What are for you the movies with the most 80s vibe?

The 80s for me is a real blend of aesthetics. It’s the John Carpenters, the Spielberg and Hughes runs. It’s the cold, blue, synth heavy films like Thief and Blade Runner along with the warm, colorful pieces like Raising Arizona and Do the Right Thing. If I was approached on the street and asked to recommend one 80s movie, the first thing out of my mouth would probably be Big Trouble in Little China.

The Goonies

Weird Science. 

Sixteen Candles The Breakfast Club Ruthless People Outrageous Fortune

Lost Boys

Fast time at ridgemont high

To Live and Die in LA Streets of Fire Diva Drive and The Guest for non-80s movies with 80s vibes

Cobra

Gleaming the cube

The Running Man

Top Gun, Wargames, Escape From New York, Robocop, Highlander, Labyrinth and Raiders of the Lost Ark spring to mind.

Turbo Kid from 2015 does what Kung Fury does but as a full feature and it's genuinely great. Post apocalyptic wasteland filtered entirely through the lens of 80s VHS action movies, practical gore effects and all. Feels like something you'd find at a garage sale in a sun bleached clamshell case.

Manhunter

Big Trouble In Little China, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club...

The Last Dragon

For better or for worse the most 80s movie to me is St. Elmo’s Fire. It’s aged really poorly and was never great to begin with, but it captures the aesthetic, the mores, the fashion and the personalities of the 80s. Runner up for me is Flashdance, which serves as the movie that really took film culture of out the 79s and into the 80s. The impact leg warmers had on the culture cannot be understated. And then a movie to take us out of the 80s for me is Do the Right Thing, as it really sets up the hip-hop dominated side of the 90s to come.

"Rad"

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Back to the Future Its about how the hands of change from the nineteen-fifties created the eighties we know and love. 

Chopping Mall. It is so 80’s with robots, lasers and malls it plays like a Stranger Things pastisch, but it is actually from the 80’s.

Highlander.

The Goonies

The "most 80s" movies that are actually from the 80s, in my mind (many of these have all been said already but w/e): * Goonies * Back to the Future * Aliens * Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure * Conan the Barbarian * Red Sonja (1985) * Robocop * Ferris Bueller's Day Off * Labyrinth * Princess Bride * Star Trek TOS Movies (particularly #4: The One With The Whales) * Highlander * Indiana Jones * E.T. Movies from more recent decades that have a decent 80s vibe: * Turbo Kid * Alien: Romulus, at least in terms of the technology designs, felt fairly 80s, but that was obviously because they were trying to emulate the Alien/Aliens look. * Red Sonja (2025) * Ready Player One Also, obligatory not a movie, but I've been watching The Orville lately. I know the show is intended to be a parody of Star Trek, but they play it fairly straight most of the time. It feels more like an homage to Star Trek TNG only with more d*** jokes, and as such, has a fairly strong 80s vibe, at least for me. (I know *most of* TNG's run was technically 90s, but that show has always felt 80s to me.)

When I think of the 1980's and movies I always think of John Hughes movies.

Band of the Hand (1986)

Scarface.

Freaky Tales is a recent (2024) movie that is based in 1987 and has a pretty strong 80s vibe to it.

There are too many to narrow it down to just one. I'd say there are probably at least 10-20 in a group that are on the same level in this regard. Breakfast Club is up there. Other John Hughes movies as well. Big Trouble in Little China has to be too.

Weird answer: Death Spa. Came out in 89 but the fitness club, the outfits, the culture. All violently 80s

One I saw recently that I really really enjoyed was Trancers from 1984. It stars a very young Helen Hunt and Tim Thomerson. Detective Jack Death has to go back to 1984 from the distant future to find a time-criminal who is hiding out there. Along the way he teams up with Helen Hunt who helps guide him through this unfamiliar time. It's so insane and unexpected, and a cult classic for a reason!

The breakfast club Footloose St Elmo's fire The last starfighter Three Amigos Stripes Blue thunder

Folks have already listed so many amazing movies! I'll add Valley Girl, Weird Science.

Here, have my Holy Trinity of 80s movies: Working Girl (1988), Mannequin (1987) and Splash (1984)

Say Anything...

80s vibes from the 80s for me: Cobra Flight of the Navigation War Games Escape From New York The Breakfast Club E.T. Commando Risky Business Robocop Tron

Real Genius

Back to the Future

OP here ( XD ). Would you think that Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Beverly Hills Cop and Weird Science could be in this category? Do they have a 80s vibe for you?

Better Off Dead Bad guy is named Stalin, Yuji Okumoto before karate kid 2, Dan Schneider before all the bad stuff he did at Nickelodeon, several music interludes including a highschool dance.

Red Dawn (the one made then lol). Top Gun. The Karate Kid. Rocky 3. On the humorous side - National Lampoon's Vacation. Adventures in Babysitting. Weird Science. Ghostbusters. Gremlins. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.

“Drive”is probably the most authentic-feeling non-80’s 80’s film I’ve seen.

The Ratt Pack films

Don’t forget Kung Fury 2…

Rocky IV Cobra Over the top So, Stallone

RAD

Death Spa, it’s just pure 80’s spa club aesthetics yet it came around I think in ‘89?

Breakin and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo. Ernest goes to Camp. Gymkata, though be warned it sucks Phenomena or Tenebrae.  (Check out their soundtracks) My Science Project Howard The Duck (sorry) The Terminator Krull The Monster Squad So many great ones have already been mentioned.

Valley Girl Weird Science Ferris Bulleurs Day Off Any John Hughes movie

Tron 😎

Two overlooked gems: The hidden (1987) Miracle mile (1988) And a classic: Adventures in babysitting (1987)

Porkys

from the 80's - The Karate Kid later movie with 80's vibe nailed - The Wedding Singer

Hot Tub Time Machine

https://youtu.be/tgTVPydfmoc?si=HLog-YJJAXssxhWh This video was made specifically for you

Say Anything...(1989) Harry and the Hendersons Old Enough (1984) Not actually 80s but definitely 80's vibe - The Wedding Singer.

I just saw the Maniac remake from 2012 and the score immediately takes you back to the early 80s.

Maximum Overdrive. U.H.F Running Man

Fast Times, and Valley Girls.

All good options so far but I’ll add: Better off Dead, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the burbs

Nightmares with Emilio Estevez and any other movie or anthology which featured the arcade scene of the 80s.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Manhunter

The Breakfast Club, The Goonies, The Outsiders.

Police Academy Lost Boys Gremlins

Nerds, revenge of.

If you want something a little less well known, but every bit as 80’s as some other suggestions, I suggest Six Pack. Kenny Rogers (70s-80s country star) stars as a race car driver. In typical 80s fashion, a group of foul-mouthed kids inevitably become his pit crew. Co-stars Anthony Michael Hall and Diane Lane.

Buckaroo Banzai.

Ferris Bueller's day off.

repo man (1984) heathers (1989) earth girls are easy (1988) total recall (1990) and probably my favorite film ever, They Live (1988)

Terminator and steel magnolia

\* Total Recall \* Basic Instinct \* Starship Troopers

 Better off dead

St Elmo’s fire Mystic Pizza The Breakfast Club Weird Science

Police Story. Mr Chan at his 80's finest.

Ninja 3: Domination Terrorvision The stuff Samurai cop Toxic Avenger Night of the creeps

All the John Hughes movies for sure. Beyond that I gotta give a shout out to “Adventures in Babysitting”, a classic that doesn’t get enough love IMO.

Donnie Darko

Hot Tub Time Machine is a love letter to the era. 

I can name a few movies. But it’s not going to be all great movies. Some are okay and some you dislike. Joker, No country for old men, The substance, Straight outta Compton, It Chapter, The black phone 1 and 2, society of snow