The 80s has to be one of my favorite decades and time periods for music, celebrities, and finally movies. Some 80s movies were either really good or really bad. I have seen almost every 80s movie created and it is hard for me to just pick my top ten out of the hundreds I have seen, but here are my top ten favorite 80s movies.
10. "Heathers"
Winona Ryder is hands down one of the best actresses and her creepy yet badass performance in "Heathers" was simply spectacular. She goes from a sweet popular girl to a dark sociopath who goes around killing other students with her psycho yet dreamy boyfriend (Christian Slater). The relationship between Veronica (Winona Ryder) and J.D. (Christian Slater) gives an eerie yet sick romantic feeling. I would categorize "Heathers" as a dark rom-com.
9. "Dirty Dancing"
"Dirty Dancing" isn't just about Patrick Swayze teaching Jennifer Grey how to dance and in the end falling in love. It is about learning who are you, loving yourself and not letting the persuasion of others affect you. Plus it's another reason to look at Patrick Swayze for an hour and forty minutes.
8. "Beetlejuice"
"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetleju-" You thought I was going to say those iconic words didn't you? "Beetlejuice" is still one of the creepiest, funniest and oddly romantic 80s movies out there. Michael Keaton's performance as Beetlejuice still frightens me to this day.
7. "St. Elmo's Fire"
I am always down with any movie that young Rob Lowe is in, so "St. Elmo's Fire" is a must. Watching 7 best friends go through their ups and downs somehow was very intriguing. I love good romantic drama too. This movie wasn't just about friendship and drama, it showed that no matter your situation true friends will always be by your side.
6. "National Lampoon's Vacation"
I actually didn't see this movie until last year, but I don't think I've ever laughed harder. The Griswold family road trip was truly historic; tying the dog to the back of the car, getting lost in the hood, and leaving Aunt Edna dead on her porch. Whenever I think my five-hour car ride with my family will be bad I just think, "Hey, at least we aren't the Griswolds!"
5. "Sixteen Candles"
"They fucking forgot my birthday" thankfully those lines never had to come out of my mouth on my sixteenth birthday, but they sure came out of Molly Ringwald's. This was the first John Hughes movie I ever saw, so of course, it's in my top five. A Chinaman named after a duck's dork, a high bride on her wedding day, and a forgotten teenager, what's not to love?
4. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
"Bueller...Bueller...Bueller..." This movie is probably one of the funniest and realistic movies; A teenager skipping school and having a great day... sounds about right. From Wrigley Field to the Art Institute of Chicago, Ferris and his friends sure knew how to have fun when they skipped school.
3. "Mannequin"
"Mannequin" is one of the most underrated 80s movies ever. This funny, romantic comedy will forever hold a place in my heart. The story is a little weird if you ask me; a young artist falling in love with a mannequin that comes alive... Yup, that's weird. Even though the plot is odd the movie had great casting; Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy had awesome chemistry on screen. This movie and the characters surprisingly will make you actually laugh out loud, who can forget the iconic man they called.... Hollywood!
2. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Hands down one of the most relatable movies to any high school student today and in the 80s. It follows the life of high school students going through relationship problems, school and stoner issues, and kids just trying to have a good time. Sound familiar to anyone..? Maybe one day I will have a fellow student order pizza to class!
1. "The Breakfast Club"
For anyone who knows me, you knew this one was going to be my number one favorite 80s movie. For anyone who sadly has never seen this movie, it is about five high school strangers that end up in Saturday detention together and they somehow build a bond and a relationship that will never be broken. To me, this movie really pulls at my heart strings even though you wouldn't expect it to. Five total strangers who have NOTHING in common somehow come together and touch each other's hearts in an amazing way. This movie isn't just my favorite 80s movie, it is my favorite movie of all time!
This list could have gone on forever considering the 80s are my favorite movie genre, but I had to stop somewhere. Whether the movies were comedies, romance, or life-changing dramas these movies will hold a special place in my heart and I'm sure in yours too.
Sincerely yours,
Danielle Snyder