While 1994 is often consideredone of the best-ever years for movies, 10 years earlier, 1984 gave it a run for its money. At roughly the halfway point of the 1980s, it saw the release of numerous classic films that have stood the test of time.Some were successful upon release, while others took a little while to find an audience and have seen their reputations grow considerablyin the years (and decades) since first coming out.
What follows are some of the greatest movie releases of 1984, ranked below in order from great to greatest. There are plenty of classics that just missed making the cut, including,Starman,Beverly Hills Cop, andThe Eight Diagram Pole Fighter,which speaks to the overall quality of the year, and the sheer quantity of iconic movies released within it.
12’The Karate Kid'
Directed by John G. Avildsen
Kicking off a series that remains popular to this day, as demonstrated by theCobra KaiTV series, 1984’sThe Karate Kidis about as straightforward yet satisfying as sports movies get. It follows a young boy named Daniel, who’s struggling with various aspects of his life, and finds himself a target of bullies. Things turn around, however, when a neighbor, the enigmatic Mr. Miyagi, begins training him in martial arts.
The Karate Kidis an underdog story at its core, as well asa coming-of-age moviethat can inspire hope for anyone who watches it at a young age, and perhaps nostalgia for anyone who watches it when they’re a little older. It’s got a charm and directness to it that proves hard to resist, and it’s easily one of the best family-friendly films of its decade.
The Karate Kid
Watch on Starz
11’Paris, Texas'
Directed by Wim Wenders
No one makes movies quite likeWim Wenders, as he’s a filmmaker who specializes in character-focused stories that aren’t afraid to take their time while proving surprisingly immersive as a result.Paris, Texasis one ofWenders’ most acclaimed movies, and deservedly so, being a moving drama about a man who’s lost in more ways than one, before reconnecting with a brother who tries to get his life back on track.
Paris, Texasis a long and undoubtedly slow-paced film, only really having a handful of main characters playing a part within the simple premise, and having a runtime of nearly 2.5 hours. However, it is still worth diving into and devoting one’s attention to, because it offers a unique cinematic experience that’s subtle and moving, not to mention fantastically acted and shot throughout.
Paris, Texas
Watch on Max
10’The Killing Fields'
Directed by Roland Joffé
A harrowing historical film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia during the mid to late 1970s,The Killing Fieldstells a difficult but important story and stands asan essential war movie. It follows a journalist stuck in the country during this violent period in its history, as well as following the plight ofDith Pran, a Cambodian man trying to survive a nationwide genocide that ended up claiming between 1.5 and 2 million lives.
The story being told naturally makes it a disturbing and saddening movie, though it’s excellently made and does a good job of shedding light on this terrible (and unnervingly recent) historical event.Haing S. Ngor, who played Dith, also won an Oscar for his performance, notably doing so even though it was his first-ever acting role.
Watch on Netflix
9’Gremlins'
Directed by Joe Dante
There’s not much that can be said aboutGremlinsthat hasn’t already been said.It’s a charming mix of fantasy, comedy, and horror, and one of the rare movies that feel like a genuine,warm-hearted Christmas movieand a subversive, dark, almost anti-Christmas movie at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds, with something for everyone, regardless of how they feel about Christmas.
Gremlinsfollows a father getting his son a strange gift for Christmas - a creature called a mogwai - and the chaos that unravels when the son fails to follow the key rules that come with caring for such a creature. It’s an entertaining and unique movie that can technically be enjoyed by people of all ages, even if some of its scenes run the risk of traumatizing the youngest of viewers.
8’Blood Simple'
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
The Coen Brotherscame out swinging with their debut feature film,Blood Simple, whichdemonstrated their mastery of the crime/thriller genres right from the start of their careers. It’s a particularly tense neo-noir that follows a husband taking dramatic steps to get back at his wife for having an affair, only for that to set off a chain of chaotic and violent events.
It’s a very straightforward film, and as such, might lack some of the depth associated with their best works. However, it’s still a great movie, and one that holds up well, considering it’s nearly 40 years old. It also helps that it has some great performances too, particularly fromFrances McDormandandM. Emmet Walsh, the latter of whom plays an underrated and very chillingvillainous character in the Coen Brothers movie.
Blood Simple
7’Ghostbusters'
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Though its sequels, reboots, and remakes may prove divisive, the originalGhostbustersendures as a film that very few people seem to dislike. It introduced the world to the novel idea of “ghost-busting,” following several men who find New York City to be swarming with paranormal entities, and so decide to set up a ghost-catching business as a way to earn a living.
It was a surprise success upon release, and kicked off a huge franchise that remains popular (or at least “passionately” discussed and debated) to this day. Thanks to its memorable theme song, iconic characters (withBill Murray making a particularly strong impression), and mix of humor and fantasy/sci-fi concepts,Ghostbustersrightly stands as a classic, and one of the decade’s biggest blockbusters.
Ghostbusters
6’A Nightmare on Elm Street'
Directed by Wes Craven
Though Freddy Krueger is seemingly unstoppable, and kept coming back from the dead to feature in numerousNightmare on Elm Streetmovies, it’s hard to argue that the best of the series isn’t the first. It introduced horror fans to the legendary villain, and stood out because of its uniquely unsettling premise, which involved a murderous demon that could only harm you in your sleep.
Therefore,A Nightmare on Elm Streetcan be boiled down to a film about various teenagers who are trying to stay awake, and the surreal, often deadly nightmares they fall into when the urge to sleep becomes overwhelming.It’s a lot more engaging and tense than that might sound, and it’s the creativity of the story and its visuals that are a big reason why the originalNightmare on Elm Streetlives on as a horror classic.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
5’Stop Making Sense'
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Few concert movies feel as cinematic as traditional feature films do, butStop Making Senseis far from most concert movies, and is alsoa top-notch documentary, if one wants to classify it as such. It’s a creatively shot and edited film showingTalking Headsperforming some of its best music live, with the concert itself also being quirky, fun, and infectiously energetic throughout.
Iteven builds and progresses in an interesting way, with various band members, guest musicians, dancers, and aspects of the stage being addedas the track list goes on. It keeps momentum going for its whole runtime, and is a joy to watch from beginning to end. It’s a must-watch for Talking Heads fans, and any non-fans who watch it are almost guaranteed to be converted to the church ofDavid Byrneonce it’s over.
Stop Making Sense
4’This is Spinal Tap'
Directed by Rob Reiner
Though it wasn’t the very first mockumentary,This is Spinal Tapis the one to which all others are compared. It’s a classic of the genre for good reason, showing the disastrous American tour of a once-popular but now washed-up heavy metal from England, and the various misadventures that befall them.
It’s endlessly quotable, and perhaps one of the funniest (largely) improvised comedy movies of all time. It presents larger-than-life characters, constant gags, and abitingly funny look at the music business and the fragile relationship between celebrities and their seemingly loyal fans. In that sense,This is Spinal Tapworks asa great piece of satire, having non-stop gags and some surprisingly memorable music, all clocking in at a lean and no-nonsense 82 minutes.
This is Spinal Tap
3’The Terminator'
Directed by James Cameron
Science-fiction action movies don’t get a whole lot more iconic thanThe Terminator, which - likeGhostbustersandA Nightmare on Elm Street- was another 1984 film that kicked off a series that now spans decades. It follows a woman named Sarah Connor who finds herself fighting for survival after an unstoppable cyborg travels back in time to kill her, as she’s to be the mother of the one man who’ll grow up to defeat a worldwide machine uprising.
At its core,The Terminatoris also a surprisingly effective love story, thanks to the fact that a seemingly ordinary man is also sent back in time to protect Sarah. It uses its relatively low budget effectively, manages to be surprisingly tense in parts, and was also an instrumental movie in makingArnold Schwarzeneggera star, withThe Terminatorstill holding up as his most famous role to date.
The Terminator
A relentless cyborg assassin is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead the human resistance against machines. Protected by a soldier also sent from the future, Sarah must navigate a deadly game of cat and mouse to ensure her survival and humanity’s future.
