It seems impossible that so many great movies came out in the same decade, let alone the same year. But 40 years ago, some fantastic flicks — including “Ghostbusters,” “Gremlins,” and “Footloose” — debuted, making it a banner year to go to the theater. Here are the 40 best movies from 1984 that are worth a rewatch.
1. ‘Beverly Hills Cop’
One of the first comedy-action movies, this film propelled Eddie Murphy into superstardom. The wacky hijinks and clever one-liners still hold up.
2. ‘Ghostbusters’
It’s hard to say what’s more iconic — the “Ghostbusters” movie or its soundtrack. Either way, the charismatic trio of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis makes this an unforgettable comedy.
3. ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’
The franchise’s second installment isn’t as popular as the first or third, but it still brought us the classic Indy/Short Round pairing.
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4. ‘Gremlins’
There are three rules to Gremlins: Don’t get them wet, don’t let them in the sun, and don’t feed them after midnight. Got it? Good.
5. ‘The Karate Kid’
Who can forget the wise teachings of Mr. Miyagi or how Daniel defeats the evil Cobra Kai karate school and lands Elisabeth Shue’s character, Ali Mills?
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6. ‘Police Academy’
The first installment in this franchise features Steve Guttenberg’s hilarious comedic timing, as well as an ensemble that should be locked up.
7. ‘Footloose’
Kevin Bacon’s bad boy character liberates the folks of this small Utah town, as well as Ariel, the daughter of John Lithgow’s conservative preacher.
8. ‘Romancing the Stone’
Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas have natural chemistry in this romance adventure flick.
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9. ‘The Natural’
Robert Redford and Glenn Close star in this classic baseball tale about a man’s life journey beyond running around bases.
10. ‘Purple Rain’
Prince’s famous soundtrack is what people remember most about this movie. However, you should also watch it to see Prince act.
11. ‘Red Dawn’
In the heyday of the ’80s, fear of the Soviet Union invading was paramount. And no one capitalized on this better than in “Red Dawn,” a tale of Colorado teenagers protecting America from the Communists.
12. ‘The Terminator’
Though not as memorable as its sequel, James Cameron’s first Terminator installment shows a young but perfectly outfitted Arnold Schwarznegger.
13. ‘Amadeus’
This biopic, depicting the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, focuses on the rivalry between the prodigy and Antonio Salieri, a fellow composer.
14. ‘Sixteen Candles’
John Hughes weaves his magic again with the help of Molly Ringwald as a neglected birthday girl and Jake Ryan, the Prince Charming of the ’80s.
15. ‘The NeverEnding Story’
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, this fantasy film could give young children nightmares — but not before entrancing them with the story of Atreyu, Falkor, and the Childlike Empress.
16. ‘Once Upon a Time in America’
This four-hour mafia epic isn’t as celebrated as “The Godfather” or “Goodfellas,” but critic Roger Ebert gave it a perfect score.
17. ‘Paris, Texas’
It’s hard to describe this movie, written by actor and writer Sam Shepard. Settle in and enjoy this stark tale of three Texas men trying to track down a missing woman.
18. ‘Repo Man’
Emilio Estevez plays a repo man, responsible for repossessing cars whose owners are behind on payments. However, this isn’t a basic story of delinquent borrowers and greedy banks.
19. ‘This Is Spinal Tap’
Rob Reiner’s parody film of a metal hair band created one of the most popular movie quotes ever: “These go to 11.”
20. ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension’
Peter Weller (best known for “Robocop”), John Lithgow, and Jeff Goldblum create a sci-fi romp that’s fun to watch, if not hard to discern.
21. ‘The Killing Fields’
This harrowing fictional movie about the Khmer Rouge is still one of the few films to depict the atrocities that occurred in Cambodia.
22. ‘Moscow on the Hudson’
This comedy-drama stars Robin Williams as a professional musician defecting from the Soviet Union and showcases Williams’ incredible acting range.
23. ‘Dune’
David Lynch’s “Dune” is more camp than classic, but it still deserves a spot on this list for taking such a big swing.
24. ‘The Toxic Avenger’
If you’re feeling burnt out from Marvel movies, check out this superhero flick about a man who is dumped into a vat of toxic waste and emerges as an all-powerful entity.
25. ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan’
Children of this decade still reflect fondly on this take on the Muppets and their wacky adventures in the Big Apple.
26. ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’
One of the best scary movies of the ’80s, Wes Craven’s masterpiece features the origins of the legendary Freddy Krueger.
27. ‘Children of the Corn’
This Stephen King film must have scared a lot of parents back when it was first released. The horror flick follows a couple who are haunted by a group of children in rural Nebraska.
28. ‘Revenge of the Nerds’
While some elements of this teen comedy don’t hold up nowadays, it was one of the classic ’80s movies in which the geek ultimately got the girl.
29. ‘Rhinestone’
“It’s so bad, it’s good” rings true for this movie starring the unlikely duo of Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton.
30. ‘Firestarter’
Catch Drew Barrymore as a cute yet frightening child in this chilling Stephen King adaptation.
31. ‘Breakin’’
This breakdancing musical highlights the growing nature of this sport, and is a beautiful snapshot of the decade.
32. ‘Stop Making Sense’
This Talking Heads documentary, directed by auteur Jonathan Demme, celebrates the wonderful weirdness of lead singer David Byrne and the rest of the band.
33. ‘Streets of Fire’
If “Grease” is too bubblegum for you, try this movie, which is also set in the 1950s and depicts two friends trying to rescue a woman from Willem Dafoe’s biker gang.
34. ‘Top Secret!’
A spy parody movie featuring Val Kilmer? Sign me up. Think “The Naked Gun,” but less well-known.
35. ‘Pope of Greenwich Village’
Most people don’t remember this movie, but it’s a fun action romp when you need something easy to watch.
36. ‘Bachelor Party’
Before he was the classic Boomer drama actor, Tom Hanks shined in classic ’80s comedies, including this tale about a guy’s night gone awry.
37. ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’
While this animated feature is not as well known as other flicks from Hayao Miyazaki, this beautiful tale highlights voice acting from Patrick Stewart, Mark Hamill, and Uma Thurman.
38. ‘Blood Simple’
The Coen brothers’ first thriller flick is less celebrated than their other well-known movies, but its cast shines with Frances McDormand and is worth a watch.
39. ‘Love Streams’
Featuring real-life couple John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, this movie — also directed by Cassavetes — is a heartbreaking tale of the power of love and family.
40. ‘A Passage to India’
Based on a book from E.M. Forster, this movie tells the tale of two people living in India during its colonial period. It received 11 Oscar nominations.
