While the best feel-good movies of the 1980s were often directed towards children, the decade has its fair share of iconic R-rated feature films as well. Sexually explicit humor, heavy profanity in the dialogue, tons of nudity, and a lack of restraint in the portrayal of violence – creative decisions in the ’80s led to many movies being rated R. There’s a noticeable difference in today’s films with an R rating for coarse language and the kind of cursing one could find in the average R-rated ’80s movie.
The standards were so different in the ’80s, that many of the old movies rated PG that shouldn’t be PG, are from that decade. The industry is much stricter about violence, sexualization, coarse language, and crude humor today, and that’s for the better. However, that also means that even within an R-rated movie, things can often seem unnecessarily tamer than an equivalent ’80s movie would be. In a drive to appeal to a broader audience, many R-rated movie franchises changed to PG-13 over the years. Now, we miss the classic R-rated traits that’ll forever be associated with ’80s cinema.
You are watching: 10 R-Rated 1980s Movies That We Will Rewatch Forever
10
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
Directed By Wes Craven
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
R
Horror
8/10
9/10
Release Date
November 9, 1984
Runtime
91 minutes
Director
Wes Craven
Writers
Wes Craven
Producers
John Burrows, Joseph Wolf, Robert Shaye, Sara Risher
Cast
See All
-
Heather Langenkamp
Nancy Thompson
-
John Saxon
Lieutenant Thompson
A Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 1984, explores the terror faced by a group of teenagers haunted in their dreams by Fred Krueger, a vengeful spirit. As they confront a series of mysterious deaths, Nancy Thompson uncovers the truth about Krueger’s dark past and seeks to stop him.
Studio(s)
New Line Cinema
Main Genre
Horror
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Sleazy and gory horror movies were a standard affair in the 1980s. So, some of the most iconic ’80s characters are extremely violent slasher villains. One such classic villain, the choice for many a Halloween costume today, is the needle-fingered Freddy Krueger. It is no surprise that multiple of the most gruesome 1980s horror movie deaths are from the Wes Craven movie that introduced us to the fearsome villain.
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Johnny Depp’s acting debut wouldn’t be so memorable and scary without the R-rated scenes, and no matter how many times we watch it, the kills in the movie will always feel fresh on a rewatch. Craven’s masterful direction creates a truly terrifying air of mystery around Krueger, and no matter how much it lives rent-free in my head, I find myself waiting in anticipation for his entry in the film.
9
Risky Business (1983)
Directed By Paul Brickman
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Risky Business
R
Comedy
Drama
Crime
Romance
Release Date
August 5, 1983
Runtime
99 minutes
Director
Paul Brickman
Writers
Paul Brickman
Cast
See All
-
Richard Masur
-
Bronson Pinchot
-
Rebecca De Mornay
-
Tom Cruise
Risky Business is a 1983 comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise as Joel Goodsen, a high school student who experiences a wild adventure while his parents are away. When Joel’s desire for freedom leads him to make some questionable decisions, he finds himself entangled in complications that challenge his morals and future. Directed by Paul Brickman, the film explores themes of adolescence, responsibility, and the pursuit of success.
Main Genre
Comedy
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In 1986, Tom Cruise played one of his most iconic roles of all time in a memorable 1980s movie that’ll be associated with one song. Three years before cementing a reputation as an action hero with his daring airplane stunts set to the bestselling film album of the ’80s, he broke through in his first leading role. Paul Brickman cast a 21-year-old Cruise as the protagonist in his teen sex-comedy and his charm made it a part of history.
The ludicrous plot in which a well-behaved teenager decides to turn his parents’ mansion into a brothel when they’re away is exactly the kind of sleazy ’80s comedy we love going back to all the time. It’s fun to watch a young Cruise pre-Mission: Impossible and action stardom in his element, flashing his infectious smile and becoming a style icon with those iconic Ray-Bans that flooded the market after the movie was a hit. Plus, who can forget his iconic dance to Old Time Rock and Roll?
8
The Terminator (1984)
Directed By James Cameron
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The Terminator
R
Action
Thriller
Science Fiction
38
9.2/10
Release Date
October 26, 1984
Runtime
108 minutes
Director
James Cameron
Writers
James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher
Producers
Gale Anne Hurd, John Daly
Cast
See All
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Terminator
-
Michael Biehn
Kyle Reese
The Terminator, directed by James Cameron and released in 1984, features a cyborg assassin sent back in time to eliminate Sarah Connor, the mother of a future resistance leader. As the relentless machine pursues its mission, a human warrior is sent to protect her and secure humanity’s survival.
Main Genre
Thriller
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Sex scenes, extreme violence, incessant profanity, and cool character design – the Terminator franchise got off to a sexy, stylish, and slick start with James Cameron in the director’s chair. Four decades later, the franchise is still continuing, but the first two films are the best, and The Terminator is still one of the most iconic action movies of all time. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance as the titular character cemented Mr. Olympia’s place in Hollywood as an action hero.
Arnold Schwarzenegger only has 14 to 18 lines in The Terminator, and its his imposing physicality that Cameron doubles down on showing off in the movie that made him so iconic after the film was a hit.
Schwarzenegger remains best known for this character, and to quote him, every time I watch The Terminator again, all I can think is, “I’ll be back.” While there’s now an underrated sequel in Terminator: Dark Fate, the most recent film in the franchise, the Terminator films really took a tumble after Cameron stopped directing them. So, it’s most natural to want to come back and revisit the film that introduced the world to Cyberdyne Systems model 101.
7
The Untouchables (1987)
Directed By Brian De Palma
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The Untouchables
R
Crime
History
Thriller
9.3/10
Release Date
June 3, 1987
Runtime
1h 59m
Director
Brian De Palma
Writers
David Mamet
Cast
See All
-
Kevin Costner
-
Sean Connery
The Untouchables, directed by Brian De Palma, is a crime drama set during Prohibition-era Chicago. The film stars Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, a federal agent determined to bring down the notorious gangster Al Capone, portrayed by Robert De Niro. Alongside Sean Connery as seasoned officer Jim Malone, Ness forms an elite team to combat organized crime, focusing on the legal strategy to dismantle Capone’s empire.
Studio(s)
Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
Main Genre
Crime
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While he has been prolific for decades, through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, Brian De Palma’s career-best works are among the best crime movies of the 1980s. It is hard to pick just one I love to revisit, because between The Untouchables, Body Double, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, and Wise Guys, it’s difficult to choose just one. He flourished the most in the ’80s, and to me, the epitome of that can be seen in The Untouchables.
With a stellar cast led by Sean Connery and Kevin Costner, it’s an epic crime drama that follows the prohibition agents during their hunt for evidence against Al Capone. He’d already established himself as a maestro at portraying gangsters, and the suave vibe de Niro brings to the character of Al Capone is the cherry on the top. The score for the film is one of Ennio Morricone’s best works, and an absolute favorite of mine.
6
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Directed By George Mihalka
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My Bloody Valentine
R
Horror
Thriller
Release Date
February 11, 1981
Runtime
93 Minutes
Director
George Mihalka
Writers
John Beaird
Producers
Jason Blum
Cast
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-
Paul Kelman
-
Lori Hallier
-
Neil Affleck
-
Don Francks
My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian-made horror/slasher film that follows a group of people who decide to throw a party for Valentine’s Day to disastrous results. The dance, which had been banned for two decades prior due to a tragic mining incident it had caused, is brought back, only for those involved to incur the wrath of a miner as he picks them off one by one.
Studio(s)
Canadian Film Development Corporation, Secret Film Company
Distributor(s)
Paramount Pictures
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It is a Herculean task to choose just one great ’80s horror movie to revisit all the time. With directors like David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, and John Carpenter at their peaks of freedom and creativity, the decade was one of the best for horror cinema. Franchises were started, continued, and reached unprecedented heights of popularity during the ’80s. However, one of the horror movies that I personally love to rewatch is My Bloody Valentine.
My Bloody Valentine takes the attributes of our favorite slasher movies and franchises and reinvigorates the formula.
It is one of the most perfect slasher movies ever made. A scorned man out for blood, reckless youngsters, a horrifying backstory, and brutal and imaginative kills, all set to a catchy soundtrack during local festivities – My Bloody Valentine takes the attributes of our favorite slasher movies and franchises and reinvigorates the formula. From pushing one person into a pickaxe and spinning another in a dryer, the villain uses unique ways to kill his victims in the movie. Moreover, who doesn’t want to rewatch the supposed-to-be-scary but hilarious horror movie moment that is the hot dog water murder?
5
Flashdance (1983)
Directed By Adrian Lyne
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Flashdance
Release Date
April 15, 1983
Runtime
97 Minutes
Director
Adrian Lyne
Cast
See All
-
Jennifer Beals
-
Michael Nouri
-
Lilia Skala
-
Sunny Johnson
Flashdance is a 1983 romantic drama directed by Adrian Lyne. The film stars Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens, a steel mill worker by day and nightclub dancer by night, who aspires to be a professional ballerina. The story follows her journey of passion, determination, and the pursuit of her dreams, set against the backdrop of Pittsburgh’s industrial landscape.
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When it comes to sleazy films, few do it as good as Adrian Lyne, the man who started his feature filmmaking journey with Foxes in 1980 and shot to fame with his sophomore feature Flashdance. While he’s made only a few movies during his four-decade-long career, and they’re all far apart, he was the most prolific during the ’80s. His most famous film of that decade, perhaps his most famous film of all, is obviously the 1987 Glenn Close romantic drama Fatal Attraction.
However, for me, it’s too violent, dark, and sketchy with its gendered politics, even by ’80s standards. My favorite is 9 1/2 Weeks, the follow-up to Flashdance, but the iconic soundtrack makes me rewatch the latter the most. Jennifer Beals broke through with that movie, and I’ll forever be a fan of her expressive dancing and acting in the film. She owns every frame she’s in, even when her character’s under-confident, and Lyne makes sure we know she’s the star of the show. Her final dance, set to Irene Cara’s What A Feeling, is perhaps my most rewatched movie scene.
4
RoboCop (1987)
Directed By Paul Verhoeven
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RoboCop
R
Action
Sci-Fi
Crime
10/10
Release Date
July 17, 1987
Runtime
102 Minutes
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Writers
Edward Neumeier, Michael Miner
Cast
-
Peter Weller
-
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RoboCop is a 1987 science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a dystopian Detroit, the film follows Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), a critically injured police officer transformed into a cyborg law enforcement unit. As RoboCop, Murphy combats crime and corruption, while grappling with memories of his former human life. The film explores themes of identity, corporate power, and the ethical implications of advanced technology in law enforcement.
Main Genre
Action
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Paul Verhoeven is most famous for his 1992 movie Basic Instinct, one of the great crime movies where the villain wins, but arguably, his greatest work is Robocop. Cheesy and violent, it’s a brilliant satire on the sociopolitical state of America – unchecked capitalism, the media’s glamorization of violence, militarization of the police force, and political correction – it touches on all relevant topics, with no subtlety, as is often the case with Verhoeven.
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The cheesy one-liners, the carnage-filled violent scenes, RoboCop’s appearance, and the biting satire that is sadly still very relevant – there’s no dearth of reasons why I love rewatching RoboCop. Murphy’s iconic style of holstering his gun lives rent-free in my head, and sometimes, remembering that moment when Anne recognizes RoboCop from that, is excuse enough to get me to watch the movie again.
3
Desert Hearts (1985)
Directed By Donna Deitch
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Desert Hearts
R
Drama
Romance
Release Date
October 1, 1985
Runtime
91 minutes
Director
Donna Deitch
Writers
Natalie Cooper
Cast
See All
-
Helen Shaver
Vivian Bell
-
Patricia Charbonneau
Cay Rivvers
-
Audra Lindley
Frances Parker
-
Andra Akers
Silver Dale
Desert Hearts is a 1985 romantic drama directed by Donna Deitch. Set in 1959, the film follows a repressed literature professor who, while awaiting her divorce, encounters a life-altering attraction to a spirited young woman named Cay. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the Nevada desert.
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Donna Deitch’s film adaptation of Jane Rule’s 1964 novel Desert of the Heart is an important part of movie history. Desert Hearts is often said to be the first film to not sensationalize lesbianism. A lesbian herself, Deitch wanted to make a lesbian movie that’d be mainstream, and not just within a specific community. Hosting fundraisers and applying for grants, she crowdsourced the budget for the film, with donations primarily from interested people in the queer community.
The explicit lesbian sex scene, one of the first to be filmed by a lesbian director, is slow, intense, and beautiful, with no background music, so viewers experience the passion as is.
While the novel is more expansive, Deitch’s film, which Natalie Cooper wrote, narrows down the focus to the two main characters and their romance. Vivian Bell is in town to finalize her divorce and befriends Cay Rivvers, who helps her experiment with her sexuality. The explicit lesbian sex scene, one of the first to be filmed by a lesbian director, is slow, intense, and beautiful, with no background music, so viewers experience the passion as is. Cay Rivvers helped reshape genre expectations for queer cinema, and Desert Hearts is one of my favorite queer movies that I love rewatching.
2
The Fly (1986)
Directed By David Cronenberg
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The Fly
R
Horror
Sci-Fi
Drama
10/10
9/10
Release Date
August 15, 1986
Runtime
96 minutes
Director
David Cronenberg
Writers
Charles Edward Pogue, David Cronenberg
Sequel(s)
The Fly II
Cast
See All
-
Jeff Goldblum
Seth Brundle
-
Geena Davis
Veronica Quaife
The Fly follows scientist Seth Brundle as he makes a groundbreaking teleportation experiment. During testing, he inadvertently merges with a housefly, leading to unforeseen consequences.
Studio(s)
20th Century
Distributor(s)
20th Century
Main Genre
Horror
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Cronenberg made only five movies in the ’80s, but even then, the choice to pick one as the most rewatchable feels completely arbitrary. Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly, and Dead Ringers – this is one of the most impressive list of films for a director to have made in a decade. They’re all unique, gory, and thought-provoking, and they all test the limits of body horror.
Chris Walas made a sequel to The Fly in 1989, which is also R-rated, and while it’s nowhere near as good as Cronenberg’s film, it has its merits as an ’80s horror movie.
However, my favorite for a rewatch is perhaps always going to be The Fly. While the ’80s horror scene is mostly ruled by entertaining slashers and gory supernatural horror films, The Fly is decidedly somber. The lack of sensationalism (I’m very grateful the monkey-cat scene was cut) almost makes it seem more like a cautionary sci-fi movie than an out-and-out horror movie. The Brundlefly may be one of those horror movie monsters that are actually nightmare fuel, but Goldblum’s compelling performance and the downer ending will keep making me revisit it.
1
Die Hard (1988)
Directed By John McTiernan
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Die Hard
R
Action
Thriller
9.7/10
Release Date
July 15, 1988
Runtime
132 minutes
Director
John McTiernan
Writers
Roderick Thorp, Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza
Cast
See All
-
Bruce Willis
-
Bonnie Bedelia
During a holiday party, NYPD detective John McClane’s wife’s workplace is hijacked by German terrorists led by evil icon Hans Gruber. McClane (Bruce Willis), evades capture and fights to save hostages, including his wife, and foil Gruber’s elaborate heist initially without weapons, shoes, or a shirt.
Main Genre
Action
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In back-to-back years, John McTiernan made two iconic action movies that would both inspire long-running franchises. The first was Predator in 1987, whose sixth film is set to release later this year, and the second was Die Hard in ’88, which might be getting a sixth movie based on one of the graphic novels. Both are endlessly rewatchable, but I prefer the best Christmas movie.
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The balance Bruce Willis strikes between his iconic hero, John McClane’s physicality and emotionality, makes him an endearing action hero. The fire-hose stunts, the memorable lines, the deliberate pacing, the grounded action, and McClane’s strength of will – everything about Die Hard is perfect. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is one of the greatest movie villains ever, exuding a suave charm despite being a despicable terrorist. The film takes its time moving from set piece to set piece, but never lags for a second. I rewatch it every Christmas, waiting in anticipation for Willis to smirk and say “Yippee ki-yay, moth******er”.
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