The ’80s was a memorable decade that brought us so much, from shoulder pads and leg warmers to breakdancing, neon, big hair, and acid wash jeans. But it was about so much more, including some of the most influential movies to have graced the small screen. From hilarious parody comedies to some of the best rom-coms and, of course, a series of John Hughes coming-of-age teen dramas that defined a generation, the decade was a great one for movies. Thankfully, many of these iconic, cult-classic films can be watched today through their availability on Hulu. The list of movies you can stream is constantly changing, but we have done the work for you to bring you a list of the best ’80s movies you can watch on Hulu right now.
We’ve also curated a guide to the best action movies on Amazon Prime and the best action movies on Netflix if you’re looking for additional recommendations.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
The setting is the French Riviera where two polar opposite con men work together to swindle money from rich and unsuspecting women. They set their sights on an heiress who is set to receive $50,000 (today, that would equate to about $167,000), with Lawrence (Michael Caine) using his suave manner and Freddy (Steve Martin) his less-refined tactics to woo her. Based on the 1964 film Bedtime Story, which starred Marlon Brando and David Niven, the popular comedy inspired the 21st Century remake The Hustle, which was released in 2019 starring Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson. The iconic comedy pairing of Caine and Martin makes this movie just as hilarious today as it was decades ago.
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
The ’80s was the decade of John Hughes teen dramas, and this romantic drama is one of many that’s totally predictable but thoroughly entertaining. Blue-collar high school boy Keith likes the popular girl in school, Amanda, who is dating, of course, the pompous and wealthy young man who doesn’t treat her well. Meanwhile, Keith’s tomboyish female best friend Watts realizes she might have deeper feelings for Keith than she realized; and so begins the love triangle in this coming-of-age story.
The Untouchables (1987)
Based on the book of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, the Untouchables are a team that bands together to take down Al Capone during the Prohibition period. Nominated for four Academy Awards, with the late Sean Connery winning for Best Supporting Actor, it’s one of those gangster movies that sits on everyone’s “must-watch” list. With the star-studded cast, action, and 1930s backdrop, it’s an exciting story about a real-life crime boss.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Kurt Russell was in his prime during this John Carpenter fantasy martial arts action-comedy about Jack Burton, who finds himself deep in Chinatown in San Francisco in an attempt to help his friend Wang Chi rescue his fiancé Miao Yin. There, the pair find David Lo Pan, an ancient sorcerer who has kidnapped Yin because she fits the requirement he needs to break a centuries-old curse: He must marry a woman with green eyes. While the movie performed poorly at the box office, it has since become a cult classic.
Airplane! (1980)
Surreal, parody comedy doesn’t get much better than this movie that starred comedic icon Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack, a man aboard a plane that is in crisis when passengers and crew members get violently sick from food poisoning. A parody of disaster films, Dr. Rumack, together with other passengers and crew members who are still healthy, must try to fly the plane to safety. Filled with plenty of slapstick comedy, visual puns, gags, and silly quotable lines (“Surely, you can’t be serious” … “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley”), it’s a movie that will have you heartily laughing the entire way through.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
A classic rom-com, Harry and Sally keep meeting one another over a period of 12 years, and the story explores the concept of whether men and women can ever truly just be platonic friends. As the pair go through their own romantic lives, they continue to have chance encounters where they discuss their thoughts on love and friendship. Thanks to its A-list cast led by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, along with those memorable scenes (notably that very, er, vocal diner one everyone talks about), When Harry Met Sally remains one of the best movies of the decade.
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Despite its dated references and fashion, Pretty in Pink is one of those teen romantic comedy-dramas that still holds up today. In one of many ’80s movies from John Hughes that has become a cult classic, Andie (Molly Ringwald) and her best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer) are working-class kids who are constantly being bullied by the rich, popular kids in school. When Andie gets asked to senior prom by one of the popular kids, the class inconsistencies begin to show, and Andie starts to realize what, and who, is most important.
Say Anything... (1989)
Kids today believe that people expressed their love to one another in the ’80s by standing outside a bedroom window blasting Phil Collins from some strange contraption called a boombox. That’s exactly what happened in this iconic ’80s teen romantic comedy-drama that starred John Cusack as Lloyd, a young student who falls for, and begins a relationship with, the smartest girl in school. As far as teen romance movies go, this one touches on all the insecurities, emotions, and tough life decisions that come with finding lasting and meaningful love.
Weird Science (1985) new
Some of the themes in this teen science fiction comedy, another from John Hughes, might not exactly hold up today. But oddly, there’s also no denying this memorable movie is a hilarious story that was way ahead of its time. Gary and Wyatt (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith), two nerdy young boys, find themselves turning the tables when they manage to create their virtual, perfect woman and she actually comes to life. The gorgeous, intelligent Lisa (played by supermodel Kelly LeBrock) with magical powers takes the boys on wild rides and results in the high school cheerleaders who never used to give them the time of day swooning over them, while the popular bullies (Robert Downey Jr. among them!) are confused and salivating over Lisa. In the end, it’s all about building confidence, and despite the low critic ratings, there are plenty of laughs along the way as two once bullied young boys get to live in the spotlight while their peers jealously look on. The late-great Bill Paxton is one to watch for here in one of his earliest performances as Wyatt’s a-hole older brother, Chet.
Risky Business (1983)
The movie is more than Tom Cruise wearing a white shirt and underwear sliding across the hallway while dancing and lip syncing to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.” In this teen sex comedy, Cruise is Joel, a wealthy and promising young student who goes wild when his parents go away on a trip, including hiring a prostitute. When he discovers personal property missing, however, Joel and his friend Miles find themselves in a precarious position that leads to some seriously, well, risky business as they attempt to restore order in the home, and their lives.
Hoosiers (1986)
Even if you’ve never given a second thought to basketball, Hoosiers is a must-see. This inspirational sports flick stars Gene Hackman as Norman Dale, a disgraced basketball coach who finds himself trying to reinvigorate a high school team in the small rural town of Hickory, Indiana. While at first Dale doesn’t make a lot of friends with his unorthodox style and his habit of getting ejected from games for locking horns with the refs, soon the coach’s leadership has the boys finding strengths they never imagined they had and achieving what they thought was impossible.
Heathers (1989)
Heathers was kind of the Mean Girls of its day if the titular mean girls actually killed each other in darkly humorous ways. In that regard, Heathers is in a class all of its own. Winona Ryder stars as Veronica Sawyer, a high school student who has fallen in with a clique called the Heathers. The trio of Heathers (as played by Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, and Kim Walker) soon turns on Veronica. But Veronica’s new boyfriend, Jason “J.D.” Dean (Christian Slater), has very elaborate revenge plans, much to Veronica’s eventual horror.
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