These Go To Eleven: The 10 Best Films Of The Eighties

Join us in our decade-based film retrospective, as we delve backwards all the way from 2009 to 1910. Most decade-based best movie lists grant you a whooping 50-100 entries, which makes perfect sense given all the years you have to take into consideration. But what if you were defining a decade in just ten films? Which movies would you recommend to somebody who might only watch a handful from a given decade? This week, we look back at the Eighties.

T.J. Barnard

Published: Nov 28, 2012 10:52 am

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1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (Dir. Steven Spielberg)

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From the moment we first meet Indiana Jones – emerging from the shadows and brandishing a whip – you know you’re in for something special: Harrison Ford embodies his character, both a treasure hunter and archeology professor, with just the right amount of knowing irony. And this was a part that could’ve gone to Tom Selleck, a casting decision that might’ve dated Raiders of the Lost Ark way before its time. As it stands, Steven Spielberg’s fifth movie emerged as his best, an expertly-clad homage to all things serial that managed to transcend its origins. The set-pieces are glorious, the dialogue zings, and the entertainment value proves unmatched. Raiders of the Lost Ark is eighties cinema defined, a film which remains the absolute crowning achievement of the era. This is how you make a blockbuster.

Last time: Check out our best film lists for both The Nineties and The Noughties.

Next time: The Seventies get our top 10 film treatment, stay tuned.

Do you agree with our choices for the 10 best films of the Eighties? Let us know in the comments below.

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T.J. Barnard