Harsh Vardhan
Step into the neon-soaked era of excess and nostalgia as we journey through the cinematic gems of the 1980s, now readily available on Netflix. In a time when mullets were cool and synthesizer music ruled the airwaves, the silver screen was graced with unforgettable classics that defined a generation. Our curated list transcends time, bringing you the best of the 1980s, from iconic blockbusters to hidden indie treasures. Whether you’re a fan of heart-pounding action, heartwarming coming-of-age tales, or supernatural adventures, Netflix has your retro cravings covered. Join us as we rekindle the magic of the ’80s, one movie at a time.
11. Ek Jaan Hain Hum (1983)
An Indian Hindi-language film directed by Rajiv Mehra, this movie stars Rajiv Kapoor, Tanuja Samarth, Divya Rana, and Shammi Kapoor. In true Bollywood fashion, the film tells the story of a girl and boy who fall in love. However, while the boy’s parents agree to their marriage, the girl’s parents have other plans, including getting her married to a U.S. resident. Things worsen for the boy when he is accused of arson, with evidence pointing to the fact that he set fire to the girl’s father’s property. As per the boy’s father, the only way for the boy to avoid imprisonment is to prove that he is mentally ill. But for how long? To know what happens eventually, you can stream the movie here.
10. Duniya (1984)
An Indian Hindi-language (Bollywood) film directed by Ramesh Talwar, it stars one of India’s greatest actors of all time, Dilip Kumar, along with other hugely popular veteran actors Rishi Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Amrita Singh, Pran and Amrish Puri. The film follows Mohan Kumar, who is framed for murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Once he is released, he decides to take revenge on the three people who framed him, namely Jugal Kishore, Bhandari, and Balwant. However, things are bound to get complicated as Kumar’s estranged son, Ravi, who doesn’t know that Kumar is his father, joins Jugal Kishore’s gang and is told to kill Kumar. Will Kumar end up killing his son in his thirst for vengeance? To find out, you can watch the film here.
9. Dostana (1980)
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, and Zeenat Aman, ‘Dostana’ is an Indian Hindi-language movie directed by Raj Khosla. The film tells the story of two childhood friends, Vijay Varma and Ravi Kapoor. While Vijay is a police officer, Ravi is a barrister. While they have given each other the word that they won’t interfere in each other’s professional lives, their personal lives get complicated when they fall in love with the same girl, Sheetal Sahni. This allows Vijay’s old nemesis, Mr. Dagga, to create a barrier between the two best friends. You can watch the movie here to find out how things turn out for the two.
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8. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)
‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ is a cult classic dark comedy drama that revolves around two young insurance employees, Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman), who are invited by their boss, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), to his beach house for a weekend party. This is their gift for discovering a series of fraudulent payments. However, when Larry and Richard arrive, they find Bernie dead. Believing that the party must go on, they decide to keep things normal. Guests arrive, and, surprisingly, no one notices that a dead Bernie is sitting with the two young men. Thus begins a bizarre weekend as our duo makes the most of their time on the beach, while double-timing as puppeteers for a dead Bernie. Meanwhile, the people responsible for killing Bernie wonder how he is still alive and search for answers. To find out what’s in store for Larry and Richard, you can stream ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ right here.
7. Psycho II (1983) & Psycho III (1986)
The sequel and threequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece horror ‘Psycho,’ which came out in 1960, ‘Psycho II’ and ‘Psycho III’ show Anthony Perkins reprise his iconic character Norman Bates, who returns to his family after being released from a psychiatric institution. In Richard Franklin’s ‘Psycho II,’ set 22 years after the events of the first movie, Bates’s past returns to haunt him as he begins receiving calls and notes from ‘Mother,’ his murderous alter ego. In ‘Psycho III,’ which is directed by Perkins himself, Bates falls in love with a suicidal ex-nun, Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid). Meanwhile, a journalist, Tracy Venable (Roberta Maxwell), is looking into the case of Bates. You can watch the two movies here.
6. The Karate Kid (1984)
John G. Avildsen’s cult classic martial arts drama ‘The Karate Kid’ focuses on a bullied Italian-American kid who is trained by a war veteran to defend himself and take part in a martial arts tournament against his bullies. We meet seventeen-year-old Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who has just moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles with his widowed mom and soon locks horns with the martial arts-trained ex-boyfriend of his new love interest, only to get himself beaten up. Japanese immigrant Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) intervenes during one such fight and decides to train Daniel for the Under-18 All-Valley Karate Championship so he can compete against his main bully and defeat him. Co-starring William Zabka and Elisabeth Shue, ‘The Karate Kid’ spawned a franchise that is still going strong. You can watch the movie here.
5. Aliens (1986)
The story of ‘Aliens’ takes place 57 years after the events of ‘Alien’ (1979), and we have Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), who wakes up from cryo-sleep in a ship, only to be subjected to a war against aliens on a moon space colony, the same planetoid where Ripley and his now dead peers fought the aliens. At the beginning of the movie, she is brought out of cryosleep, debriefed, and asked to go back to the planetoid to investigate the colony after the connection to it is lost. Joining her are Weyland-Yutani Corp. representative Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) and Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope). Unbeknownst to Ripley, Burke has his own plans for the alien technology, and he is willing to risk human lives to pursue them. While fighting the aliens, Ripley finds a young girl named Newt (Carrie Henn), the only surviving colonist, whom she must protect at all costs. Directed by James Cameron, ‘Aliens’ is a worthy sequel to ‘Alien’ and can be streamed right here.
4. Stand by Me (1986)
Based on Stephen King’s novella ‘The Body,’ Rob Reiner’s ‘Stand by Me’ follows four kids, Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern (played by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell, respectively) as they set off in search of a missing kid named Ray Brower in 1950s Oregon. The whole story is revealed from the POV of a grown-up Gordie, who recalls the entire string of events. As the kids look for the boy, their experiences address their personal issues and how they treat them. From misunderstandings with parents to bullying to betrayal to internal conflicts, ‘Stand by Me’ explores all these and more and, in the process, provides viewers with a rare coming-of-age movie that has earned cult status. You can watch it here.
3. She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
This landmark independent film launched Spike Lee’s career as a director. Written, directed, and produced by Lee, the film follows the “sexually charged” graphic artist Nola Darling as she tries to navigate her love life that is divided among three individuals, Jamie Overstreet, Greer Childs, and Mars Blackmon, each guy with a different mindset. A powerful take on African American women and their struggle in society during the time, ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ was no less than a phenomenon when it came out. The film stars Tracy Camilla Johns, John Canada Terrell, Tommy Redmond Hicks, and Spike Lee. You can watch it here.
2. Field of Dreams (1989)
Phil Alden Robinson’s ‘Field of Dreams’ follows Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), a farmer, who decides to build a baseball field on his farm after getting visions and hearing a voice that seems to be telling him to do so. However, the field is bound to bring him a cash crunch, although it seems to be his one chance to do something he has always dreamed of. With doubts in his heart, he goes ahead with the plan, only to undergo a deeper understanding of life and make amends with his late father. The cast also includes Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones, and Amy Madigan. ‘Field of Dreams’ is a cult classic movie with many awards and nominations to its name, including three Academy Award nominations. You can watch it here.
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1. Scarface (1983)
Al Pacino offers an immortal performance as Cuban refugee Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s ‘Scarface,’ who arrives in Miami and builds a drug empire fueled by his unquenchable thirst for power and wealth. However, his unhinged attitude soon becomes the reason for his downfall as his personal life crumbles. His enmity with other drug lords and cops, as well as his distance from his loved ones, including his best friend, mother, and sister, make him a solitary figure filled with rage and devoid of reason. With Pacino breathing life into the complex character, ‘Scarface’ is a cult classic crime drama and a must-watch. It can be streamed here.
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