20 Most Bizarre Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s (Yes, They Are Totally Bonkers)

Even though some of these films might have left people scratching their heads as they walked out of the theater, they've since found their own special place in the hearts of fans who love a good, quirky story; it's like they've become a secret handshake among sci-fi enthusiasts.

1. Forbidden Zone (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

In a bizarre, musical adventure, the Hercules family discovers an interdimensional portal in their basement, leading them into the Sixth Dimension, a strange world ruled by King Fausto and Queen Doris, where they must navigate through a series of absurd challenges to rescue Frenchy Hercules after she becomes the king's prisoner.

2. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

A Japanese salaryman, after accidentally hitting a metal fetishist with his car, finds his body horrifically transforming into a mass of scrap metal and machinery, leading to a surreal, nightmarish clash between human flesh and steel.

3. Videodrome (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

Max Renn, the president of a small UHF television station, stumbles upon a broadcast signal featuring extreme violence and torture; as he delves deeper into the origin of the signal, he begins a hallucinatory journey that blurs the lines between reality and television, culminating in a grotesque transformation of his own body.

4. Liquid Sky (1982)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

In New York City's new wave scene, a tiny alien spaceship lands on the apartment of a drug-addicted, androgynous model, who discovers that the aliens are harvesting the chemicals produced by the human brain during orgasm or death, leading to bizarre and deadly encounters.

5. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

Buckaroo Banzai, a physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock musician, discovers and uses the Oscillation Overthruster to travel to the 8th Dimension, but must prevent evil Red Lectroids from Planet 10, led by Lord John Whorfin, who plan to take over Earth.

6. Brazil (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

In a dystopian, bureaucratic future, a low-level government employee, Sam Lowry, becomes an enemy of the state as he attempts to correct an administrative error and, in the process, becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, romance, and rebellion against the oppressive system.

7. Repo Man (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

Young punk Otto becomes a repo man after helping to repossess a car, plunging him into a world of wacky adventures involving a mysterious Chevy Malibu with deadly cargo in the trunk, leading to encounters with various odd characters, from scientists to government agents.

8. On the Silver Globe (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

Astronauts crash-land on a distant planet and establish a society, but when a descendant travels from Earth to find them, he discovers a primitive civilization embroiled in warfare and religious fanaticism, prompting him to confront the consequences of human nature and civilization's cyclical rise and fall.

9. They Live (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

A drifter discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the world as it truly is: controlled by aliens disguised as humans, who are manipulating society through subliminal messages in mass media, leading him on a mission to expose the truth and fight against the alien oppressors.

10. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

When a spaceship looking like a circus tent lands in a small town, its inhabitants, alien clowns, begin harvesting the townspeople with bizarre, carnival-themed methods, prompting a group of survivors to fight back against the extraterrestrial invaders with whatever means they can find.

11. Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%

In a post-apocalyptic world where mutant amphibians have taken control, Sam Hell, one of the last fertile men, is captured by a group of female warriors and sent on a mission to rescue a group of fertile women kidnapped by the frog leader, Commander Toty, navigating hostile territories and battling mutant creatures to ensure humanity's survival.

12. Brain Damage (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

Brian begins an unexpected relationship with a talking parasite named Aylmer, who offers him incredible hallucinogenic experiences in exchange for human brains, leading Brian down a dark path of addiction and murder as he struggles to maintain control over his life and break free from Aylmer's influence.

13. Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

Yor, a barbarian warrior wandering through a prehistoric dystopian landscape, embarks on a quest to discover his origins, encountering strange tribes, dinosaurs, and advanced technology that reveals his true connection to a futuristic society and a battle against an evil overlord.

14. Robot Jox (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%

In a future where wars are settled by giant robot battles, Achilles, a robot jockey for the market, faces his greatest challenge in a deadly match against a formidable Russian opponent, Alexander, amidst political intrigue and the threat of espionage, culminating in a fight not just for victory but for the very essence of humanity's honor.

15. Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%

Wolff, an interstellar adventurer, embarks on a daring rescue mission to the Forbidden Zone to save three women stranded on a plague-infested planet, battling bizarre landscapes, mutant creatures, and the tyrannical Overdog, with the help of a plucky orphan named Niki.

16. Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%

When a spaceship with three furry aliens crashes into her pool, California girl Valerie spruces them up for a wild LA adventure, finding love and unexpected friendships as they navigate TV shows, nightclubs, and the complexities of Earthly relationships.

17. The Stuff (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

A delicious, addictive substance found oozing from the earth becomes America's latest food obsession, but when it's discovered that The Stuff takes over the minds of those who eat it, an industrial saboteur teams up with a young boy and a marketing executive to expose and destroy the parasitic organism.

18. Cherry 2000 (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%

In a dystopian future where real women are a rarity, Sam Treadwell ventures into the dangerous wasteland with a tough female tracker to find a replacement for his malfunctioning robot wife, encountering lawless territories and fierce battles along the way.

19. Time Bandits (1981)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

A young boy, Kevin, inadvertently joins a band of time-traveling dwarves as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal, running afoul of the Supreme Being and the embodiment of evil itself, leading to a fantastical journey through history with epic battles and moral dilemmas.

20. Explorers (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

Three young friends, fascinated by dreams of space travel, build their own spaceship in their backyard, leading them on an extraordinary adventure to another galaxy where they encounter alien life forms, ultimately learning about friendship, understanding, and the vastness of the universe beyond their wildest dreams.