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When it comes to great movies throughout history, few decades have as many wholesome classics as the 1980s. Those who are unacquainted with the filmography of this era can enjoy dozens of options on Amazon Prime Video. Even those who grew up in movie theaters of the 80s will find some nostalgia in these picks.
Updated on May 17, 2025, by Blaise Santi: Like any streaming service, Amazon Prime is only as good as its library of movies. Thankfully, this library of available moves to watch for free, rent, or buy is constantly changing. While some films are added to Amazon’s collection of movies old and new, others, unfortunately, go away or move to other streaming services. For example, as of this update, the Talking Heads concert filmStop Making Sense, which was an entry on this list, has been removed from Amazon’s library. However, there are plenty more classic,wholesome films from 1980 to 1989 on Amazon Prime Videofor movie fans to dive into!
12Dragonslayer
This 1981 film isa hallmark of the fantasy genre. Directed by Matthew Robbins, who is known for his work with directors such as Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro,Dragonslayerwas a controversial film at the time. Despite being released by Disney, audiences were shocked at the amount of violence and nudity displayed in the film.
Nevertheless, this movie certainly holds up according to fantasy experts.Game of Thronesauthor George R. R. Martin even regards it as one of the best fantasy films of all time. The highlight of this film, however, is its score, which earned it a nomination at the Oscars. Unfortunately, it lost toChariots of Fire.
11The Last Unicorn
This 1982 animated film is based on a novel by Peter S. Beagle, following the last known unicorn on a quest to find out what happened to her species. Along the way, the unicorn, voiced by Mia Farrow, teams up with an amateur magician named Schmendrick voiced by Alan Arkin and features additional voice work by Jeff Bridges and Christopher Lee.
Suffice it to say,The Last Unicornis one of the most charming films to come from the 1980s. It’s especially worthwhile to watch now after Beagle, who also wrote the film, regained the rights to his original novel in 2021 after several years of legal disputes. It’s a well-deserved win for the artist behind the animated masterpiece.
10E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
It’s nearly impossible to talk about 80s cinema without mentioning the name Steven Spielberg. The director is responsible for some of the most iconic films of all time, fromJawstoJurassic Park. The 1982 filmE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, however, is one of his more family-friendly flicks, following the titular alien who is housed by a boy named Elliott.
Audiences in the early 80s adoredE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, rocketing it to success and dethroningStar Warsas the highest-grossing film of all time. It’s hard to argue against a film that’s created with so much love and care that the character E.T. is ostensibly real; no VFX were used to create the adorable, homesick alien.
9Mr. Mom
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The concept ofMr. Momhas certainly aged by 2022, but Keaton does a good job of selling the difficulty that comes with being a fish out of water. Plus, it’s an interesting notch in the filmography of John Hughes, who was known for teen dramas likeThe Breakfast Club. A sequel series to the film also debuted on Vudu in 2019.
8Rocky IV
There is much to be said about the iconicRockyfranchise, which debuted in 1976from a script written by its star, Sylvester Stallone. Its second-most popular entry is probablyRocky IV, released in 1985, and directed by Stallone. This is one of the biggest films of the 80s, as it perfectly captured the mood of the ongoing Cold War.
The film finds Stallone’s titular Rocky Balboa face-to-face with his most dangerous opponent yet: Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. The film was a box office success, which many critics attributed to being blatant Cold War propaganda. Still, it’s hard not to be amazed by the patriotism displayed in this film.
7Clue
There aren’t many successful films based on iconic board games. However,Clue, which was released in 1985, might be the exception. This comedy-mystery was written and directed by Jonathan Lynn and features an all-star cast of 80s icons. This cast includes names like Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, and Eileen Brennan.
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What’s also significant about this movie is how true it stays to the spirit of the board game it’s based on. WhenCluewas released in 1985, the film was edited to have three possible endings sent to theaters at random. Home releases, like on Amazon, feature all endings sequentially, but nothing beats the thrill of seeing this at the time.
6Pretty In Pink
The second half of the 1980s saw John Hughes' filmographytruly begin to capture the tone of the decade. One of his best would bePretty in Pink, starring Molly Ringwald, a frequent collaborator of Hughes. The film finds Ringwald playing Andie, a girl who falls in love with a nerdy, childhood friend.
Aside from Ringwald, the film also features an excellent supporting cast, including Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, and James Spader. It’s a perfect example of a Hughes-written film that takes a simple premise and injects it with heart. Of course, most of that is thanks to a wonderfully charismatic performance by Ringwald.
5Die Hard
It may be hard to come to a consensus on whether the firstDie Hardfilm is a Christmas movie. However, it’s easy to agree that it’s a defining film of the late 1980s.The film made an action star out of Bruce Willis, who up to that point was known as the wise-cracking Detective Addison on the showMoonlighting.
Its story is often the topic of screenwriting books and classes. Willis stars as the now-iconic John McClane, a man whose marriage is on the rocks, who is given a chance to save it when a Christmas party is ambushed by terrorists. It also spawned a decades-long franchise for Willis, with its most recent installment debuting in 2013.
4A Fish Called Wanda
By the time 1988 rolled around, the comedy troupe known as Monty Python had little to prove. The British comedians were a hallmark of 70s pop culture with their showMonty Python’s Flying Circus. They only further cemented their legacy with films likeMonty Python and the Holy GrailandLife of Brian.
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A Fish Called Wandawas written by John Cleese, with a supporting role from fellow Python Michael Palin. It also featured an award-winning comedy turn by scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. For those who love slapstick, and surreal comedy,A Fish Called Wandais essential viewing, as it defined British comedy films for decades.
3Parenthood
Steve Martin was a bona fide movie star of the 1980s,with appearances onSaturday Night Liveand films likePlanes, Trains, and Automobiles. In 1989, Martin continued that streak with a role inParenthood, directed by Ron Howard. The film finds Martin as the patriarch of an extended family with some pretty hefty co-stars.
Martin shines the most in this film, but the supporting cast is just as strong, with actors like Rick Moranis, Dianne Wiest, and Mary Steenburgen. Not only is it a classic comedy, but it’s also extremely heartfelt. Even against some of Howard’s best films,Parenthoodis a timeless look at family dynamics.
