They really did it best in the 1980s, didn't they? The music, the fashion, and yes, the movies. While '80s sci-fi and '80s horror are distinctly beloved, '80s comedies are a breed unto themselves. But which '80s comedies are actually worth remembering?
Towards the end of the New Hollywood movement, the 1980s saw studios regain control from visionary directors. While the 1980s didn't erase the auteur completely – if anything, the decade saw the rise of a few new ones – the era saw movies appeal to broader audiences. Between the rise of multiplexes and the home video market, more everyday people were watching movies again, not only ardent arthouse enthusiasts.
The success of Saturday Night Live on network television and the stand-up comedy boom during the decade created an influx of cutting-edge, gut-busting talent who naturally leveraged their fame to make movies. This is why '80s comedies are an unusual beast – it was a time when the stars aligned, quite literally, to make some of the most hilarious and iconic comedies ever made. And these are the 35 greatest comedies of the 1980s.
35. Once Bitten (1985)
He's not wearing a costume! In Jim Carrey's first full-length feature film in the lead role, the comic star plays a naive teenager who falls in love with a Hollywood nightclub singer (played by Lauren Hutton) only to realize she's a bloodsucking vampire. Although Once Bitten failed to allure critics and bombed hard at the box office during its November 1985 release (a little late for Halloween, if you ask me), it has become a cult classic thanks in large part to Carrey's subsequent mega-stardom.
34. Dragnet (1987)
It may be better known for a bizarre rap video where Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd summarize the plot over awkward bars. But Dragnet is an arresting gem of the 1980s that deserves better street cred. Based on and billed as a continuation of the classic 1967 TV series, Dragnet follows a straightlaced, seemingly out-of-time L.A. detective (Aykroyd) who is paired with a loosey-goosey streetwise cop (Hanks) as they take on a case involving a millionaire adult magazine publisher and his ties to a Satanic cult. Aykroyd and Hanks are dynamite as an onscreen duo, and Aykroyd stands out in his performance that hilariously nods to 1940s noir.
33. Stripes (1981)
A few years before Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and director Ivan Reitman teamed up to bust ghosts, they signed up for basic training in Stripes. In this roaring comedy, Bill Murray plays a luckless cab driver who signs up for the U.S. Army after getting dumped by his girlfriend. Along with his best friend (Harold Ramis), the two men paint the barracks red in their green fatigues, leaving their hard-nosed drill sergeant flummoxed while they steal government wheels to take some female MPs on a date. Ghostbusters may be the bigger phenomenon, but Stripes deserves a salute.
32. Porky's (1981)
It has aged like spoiled milk, but Porky's has its place in the canon of 1980s comedies. Set in 1954, Porky's follows a group of desperate high school boys whose plan to lose their virginities at a Florida strip club goes belly up. Meanwhile, the boys get into further trouble when they peep into the girls' showers, and their school's coaches engage in a strange romantic love triangle. Porky's might not win over modern viewers, but its role in popularizing teen sex comedies and inspiring hits like American Pie, Van Wilder, and EuroTrip means it deserves some flowers at least.
31. Teen Wolf (1985)
The beginning of the Teen Wolf franchise saw its first full moon in the appropriately titled Teen Wolf from 1985. Michael J. Fox plays Scott, an outcast high school teenager whose sudden werewolf alter ego affords him popularity and a spot on the varsity basketball team. But as Scott enjoys the highs of becoming the big dog on campus, he starts to leave his real friends behind. While Teen Wolf wasn't the first movie to play around with werewolves as a metaphor for adolescence, it remains one of the best and funniest. There's a reason it launched multiple sequels and a cult 2011 series reboot on MTV.
30. Major League (1989)
One of the greatest '80s comedies is also one of the greatest sports movies of all time. From director David S. Ward, Major League follows the Cleveland Indians (long before their rebrand into the Cleveland Guardians) as they fall under the new ownership of a petty billionaire widow (Margaret Whitton) who is determined to sell and relocate the team to Miami. When the players in the dugout including veteran catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) and cocky rookie pitcher Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) find out what's going on, they step up, shape up, and begin to play like real all-stars. Hysterical as it is inspiring, Major League bats it out of the park.
29. Weird Science (1985)
Talk about beauty and brains. From teen movie auteur John Hughes, Weird Science is the story of two dweeby teenagers (played by Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) who use a computer to program the perfect woman, who comes alive in the flesh of Lisa (Kelly LeBrock). While the movie sounds too bawdy for a storyteller like Hughes, there's plenty of heart in the movie's narrative about growing up and learning to value what's real. 10 years after the movie's theatrical release, it spawned a television series with a new cast which ran for 88 episodes.
28. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Spinning off from The Pee-Wee Herman Show, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure marks the directorial debut of Tim Burton who helms this big screen comic romp starring Paul Reubens. In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the quirky Pee-Wee goes on a zany quest across America to retrieve his stolen bicycle, an intentional riff on the Italian classic drama Bicycle Thieves. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure was only a modest success at the box office during its 1985 release, but the movie has gone on to attain cult status through both Burton (singular in his brand of gothic artistry in mainstream American cinema) and Reubens as his endlessly endearing weirdo.
27. The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
The Witches of Eastwick may not seem like the same movie as George Miller's own Mad Max Fury Road. But in its story about the strength of sisterhood over toxic masculinity, it has something in common. In The Witches of Eastwick from 1987, three close friends living in small-town New England inadvertently summon a charismatic bachelor Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) whose very name seems to bring misfortune. As the three women – played by Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer – fall under Daryl's spell, they develop supernatural powers of their own just in time to defend themselves against his dark influence. Cozy autumn vibes plus an uplifting tale of female solidarity make The Witches of Eastwick an easy favorite.
26. 9 to 5 (1980)
Not only does it have a banger theme song from the one and only Dolly Parton, it's also a great comedy about the plight of women in the workforce. In 9 to 5, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton play three female coworkers who overthrow their misogynistic and bigoted boss (Dabney Coleman) and subsequently oversee their dream office. While it's perhaps overstuffed with talent, 9 to 5 is a comedy classic that's spawned an unlikely franchise, including a spin-off TV show and a Broadway musical.
25. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Party on, dudes! In the time-travel classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter star as two San Dimas teen rockers destined to save the world with their music, but only if they can pass a big high school history test. Enter: Rufus (George Carlin), an emissary from the future who aids Bill and Ted by giving them a time traveling phone booth to help them gather icons from history – including Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, and "Soh-crates" – and pass the class. It tells a ridiculous story, not to mention a baby Keanu Reeves giving his first onscreen "Whoa," but Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a hilarious tale about the power of friendship through all of time and space.
24. Better Off Dead (1985)
Its morbid subject matter and unconventional humor meant Better Off Dead didn't really find an audience until after its 1985 release. But now, the movie is a cult classic even if it necessitates a trigger warning. A young John Cusack stars as Lane, a high school student who gets depressed after he's dumped by his girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss) for a boorish ski jock. As Lane's repeat attempts at suicide are rudely (and hilariously) interrupted, he finds a new lease on life through a pretty French exchange student (Diane Franklin). While anyone with sensitivities about suicide should approach Better Off Dead with caution, the movie remains a side-splitting joyride through teenage woes.
23. Beetlejuice (1988)
A perennial Halloween favorite from Tim Burton, Beetlejuice follows a recently deceased married couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who try to scare away the obnoxious new tenants of their home. To do so, they forge an uneasy partnership with a sleazy and grotesque trickster, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) while becoming close with the new owners' teen daughter (Winona Ryder). A box office smash, Beetlejuice spawned an animated series spin-off and a Broadway musical before its long-awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in 2024, with most of the cast reprising their roles.
22. The Goonies (1985)
Goonies Never Say Die! Arguably the ultimate kids' adventure flick of the 1980s, The Goonies follows a bunch of kids from Oregon who try to save their homes from foreclosure by retrieving 17th century pirate treasure. While its ensemble cast includes the likes of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, and future Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan, much of the movie's power lies in its killer creative team of director Richard Donner, screenwriter Chris Columbus, and producer Steven Spielberg, whom Astin recalled as like a "co-director" in his memoir.
21. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
The third movie in the original National Lampoon's Vacation series has become its most beloved, what with its abundance of holiday cheer it offers. Based on John Hughes' short story "Christmas '59" for the original National Lampoon magazine, the movie follows the Griswolds – led by patriarch Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) – who are trying to have a perfectly normal family Christmas only for things to go wrong every step of the way. Thanks to repeat airings on cable TV and its universally relatable mishaps that come with the holidays, Christmas Vacation is one of the rare sequels that stands completely on its own under the mistletoe.
20. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
The first in National Lampoon's Vacation series, Vacation follows family man Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) who plans a road trip from the Chicago suburbs to California as a way to spend more time with his increasingly distant family. Unfortunately, the road to Walley World is paved with peril, as the Griswolds evade vandals, extorting mechanics, and attractive blondes in Ferraris. A timeless comedy about how good intentions often go belly-up, National Lampoon's Vacation is all fun under the sun.
19. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
In this ludicrous parody of hard-boiled cop dramas, Leslie Nielsen stars as an inept but handsome police detective who foils a plot to assassinate the Queen of England. Slapstick comedy and deadpan line deliveries make The Naked Gun truly one of the funniest comedies of the 1980s. While it spun off from a short-lived TV show, The Naked Gun has stood the test of time with its locked-and-loaded barrage of slapstick, puns, and gags galore. It's so good, you'll forget that O.J. Simpson plays a huge supporting role.
18. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
One of the few holiday comedies centered around Thanksgiving – and one of the few John Hughes pictures focused on grown adults – Steve Martin and John Candy play two strangers who become reluctant travel companions on a three-day road trip from New York to Chicago. As is the case with all road trip riots, the journey is fraught with bad luck and diversions as the men hop aboard every mode of transportation imaginable just to make it to the table on time. There are a lot of road trip comedies out there, but few are as fulfilling as Martin and Candy together.
17. Stardust Memories (1980)
While most people remember Woody Allen's directorial work with pictures like Annie Hall and Manhattan, his oft-overlooked 1980 comedy Stardust Memories is arguably just as definitive and maybe his most personal. Written, directed by, and starring Allen, the auteur plays a filmmaker in the midst of his flop era who attends a career retrospective that inspires him to reflect on recent romantic affairs, in particular a brunette ingenue named Daisy (Jessica Harper). Essentially Allen's version on Frederico Fellini's 8 ½, Stardust Memories is both hilarious and moving, offering a more tender approach to learning from failed relationships than the more harrowing Fellini.
16. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
You'll never look at bananas the same way again. In Beverly Hills Cop, streetwise Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) heads off to "vacation" in upscale Beverly Hills to investigate the cold-blooded murder of his close friend. As Axel clashes with local law enforcement – and finds a clever way to get a room at a posh hotel – he closes in on cracking the case of a lifetime. Armed with Murphy's killer comic timing and memorable use of synthesizers in any movie soundtrack, Beverly Hills Cop upholds the law as one of the greatest comedies of the '80s.
15. Three Amigos (1986)
In this John Landis-helmed '80s classic, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, and Steve Martin team up as out-of-work silent film actors who are mistaken for genuine heroic gunslingers by a Mexican village terrorized by ruthless bandits. While behind-the-scenes production on Three Amigos was plagued with on-set tensions and problems – including Landis facing trial over The Twilight Zone during post-production – the onscreen chemistry of its three leads and their absurd situation makes you hoot and holler over its mixture of The Magnificent Seven and Disney's Three Caballeros.
14. The Blues Brothers (1980)
They're on a mission from God. In John Landis' seminal comedy The Blues Brothers, Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi take their Saturday Night Live characters to the big screen as the Jake and Elwood Blues try to prevent the foreclosure of their childhood orphanage by getting their R&B band back together – but only if they can survive cops, vengeful former fiances, and neo-Nazis along the way. Despite production woes including an inexperienced screenwriter in Aykroyd and Belushi's vices that often led to costly delays, The Blues Brothers has won over audiences everywhere as one of the greatest movies the '80s ever saw.
13. Wheels on Meals (1984)
There are action comedies, and there is Wheels on Meals. Written, directed by, and co-starring Sammo Hung, Wheels on Meals follows two kung fu cousins – played by Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao – who run a fast food truck in Barcelona. The men are recruited by a private eye (Hung) to help protect a gorgeous thief (Lola Forner) who happens to be closer to their family than they realize. In between its many gags and mishaps are some of the greatest action scenes ever captured on camera, with Chan's climactic one-on-one bout with kickboxing champion Benny "The Jet" Urquidez often named one of the all-time best fight scenes in movie history.
12. The Princess Bride (1987)
It is, ahem, inconceivable, to imagine a world without The Princess Bride. Framed through a grandfather (Peter Falk) telling a bedtime story to his grandson (Fred Savage), The Princess Bride tells of a swashbuckler named Wheatley (Cary Elwes) who must rescue the beautiful Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) from the evil Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon). A comical riff over classic fairy tales, the characters' goofy names mask the lively humanity that resides within. Old fashioned romances never go out of style, and The Princess Bride enchants as it entertains.
11. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Created as writer/director John Hughes' love letter to the city of Chicago, Ferris Bueller's Day Off follows a charismatic high school slacker Ferris (Matthew Broderick) who plays hooky with his best friends Sloane (Mia Sara) and Cameron (Alan Ruck) to go joyriding through the Windy City in Cameron's dad's prized Ferrari. Celebrated for its mischievous sense of humor mixed with a heartfelt story about seizing each and every day while you still can, Ferris Bueller's Day Off espouses the virtues of taking it easy.
10. Caddyshack (1980)
Caddyshack had critics screaming "Bore!" instead of "Fore!", at least at first. But in retrospect, it's now hailed as one of the greatest sports comedies of all time, let alone the 1980s. In the debut feature film from writer/director Harold Ramis and co-written by National Lampoon's Douglas Kenney, Caddyshack depicts class warfare on the links as ambitious young Danny (Michael O'Keefe) pursues a college scholarship while caddying at a snobbish country club. Endlessly quotable ("You'll get nothing and like it") and generally unforgettable, Caddyshack deserves way more than a polite golf clap.
9. 48 Hrs. (1982)
The movie that arguably birthed the buddy comedy genre, Walter Hill's 48 Hrs. sees Nick Nolte play a tough cop who reluctantly teams up with a wisecracking criminal (Eddie Murphy) as they race against time to catch killers on the loose. While on the surface 48 Hrs. looks like a gritty cop drama, the dynamite chemistry between Nolte and Murphy – the latter in his feature film debut – makes 48 Hrs. a laugh riot that really explodes. In its footsteps came Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, Rush Hour, and so many more.
8. Coming to America (1988)
Before Wakanda, there was Zamunda. In this era-defining comedy hit, Eddie Murphy plays a wealthy African prince, Prince Akeem Joffer, who embarks on a journey in search of true love to find his queen in – where else? – the Queens borough of New York City. Accompanied by his best friend and aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall), Akeem absorbs his new American surroundings as he falls for Lisa (Shari Headley), the beautiful daughter of a fast food manager. A comical clash of cultures, Coming to America succeeds on the merit of its deliriously smart script and assembly of impeccable talent like Murphy, Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, and many more.
7. Spaceballs (1987)
It goes from zero to Ludicrous Speed in no time flat. From the mind of master Mel Brooks comes Spaceballs, effectively Brooks' roasting of '70s and '80s sci-fi blockbusters like Star Wars (obviously), Planet of the Apes, and Alien, plus a clever dig at Transformers. In Spaceballs, runaway princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) is rescued by rogue mercenary Lone Star (Bill Pullman) and his loyal friend, the half-man half-dog Barf (John Candy). The group evades the clutches of the evil Planet Spaceball, its might exercised by the diminutive commander Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). Spaceballs packs as many laughs as any movie can fit, all in the name of moich-andising.
6. Broadcast News (1987)
A romantic love triangle. The collapse of intellectualism. The rise of 24-hour cable news. It's all here in Broadcast News, written and directed by James L. Brooks. Holly Hunter leads this classic romantic comedy movie as ambitious TV producer Jane Craig, who regrettably falls in love with handsome but shallow rookie anchor Tom (William Hurt) all while her best friend and best reporter Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks) harbors unrequited feelings for her. As the three navigate the minefields of their personal and professional lives, Broadcast News anticipates the changing landscape of journalism – the difficulties in speaking truth to power against profit-oriented goals. With a sharp script and a handsome cast, Broadcast News delights without ever dumbing down.
5. Clue (1985)
The classic board game comes to live, with flesh and blood, in this irreverent cult comedy with a stacked ensemble cast. In Clue, six strangers are invited to a mysterious dinner party hosted by the enigmatic Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). After Mr. Boddy is murdered, the dinner guests find themselves pointing fingers as they desperately try to pin down the culprit. This fast-paced whodunnit with multiple endings never fails to put a smile on anyone's face – even you! Yes, you! Who killed Mr. Boddy with the candlestick in the library!
4. Ghostbusters (1984)
Busting feels good, doesn't it? The unlikely genre hybrid hit of the 1980s, Ghostbusters – directed by Ivan Reitman from a script by co-star Dan Aykroyd – follows three disgraced academics (plus one Winston Zeddemore) as they start a business catching specters and spirits in bustling New York City. A hilarious comedy about going into business with your buddies, Ghostbusters shines on the merit of its once-in-a-generation assembly of talent including Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis. Who you gonna call? You know who.
3. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Perhaps the greatest romantic comedy ever made, When Harry Met Sally… enjoys longevity due to its honest portrayal of love springing from unlikely places. In the movie, directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron, Bill Crystal and Meg Ryan co-star as two "friends" who spend many years and many complicated restaurant orders slowly falling in love. While initially in disagreement over their personal philosophies – in particular: Can men and women just be friends? – they soon find themselves on common ground after life takes them down many winding paths. Aren't we all having what they're having?
2. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
This one goes to 11, baby. In this facetious mockumentary with predominantly improvised dialogue, This Is Spinal Tap traces the rise and fall of a fictional British metal band, Spinal Tap, as they attempt to revive their floundering career with an American tour. A parody of 1970s rock documentaries, This Is Spinal Tap totally shreds as a laugh-a-minute marathon that burns pampered rock stars to a crisp. A precursor to future classics like Borat and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, This Is Spinal Tap is hall of fame worthy.
1. Airplane! (1980)
It's hilarity at 30,000 feet in Airplane!, the decade-defining comedy co-directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker. A satire of disaster movies – most notably the Airport franchise from the 1970s – Airplane! follows an ex-pilot (Robert Hays) who must overcome his fear of flying to safely land a passenger flight when the entire crew develop debilitating food poisoning. Celebrated for its surreal sense of humor and slapstick comedy that whiz by as fast as a jet engine, Airplane! goes down (not literally!) as one of the finest comedies of the 1980s, and of all time. Surely, we are serious.
