Musical / Comedy Drama / Drama / LGBTQ-related
1985
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line: love and memory, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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The year was
1985
1985 delivered the kind of films that now define nostalgia for the decade: time travel, teenage outsiders, impossible adventures, muscle-bound action heroes and horror movies with personality to spare.
Back to the Future, The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, Commando, Rocky IV, Fright Night and Day of the Dead barely scratch the surface of a year overflowing with recognisable 80s favourites.
Start here
Essential movies from 1985
67 movies so far
Movies from 1985
Horror / Teen / LGBTQ-related / Slasher / Crime Thriller / Independent / Supernatural Horror / Thriller / Crime / Fantasy / Suspense
1985
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
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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Action / Thriller / Spy / Adventure
1985
A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy
1985
After Hours
After Hours: our relationship with technology, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Martial Arts / Action / Ninja
1985
American Ninja
American Ninja: family and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / Adventure / Comedy / Teen / Time-travel
1985
Back to the Future
A time machine, a restless teenager and a very particular set of family problems.
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Romantic Comedy / Teen / Black Comedy / Surrealist
1985
Better Off Dead
Better Off Dead: family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Neo-noir / Science Fiction / Fantasy / Science Fiction Comedy / Comedy / Christmas / Dystopian / Retrofuturism / Arthouse Science Fiction
1985
Brazil
A man who daydreams his way out of paperwork—and into trouble.
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Comedy
1985
Brewster’s Millions
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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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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Science Fiction / Fantasy / Drama / Comedy
1985
Cocoon
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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Action / Thriller / Crime
1985
Code of Silence
Code of Silence: family and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Thriller / War
1985
Commando
A retired commando, his kidnapped daughter and a short, very noisy principle: family first.
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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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Crime / Action / Rape And Revenge / Vigilante
1985
Death Wish 3
Death Wish 3: authority and fear, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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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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Action / Science Fiction / Adventure / Military Science Fiction / Drama
1985
Enemy Mine
Enemy Mine: humanity and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / Science Fiction Comedy / Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy
1985
Explorers
Explorers: our relationship with technology and family, 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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Horror / Slasher
1985
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning: family and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Teen / Comedy Horror / Vampire / Thriller / Fantasy
1985
Fright Night
A suburban boy, a suave neighbour and a late‑night horror show — Fright Night makes vampire panic feel uncomfortably domestic.
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Romantic Comedy / Musical / Teen
1985
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Girls Just Want to Have Fun: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Spy / Comedy / Romantic Comedy
1985
Gotcha!
Gotcha!: freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Thriller / Spy / Propaganda / Martial Arts / Christmas / War
1985
Invasion U.S.A.
Invasion U.S.A.: fear and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Teen / Coming-of-age / LGBTQ-related / Romantic Comedy
1985
Just One of the Guys
Just One of the Guys: growing up, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Fantasy / Treasure Hunt / Comedy
1985
King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Drama / Prison / LGBTQ-related / Independent
1985
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Kiss of the Spider Woman: authority and love, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Romance / Fantasy / Adventure / Drama / Sword And Sorcery
1985
Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke: courage and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Fantasy / Adventure / Epic / Dark Fantasy / Sword And Sorcery / Cinematic Fairy Tale
1985
Legend
Legend: parents protecting their children and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / Adventure / Vampire / Zombie / Science Fiction Horror / Monster / Horror / Thriller / Suspense / Drama
1985
Lifeforce
Lifeforce: mortality and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Adventure / Dystopian / Post-apocalyptic / Science Fiction
1985
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
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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Biographical / Coming-of-age / Drama
1985
Mask
Mask: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Romantic Comedy / Comedy Drama / Drama / LGBTQ-related
1985
My Beautiful Laundrette
My Beautiful Laundrette: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy
1985
National Lampoon's European Vacation
National Lampoon's European Vacation: family and loss, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy / Horror / Vampire
1985
Once Bitten
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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Biographical / Drama / Romance / Adventure
1985
Out of Africa
Out of Africa: love and greed, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Western
1985
Pale Rider
A pale horse, a stranger and a town asked to stand or sell — Eastwood's late-Western handshake with Shane.
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Horror / Fantasy
1985
Phenomena
Phenomena: family and the safety of home, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy / Crime
1985
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action Comedy / Martial Arts / Crime / Police
1985
Police Story
Police Story: freedom and authority, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Thriller / Drama
1985
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II: courage and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Science Fiction / Comedy Horror / Zombie / Splatter / Body Horror
1985
Re-Animator
A medical-school madman, a glowing green reagent and enough stage blood to cause moral indigestion.
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Romantic Comedy / Science Fiction / Science Fiction Comedy / Teen
1985
Real Genius
Real Genius: the safety of home and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Fantasy / Adventure / Action / Sword And Sorcery
1985
Red Sonja
Red Sonja: freedom and courage, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Drama / Boxing / Christmas
1985
Rocky IV
Rocky IV: courage and mortality and lifespan, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Thriller / Survival / Drama / Prison / Adventure
1985
Runaway Train
Runaway Train: freedom and mortality, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Horror / Monster
1985
Silver Bullet
Silver Bullet: loss and family, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Western / Action
1985
Silverado
Four strangers ride into town. One of them makes you care.
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Comedy / Spy / Buddy
1985
Spies Like Us
Spies Like Us: fear and freedom, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Coming-of-age / Drama / Romance / Melodrama
1985
St. Elmo's Fire
St. Elmo's Fire: family and friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Romantic Comedy
1985
Summer Rental
Summer Rental: family and the safety of home, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Comedy / Fantasy / Teen / Romantic Comedy
1985
Teen Wolf
A teenage werewolf, a basketball court and a lesson about who you really want cheering for you.
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Teen / Comedy Drama / Coming-of-age / Drama
1985
The Breakfast Club
Five teenagers. One Saturday. A surprisingly savage, oddly tender interrogation of who we're told to be.
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Drama / LGBTQ-related / Epic
1985
The Color Purple
Sisterhood, survival and a voice that refuses to be erased.
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Adventure / Comedy / Children's / Treasure Hunt / Action / Pirate / Family
1985
The Goonies
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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Romantic Comedy / Treasure Hunt / Action
1985
The Jewel of the Nile
The Jewel of the Nile: parents protecting their children and heroism, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Action / Martial Arts / Drama
1985
The Last Dragon
The Last Dragon: courage and power, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Spy / Comedy Thriller / Comedy
1985
The Man with One Red Shoe
Revisiting The Man with One Red Shoe and the reasons it still deserves to be watched.
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Action / Thriller / Martial Arts / Buddy Cop / Comedy / Drama / Detective
1985
The Protector
The Protector: family and parents protecting their children, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Zombie / Comedy Horror / Science Fiction
1985
The Return of the Living Dead
Brains, bad decisions and Burt — a punky, gory little time-bomb.
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Comedy Horror / B Movie / Horror / Parody / Science Fiction
1985
The Stuff
The Stuff: corporate power and mortality, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Romantic Comedy / Christmas
1985
The Sure Thing
The Sure Thing: friendship, and why this 1985 movie still matters.
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Crime / Thriller / Action / Drama
1985
To Live and Die in L.A.
Obsession, counterfeit identities and a freeway chase that won't behave.
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Romantic Comedy / Science Fiction / Fantasy / Science Fiction Comedy / Buddy / Teen / Action
1985
Weird Science
Fast talk, bad luck and a very literal wish come true — with consequences.
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Drama / Crime / Thriller
1985
Witness
A grizzled cop, an Amish farm and a culture clash that refuses to be polite.
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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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