Best movies of 1985
by tinnes-04102 | created - 04 Apr 2019 | updated - 6 days ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,307,444 | Gross: $210.61M
Grade: A+
2. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
R | 116 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, Jane Leeves, Cherise Bates
Votes: 39,376 | Gross: $17.31M
Grade: A
3. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,713 | Gross: $45.88M
Grade: A-
4. Police Story (1985)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A virtuous Hong Kong Police Officer must clear his good name when the drug lord he is after frames him for the murder of a dirty cop.
Directors: Jackie Chan, Chi-Hwa Chen | Stars: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Yuen Chor
Votes: 41,893 | Gross: $0.11M
Grade: A-
5. Prizzi's Honor (1985)
R | 130 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two professional assassins fall in love.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia, John Randolph
Votes: 26,407 | Gross: $26.70M
Grade: A-
6. Year of the Dragon (1985)
R | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A police detective cracks down on organized crime in Chinatown after the murders of Triad and Mafia leaders.
Director: Michael Cimino | Stars: Mickey Rourke, John Lone, Ariane, Leonard Termo
Votes: 17,727 | Gross: $18.70M
Grade: A-
7. The Goonies (1985)
PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman
Votes: 298,512 | Gross: $61.50M
Grade: A-
8. Witness (1985)
R | 112 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
While protecting an Amish boy - who is the sole witness to a brutal murder - and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life is threatened.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas, Josef Sommer
Votes: 104,699 | Gross: $68.71M
Grade: A-
9. The Emerald Forest (1985)
R | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After the son of engineer Bill Markham is abducted by an aboriginal tribe on the edge of the rain forest, the engineer spends the next 10 years searching for him.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Yara Vaneau, William Rodriguez
Votes: 11,002 | Gross: $24.47M
Grade: A-
10. The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
R | 131 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Pat Hingle, Joyce Van Patten
Votes: 12,699 | Gross: $17.10M
Grade: A-
11. Mischief (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Guided by James Dean, the eternal symbol of youthful rebellion, a gawky high school student obsessed with the hottest girl in class takes a crash course in teenage coolness from his motorcycle-rebel neighbor.
Director: Mel Damski | Stars: Doug McKeon, Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelly Preston, Chris Nash
Votes: 7,035 | Gross: $8.69M
Porky's helped popularize the 80s teen sex raunchy film. Although the 80s is easily the best era for the teen film genre. The heavy sexy comedies in this era or in the teen genre were very hit or miss. Mischeif is one of the most underrated of this genre. And is able to stand apart from other films like it by taking place in the 50s. 1980s were full of 1950s nostalgic films. Similar to how today we have films set in the 80s. Great use of old cars, costumes, and music
Grade: A-
12. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
PG | 82 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
In 1935 New Jersey, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Irving Metzman
Votes: 55,297 | Gross: $10.63M
Grade: A-
13. After Hours (I) (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An ordinary word processor has the worst night of his life after he agrees to visit a girl in Soho he met that evening at a coffee shop.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong
Votes: 81,461 | Gross: $10.60M
Grade: B+
14. Mask (1985)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A teenager with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempt to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott, Estelle Getty
Votes: 32,549 | Gross: $48.23M
Grade: B+
15. Fletch (1985)
PG | 98 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
While working undercover wisecracking newspaper reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher is offered a large sum by a millionaire with a terminal disease to kill him. Intrigued, Fletch decides to unearth the full story behind the offer.
Director: Michael Ritchie | Stars: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Richard Libertini
Votes: 57,943 | Gross: $50.61M
Grade: B+
16. Commando (1985)
R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.
Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells
Votes: 174,955 | Gross: $35.10M
Grade: B+
17. Heaven Help Us (1985)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A new transfer student to St. Basil's Boys' Prep School tries to fit in while romantically pursuing a troubled young girl.
Director: Michael Dinner | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Andrew McCarthy, John Heard, Mary Stuart Masterson
Votes: 4,983 | Gross: $6.07M
Grade: B+
18. Better Off Dead (1985)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
After his girlfriend ditches him for a boorish ski jock, Lane decides that suicide is the only answer. However, his increasingly inept attempts bring him only more agony and embarrassment. Filled with the wildest teen nightmares.
Director: Savage Steve Holland | Stars: John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Demian Slade
Votes: 49,395 | Gross: $10.30M
Grade: B+
19. Smooth Talk (1985)
PG-13 | 92 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A free-spirited 15-year-old girl flirts with a dangerous stranger in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences.
Director: Joyce Chopra | Stars: Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Mary Kay Place, Margaret Welsh
Votes: 3,395 | Gross: $0.02M
Based of a short story, a real life serial killer, and clearly inspired by badlands. It's ambiguous ending leaves the viewer wandering and Laura dern gives a star making performance as Connie. Only made 16 grand upon its release but has been more appreciated over the years. Would have liked to see some more will the killer character and his actions.
Grade: B+
20. Stick (1985)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Released from prison, Stick meets up with a friend and joins him on a job delivering a bag. His friend gets killed in the setup. Stick gets away and is ready to forget all and see his daughter, but they won't forget.
Director: Burt Reynolds | Stars: Burt Reynolds, Candice Bergen, George Segal, Charles Durning
Votes: 2,310 | Gross: $8.49M
Director cut
Grade: B+
21. Silverado (1985)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A misfit bunch of friends comes together to right the injustices which exist in a small town.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Rosanna Arquette
Votes: 49,488 | Gross: $33.20M
Grade: B+
22. Real Genius (1985)
PG | 108 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
An uptight teenage prodigy enters a top engineering college, but feels awkward among the freewheeling students. When a professor aims to turn their laser project into a military weapon, he and his offbeat roommate plot to ruin the plan.
Director: Martha Coolidge | Stars: Val Kilmer, Stacy Peralta, Daniel Ades, Andres Aybar
Votes: 37,767 | Gross: $13.00M
Grade: B
23. Teen Wolf (1985)
PG | 91 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
An ordinary high school student discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree.
Director: Rod Daniel | Stars: Michael J. Fox, James Hampton, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine
Votes: 59,701 | Gross: $33.09M
Grade: B
24. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When eccentric man-child Pee-wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger
Votes: 59,111 | Gross: $40.90M
Grade: B
25. Clue (1985)
PG | 94 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.
Director: Jonathan Lynn | Stars: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd
Votes: 109,360 | Gross: $14.64M
Grade: B
26. Jagged Edge (1985)
R | 108 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A wealthy woman is murdered in her beach house. The husband is allegedly knocked out first. He inherits all. He has a female ex criminal prosecutor represent him in court.
Director: Richard Marquand | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Glenn Close, Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia
Votes: 16,820 | Gross: $40.50M
Grade: B
27. Just One of the Guys (1985)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Romance
Terry feels discriminated against when the summer jobs at the Sun Tribune go to two guys. She decides to do something about it. She dresses like a guy and gets a haircut. Will students at the other high school notice? Girls notice "him".
Director: Lisa Gottlieb | Stars: Joyce Hyser, Clayton Rohner, Billy Jayne, Toni Hudson
Votes: 17,874 | Gross: $11.50M
Grade: B
28. The Boys Next Door (1985)
R | 91 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Roy and Bo leave their small California town the weekend after graduation for a short road trip to Los Angeles. Soon, they find themselves lashing out and leaving a trail of bodies behind them. The violence escalates throughout.
Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Maxwell Caulfield, Charlie Sheen, Patti D'Arbanville, Christopher McDonald
Votes: 3,618
Grade: B
29. Code of Silence (1985)
R | 100 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take down an irresponsible cop.
Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Chuck Norris, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen, Mike Genovese
Votes: 9,399 | Gross: $20.35M
Best Chuck Norris film
Grade: B
30. Vision Quest (1985)
R | 107 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A high school wrestler in Spokane, Washington has trouble focusing on his training regimen when a beautiful young drifter takes up temporary residence at his home.
Director: Harold Becker | Stars: Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling, Ronny Cox
Votes: 10,255 | Gross: $12.90M
Grade: B
31. Weird Science (1985)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Two high-school nerds use a computer program to literally create the perfect woman, who promptly turns their lives upside-down.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Paxton
Votes: 97,457 | Gross: $23.83M
Grade: B
32. Target (1985)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
When American Donna Lloyd is kidnapped during a trip to Europe, her son Chris and her husband Walter start searching for her.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Gene Hackman, Matt Dillon, Brad Williams, Gayle Hunnicutt
Votes: 4,916
Grade: B
33. Stick (1985)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Released from prison, Stick meets up with a friend and joins him on a job delivering a bag. His friend gets killed in the setup. Stick gets away and is ready to forget all and see his daughter, but they won't forget.
Director: Burt Reynolds | Stars: Burt Reynolds, Candice Bergen, George Segal, Charles Durning
Votes: 2,310 | Gross: $8.49M
Grade: B
( theatrical cut)
34. Rocky IV (1985)
PG | 91 min | Drama, Sport
Rocky Balboa proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union.
Director: Sylvester Stallone | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 226,505 | Gross: $127.87M
Grade: C+
35. Summer Rental (1985)
PG | 87 min | Comedy
An overworked air-traffic controller takes his family on a beach vacation but is soon beset by series of mishaps.
Director: Carl Reiner | Stars: John Candy, Richard Crenna, Rip Torn, Karen Austin
Votes: 18,366 | Gross: $24.69M
Grade: C-
36. A View to a Kill (1985)
PG | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
The recovery of a microchip from the body of a fellow British secret agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist scheming to cause massive destruction.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones
Votes: 104,936 | Gross: $50.33M
Grade: C-
37. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Rambo returns to the jungles of Vietnam on a mission to infiltrate an enemy base-camp and rescue the American POWs still held captive there.
Director: George P. Cosmatos | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff
Votes: 182,564 | Gross: $150.42M
Grade: C-
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