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These 7 movies below all came from the ’80s era. All of them were quality sci-fi experiences – and yet, you don’t tend to hear them come up often in conversation. But in a time where any (and every) thing can get a TikTok resurgence, these ’80s sci-fi movies deserve another new look.
7) The Miracle Mile
The Miracle Mile is one of those films that keeps on surviving the decades through sheer word-of-mouth propulsion. A man named Harry (Anthony Edwards) meets a girl named Julie (Mare Winningham) while touring LA’s “Miracle Mile” along the La Brea Tar Pits. The meetcute leads to a date, which Harry ends up missing – big mistake, as the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union finally escalates into WWIII. As civilization begins to collapse in the face of imminent Armageddon, Harry desperately tries to search the city to find Julie.
The Miracle Mile is the epitome of Gen X romance, set against an unexpectedly thrilling and chilling sci-fi backdrop of impending doom. While the film is definitely dated (hence the lack of relevance), it turns LA into the kind of chaotic playground that even Gen Z will appreciate today.
6) The Hidden
After getting his breakouts in David Lynch’s films Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986) – but just before he’d unlock mega-fame in Lynch’s Twin Peaks – Kyle MacLachlan starred in director Jack Sholder’s (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Wishmaster 2) sci-fi-horror actioner. The premise saw MacLachlan playing FBI Special Agent Lloyd Gallagher, who gets embroiled in a case involving seemingly “normal” people suddenly flipping out and committing brazen acts of violence. The twist? Those random “criminals” are actually humans being infested with and possessed by an insect-like alien. Bigger twist: Gallagher is one of those aliens himself – a lawman who has been secretly hunting down the murderer who killed his family and partner.
Today, the idea of actors playing multiple “variants” of a character, or a character with multiple personas, is all the rage; however, it was sci-fi films of the late ’70s and ’80s that really made body possession, clone copies, or alt-dimension variants parts of popular culture. Sure, a lot of sci-fi fans will be quick to toss out titles like John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) as the “best” examples, but The Hidden is definitely one that sticks with you forever.
5) Scanners
The current generation of sci-fi moviegoers is more likely to know the term “Cronenberg” from Rick and Morty, rather than the work of the acclaimed auteur himself. However, Scanners is a movie in David Cronenberg’s lineup that deserves to be in the conversation as much as The Fly, in terms of giving us awesome (and unforgettable) sci-fi concepts to grapple with.
The story follows a man named Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) who mistakes his intense psychic abilities for madness until he learns that he is a “scanner.” As one of 237 people with mental powers, Vale quickly finds his scanner community is comprised of some very good people… and some very, very, bad ones. If psychic phenomenon is your thing (or you just want to know where the head-bursting memes started), you need to see Scanners. Once you do… there’s no unseeing it.
4) Escape from New York
John Carpenter’s The Thing is the sci-fi/horror cult-classic that most people throw onto “best of” lists for the ’80s. However, Carpenter also teamed with his Thing star Kurt Russell for some sci-fi with action cult-movie goodness with Escape from New York.
In a near-future world, global conflict and lack of resources lead to an unheralded surge in crime in America. As a result, the island of Manhattan is converted into a prison colony only accessible by a few bridges. The twist comes when Air Force One is attacked by terrorists, forcing the President’s escape pod to make an emergency landing in Manhattan. The government turns to the worst man it thinks has the best chance to save the President: Snake Plissken (Russell), a former Special Forces soldier-turned-major thief. To avoid his own sentence of being stuck in Manhattan, Snake takes on the mission to get the President (and himself) out.
Escape from New York turns NYC into the kind of dystopia that no other sci-fi film (of any era) has been able to fully capture or emulate. It’s John Carpenter dreaming (slightly) bigger, and is one of the wildest B-movie rides you can take. That is, at least, until you get to Carpenter’s balls-to-the-walls sequel, Escape from L.A.
