The 2020s are nobody’s favourite decade, so why not retreat into the past (i.e. long before anyone wore face masks outside of a medical context) with a nostalgic ’80s-movie retrospective? Sure, the films from that period can feel dated, but the good ones are uniquely capable of transporting you out of our current moment.
Below, find a guide to the best ’80s movies currently streaming online. Terms of Endearment (1983) It’s not easy to get through this James L Brooks-directed familial tragicomedy without straight-up sobbing, but the central relationship – between Debra Winger’s Emma Greenway-Horton and her mother, Shirley MacLaine’s Aurora Greenway – is not to be missed. Plus, Danny DeVito! How to watch: Stream on Apple TV or Prime Video .
Blue Velvet (1986) I may have lied about loving this pivotal David Lynch film on my first date with an older guy years ago, but now that I actually have seen Blue Velvet , my only regret is that I didn’t see it earlier. The controversial crime thriller starring Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern and Isabella Rossellini has deep cultural staying power for a reason. How to watch: Stream on Apple TV or Prime Video .
Broadcast News (1987) This James L Brooks comedy plumbing the ethics of broadcast journalism stars the great Holly Hunter as a driven news producer trying to let her besotted best friend Aaron (Albert Brooks) down easy as she pursues the handsome, slightly himbo-ish new anchor at work (William Hurt). How to watch: Stream .