One of the best things about having a subscription to a streaming service is getting access to films and television shows from the past. Audiences everywhere love nostalgia. When you're looking to scratch that itch, there's nothing better than throwing on something from the 1980s.
For many adults, this was the decade where they first started going to movie theaters. Classic comedies, sci-fi blockbusters, action flicks, and more are littered throughout the '80s. Hulu might be more known for television but they actually offer up some of the best and most memorable movies from the '80s to stream right now.
10 Footloose (1984)
According to Star-Lord in Avengers: Infinity War, this is the greatest movie ever made. Peter Parker may have disagreed but plenty of folks still really like Footloose. It was this film that helped turn Kevin Bacon into a household name, which is a status he has maintained to this day.
Bacon starred as Ren McCormack, a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town that had a ban placed on dancing, which he attempts to overturn. Originally, this got mixed reviews but it has become a cult classic, especially for its use of music. A well-received remake came out in 2011.
9 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
By this point in the '80s, the Mad Max franchise was on quite the roll. 1979's Mad Max was a huge hit and is still held in high regard today. The sequel, Mad Max 2, arrived in 1981 and continued the positive trend, being hailed as one of the best films of that year.
1985 gave it one more shot as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was meant to complete the trilogy. Mel Gibson reprised his lead role as Max Rockatansky and was joined by the legendary Tina Turner. Although it has the worst reviews of the series, they were still very positive. In 2015, the franchise was reignited with the brilliant Mad Max: Fury Road.
8 Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Pee-wee Herman became something of an icon for the '80s. The Pee-wee Herman Show was a hit and that led to a move to the big screen for Pee-wee's Big Adventure. This saw Paul Ruebens in his famous role while also working as one of the writers behind the story.
In this beloved flick, Pee-wee goes on a ridiculous search across the country for his coveted bicycle. The success here helped make sure his kid's show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, was a big deal and it spawned two sequels. In a bit of a fun fact, this marked the directorial debut for Tim Burton.
7 Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
In terms of box office success, this film would rank near the bottom on this list. Released in 1989, Drugstore Cowboy only grossed $4.7 million on a $2.5 million budget. It wasn't part of an existing franchise and didn't garner sequels or remakes in the future.
That being said, it was met with tons of praise from almost anyone who saw it. The film starred Matt Dillon as Robert Hughes, the leader of a group of drug addicts who raid pharmacies across the country. Currently, Drugstore Cowboy boasts a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
6 Heathers (1989)
Speaking of films that didn't do well at the office, there's Heathers. It grossed just $1.1 million on a $3 million budget. That being said, there aren't many films from the '80s to have made a bigger impact on pop culture. Heathers spawned a TV series, musical, and was the subject of an episode of Riverdale.
The dark comedy centered on a clique of teen girls who have their world turned upside down when a new classmate arrives who is murdering popular students and staging them as suicides. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater lead a fantastic cast in one of the best high school movies ever made.
5 Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)
The first of two animated films from Asia on the list, Grave of the Fireflies was certainly not your average cartoon. After all, it was based on a 1967 short story of the same name surrounding World War II. That meant it had deeper themes than most animated pictures.
Taking place in Kobe, Japan, Grave of the Fireflies followed two siblings who struggle to survive the final few months of World War II. This also holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has made or topped many lists of the greatest animated movies of all time, as well as a being a top anti-war film.
4 Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
There aren't many franchises out there with a storied history that can match up with Star Trek. Even with various television shows and over a dozen films released, many hardcore fans agree that Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan is the high point of the series.
This was the second Star Trek movie ever released and raised the stakes in a big way. It saw a tyrant named Khan (played fantastically by Ricardo Montalbán) escape from exile to get revenge on Captain Kirk. The emotional battle led to the death of Spock, which was a major moment in cinema history.
3 Akira (1988)
It's the other animated feature on this list and it's once again from Japan. Akira is another entity from the '80s that has an instantly recognizable symbol and that's the signature motorcycle. It was even showcased in a major way in 2018's Ready Player One.
Akira focused on biker gang leader Shōtarō Kaneda, who sees their life changed when their friend is turned into a psychic psycho thanks to a secret military project. This was huge in popularizing the cyberpunk subgenre and still stands as one of the best sci-fi films ever made.
2 The Terminator (1984)
It doesn't get much more influential than The Terminator. This film did so much in terms of launching the careers of James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Linda Hamilton. It also spawned a franchise and is incredibly significant to the sci-fi genre.
Another entry on this list to hold the coveted 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Terminator is a classic. It focuses on a woman who is hunted down by a cyborg from the future because the son she isn't even pregnant with yet will one day become a savior in a war against machines.
1 Evil Dead II (1987)
In 1981, The Evil Dead was released and it changed the way many people looked at horror films. Using practical effects and being helmed by visionary director Sam Raimi, it was enough of a hit to spawn a franchise that is still going today. 1987 saw a direct sequel arrive.
Evil Dead II featured the return of Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he was again tormented by demons at a remote cabin. Unlike the original, this included a fair amount of humor, which would go on to become a staple of the franchise in Army of Darkness and Ash vs. Evil Dead.
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