up responsibilities — and still depends on Venkman to keep it human.

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Glory: fear and heroism, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers: authority and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Harlem Nights: friendship and greed, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A king who can rouse a nation — and a film that makes you count the cost.

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A shrinking accident, a towering backyard and one very distracted inventor.

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: freedom and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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K-9: fear and authority, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Kickboxer: heroism and courage, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Lean on Me: family and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Diplomatic immunity, dangerous loyalty and one very unstable partner — Lethal Weapon 2 thrives on its personalities.

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Licence to Kill: greed and freedom, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Lock Up: fear and freedom, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Look Who's Talking: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Major League: power and freedom, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Mystery Train: friendship and authority, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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One man's quest for the perfect Christmas turns suburban order into glorious, very tangled chaos.

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Next of Kin: family and authority, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Parenthood: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Grief, temptation and a very bad burial decision.

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Police Academy 6: City Under Siege: authority, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Puppet Master: mortality and humanity, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Renegades: authority and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Stoic bouncer, small-town chaos and very particular rules about where to throw a punch.

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Lloyd Dobler: underachieving, hopelessly sincere and still the film's heartbeat.

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Sea of Love: love and mortality, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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See No Evil, Hear No Evil: authority and friendship, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A quiet man with a camera upends a household — and asks us what counts as intimacy.

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Shocker: our relationship with technology and family, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: humanity and power, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Suburban suspicion, small-time vigilantes — and one man who would rather spy than sunbathe.

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Deep-sea scares, a tense countdown and a foreman who keeps everyone breathing.

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The Dream Team: parents protecting their children and family, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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The Fabulous Baker Boys: family and love, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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The Fly II: family and humanity, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A hitman who wants to make amends — and a cop who can't stop watching him try.

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The Little Mermaid: humanity and love, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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The Toxic Avenger Part II: family and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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The War of the Roses: family and the safety of home, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Three Fugitives: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Troop Beverly Hills: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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Turner & Hooch: authority and friendship, and why this 1989 movie still matters.

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A slob of an uncle, a grumpy teen and a very messy lesson in family responsibility.

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A corpse, two clueless juniors and a weekend full of pretending — and Larry Wilson is the motor that makes the joke run.

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Cynicism, chemistry and a very public argument about friendship — still funny, still persuasive.

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