If you were a kid in the 1980s — or even just alive — then you bore witness to some of the greatest movies ever. And 1985 had more than its share of blockbusters, right there in the middle of the decade. Indeed, these popular movies in 1985 are still all-time favorites today, all these years later.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, is one of those movies that seems to have been around forever. And it’s among one of the popular movies in 1985 that still satisfy today because its plot — a teenager who gets stuck in 1955 meets up with his parents when they were teenagers – was considered so innovative for the time. The film has become an iconic touchstone, and it’s one of the popular movies in 1985 that still satisfy because its story is so timeless.
The Breakfast Club
When the popular movies in 1985 were released between, oh, say 1983 and 1988 or so, The Breakfast Club was considered a groundbreaking film. It told the story of five high school students from different social groups who are united for one day to share their innermost secrets after being detained by police at school. What makes it resonate today? Well, it’s a quintessential representation of its era that captures the alienation and angst felt by teenagers in Reagan’s America.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
The first Rambo film was a huge hit in 1985, grossing over $300 million dollars. In this one, John Rambo is living in Thailand and is enlisted by the American government to go back into Vietnam. He must rescue POWs from their Vietnamese captors, but also faces a new enemy: Russian soldiers who are fighting alongside the North Vietnamese Army.
Beverly Hills Cop
In this classic, Eddie Murphy stars as a tough Detroit police officer who goes to Beverly Hills to investigate some cop killings. He teams up with the son of the owner of his favorite childhood hangout and they get into all sorts of trouble in their pursuit for justice.
St. Elmo’s Fire
This Joel Schumacher film is set in Chicago and follows a group of friends as they enter adulthood. It’s about them trying to figure out who they are, what their futures will hold, and how to balance friendship with materialism.
Fletch
This movie is about a newspaper reporter who goes by the name of Fletch and does crazy things to find out information from people. He gets himself into all sorts of situations but always manages to get what he needs in order to write his stories.
Witness
This Harrison Ford vehicle is about a Philadelphia cop who moves to Amish country to be with his wife and starts solving crimes. It’s interesting because it shows the differences between the two worlds.
Silverado
For anyone who thought the western was dead in the 1980s, Silverado was a reminder that the genre is still alive and kicking. The movie stars Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Costner as cowboys who team up to save a small town from some baddies.
Teen Wolf
Michael J. Fox stars in this movie about a high school student who is bitten by a werewolf and starts to transform during the full moon. It’s an interesting take on the genre because it takes place at a high school, with all of its complex social groups, rather than out in some remote location where there are only two types of people.
On the surface, this movie may look like a silly teen comedy. But it has some pretty deep themes underneath: namely, how society treats those who are different from them. The protagonist is a werewolf!
Weird Science
Funny and witty, this movie is about two teenagers who use their computer to create the perfect woman. In doing so they accidentally bring her to life!
As you can imagine, hilarity ensues when she gets into a relationship with one of the boys’ nemesis.
They get really creative in how far these movies go to get a laugh.
For instance, the computer they used to create “Shelly” has an unusual power: it can change reality — which is how Shelly eventually becomes real in this movie!
If you love movies with lots of laughs and quips then Weird Science is perfect for you.
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
This is a classic!
It tells the story of Pee-Wee Herman and his adventures in search for his stolen bike. He has an awesome pet turtle named “Scooby Doo” who joins him on this quest to find it.
If you love wacky adventure movies, then this one’s for you. And if you love a happy ending, well this one has it too.
This movie is an 80s classic!
It’s really funny and makes me feel nostalgic every time I watch it so I think that means its good for kids of all ages
What would 1985 be without Ghostbusters? Okay maybe not complete but pretty darn close.
(Like Popular Movies in 1985. Then you might like our article on Worst Movies of the 70s, click here.)
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