Teen Stars of the 80's
by marcandremoviebuff | created - 17 May 2019 | updated - 15 Aug 2021 | PublicRiver Phoenix, Lea Thompson, Anthony Edwards, Christian Slater, Helen Slater, Matthew Broderick, Robert Downey Jr., Lori Loughlin, James Spader, Anthony Michael Hall, Ralph Macchio, Kevin Bacon, Tom Cruise, Sean Astin, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Michael J. Fox, Winona Ryder, Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Esteves, Eric Stoltz, Chris Penn, Ally Sheedy, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Connelly
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Gotcha! (1985)
PG-13 | 101 min | Action, Comedy, Mystery
Jonathan plays Gotcha with fellow college students, testing ability as assassin or mark, using paintball guns on campus. He flies to Paris on vacation and, with a woman taking his virginity, on to Berlin, where the game/ammo gets real.
Director: Jeff Kanew | Stars: Anthony Edwards, Linda Fiorentino, Jsu Garcia, Alex Rocco
Votes: 9,454 | Gross: $10.81M
2. The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Drama
A Texas teenager cuts her hair short and becomes an outlaw martyr with her brother and friends.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Helen Slater, Christian Slater, Keith Gordon, Richard Bradford
Votes: 11,637 | Gross: $3.10M
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy
A popular high school student, admired by his peers, decides to take a day off from school and goes to extreme lengths to pull it off, to the chagrin of his Dean, who'll do anything to stop him.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones
Votes: 385,978 | Gross: $70.14M
4. The Wild Life (1984)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama
A high-school wrestler parties with his buddy at a swinging-singles apartment complex.
Director: Art Linson | Stars: Chris Penn, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Eric Stoltz, Jenny Wright
Votes: 3,145 | Gross: $11.02M
5. Pump Up the Volume (1990)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Mark runs a pirate radio station and causes an uproar when he speaks his mind and enthralls fellow teens.
Director: Allan Moyle | Stars: Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Anthony Luke Lucero, Andy Romano
Votes: 31,125 | Gross: $11.54M
6. Tuff Turf (1985)
R | 112 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
The new kid in school must battle a gang of street toughs after stealing the gang leader's girl.
Director: Fritz Kiersch | Stars: James Spader, Kim Richards, Paul Mones, Matt Clark
Votes: 5,918 | Gross: $9.40M
7. Heathers (1988)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime
At Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.
Director: Michael Lehmann | Stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk
Votes: 115,663 | Gross: $1.11M
8. 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: 435,995 | Gross: $45.88M
9. Red Dawn (1984)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
It is the dawn of World War III. In the west mountains of America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen
Votes: 62,970 | Gross: $38.38M
10. 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: 97,303 | Gross: $23.83M
11. Johnny Be Good (1988)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Sport
Johnny's the top high-school football player and many colleges want him. His girlfriend, coach and best friend want him in the college, serving themselves most.
Director: Bud S. Smith | Stars: Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Gleason, Uma Thurman
Votes: 7,361 | Gross: $17.55M
12. Less Than Zero (1987)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
A college freshman returns to L.A. for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.
Director: Marek Kanievska | Stars: Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader
Votes: 22,087 | Gross: $12.40M
13. The Pick-up Artist (1987)
PG-13 | 81 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A womanizer meets his match when he falls for a woman in debt to the mafia.
Director: James Toback | Stars: Molly Ringwald, Robert Downey Jr., Dennis Hopper, Danny Aiello
Votes: 7,841 | Gross: $13.29M
14. Out of Bounds (1986)
R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Daryl's parents ship him off to the big city to live with his brother, hoping he will have a better life there. After a baggage mix-up at the airport, Daryl finds himself in possession of a drug cache, which a drug dealer wants back.
Director: Richard Tuggle | Stars: Anthony Michael Hall, Jenny Wright, Jeff Kober, Glynn Turman
Votes: 2,068 | Gross: $5.10M
15. Class of 1984 (1982)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A new teacher at a troubled inner-city high school soon ends up clashing with a delinquent punk posse who run the institute with an iron fist.
Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Perry King, Merrie Lynn Ross, Timothy Van Patten, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 13,244
16. WarGames (1983)
PG | 114 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman
Votes: 110,569 | Gross: $79.57M
17. The Sure Thing (1985)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Walter Gibson is a university freshman going through a dry spell. His old buddy arranges a "sure thing" for him in California. Gibson and his classmate Allison then take a long road trip out to Cali, and both foil each other's plans.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Boyd Gaines
Votes: 22,161 | Gross: $18.14M
18. Youngblood (1986)
R | 110 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
A 17 year old farm boy is offered an ice hockey tryout. His brother drives him to Canada. He has fast legs, slow fists, but is chosen. Will he learn to use his fists and play ice hockey the Canuck way? Will he get the coach's cute daughter?
Director: Peter Markle | Stars: Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb, Patrick Swayze, Ed Lauter
Votes: 15,852 | Gross: $15.45M
19. Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Janey is new in town and soon meets Lynne, who shares her passion for dancing in general and "Dance TV" in particular.
Director: Alan Metter | Stars: Biff Yeager, Kristi Somers, Richard Blade, Ian Michael Giatti
Votes: 12,910 | Gross: $6.33M
20. 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: 59,548 | Gross: $33.09M
21. Secret Admirer (1985)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Romance
An anonymous love letter left in Michael Ryan's locker on the last day of school wreaks havoc on his life and the lives of everyone who come in contact with it.
Director: David Greenwalt | Stars: C. Thomas Howell, Lori Loughlin, Kelly Preston, Dee Wallace
Votes: 8,007 | Gross: $8.62M
22. Valley Girl (1983)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Romance
Julie, a girl from the valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city. They are from different worlds and find love. Somehow they need to stay together in spite of her trendy, shallow friends.
Director: Martha Coolidge | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, Elizabeth Daily, Michael Bowen
Votes: 18,370 | Gross: $16.80M
23. Footloose (1984)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 91,969 | Gross: $80.04M
24. Risky Business (1983)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A Chicago teenager is looking for fun at home while his parents are away, but the situation quickly gets out of hand.
Director: Paul Brickman | Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Richard Masur
Votes: 99,689 | Gross: $63.50M
25. The Karate Kid (1984)
PG | 126 min | Action, Drama, Family
A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove
Votes: 244,187 | Gross: $90.82M
26. Say Anything (1989)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A noble underachiever and a beautiful valedictorian fall in love the summer before she goes off to college.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney, Lili Taylor
Votes: 95,809 | Gross: $20.78M
27. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Romance
When Keith goes out with Amanda, the girl of his dreams, Amanda's ex-boyfriend plans to get back at Keith. Meanwhile, Keith's best friend, tomboy Watts, realizes she has feelings for Keith.
Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, Lea Thompson, Craig Sheffer
Votes: 34,605 | Gross: $18.55M
28. Project X (1987)
PG | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
An Air Force pilot joins a top secret military experiment involving chimps, but begins to suspect there might be something more to the mysterious "Project X".
Director: Jonathan Kaplan | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt, Willie, Okko
Votes: 12,835 | Gross: $18.53M
29. 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: 49,310 | Gross: $10.30M
30. 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: 37,698 | Gross: $13.00M
31. Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.
Director: Steve Rash | Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Courtney Gains, Tina Caspary
Votes: 41,873 | Gross: $31.62M
32. Sixteen Candles (1984)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
A girl's "sweet" sixteenth birthday is anything but special: her family forgets about it, and she suffers from every embarrassment possible.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling
Votes: 126,133 | Gross: $23.69M
33. Pretty in Pink (1986)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A poor girl must choose between the affections of dating her childhood sweetheart or a rich but sensitive playboy.
Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton, Annie Potts
Votes: 88,488 | Gross: $40.47M
34. The Manhattan Project (1986)
PG-13 | 117 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A high school prodigy builds an atomic bomb with stolen plutonium to win the 45th National Science Fair and expose a nuclear weapons lab posing as a nuclear medical research facility in Ithaca, NY.
Director: Marshall Brickman | Stars: John Lithgow, Christopher Collet, Richard Council, Robert Schenkkan
Votes: 6,857 | Gross: $3.90M
35. My Science Project (1985)
PG | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A high school student and his friend find a strange, orb-like piece of equipment to use as a science project, but must stop it when it begins to threaten mankind.
Director: Jonathan R. Betuel | Stars: John Stockwell, Danielle von Zerneck, Fisher Stevens, Raphael Sbarge
Votes: 6,447 | Gross: $4.12M
36. The Wizard (1989)
PG | 100 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A boy and his brother run away from home and hitch cross-country, with help from a girl they meet, to compete in the ultimate video-game championship.
Director: Todd Holland | Stars: Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, Jenny Lewis, Vince Trankina
Votes: 16,539 | Gross: $14.28M
37. Cloak & Dagger (1984)
PG | 101 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A young boy and his imaginary friend end up on the run while in possession of a top-secret spy gadget.
Director: Richard Franklin | Stars: Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, Michael Murphy, Christina Nigra
Votes: 8,356 | Gross: $9.72M
38. My Bodyguard (1980)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
When a boy comes to a new school and gets harassed by a bully, he acquires the services of the school's most feared kid as a bodyguard.
Director: Tony Bill | Stars: Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Matt Dillon, Paul Quandt
Votes: 10,825 | Gross: $22.48M
39. Trick or Treat (1986)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Horror, Music
A bullied teenage boy is devastated after the death of his heavy metal idol, Sammi Curr. But as Halloween night approaches, he discovers that he may be the only one who can stop Sammi from making a Satanic comeback from beyond the grave.
Director: Charles Martin Smith | Stars: Marc Price, Tony Fields, Lisa Orgolini, Doug Savant
Votes: 7,861 | Gross: $6.80M
40. That Was Then... This Is Now (1985)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama
Two juvenile delinquents find themselves growing apart, for one is growing up, and the other is staying young and reckless.
Director: Christopher Cain | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Craig Sheffer, Larry B. Scott, Matthew Dudley
Votes: 2,678 | Gross: $8.63M
41. Dream a Little Dream (1989)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An accident puts the consciousness of an elderly dream researcher into the body of a bratty teenager. The problem? The kid prefers dreamworld limbo to real life.
Director: Marc Rocco | Stars: Corey Feldman, Jason Robards, Corey Haim, Piper Laurie
Votes: 7,812 | Gross: $5.55M
42. The Wraith (1986)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Horror, Romance
In a small town in Arizona, a mysterious man/spirit descends from the sky and manifests in a sports car and targets a local violent road-racing gang of motor heads, headed by a ruthless bully who'll do anything to get what he wants.
Director: Mike Marvin | Stars: Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid
Votes: 19,203 | Gross: $3.50M
43. Russkies (1987)
PG | 99 min | Drama
A group of American boys and a shipwrecked Russian sailor become friends during the Cold War.
Director: Rick Rosenthal | Stars: Whip Hubley, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Billingsley, Stefan DeSalle
Votes: 1,626 | Gross: $2.19M
44. River's Edge (1986)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama
A high school slacker commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.
Director: Tim Hunter | Stars: Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck
Votes: 20,629 | Gross: $4.60M
45. The Flamingo Kid (1984)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A recent high-school graduate unsure of his future gets a summer job at the Flamingo beach club, and meets the charismatic Phil Brody.
Director: Garry Marshall | Stars: Matt Dillon, Hector Elizondo, Molly McCarthy, Martha Gehman
Votes: 6,076 | Gross: $23.86M
46. Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
R | 107 min | Drama
A disillusioned young writer living in New York City turns to drugs and drinking to block out the memories of his dead mother and estranged wife.
Director: James Bridges | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, Phoebe Cates, Swoosie Kurtz
Votes: 8,956 | Gross: $16.12M
47. The Secret of My Success (1987)
PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Romance
A talented young man can't get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton
Votes: 36,918 | Gross: $67.00M
48. Supergirl (1984)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After losing a powerful orb, Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow
Votes: 23,996 | Gross: $13.60M
49. 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: 3,609
50. The Brotherhood of Justice (1986 TV Movie)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Keanu Reeves, Kiefer Sutherland, and Billy Zane star as high-school students who start a vigilante group to combat crime in their neighborhood.
Director: Charles Braverman | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Kiefer Sutherland, Lori Loughlin, Joe Spano
Votes: 2,350
51. Miracle Mile (1988)
R | 87 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.
Director: Steve De Jarnatt | Stars: Anthony Edwards, Mare Winningham, John Agar, Lou Hancock
Votes: 12,321 | Gross: $1.15M
52. A Killer in the Family (1983 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A father serving time for murder convinces his three teenage sons that his life is being threatened by fellow inmates and that they should break him out of jail. However, when his sons ... See full summary »
Director: Richard T. Heffron | Stars: Robert Mitchum, James Spader, Lance Kerwin, Eric Stoltz
Votes: 676
53. White Water Summer (1987)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Drama
The story of a shy boy who gets convinced by his parents to spend a few summer days in the mountains. So, he joins a group, and the vacation begins. Unfortunately, things turn out to be a little tough for our small friend.
Director: Jeff Bleckner | Stars: Kevin Bacon, Sean Astin, Jonathan Ward, K.C. Martel
Votes: 5,907 | Gross: $0.30M
54. Surviving (1985 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama
Promising student Rick Brogan discovers that his father, whom he idolizes, is cheating on his mother. Heartbroken, he finds comfort in the arms of his old crush, but her father opposes the relationship, which pushes Rick over the edge.
Director: Waris Hussein | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Len Cariou, Zach Galligan, Marsha Mason
Votes: 730
55. One Crazy Summer (1986)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
An aspiring teenage cartoonist and his friends come to the aid of a singer trying to save her family property from developers.
Director: Savage Steve Holland | Stars: John Cusack, Demi Moore, Linda Warren, Joel Murray
Votes: 16,726 | Gross: $13.43M
56. Bad Boys (1983)
R | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Chicago crime kid Mick O'Brien is sent to reform school after accidentally killing a rival's kid brother.
Director: Rick Rosenthal | Stars: Sean Penn, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, Eric Gurry
Votes: 17,030 | Gross: $9.20M
57. Rad (1986)
PG | 91 min | Drama, Sport
The story of one young man, Cru Jones, who has the intensity and desire to win a BMX race called Helltrack.
Director: Hal Needham | Stars: Bart Conner, Lori Loughlin, Bill Allen, Talia Shire
Votes: 7,049 | Gross: $2.02M
58. Ladyhawke (1985)
PG-13 | 121 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The thief Gaston escapes the dungeon of medieval Aquila through the latrine. Soldiers are about to kill him when Navarre saves him. Navarre, traveling with his spirited hawk, plans to kill the bishop of Aquila with help from Gaston.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern
Votes: 50,880 | Gross: $18.43M
59. Gleaming the Cube (1989)
PG-13 | 105 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A young avid skateboarder uncovers a government conspiracy while investigating his adoptive brother's mysterious death.
Director: Graeme Clifford | Stars: Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Richard Herd, Le Tuan
Votes: 9,014 | Gross: $2.78M
60. Crossroads (1986)
R | 99 min | Drama, Music, Mystery
A wannabe blues-guitar virtuoso finds an old blues player and hopes he can teach him a long-lost song by legendary musician Robert Johnson.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, Jami Gertz, Joe Morton
Votes: 17,635 | Gross: $5.84M
61. Biloxi Blues (1988)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of young recruits go through boot camp during the Second World War in Biloxi, Mississippi. From the play by Neil Simon.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Matt Mulhern, Corey Parker
Votes: 16,492 | Gross: $43.18M
62. Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
R | 97 min | Drama
With only a week left before graduation, a young dreamer itches to renounce an uninspiring scholarship, stand up to his despotic father and pursue a career in oceanography. But, has anyone ever spread his wings away from Grandview, U.S.A.?
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Troy Donahue
Votes: 2,276 | Gross: $4.74M
63. Private School (1983)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Romance
Chris from a girls' boarding school loves Jim from a nearby boys' boarding school. Jordan also wants Jim and plays dirty. Jim and two friends visit the girls' school posing as girls.
Director: Noel Black | Stars: Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Michael Zorek
Votes: 7,248 | Gross: $14.05M
Tell Your Friends