The 1980s was a decade of excess, a time when many trends debuted, or re-emerged, and everything was big and over-the-top. Big hair, boomboxes, neon everything, and movies that had never been seen before. During this era, the box office became a place for different styles of film – adventure, parody, comedy, spoof, horror, and more. We may not have always known a movie would be such a success upon its release but we enjoyed watching them anyway.
Not all movies saw immediate positive results. Many films bombed or did moderately well, and only became favorites years after their initial release among people who weren’t even born in the decade. We call these cult classics, films that aren’t immediately received well by critics, and weren’t very popular in the mainstream but are often so bad that they are highly entertaining and gather a cult following in the years following.
Cult classics are a joy to watch. They have excellent characters, unforgettable lines, and some of the best soundtracks of the last few decades. It can often be hard to define a cult classic film since not everyone shares the same opinion. Some popular cult classics are “Fight Club,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Clockwork Orange,” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
It’s no surprise that some of the best and most-known cult classic films came out in the 80s. This decade was vibrant and filled with fantastic movies many people still quote. It was a time that gave us “Airplane!,” “Ghostbusters”, and “Dune.” Many of the films in the 1980s were released with tough competition but quickly gathered a cult following, even amongst negative reviews. Some movies were genuinely great. Others are hilarious, but not good movies, in other words, movies that are so bad, they’re good. (Here are the funniest comedies of the 1980s).
To compile this list of the top cult classics that define the 80s, 24/7 Tempo reviewed entertainment and lifestyle websites like Rotten Tomatoes, Screen Rant, and IMDb, as well as consulting online forums like Reddit and recorded frequent movies listed as classic cult films. Audience scores were also examined and reviewed against critics’ scores/comments.
Here are the top cult classics that defined the 80s.
“Flash Gordon” (1980)
- Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, and Max von Sydow
- Directed by: Mike Hodges
One of the best cult classics of the 80s has to be “Flash Gordan” released on December 5, 1980. This unique and dramatic film received moderate to poor box office success in some countries. “Flash Gordan” though was well received in the U.K. Now, it’s a cult classic that is frequently quoted.
“The Goonies” (1985)
- Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and Jeff Cohen
- Directed by: Richard Donner
“The Goonies” is an indisputable 80s classic movie that has also attained cult status. Who can forget about this group of treasure-hunting kids and the interesting characters they meet along the way? Unlike other movies on this list though, “The Goonies” was a box office success, with a growing cult following. The film earned $125 million worldwide with a budget of a fraction of the gross earnings and gave us classic lines from Sloth, like Rocky Road and Hey You Guys.
“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” (1984)
- Starring: Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow, and Jeff Goldblum
- Directed by: W. D. Richter
“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” is an unforgettable movie with a large cult following. It did not succeed during its release, but years later is seen as a hilarious, strange, and wacky film. The move follows Buckaroo Banzai, who has many jobs and hobbies. He’s a physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star. In this hilarious sci-fi movie, he’s pushed to save the world from aliens called Red Lectroids.
“Escape from New York” (1981)
- Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, and Ernest Borgnine
- Directed by: John Carpenter
Also on our list of 80s cult classics is “Escape from New York.” This film was released in the U.S. on July 10, 1981. Although the film received positive reviews, it’s still considered a cult classic by many as the group of people who love and quote this film has continued to grow. It also spawned a sequel (“Escape from L.A.”) and a video game.
“The Evil Dead” (1981)
- Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Betsy Baker
- Directed by: Sam Raimi
Considered one of the top cult classic films of the decade, the supernatural horror film, “The Evil Dead” was released in the United States on April 15, 1983. The movie was filmed with a budget of $375,000, and it grossed $2.4 million in the United States. Although initially popular, its popularity has only grown. It’s considered one of the best horror films of all time for its great acting, writing, and horror makeup.
“The Dark Crystal” (1982)
- Starring: Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, and Billie Whitelaw
- Directed by: Jim Henson and Frank Oz
The Jim Henson Company, the studio that brought the muppets, and “Fraggle Rock” gave us the fantasy adventure film “The Dark Crystal.” This fantasy adventure film wasn’t very popular when it first came out. But now, it’s loved by many fans of fantasy films, animatronics, and puppets. There are a lot of dark themes and gorgeous scenery within the film.
“Gremlins” (1984)
- Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, and Hoyt Axton
- Directed by: Joe Dante
You don’t have to see the movie to know what a gremlin is. These small creatures are from the 1984 film, “Gremlins.” It’s in the film genre of comedy-horror, complete with adorable, small furry creatures that make questionable pets at best. The biggest thing to remember is you should never feed your gremlin after midnight and make sure to keep them away from water.
“The Thing” (1982)
- Starring: Kurt Russell, A. Wilford Brimley, and Keith David
- Directed by: John Carpenter
“The Thing” is a suspenseful American sci-fi movie about an interesting creature found in Antarctica. Although this isn’t the first version of this film, it’s a popular one. The movie that barely recovered what it spent on its budget now has a cult following. The problem with this film is it came out during a year when sci-fi movies were everywhere.
“The Fly” (1986)
- Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz
- Directed by: David Cronenberg
The 80s were filled with sci-fi movies and some of the best cult classics of the decade, like “The Fly.” This sci-fi horror film was released in the United States on August 15, 1986, and did incredible. Not all cult classics receive negative critiques right away. This one, for instance, was praised quickly but has gathered an even larger fanbase as time has gone on. Almost everyone knows the film’s tagline of “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
Fright Night (1985)
- Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, and Amanda Bearse
- Directed by: Tom Holland
“Fright Night” is an unforgettable part of movie history. This terrifying horror movie follows teenager Charley Brewster and his next-door neighbor and vampire, Jerry Dandridge. The movie was moderately received and made $6,118,543 on opening weekend.
“Karate Kid” (1984)
- Starring: Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, and Elisabeth Shue
- Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Although the “Karate Kid” has cult-classic status, it is unlike other films on this list as it saw immediate success. Not only did this movie spawn sequels, but even a spin-off series decades later about Johnny Lawrence called Cobra Kai. Who doesn’t know about the infamous scene where Daniel LaRusso practices wax on, wax off?
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986)
- Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, and Mia Sara
- Directed by: John Hughes
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” constantly breaks the fourth wall, which makes it charming. This incredible cult classic was released in the United States on June 11, 1986. The movie made $70,136,369. This film classic is an unforgettable watching experience. Many people still reference the movie, using the famed line “Bueller, Bueller.”
“The Monster Squad” (1987)
- Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, and Stephen Macht
- Directed by: Fred Dekker
There is just something so fun about seeing a group of kids going on adventures together, even adventures with monsters. “The Monster Squad” was released on August 14, 1987, in the United States. With a budget of $14 million, the movie only earned $2.9 million in revenue in its first week. Despite this, it now has a cult following.
“Dirty Dancing” (1987)
- Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, and Jerry Orbach
- Directed by: Emile Ardolino
Like many films listed here, you don’t have to see “Dirty Dancing” to recognize the film. This cult classic of the 80s is a favorite for many for its incredibly romantic storyline and wonderful lines. Who can ever forget hearing Patrick Swayze say, “Nobody puts baby in a corner.”
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
- Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, and Paul Freeman
- Directed by: Steven Spielberg
From the moment he appeared on the big screen, Indiana Jones quickly stole hearts with this fun and adventurous character. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was released on June 12, 1981 in the United States. It did fantastic, grossing $8.3 million in its first weekend. This very popular and successful movie is even more popular now, inspiring shows and other movies.
“Highlander” (1986)
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- Starring: Christopher Lambert, Roxanne Hart, and Sean Connery
- Directed by: Russell Mulcahy
Another film on our list of 1980 cult classics is “Highlander”, which was released on March 7, 1986, in the United States. Although now established as a cult classic, it did not do well during its release, only earning $12.8 million with a budget of $19 million. This cheesy, but enjoyable movie, became popular after its release, inspiring many TV shows and films.
“An American Werewolf in London” (1981)
- Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne
- Directed by: John Landis
Our fascination with werewolves starts long before the Twilight franchise. One of the best werewolf cult classics is, “An American Werewolf in London, released on August 21, 1981. The movie mixed comedy and horror perfectly.
“Big Trouble in Little China” (1986)
- Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, and Dennis Dun
- Directed by: John Carpenter
Next on our list of the top cult classics that defined the 80s is “Big Trouble in Little China.” This film was released on July 2, 1986 in the United States. The movie did not make back its budget but became a cult classic years later due to its release on home video.
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)
- Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, and Charles Fleischer
- Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
A hilarious movie from the 1980s is “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” released on June 22, 1988, in the United States. This film killed it at the box office but has become even more popular since. Even the question, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is popular with people who have never seen this unique film. The movie blends animation with real-life sets and actors.
“Aliens” (1986)
- Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and Paul Reiser
- Directed by: James Cameron
Last but not least on our list of the top cult classics that defined the 80s is “Aliens,” the sequel to the first film in the franchise. This fun sequel is a blast to watch and is to some, considered better than the first “Alien” movie. Ready for more? Check out 25 classic movies that flopped when they came out.