Grave of the Fireflies
1988 · 8.4/10
Absolute CinemaThe best movies of the 1980s
The defining films of the 1980s, ranked by viewer score.
The best movies of the 1980s: as of 13 November 2026, the top three are Grave of the Fireflies (1988, 8.4/10), Cinema Paradiso (1988, 8.4/10), and The Empire Strikes Back (1980, 8.4/10), ranked by TMDB viewer score.
307 films, ranked by viewer score · page 1 of 16
The films
Cinema Paradiso
1988 · 8.4/10
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The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · 8.4/10
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Once Upon a Time in America
1984 · 8.4/10
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Back to the Future
1985 · 8.3/10
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Dead Poets Society
1989 · 8.3/10
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The Shining
1980 · 8.2/10
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Come and See
1985 · 8.2/10
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Scarface
1983 · 8.2/10
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Full Metal Jacket
1987 · 8.1/10
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Das Boot
1981 · 8.1/10
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Paris, Texas
1984 · 8.1/10
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The Thing
1982 · 8.1/10
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My Neighbor Totoro
1988 · 8.1/10
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The Elephant Man
1980 · 8.1/10
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Ran
1985 · 8.0/10
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Amadeus
1984 · 8.0/10
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Castle in the Sky
1986 · 8.0/10
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Aliens
1986 · 8.0/10
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Pink Floyd: The Wall
1982 · 8.0/10
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Frequently asked questions
What is number one on the best movies of the 1980s list?
Grave of the Fireflies (1988), with a viewer score of 8.4/10.