Critics Poll: ‘Do the Right Thing' Named Best Movie of the 1980s

After tackling the 2010s, 2000s, and 1990s, it is now time to reassess the films of a decade that brought us Reaganomics, big hair, shoulder pads, leg warmers and mullets.

Deemed by many as the worst decade for cinema, the 1980s has been microscoped by over 200 critics, directors, programmers and industry people in our latest poll. How can a decade be that bad when the 10 most voted films are from filmmakers such as Scorsese, Kurosawa, Bergman, Kubrick, Lynch, and Spielberg?

Despite these big names, it was a kid from the Brooklyn who came out on top, as Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” was named best film of the 1980s, appearing on almost half the lists compiled for this poll. Lee’s film no doubt benefited from an abundance of relevance over the past year in a socially and politically tumultuous America dominated by racial issues. Regardless, when seen today, the film still packs a major punch in the gut and remains the best film Lee has ever made. A stone-cold masterpiece.

Participants were asked to submit their 10 best movies of the 1980s, unranked and without notes. Back in 1989, a similar poll of critics was conducted by American Film magazine, and a top 20 was produced, crowned by Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull.” These 30 or so years later have resulted in numerous reassessments of once cherished films. Included in the American Film poll but nowhere to be found in today’s results are films such as “Terms of Endearment,” “Prizzi’s Honor,” “Atlantic City,” “The Killing Fields,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Dead,” and “Melvin and Howard.”

Entering the fray and reevaluated these thirty years later, are formerly maligned films such as Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” and John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” Kubrick’s horror-masterpiece infamously won the filmmaker a Razzie for Worst Director. Carpenter’s film was met with negative reviews described as “instant junk”, “a wretched excess”, and proclaimed as the most-hated film of all time by film magazine, Cinefantastique.

Although initial reception for Russian director Elem Klimov’s World War II epic, “Come and See,” was positive, not many had seen it upon release in 1985. The film had such little exposure that it took 25 years for famous critic Roger Ebert to finally watch it (thanks to a recommendation by poll participant and director Rod Lurie). It has since been widely acclaimed thanks to a 2017 restoration and placed in the 17th spot on our poll. One can only imagine that the film will continue to climb up in the years to come.

In total, over 300 different films were mentioned by those polled. The top 25 are as follows:

1) Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
2) Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
3) Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
4) The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)
5) Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg)
6) Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)
7) Fanny And Alexander (Ingmar Bergman)
8) Brazil (Terry Gilliam)
9) Aliens (James Cameron)
10) Ran (Akira Kurosawa)

11) Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
12) E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg)
13) The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
14) The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner)
15) Come and See (Elem Kilmov)
16) Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis)
17) The Thing (John Carpenter)
18) Die Hard (John McTiernan)
19) Amadeus (Miloš Forman)
20) Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen)

21) Vagabond (Agnes Varda)
22) Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen)
23) Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders)
24) Dekalog (Krzysztof Kieślowski)
25) L’Argent (Robert Bresson)
26) The Green Ray (Éric Rohmer)
27) Broadcast News (James L. Brooks)
28) Tootsie (Sydney Pollack)
29) This is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner)
30) Blow Out (Brian DePalma)

FULL LIST OF CRITICS AND TOP 100 RESULTS