Netflix Just Quietly Added 23 Iconic 80s Movies: Here's the Complete List
It's time to don the neon Lycra, high-waisted acid wash jeans, and grow your hair as big as possible as Netflix takes us back to 1984.
Let's go back in time with Netflix 's Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection. Here's what you'll find in this pile of oldies but goodies:
1. 2010: The Year We Make Contact
6.7 on IMDb
Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, and Helen Mirren star in this sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). A joint U.S.-Soviet effort to determine the fate of the USSC Discovery One sends a mission to Jupiter to find the lost spacecraft and only deepens the mystery.
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street
7.4 on IMDb
The original and the best from the genius of horror, Wes Craven. Starring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. The child murderer, released on a technicality, apparently met his end when the vengeful parents of his victims burned him alive. But even in death, Freddy continued to stalk and kill their children. By invading their dreams.
3. Against All Odds
5.9 on IMDb
A classic romantic thriller full of twists and turns starring Jeff Bridges, James Woods and Rachel Ward. A man is hired to find the girlfriend of his shady, nightclub-owning associate. He finds her in Mexico, but instead of turning her over, they become lovers. But that is only the beginning of this twisted tale of betrayal and revenge.
4. Amadeus
8.4 on IMDb
Starring Tom Hulce as Mozart and F. Murray Abraham as Salieri, this movie won an impressive eight Oscars. It follows the fictionalized rivalry between the two famous composers, and features some of the finest costumes and acting ever seen in cinema.
5. Beverly Hills Cop
7.4 on IMDb
Eddie Murphy may be a household name today, but he was relatively unknown when he brought wise-cracking Detroit cop Axel Foley to life in this gem. When Foley's old friend is murdered, he must travel to posh Beverly Hills to solve the crime. Lots of action, lots of jokes, and a good time from start to finish.
6. Birdy
7.2 on IMDb
Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage headline this one, and if seeing the much younger versions of these amazing actors isn't enough to draw you in, here's the basic plot. Two teenagers form a close friendship, and one, obsessed with birds, begins to believe he can fly. Based on the book by William Wharton, it will touch your heart.
7. Body Double
6.8 on IMDb
Erotic thrillers were big in the 80s, and this is one of the most iconic. Featuring Melanie Griffith in her breakout role as a sexy porn actress, it has a touch of Hitchcock's Rear Window about it. A man watches his neighbor's sensual dancing through her window night after night until she is murdered. What follows are twists, turns and shocks aplenty.
8. Conan the Destroyer
5.9 on IMDb
One word. Arnie. In this sequel to 1982's Conan the Barbarian, Schwarzenegger flexes his muscles and wields a sword like he was born to do it. This is cheesy '80s action at its best.
9. Falling in Love
6.5 on IMDb
Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, two legends. Throw in a dramatic tale of two married people who inexplicably fall in love, and no matter how hard they try not to betray their spouses, the feelings just cannot be ignored.
10. Firestarter
6.1 on IMDb
A tiny Drew Barrymore brings this terrifying Stephen King tale to life at the tender age of nine. A little girl is born with pyrokinesis after her parents undergo dangerous medical experiments.
11. Firstborn
7.2 on IMDb
This dark tale features an all-star 80's cast including Teri Garr, Peter Weller and the late Corey Haim. When a teenage boy learns that his mother is dating an abusive drug dealer, he becomes desperate to protect his family, no matter what.
12. Footloose
6.6 on IMDb
That instantly recognizable Kenny Loggins song, Kevin Bacon's incredible dancing... If you have never seen Footloose, the story of a young man who just wants to dance, you are missing out on an unforgettable good time.
13. Iceman
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6.1 on IMDb
Have you ever wondered what would happen if scientists were able to unfreeze and revive a frozen caveman? No, not the comedic results seen in Encino Man. Iceman shows a far more dramatic, moving, and deeply insightful portrayal.
14. Joy of Sex
3.8 on IMDb
Not to be confused with the controversial 1972 book of almost the same name, this movie depicts the mission of a high school girl determined to lose her virginity. When she meets a boy on the same quest, things get very interesting.
15. Micki & Maude
6.0 on IMDb
No list of iconic 80s movies would be complete without a hilarious Dudley Moore film. When a man grows tired of his wife not wanting to have a baby with him, he starts having an affair. Imagine his surprise when he learns that both his mistress and his wife are pregnant.
16. Moscow on the Hudson
6.5 on IMDb
Speaking of hilarious, check out Robin Williams. His performance as a Soviet saxophonist who decides to defect to the USA is pure comic genius. Especially when the culture shock really hits.
17. A Passage to India
7.3 on IMDb
Written and directed by the incomparable late David Lean, this historical drama focuses on the time of the British rule in India. It explores racism, imperialism, and religion, all through the lens of various characters as they meet and interact.
18. Places in the Heart
7.4 on IMDb
Sally Field stars in this drama that will break your heart as much as it will warm it. A widow must take over her family's farm when her husband suddenly dies, and we follow her struggles and triumphs.
19. Repo Man
6.9 on IMDb
Emilio Estevez, another '80s mainstay, stars opposite Harry Dean Stanton in this black comedy sci-fi quirk fest in which a young punk rocker goes to work for a car repo agency and ends up on the trail of aliens.
20. The River
6.3 on IMDb
Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek star as a young couple struggling to run their farm against the vicious wrath of two fronts. A bank that threatens to foreclose, and a river that threatens to flood them. Drama and strength are at the heart of this film.
21. Sixteen Candles
7.0 on IMDb
Molly Ringwald, the true queen of 1980s cinema, stars in her breakout role directed by John Hughes in his first teen-centered comedy. Samantha is thrilled to be turning 16, but her joy quickly turns to anger when her family forgets her birthday.
22. Starman
7.0 on IMDb
John Carpenter takes a break from his signature horror films to direct Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges in this romantic sci-fi drama. An alien lands on Earth and takes the form of a young woman's dead husband in order to find help getting home.
23. Top Secret!
7.2 on IMDb
The spoof comedy was a huge genre in the 1980s, and this hilarious adventure starring Val Kilmer is pure gold. A famous rock star becomes involved with a resistance movement while on tour in Germany after falling in love with one of its members.