Movies Set in the 1980s
Kinora's catalogue lists 289 films set in the 1980s, spanning 1973–2024. Each is tagged by where and when it takes place — filter by real-world setting, era, and environment, or open any film for its full tagged world.
Explore all films set in the 1980s →
- 2002
24 Hour Party People
Urbandir. Michael Winterbottom - 2007
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Urbandir. Cristian Mungiu - 1986
A Better Tomorrow
Urbandir. John Woo - 1998
A Civil Action
Urban · Suburbandir. Steven Zaillian - 1988
A Fish Called Wanda
Urbandir. Charles Crichton - 1992
A League of Their Own
Urban · Ruraldir. Penny Marshall - 1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Suburbandir. Wes Craven - 1988
A Short Film About Killing
Urbandir. Krzysztof Kieślowski - 1988
A Short Film About Love
Urbandir. Krzysztof Kieślowski - 2017
A Taxi Driver
Urbandir. Jang Hoon - 1996
A Time to Kill
Ruraldir. Joel Schumacher - 2009
Adventureland
Suburbandir. Greg Mottola - 1985
After Hours
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 1980
Airplane!
dir. Jim Abrahams - 2000
American Psycho
Urbandir. Mary Harron - 2003
American Splendor
Urbandir. Robert Pulcini - 1981
An American Werewolf in London
Urban · Rural · Wildernessdir. John Landis - 1982
An Officer and a Gentleman
Coastal Seadir. Taylor Hackford - 1983
Angst
Ruraldir. Gerald Kargl - 1998
Apt Pupil
Suburbandir. Bryan Singer - 2022
Argentina 1985
Urbandir. Santiago Mitre - 2012
Argo
Urbandir. Ben Affleck - 1988
Ariel
Urbandir. Aki Kaurismäki - 1980
Atlantic City
Urban · Coastal Seadir. Louis Malle - 1987
Baby Boom
Urban · Ruraldir. Charles Shyer - 1985
Back to the Future
Suburbandir. Robert Zemeckis - 1989
Back to the Future Part II
Suburbandir. Robert Zemeckis - 1990
Back to the Future Part III
Rural · Desertdir. Robert Zemeckis - 1987
Bagdad Cafe
Desertdir. Percy Adlon - 1989
Batman
Urbandir. Tim Burton - 1988
Beetlejuice
Ruraldir. Tim Burton - 2000
Before Night Falls
Urbandir. Julian Schnabel - 1986
Betty Blue
Coastal Sea · Urban · Ruraldir. Jean-Jacques Beineix - 1984
Beverly Hills Cop
Urbandir. Martin Brest - 1988
Big
Urban · Suburbandir. Penny Marshall - 1986
Big Trouble in Little China
Urban · Undergrounddir. John Carpenter - 1989
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Suburbandir. Stephen Herek - 2000
Billy Elliot
Urbandir. Stephen Daldry - 1989
Black Rain
Urbandir. Ridley Scott - 1987
Blind Chance
Urbandir. Krzysztof Kieślowski - 1985
Blood Simple
Ruraldir. Joel Coen - 1988
Bloodsport
Urbandir. Newt Arnold - 1981
Blow Out
Urbandir. Brian De Palma - 1986
Blue Velvet
Suburbandir. David Lynch - 1981
Body Heat
Coastal Sea · Suburbandir. Lawrence Kasdan - 1997
Boogie Nights
Urban · Suburbandir. Paul Thomas Anderson - 1993
Bound by Honor
Urbandir. Taylor Hackford - 1991
Boyz n the Hood
Urbandir. John Singleton - 1987
Broadcast News
Urbandir. James L. Brooks - 2005
Brokeback Mountain
Rural · Mountaindir. Ang Lee - 1988
Bull Durham
Urbandir. Ron Shelton - 2005
C.R.A.Z.Y.
Urbandir. Jean-Marc Vallée - 2017
Call Me by Your Name
Ruraldir. Luca Guadagnino - 1995
Casino
Desert · Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 1985
Cat's Eye
Urban · Suburbandir. Lewis Teague - 1988
Child's Play
Urbandir. Tom Holland - 1986
Children of a Lesser God
dir. Randa Haines - 1984
Children of the Corn
Ruraldir. Fritz Kiersch - 2000
Chopper
Urbandir. Andrew Dominik - 1988
Cinema Paradiso
Rural · Urbandir. Giuseppe Tornatore - 1990
Close-Up
Urbandir. Abbas Kiarostami - 1985
Cocoon
Coastal Seadir. Ron Howard - 1988
Coming to America
Urbandir. John Landis - 2007
Control
Urbandir. Anton Corbijn - 1993
Cool Runnings
Island · Urbandir. Jon Turteltaub - 1982
Creepshow
Rural · Suburbandir. George A. Romero - 1989
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Urbandir. Woody Allen - 2013
Dallas Buyers Club
Urbandir. Jean-Marc Vallée - 1988
Dead Ringers
Urbandir. David Cronenberg - 1988
Die Hard
Urbandir. John McTiernan - 1988
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Coastal Seadir. Frank Oz - 1989
Do the Right Thing
Urbandir. Spike Lee - 2019
Doctor Sleep
Ruraldir. Mike Flanagan - 2001
Donnie Darko
Suburbandir. Richard Kelly - 1986
Down by Law
Urban · Wildernessdir. Jim Jarmusch - 1980
Dressed to Kill
Urbandir. Brian De Palma - 1982
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Suburbandir. Steven Spielberg - 1987
Evil Dead II
Wildernessdir. Sam Raimi - 1996
Fargo
Rural · Urbandir. Joel Coen - 1982
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Suburbandir. Amy Heckerling - 1987
Fatal Attraction
Urban · Suburbandir. Adrian Lyne - 1986
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Urban · Suburbandir. John Hughes - 1989
Field of Dreams
Ruraldir. Phil Alden Robinson - 1982
First Blood
Wilderness · Mountain · Ruraldir. Ted Kotcheff - 1983
Flashdance
Urbandir. Adrian Lyne - 1984
Footloose
Ruraldir. Herbert Ross - 1994
Forrest Gump
Rural · Urban · Coastal Seadir. Robert Zemeckis - 1988
Frantic
Urbandir. Roman Polanski - 2004
Friday Night Lights
Ruraldir. Peter Berg - 1991
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ruraldir. Jon Avnet - 1985
Fright Night
Suburbandir. Tom Holland - 1988
Funny Farm
Ruraldir. George Roy Hill - 2012
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1
Urbandir. Anurag Kashyap - 1984
Ghostbusters
Urbandir. Ivan Reitman - 2003
Good Bye, Lenin!
Urbandir. Wolfgang Becker - 1990
GoodFellas
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 1988
Gorillas in the Mist
Mountain · Wildernessdir. Michael Apted - 1984
Gremlins
Suburbandir. Joe Dante - 1986
Hannah and Her Sisters
Urbandir. Woody Allen - 1986
Heartbreak Ridge
Islanddir. Clint Eastwood - 1989
Heathers
Suburbandir. Michael Lehmann - 1986
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Urbandir. John McNaughton - 2000
High Fidelity
Urbandir. Stephen Frears - 1986
Highlander
Urban · Mountaindir. Russell Mulcahy - 1987
House of Games
Urbandir. David Mamet - 1999
I Stand Alone
Urbandir. Gaspar Noé - 1993
In the Name of the Father
Urbandir. Jim Sheridan - 1987
Innerspace
Urbandir. Joe Dante - 1989
Jesus of Montreal
Urbandir. Denys Arcand - 2019
Joker
Urbandir. Todd Phillips - 1986
Kin-dza-dza!
Off Worlddir. Georgiy Daneliya - 1985
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Urbandir. Héctor Babenco - 1996
Kolya
Urbandir. Jan Svěrák - 1981
La Chèvre
Wilderness · Urbandir. Francis Veber - 1986
Labyrinth
dir. Jim Henson - 1988
Landscape in the Mist
Ruraldir. Theo Angelopoulos - 2012
Laurence Anyways
Urbandir. Xavier Dolan - 1989
Lean On Me
Urbandir. John G. Avildsen - 2008
Let the Right One In
Suburbandir. Tomas Alfredson - 1987
Lethal Weapon
Urbandir. Richard Donner - 1989
Lethal Weapon 2
Urbandir. Richard Donner - 1989
Licence to Kill
Coastal Sea · Urban · Desertdir. John Glen - 2016
Lion
Urban · Ruraldir. Garth Davis - 1983
Local Hero
Coastal Sea · Ruraldir. Bill Forsyth - 2000
Love & Basketball
Urbandir. Gina Prince-Bythewood - 1989
Major League
Urbandir. David S. Ward - 1999
Man on the Moon
Urbandir. Miloš Forman - 1986
Manhunter
Urban · Suburbandir. Michael Mann - 2003
Memories of Murder
Ruraldir. Bong Joon Ho - 1988
Midnight Run
Urban · Desertdir. Martin Brest - 2021
Minari
Ruraldir. Lee Isaac Chung - 2004
Miracle
Urbandir. Gavin O'Connor - 1989
Miracle Mile
Urbandir. Steve De Jarnatt - 2003
Monster
Urbandir. Patty Jenkins - 1987
Moonstruck
Urbandir. Norman Jewison - 1981
My Bloody Valentine
Rural · Undergrounddir. George Mihalka - 1981
My Dinner with Andre
Urbandir. Louis Malle - 2005
Mysterious Skin
Rural · Urbandir. Gregg Araki - 1989
Mystery Train
Urbandir. Jim Jarmusch - 1988
Mystic Pizza
Coastal Seadir. Donald Petrie - 1989
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Suburbandir. Jeremiah S. Chechik - 1983
National Lampoon's Vacation
Desert · Ruraldir. Harold Ramis - 1987
Near Dark
Ruraldir. Kathryn Bigelow - 1989
New York Stories
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 2012
No
Urbandir. Pablo Larraín - 2007
No Country for Old Men
Desert · Ruraldir. Joel Coen - 1983
Nostalgia
Ruraldir. Andrei Tarkovsky - 2003
Oldboy
Urbandir. Park Chan-wook - 1981
On Golden Pond
Ruraldir. Mark Rydell - 1991
Only Yesterday
Rural · Urbandir. Isao Takahata - 1980
Ordinary People
Suburbandir. Robert Redford - 2019
Pain and Glory
Urban · Ruraldir. Pedro Almodóvar - 1984
Paris, Texas
Desert · Urbandir. Wim Wenders - 1985
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
dir. Tim Burton - 2000
Peppermint Candy
Urban · Ruraldir. Lee Chang-dong - 2007
Persepolis
Urbandir. Vincent Paronnaud - 1989
Pet Sematary
Rural · Wildernessdir. Mary Lambert - 1982
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Urbandir. Alan Parker - 1980
Pixote
Urbandir. Héctor Babenco - 1987
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Urban · Ruraldir. John Hughes - 1985
Police Story
Urbandir. Jackie Chan - 1988
Police Story 2
Urbandir. Jackie Chan - 1982
Poltergeist
Suburbandir. Tobe Hooper - 1987
Predator
Wildernessdir. John McTiernan - 2014
Predestination
Urbandir. Michael Spierig - 1986
Pretty in Pink
Suburbandir. Howard Deutch - 2014
Pride
Rural · Urbandir. Matthew Warchus - 1984
Purple Rain
Urbandir. Albert Magnoli - 1988
Rain Man
Urban · Ruraldir. Barry Levinson - 1987
Raising Arizona
Desertdir. Joel Coen - 1985
Re-Animator
Urbandir. Stuart Gordon - 2000
Remember the Titans
Urbandir. Boaz Yakin - 1990
Reversal of Fortune
Urbandir. Barbet Schroeder - 1983
Risky Business
Suburbandir. Paul Brickman - 1986
River's Edge
dir. Tim Hunter - 1982
Rocky III
Urbandir. Sylvester Stallone - 1985
Rocky IV
Urban · Mountaindir. Sylvester Stallone - 1984
Romancing the Stone
Wildernessdir. Robert Zemeckis - 1983
Rumble Fish
Urbandir. Francis Ford Coppola - 1985
Runaway Train
Wildernessdir. Andrei Konchalovsky - 1988
Running on Empty
Suburbandir. Sidney Lumet - 1995
Safe
Suburban · Desertdir. Todd Haynes - 1986
Salvador
Urban · Ruraldir. Oliver Stone - 1989
Say Anything...
Suburbandir. Cameron Crowe - 1981
Scanners
Urbandir. David Cronenberg - 1983
Scarface
Urbandir. Brian De Palma - 1988
Scrooged
Urbandir. Richard Donner - 1989
Sea of Love
Urbandir. Harold Becker - 1997
Selena
Urbandir. Gregory Nava - 1989
sex, lies, and videotape
Urbandir. Steven Soderbergh - 1986
Shadows in Paradise
Urbandir. Aki Kaurismäki - 1984
Sixteen Candles
Suburbandir. John Hughes - 1990
Slacker
Urbandir. Richard Linklater - 1998
SLC Punk
Urbandir. James Merendino - 1996
Sleepers
Urbandir. Barry Levinson - 1980
Somewhere in Time
dir. Jeannot Szwarc - 1984
Splash
Urban · Coastal Seadir. Ron Howard - 1988
Stand and Deliver
Urbandir. Ramón Menéndez - 1986
Stand by Me
Ruraldir. Rob Reiner - 1984
Starman
Rural · Desertdir. John Carpenter - 1989
Steel Magnolias
Ruraldir. Herbert Ross - 2015
Straight Outta Compton
Urbandir. F. Gary Gray - 1983
Strange Brew
Urbandir. Rick Moranis - 1984
Stranger Than Paradise
Urban · Coastal Seadir. Jim Jarmusch - 1985
Tampopo
Urbandir. Jūzō Itami - 1983
Tender Mercies
Ruraldir. Bruce Beresford - 1982
Tenebre
Urbandir. Dario Argento - 1983
Terms of Endearment
Suburbandir. James L. Brooks - 1989
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Urbandir. Shinya Tsukamoto - 1988
The Accidental Tourist
Urbandir. Lawrence Kasdan - 1988
The Accused
Urbandir. Jonathan Kaplan - 1988
The Big Blue
Coastal Sea · Islanddir. Luc Besson - 1983
The Big Chill
Ruraldir. Lawrence Kasdan - 1980
The Blues Brothers
Urbandir. John Landis - 1985
The Breakfast Club
Suburbandir. John Hughes - 2024
The Brutalist
Urbandir. Brady Corbet - 1986
The Color of Money
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 1983
The Dead Zone
Ruraldir. David Cronenberg - 1986
The Decline of the American Empire
Rural · Urbandir. Denys Arcand - 1985
The Emerald Forest
Wilderness · Urbandir. John Boorman - 1986
The Fly
Urbandir. David Cronenberg - 1980
The Fog
Coastal Seadir. John Carpenter - 1985
The Goonies
Coastal Sea · Underground · Suburbandir. Richard Donner - 1986
The Green Ray
dir. Éric Rohmer - 1983
The Hunger
Urbandir. Tony Scott - 1990
The Hunt for Red October
Coastal Seadir. John McTiernan - 1999
The Hurricane
Urbandir. Norman Jewison - 1981
The Inquisitor
Urbandir. Claude Miller - 1985
The Jewel of the Nile
Desert · Urbandir. Lewis Teague - 1984
The Karate Kid
Suburbandir. John G. Avildsen - 1989
The Killer
Urbandir. John Woo - 1982
The King of Comedy
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 2007
The Kite Runner
Urbandir. Marc Forster - 2006
The Lives of Others
Urbandir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck - 1987
The Lost Boys
Coastal Seadir. Joel Schumacher - 1991
The Lovers on the Bridge
Urbandir. Leos Carax - 1988
The Milagro Beanfield War
Rural · Desertdir. Robert Redford - 1986
The Mosquito Coast
Wilderness · Coastal Seadir. Peter Weir - 1988
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Urbandir. David Zucker - 1984
The NeverEnding Story
dir. Wolfgang Petersen - 1985
The Official Story
Urbandir. Luis Puenzo - 1996
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Urbandir. Miloš Forman - 1987
The Princess Bride
Rural · Coastal Sea · Mountaindir. Rob Reiner - 1985
The Return of the Living Dead
Urbandir. Dan O'Bannon - 1986
The Sacrifice
Coastal Sea · Ruraldir. Andrei Tarkovsky - 2009
The Secret in Their Eyes
Urban · Ruraldir. Juan José Campanella - 1982
The Secret of NIMH
Rural · Undergrounddir. Don Bluth - 1989
The Seventh Continent
Urbandir. Michael Haneke - 2005
The Squid and the Whale
Urbandir. Noah Baumbach - 1984
The Terminator
Urbandir. James Cameron - 1982
The Thing
Wildernessdir. John Carpenter - 1988
The Vanishing
Ruraldir. George Sluizer - 1982
The Verdict
Urbandir. Sidney Lumet - 1989
The War of the Roses
Urbandir. Danny DeVito - 1987
The Witches of Eastwick
Ruraldir. George Miller - 2013
The Wolf of Wall Street
Urbandir. Martin Scorsese - 1981
The Woman Next Door
Rural · Suburbandir. François Truffaut - 1998
There's Something About Mary
Urbandir. Bobby Farrelly - 1988
They Live
Urbandir. John Carpenter - 1981
Thief
Urbandir. Michael Mann - 2007
This Is England
Suburban · Coastal Seadir. Shane Meadows - 1984
This Is Spinal Tap
Urbandir. Rob Reiner - 1988
Time of the Gypsies
Rural · Urbandir. Emir Kusturica - 1985
To Live and Die in L.A.
Urban · Desertdir. William Friedkin - 1982
Tootsie
Urbandir. Sydney Pollack - 1986
Top Gun
Urban · Coastal Seadir. Tony Scott - 1984
Top Secret!
Urban · Ruraldir. Jim Abrahams - 1983
Trading Places
Urbandir. John Landis - 1982
Tron
Urbandir. Steven Lisberger - 1983
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Urban · Rural · Wildernessdir. John Landis - 1989
Uncle Buck
Suburbandir. John Hughes - 1980
Urban Cowboy
Urbandir. James Bridges - 2019
Us
Coastal Sea · Suburban · Undergrounddir. Jordan Peele - 1985
Vagabond
Ruraldir. Agnès Varda - 1983
Videodrome
Urbandir. David Cronenberg - 1989
Violent Cop
Urbandir. Takeshi Kitano - 1987
Wall Street
Urbandir. Oliver Stone - 2008
Waltz with Bashir
Urbandir. Ari Folman - 1983
WarGames
Urban · Undergrounddir. John Badham - 2009
Watchmen
Urban · Off Worlddir. Zack Snyder - 1973
Westworld
dir. Michael Crichton - 1993
What's Love Got to Do with It
Urbandir. Brian Gibson - 1989
When Harry Met Sally...
Urbandir. Rob Reiner - 1987
Where Is The Friend's House?
Ruraldir. Abbas Kiarostami - 1987
Wings of Desire
Urbandir. Wim Wenders - 1985
Witness
Rural · Urbandir. Peter Weir - 1988
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Urbandir. Pedro Almodóvar - 1988
Working Girl
Urbandir. Mike Nichols - 2007
Zodiac
Urbandir. David Fincher
Frequently asked
How many movies are set in the 1980s?
Kinora's catalogue lists 289 films set in the 1980s, spanning 1973–2024.
What are some movies set in the 1980s?
Films set in the 1980s in our catalogue include 24 Hour Party People (2002), 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), A Better Tomorrow (1986), A Civil Action (1998), and A Fish Called Wanda (1988).
What is the oldest movie set in the 1980s?
Westworld (1973) is the earliest film set in the 1980s in our catalogue; the most recent is The Brutalist (2024).