Films from the 1980s
Pattern Statistics
427
Movies
6.8
Avg Arcplot
106
Avg Runtime
1980-1989
Year Range
NaN
Avg IMDb
62%
Avg RT
57
Avg Metacritic
$20652M
Total Box Office
172
With Awards
13.7
Avg Plot Points
1980s Cinema - Narrative Structure Analysis
Films from the 1980s demonstrates varied approaches to narrative structure, reflecting the structural practices of the decade. Among 427 films analyzed from this decade, the average Arcplot score of 6.9 demonstrates selective application of classical frameworks.
Popular Categories
The 1980s were characterized by Comedy (191 films), Drama (172 films), Action (100 films), indicating the decade's narrative interests.
Standout narratives from this decade include Hercules (1983, 8.0), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986, 7.9), and A Soldier's Story (1984, 7.8).
Films from this decade averaged 1 hour and 47 minutes, representing compressed dramatic structures.
+50-5
0%25%50%75%100%
'Round Midnight
1986
*batteries not included
1987
10 to Midnight
1983
2010
1984
48 Hrs.
1982
52 Pick-Up
1986
A Better Tomorrow
1986
A Chorus Line
1985
A Christmas Carol
1984
A Christmas Story
1983
A Fish Called Wanda
1988
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
1982
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
1987
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
1988
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge
1985
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
1989
A Passage to India
1984
A Room with a View
1985
A Soldier's Story
1984
A View to a Kill
1985
About Last Night...
1986
Absence of Malice
1981
After Hours
1985
Airplane II: The Sequel
1982
Airplane!
1980
Akira
1988
Alien Nation
1988
Aliens
1986
All Dogs Go to Heaven
1989
All of Me
1984
All the Right Moves
1983
Altered States
1980
Always
1989
Amadeus
1984
American Gigolo
1980
American Ninja
1985
American Pop
1981
Amityville 3-D
1983
Amityville II: The Possession
1982
An American Tail
1986
An American Werewolf in London
1981
An Eye for an Eye
1981
An Innocent Man
1989
An Officer and a Gentleman
1982
Angel Heart
1987
Anne of Green Gables
1985
Annie
1982
Any Which Way You Can
1980
Armed and Dangerous
1986
Armour of God
1986
Arthur
1981
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
1988
Atlantic City
1980
Au Revoir les Enfants
1987
Author! Author!
1982
Baby Boom
1987
Bachelor Party
1984
Back to School
1986
Back to the Future
1985
Back to the Future Part II
1989
Bad Boys
1983
Bad Dreams
1988
Batman
1989
Battle Beyond the Stars
1980
Beaches
1988
Beetlejuice
1988
Benji the Hunted
1987
Best Friends
1982
Better Off Dead...
1985
Beverly Hills Cop
1984
Big
1988
Big Top Pee-wee
1988
Big Trouble in Little China
1986
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
1989
Biloxi Blues
1988
Black Moon Rising
1986
Black Widow
1987
Blade Runner
1982
Blind Date
1987
Bloodsport
1988
Blue Thunder
1983
Blue Velvet
1986
Body Double
1984
Body Heat
1981
Bolero
1984
Born in East L.A.
1987
Born on the Fourth of July
1989
Braddock: Missing in Action III
1988
Brainstorm
1983
Brazil
1985
Breakin'
1984
Breathless
1983
Brewster's Millions
1985
Broadcast News
1987
Broadway Danny Rose
1984
Bronco Billy
1980
Buddy Buddy
1981
Bull Durham
1988
Caddyshack
1980
Can't Buy Me Love
1987
Cannonball Run II
1984
Carbon Copy
1981
Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation
1986
Castle in the Sky
1986
Casual Sex?
1988
Casualties of War
1989
Cat People
1982
Cat's Eye
1985
Caveman
1981
Chained Heat
1983
Chariots of Fire
1981
Child's Play
1988
Children of a Lesser God
1986
Children of the Corn
1984
Christine
1983
Cinema Paradiso
1988
City Heat
1984
Clash of the Titans
1981
Class
1983
Cloak & Dagger
1984
Club Paradise
1986
Clue
1985
Coal Miner's Daughter
1980
Cobra
1986
Cocktail
1988
Cocoon
1985
Cocoon: The Return
1988
Code of Silence
1985
Come and See
1985
Coming to America
1988
Commando
1985
Conan the Barbarian
1982
Conan the Destroyer
1984
Continental Divide
1981
Creepshow
1982
Creepshow 2
1987
Crimes and Misdemeanors
1989
Criminal Law
1989
Critters
1986
Crocodile Dundee II
1988
Cruising
1980
Cry Freedom
1987
Curse of the Pink Panther
1983
Cyborg
1989
D.A.R.Y.L.
1985
D.O.A.
1988
Das Boot
1981
Day of the Dead
1985
Dead Bang
1989
Dead Calm
1989
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982
Dead Poets Society
1989
Dead Ringers
1988
Deadly Friend
1986
Death Hunt
1981
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
1987
Death Wish II
1982
Deathstalker
1983
DeepStar Six
1989
Desperately Seeking Susan
1985
Die Hard
1988
Diner
1982
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988
Disorderlies
1987
Do the Right Thing
1989
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
1986
Dragnet
1987
Dream a Little Dream
1989
Dreamscape
1984
Dressed to Kill
1980
Driving Miss Daisy
1989
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
Dune
1984
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982
Easy Money
1983
Eight Men Out
1988
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
1988
Empire of the Sun
1987
Enemies, a Love Story
1989
Enemy Mine
1985
Full Metal Jacket
1987
Gallipoli
1981
Gandhi
1982
Gardens of Stone
1987
Ghostbusters
1984
Ghostbusters II
1989
Glory
1989
God of Gamblers
1989
Godzilla vs. Biollante
1989
Good Morning, Vietnam
1987
Gorky Park
1983
Gotcha!
1985
Great Balls of Fire!
1989
Gremlins
1984
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
1984
Gung Ho
1986
Hairspray
1988
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
1988
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
1989
Halloween II
1981
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
1982
Hamburger Hill
1987
Hanky Panky
1982
Hannah and Her Sisters
1986
Happy Birthday to Me
1981
Hardbodies
1984
Harlem Nights
1989
Harry and the Hendersons
1987
Haunted Honeymoon
1986
Heartbreak Ridge
1986
Heartburn
1986
Heavy Metal
1981
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
1988
Hellraiser
1987
Henry V
1989
Herbie Goes Bananas
1980
Hercules
1983
Hero and the Terror
1988
Hero at Large
1980
High Spirits
1988
Highlander
1986
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
1989
Hoosiers
1986
Hot to Trot
1988
House
1985
House II: The Second Story
1987
Howard the Duck
1986
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
1988
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984
Innerspace
1987
Into the Night
1985
Invaders from Mars
1986
Invasion U.S.A.
1985
Kiki's Delivery Service
1989
Laputa: Castle in the Sky
1986
Mac and Me
1988
Mad Max 2
1981
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
1985
Maid to Order
1987
Major League
1989
Making Love
1982
Monkey Shines
1988
Moonstruck
1987
Moscow on the Hudson
1984
Motel Hell
1980
Mr. Mom
1983
My Neighbor Totoro
1988
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
1984
Once Upon a Time in America
1984
Radio Days
1987
Raging Bull
1980
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981
Rain Man
1988
Raise the Titanic
1980
Raising Arizona
1987
Rambo III
1988
Ran
1985
Real Genius
1985
Saturn 3
1980
Savage Streets
1984
Say Anything...
1989
Scanners
1981
Scarface
1983
Scrooged
1988
Sea of Love
1989
Secret Admirer
1985
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
1989
Seems Like Old Times
1980
sex, lies, and videotape
1989
Shakedown
1988
Sharky's Machine
1981
Stand by Me
1986
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
1980
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
1983
The Adventures of Milo and Otis
1986
The Amateur
1981
The Awakening
1980
The Bear
1988
The Beast Within
1982
The Beastmaster
1982
The Bedroom Window
1987
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
1982
The Big Brawl
1980
The Big Chill
1983
The Big Easy
1986
The Big Red One
1980
The Black Cauldron
1985
The Black Stallion Returns
1983
The Blob
1988
The Blue Lagoon
1980
The Blues Brothers
1980
The Color Purple
1985
The Elephant Man
1980
The Fabulous Baker Boys
1989
The Final Conflict
1981
The Fly
1986
The Fly II
1989
The Fog
1980
The Formula
1980
The Four Seasons
1981
The Fourth Protocol
1987
The Fox and the Hound
1981
The French Revolution
1989
The Funhouse
1981
The Gate
1987
The Gods Must Be Crazy
1980
The Gods Must Be Crazy II
1989
The Golden Child
1986
The Goonies
1985
The Great Mouse Detective
1986
The Great Muppet Caper
1981
The Great Outdoors
1988
The Hidden
1987
The Osterman Weekend
1983
The Outsiders
1983
The Package
1989
The Philadelphia Experiment
1984
The Pirate Movie
1982
The Pope of Greenwich Village
1984
The Postman Always Rings Twice
1981
The Presidio
1988
The Princess Bride
1987
The Principal
1987
The Purple Rose of Cairo
1985
The Razor's Edge
1984
The Return of Godzilla
1984
The Return of the Living Dead
1985
The Right Stuff
1983
The River
1984
The Running Man
1987
The Secret of My Success
1987
The Secret of NIMH
1982
The Serpent and the Rainbow
1988
The Shining
1980
The Sting II
1983
The Sure Thing
1985
The Survivors
1983
The Terminator
1984
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
1986
The Thing
1982
The Toy
1982
The Transformers: The Movie
1986
The Trip to Bountiful
1985
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
1988
The Untouchables
1987
The Verdict
1982
The Watcher in the Woods
1980
The Wild Life
1984
The Witches of Eastwick
1987
The Wizard
1989
The Woman in Red
1984
The World According to Garp
1982
The Year of Living Dangerously
1982
The Young Master
1980
They Live
1988
Thief
1981
Thief of Hearts
1984
This Is Spinal Tap
1984
Three Fugitives
1989
Throw Momma from the Train
1987
Tightrope
1984
Time Bandits
1981
To Be or Not to Be
1983
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985
Tom Horn
1980
Tomboy
1985
Tootsie
1982
Top Gun
1986
Top Secret!
1984
Tough Guys
1986
Trading Places
1983
Trail of the Pink Panther
1982
Transylvania 6-5000
1985
Trick or Treat
1986
Troll
1986
Tron
1982
Troop Beverly Hills
1989
Turner & Hooch
1989
Twilight Zone: The Movie
1983
Twins
1988
UHF
1989
Uncle Buck
1989
Uncommon Valor
1983
Under the Cherry Moon
1986
Urban Cowboy
1980
Used Cars
1980
Vagabond
1985
Valley Girl
1983
Vamp
1986
Vice Squad
1982
Vice Versa
1988
Victor/Victoria
1982
Vigilante
1983
Visiting Hours
1982
Volunteers
1985
Wall Street
1987
WarGames
1983
Warlock
1989
Weekend at Bernie's
1989
Weird Science
1985
When Harry Met Sally...
1989
Where Is the Friend's House?
1987
Where the Buffalo Roam
1980
White Nights
1985
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988
Who's Harry Crumb?
1989
Wholly Moses
1980
Wild Orchid
1989
Wildcats
1986
Willow
1988
Wings of Desire
1987
Wise Guys
1986
Witchboard
1986
Without a Clue
1988
Without a Trace
1983
Witness
1985
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
1988
Working Girl
1988
Xanadu
1980
Yentl
1983
Young Einstein
1988
Young Guns
1988
Young Sherlock Holmes
1985
Zapped!
1982
Zorro, The Gay Blade
1981