Movies Set in California in the 1980s

Kinora's catalogue lists 43 films set in California in the 1980s, spanning 1980–2019. 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 films set in California in the 1980s →

• 1980

  Airplane!

  Los Angeles · Chicago — 1980s
  dir. Jim Abrahams
• 1998

  Apt Pupil

  California — 1980s
  Suburbandir. Bryan Singer
• 2012

  Argo

  Tehran · Los Angeles · Virginia — 1970s · 1980s
  Urbandir. Ben Affleck
• 1985

  Back to the Future

  California — 1980s · 1950s
  Suburbandir. Robert Zemeckis
• 1990

  Back to the Future Part III

  California — 1800s · 1950s · 1980s
  Rural · Desertdir. Robert Zemeckis
• 1987

  Bagdad Cafe

  Mojave Desert — 1980s
  Desertdir. Percy Adlon
• 1984

  Beverly Hills Cop

  Detroit · Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Martin Brest
• 1986

  Big Trouble in Little China

  San Francisco — 1980s
  Urban · Undergrounddir. John Carpenter
• 1989

  Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

  San Dimas · California — 1980s · Far Future · Ancient · Medieval · 1800s
  Suburbandir. Stephen Herek
• 1997

  Boogie Nights

  Los Angeles — 1970s · 1980s
  Urban · Suburbandir. Paul Thomas Anderson
• 1993

  Bound by Honor

  Los Angeles — 1970s · 1980s
  Urbandir. Taylor Hackford
• 1991

  Boyz n the Hood

  Los Angeles — 1980s · 1990s
  Urbandir. John Singleton
• 1988

  Die Hard

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. John McTiernan
• 1982

  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

  California — 1980s
  Suburbandir. Steven Spielberg
• 1982

  Fast Times at Ridgemont High

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Suburbandir. Amy Heckerling
• 1987

  Lethal Weapon

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Richard Donner
• 1989

  Lethal Weapon 2

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Richard Donner
• 2000

  Love & Basketball

  Los Angeles — 1980s · 1990s
  Urbandir. Gina Prince-Bythewood
• 1988

  Midnight Run

  New York City · Arizona · Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urban · Desertdir. Martin Brest
• 1989

  Miracle Mile

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Steve De Jarnatt
• 1983

  National Lampoon's Vacation

  Kansas · Colorado · Arizona · California — 1980s
  Desert · Ruraldir. Harold Ramis
• 1984

  Paris, Texas

  Los Angeles · Houston — 1980s
  Desert · Urbandir. Wim Wenders
• 1985

  Pee-wee's Big Adventure

  San Antonio · Burbank — 1980s
  dir. Tim Burton
• 1982

  Poltergeist

  California — 1980s
  Suburbandir. Tobe Hooper
• 1988

  Rain Man

  Cincinnati · Los Angeles · Las Vegas — 1980s
  Urban · Ruraldir. Barry Levinson
• 1986

  River's Edge

  California — 1980s
  dir. Tim Hunter
• 1982

  Rocky III

  Philadelphia · Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Sylvester Stallone
• 1995

  Safe

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Suburban · Desertdir. Todd Haynes
• 1988

  Stand and Deliver

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Ramón Menéndez
• 2015

  Straight Outta Compton

  Los Angeles · Detroit — 1980s · 1990s
  Urbandir. F. Gary Gray
• 1984

  The Karate Kid

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Suburbandir. John G. Avildsen
• 2007

  The Kite Runner

  Kabul · San Francisco · Peshawar — 1970s · 1980s · 2000s
  Urbandir. Marc Forster
• 1987

  The Lost Boys

  California — 1980s
  Coastal Seadir. Joel Schumacher
• 1988

  The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. David Zucker
• 1996

  The People vs. Larry Flynt

  Cincinnati · Los Angeles — 1970s · 1980s
  Urbandir. Miloš Forman
• 1984

  The Terminator

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. James Cameron
• 1988

  They Live

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. John Carpenter
• 1981

  Thief

  Chicago · Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urbandir. Michael Mann
• 1985

  To Live and Die in L.A.

  Los Angeles — 1980s
  Urban · Desertdir. William Friedkin
• 1986

  Top Gun

  San Diego · Indian Ocean — 1980s
  Urban · Coastal Seadir. Tony Scott
• 2019

  Us

  Santa Cruz — 1980s · 2010s
  Coastal Sea · Suburban · Undergrounddir. Jordan Peele
• 1993

  What's Love Got to Do with It

  St. Louis · Los Angeles · Tennessee — 1950s · 1960s · 1970s · 1980s
  Urbandir. Brian Gibson
• 2007

  Zodiac

  San Francisco — 1960s · 1970s · 1980s
  Urbandir. David Fincher