Photo:

The Best Movies of 1983

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated September 4, 2020 12.7k votes 702 voters 18.0k views

List RulesOnly movies released in theaters in 1983.

A list of the best movies of 1983, from highly anticipated sequels like "Return of the Jedi" to instant classics like "A Christmas Story." The '80s were a decade where Hollywood thrived. In were new stars and big blockbusters, and 1983 was no exception. Some the best movies of this year are some of the best teen, coming of age, adventure, comedies, and dramas in history. The films on here are very memorable and had audiences on the edges of their seats, and still pack a punch so many years after they were first released. You shouldn't be too surprised by the movies listed on this list of the top 1983 films.

...more

1
281
75
Vacation
Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley
Released: 1983
Directed by: Harold Ramis
National Lampoon's Vacation, sometimes referred to as Vacation, is a 1983 Technicolor comedy... more
More Vacation
#21 of 512 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked#45 of 372 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime
2
303
99
Scarface
Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer
Released: 1983
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Scarface is a 1983 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, and a remake of the... more
More Scarface
#6 of 123 The Best Mafia Films Of All Time#15 of 105 The Greatest Movie Remakes of All Time
3
231
73
Trading Places
Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Landis
Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis, starring Dan Aykroyd... more
More Trading Places
#215 of 661 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#17 of 144 The Funniest Black Movies Ever Made
4
276
109
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1983
Directed by: Richard Marquand
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed... more
More Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
17 Subtle Details You Missed In 'Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi'#10 of 186 The Best Alien Movies Ever Made
5
208
57
Mr. Mom
Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1983
Directed by: Stan Dragoti
Mr. Mom is a 1983 American comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by John Hughes... more
More Mr. Mom
#4 of 26 The Funniest Movies About Babies#271 of 456 The Most Quotable Movies of All Time
6
232
86
A Christmas Story
Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon
Released: 1983
Directed by: Bob Clark
A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film based on the short stories and... more
More A Christmas Story
Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of ‘A Christmas Story’#7 of 127 The Best Christmas Movies of All Time
7
169
51
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow
Released: 1983
Directed by: Steven Spielberg, George Miller, John Landis, Joe Dante
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 American anthology science-fiction fantasy horror film... more
More Twilight Zone: The Movie
#78 of 112 Movies That Need Sequels#31 of 33 The Best Steven Spielberg Movies
8
144
47
The Outsiders
Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage
Released: 1983
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
The Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of... more
More The Outsiders
#62 of 369 The Best Movies Based On Books#92 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies
9
163
65
WarGames
Matthew Broderick, William H. Macy
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Badham
WarGames is a 1983 American science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F.... more
More WarGames
#1 of 49 The Very Best Movies About Hackers#42 of 167 The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
10
183
75
Risky Business
Tom Cruise, Megan Mullally
Released: 1983
Directed by: Paul Brickman
Risky Business is a 1983 American romantic comedy film written by Paul Brickman in his... more
More Risky Business
#483 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies#88 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies
11
152
35
The Dead Zone
Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Released: 1983
Directed by: David Cronenberg
This film is a 1983 American horror thriller film directed by David Cronenberg. The screenplay... more
More The Dead Zone
#120 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#179 of 722 The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
12
108
48
The Right Stuff
Jeff Goldblum, Ed Harris
Released: 1983
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
The Right Stuff is a 1983 American drama film that was adapted from Tom Wolfe's best-selling... more
More The Right Stuff
#104 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#323 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made
13
162
67
Flashdance
Jennifer Beals, Lee Ving
Released: 1983
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne. It was the first... more
More Flashdance
#114 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#264 of 356 The Best Musical Movies Of All Time

14
149
59
Easy Money
Joe Pesci, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Released: 1983
Directed by: James Signorelli
Easy Money is a 1983 comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield, Joe Pesci, Geraldine Fitzgerald,... more
More Easy Money
#340 of 1,137 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time#19 of 32 The Best Joe Pesci Movies
15
115
58
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
John Cleese, Terry Gilliam
Released: 1983
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, also known as The Meaning of Life, is a 1983 British... more
More Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
#134 of 261 The Best Ensemble Movies#308 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time
16
120
59
Christine
Kelly Preston, Alexandra Paul
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Carpenter
Christine is a 1983 American horror thriller film directed by John Carpenter and starring... more
More Christine
'Christine’ Is One Of The Most Underrated Adaptations To Come Off Stephen King’s Assembly Line#68 of 114 The Best Horror Movie Franchises
17
80
42
Tender Mercies
Robert Duvall, Ellen Barkin
Released: 1983
Directed by: Bruce Beresford
Tender Mercies is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by... more
More Tender Mercies
#76 of 91 The Best Movies With Christian Themes#41 of 50 The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the '80s
18
113
58
Never Say Never Again
Sean Connery, Kim Basinger
Released: 1983
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was... more
More Never Say Never Again
#25 of 26 Every James Bond Opening Sequence, Ranked#24 of 25 Every James Bond Movie, Ranked Best to Worst
19
123
40
Blue Thunder
Malcolm McDowell, Roy Scheider
Released: 1983
Directed by: John Badham
Blue Thunder is a 1983 action thriller film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same... more
More
#121 of 247 The Best Whodunit Movies#61 of 185 The Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1980s
20
93
56
Terms of Endearment
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito
Released: 1983
Directed by: James L. Brooks
Terms of Endearment is a 1983 comedy-drama film adapted from the novel of the same name by... more
More Terms of Endearment
#23 of 46 Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes#60 of 92 The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
21
114
44
Star 80
Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts
Released: 1983
Directed by: Bob Fosse
Star 80 is a 1983 American film about the true story of Playboy Playmate of the Year Dorothy... more
22
101
46
Psycho II
Anthony Perkins, Dennis Franz
Released: 1983
Directed by: Richard Franklin
Psycho II is a 1983 American psychological horror slasher film directed by Richard Franklin... more
More Psycho II
#43 of 105 The Best Horror Movie Sequels#137 of 154 The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
23
77
41
Silkwood
Meryl Streep, Cher
Released: 1983
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Silkwood is a 1983 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Nora Ephron... more
More Silkwood
#18 of 39 The Best Medical Movies Based on True Stories#5 of 17 Every Nora Ephron Movie, Ranked Best to Worst

24
82
50
Strange Brew
Max von Sydow, Rick Moranis
Released: 1983
Directed by: Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas
Strange Brew is a 1983 Canadian comedy film starring the popular SCTV characters Bob and Doug... more
More Strange Brew
#22 of 29 The Best Modern Versions of Shakespeare Plays#31 of 36 The Best Movies to Watch While Drinking
25
96
56
The Man with Two Brains
Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner
Released: 1983
Directed by: Carl Reiner
The Man with Two Brains is a 1983 American science fiction comedy film directed by Carl Reiner... more
More The Man with Two Brains
#300 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies#72 of 151 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies

Blue Thunder