If you do not recognize or understand the reference from the title of this article, kindly exit this tab (SIKE!).
Though I never had the opportunity to experience this decade, I truly believe that the pop culture and influence of the 80s defined my life in a very meaningful way.
My parents were both born in India and immigrated to the United States when they were a mere two years old. Unlike most of my friends’ parents who grew up and attended school in India, my parents were here, dancing around their bedrooms to Madonna and Depeche Mode and participating in radical fashion styles like shoulder pads and perms.
Due to the immense impact that this period had on their lives, my parents found solace in everything from showing my sisters and I classic films to making us listen to Duran Duran and The Police on the way home from school. (If you ever see me in person, never challenge me in 80s music trivia…!)
So, as my parents did for me, I am here to catalog some fan-favorite movies from the 80s as well as their notable soundtracks for you. Don’t worry, I’m not the kind of girl who spoils movies. And yes, of course, I’ll link the songs for you!
In my humble opinion, The Breakfast Club is THE FILM that defined teenage angst and the vast array of stereotypes in the 80s. Imprisoned in detention, five high school degenerates are forced to coexist for nine lengthy hours under the supervision of a corrupt principal. The adventures and conversations that they share are both dramatic and heartfelt; however, you must have the mental stamina to get to those moments as tension between the characters is the main focus of the film. What could be more entertaining than watching a jock, super-brat, outcast, nerd, and rebel interact in a confined space? I can’t think of anything!
With the release of Top Gun 2: Maverick, the original film has received more attention and praise than ever. I think that I have caught my dad watching this movie every Friday night for the last year. And the soundtrack…it just heightens your addiction to the plot! Tom Cruise’s charismatic, daring persona coupled with the action scenes of Top Gun keeps viewers quenching for more and more. The plot of the film centers around Maverick, an overconfident fighter pilot who’s one of the United States’ best. However, his arrogant attitude clashes with other hotshot pilots, putting them at odds with one another. There’s action; there’s romance; there’s a motorcycle. What else could you ask for?
God. If there was any one movie on this planet that I could watch all day, every day, non-stop, it would be Some Kind of Wonderful. This film personifies the highs and withdrawals and the pros and cons of being utterly infatuated with your best friend. But here’s the unfortunate twist: it’s unrequited. Tom-boy, Watts, is clearly exhibiting what psychologists refer to as repression as she refuses to accept the fact that she’s completely in love with her best friend, Keith. But Keith has fallen for Amanda, your all-around perfect, popular, and pretty Homecoming Queen. However, Amanda hides a colossal secret, which creates a great deal of turbulence. They say that we always want what we cannot have; and considering that Amanda has never thrown a glance in Keith’s direction, this cliché couldn’t be truer. This love triangle is not only fascinating to witness, but also possesses an important life lesson: sometimes everything you were looking for was right there with you all along. Let these three take your heart on a ride! You owe me $10 if you cry.
I’m almost 100% sure that my dad stole all his jokes from this movie. Better Off Dead satirizes and exaggerates the distress of going through an adolescent breakup. Lane Meyer, a teenager in high school with an eccentric family, is grieving the separation between him and his ex-girlfriend, Beth. After Beth leaves him for a skier-jock, Lane enters an existential crisis and ultimately decides that the best way for him to cope is to take his own life. However, each time he attempts his own death, he hilariously fails. He soon realizes that his hamartia is not the answer, and decides to take on Beth’s new boyfriend in a skiing competition to win her back. Does he succeed? You’ll have to watch to find out!
Sixteen Candles! And no, I’m not referring to the Disney knockoff 16 Wishes with Debby Ryan. Molly Ringwald is such a class act — no wonder she starred in so many of the films of the 80s! Sixteen Candles will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first 80s movie that my mom showed me. As Samantha Baker runs down the stairs in excitement for her sweet sixteen, she only encounters disappointment as her entire family has forgotten about her momentous day. Wound up in the imminent wedding of Samantha’s sister, everyone in her household is preoccupied and under tremendous pressure. Thus, Samantha refers to her friends for comfort in an attempt to make her day worthy. And just when it seems like her day cannot get any worse, she is posed with the problem of falling for the most popular guy in school while trying to ward off a school outcast who is in love with her. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Will Samantha get her birthday wish?
You cannot deny the truth: you’ll always root for the underdog, especially knowing that they are a deserving and commendable individual. The Karate Kid is a movie that will never go out of style. The feelings that fans have about this movie (and trilogy) are so strong that a TV series, Cobra Kai, was created to follow the villain of the original film (I’ll let you check that out for yourself — highly recommended!). Tight on finances, Daniel LaRusso and his mother move to Southern California for a change of pace and new beginnings. However, Daniel quickly finds himself the primary target of a group of high schoolers enrolled in a cut-throat karate program called Cobra Kai. However, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, the handyman at his apartment complex, who fortunately is an avid expert in the martial arts. After witnessing Daniel’s helplessness, Mr. Miyagi becomes his sensei and trains him intensively through traditional, defensive, Japanese karate. Here’s all I’ll say: watch it.
I take it back. Say Anything by far is my all-time, favorite 80s movie, mostly because of the boombox scene (watch it so you understand the reference!). This film focuses on two protagonists, Lloyd and Diane, who have both just graduated from high school. While Lloyd has not truly established a plan for himself professionally or academically, Diane has other motives as she is the school’s straight-A, all-academic, valedictorian. As Lloyd and Diane begin to fall for each other the summer following their senior year, Diane’s uptight father only thinks that Lloyd is hindering his daughter. This somewhat Romeo and Juliet trope has its ups and downs and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last three minutes of the movie.
High-school nerd Ronald Miller obviously did not listen to his parents when they told him not to change his personality for other people. Can’t Buy Me Love is a sappy love story about two teenagers, Ronald and Cindy, who are on complete opposite ends of the popularity spectrum. Cindy refuses to associate with him or anyone in his circle until one day he salvages her from something that would have gotten her into deep parental chastisement. However, there’s a catch: the only way that he agrees to get her out of said trouble is if she inducts him into her social posse. The more that Ronald acclimates to her “luxurious” lifestyle, the more he loses himself. And there’s a twist in this film: Cindy’s not your average mean, popular, princess; she truly cares about Ronald and their relationship. Soon, he becomes unrecognizable to her. Did Ronald impose his own downfall? Will Cindy need to reciprocate the favor and save him now?
We have reached our conclusion! But don’t worry; I’m leaving you with an absolutely understated gem: Real Genius. This movie is so bizarre, out-of-this-world that it almost makes sense in real life. 15-year-old Mitch is an academic weapon that is too intelligent for his own good. At his science fair, his brilliant project is commended by a highly-qualified professor. Thus, Mitch is accepted into the professor’s institution and is paired to build a laser with senior Chris Knight, who veils his intellect with humor and nonchalance. Though the two do not see eye-to-eye initially, their love for science bonds and unites them, which becomes a forceful tool they use when they discover that the government is using its laser to harm others. Human brain power is unmatched; but when two minds are put together, stay out of the way, because the possibilities are endless.
I truly wish that you find comfort and nostalgia in these films as I do! And if you enjoyed the songs I linked, here’s a playlist to more songs from 80s movies!!