The Best Movies About AIDS In The '80s

Help shape these rankings by voting on this list of The Best Movies About AIDS In The '80s

The 1980s were a time of great change in the world. The Cold War was coming to an end, and the Berlin Wall was about to come down. AIDS had just been discovered, and it would soon become one of the most feared diseases in history. It's no surprise that so many movies about AIDS came out during this decade. There are also several movies like The Normal Heart that came out decades later that are about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the '80s.

Some of these films are based on true stories, while others are fictionalized accounts of what it was like to live through this scary time in history. Some are funny, some are sad, but all of them will make you appreciate how far we've come with medical technology since then! Vote up your favorite AIDS movies from the '80s, and about AIDS in the 1980s, so other users interested in the subject know what to watch next.


  • Torch Song Trilogy
    Photo: Torch Song Trilogy

    Torch Song Trilogy is a film about a gay man named Arnold Beckoff who is living with AIDS in the 1980s. The film follows Arnold as he navigates his relationships with his friends, his lover, and his mother. Torch Song Trilogy is a powerful and moving film about AIDS in the 1980s, and it is one of the best movies about AIDS in the '80s.

    • Actors: Harvey Fierstein, Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Brian Kerwin, Karen Young
    • Released: 1988
    • Directed by: Paul Bogart

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  • Parting Glances
    Photo: Parting Glances

    Parting Glances is a 1986 film about AIDS in the 1980s. The film follows the lives of two gay men in New York City, as they navigate their relationship and grapple with the diagnosis of AIDS. The film is a powerful portrait of love and loss during the AIDS crisis, and provides a rare glimpse into the early days of the epidemic.

    • Actors: Richard Ganoung, John Bolger, Steve Buscemi
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: Bill Sherwood

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  • Longtime Companion
    Photo: Longtime Companion

    Longtime Companion is a 1989 film about the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. The film follows a group of friends, all gay men, as they navigate their way through the new and frightening world of AIDS. As more and more of their friends succumb to the disease, the survivors are left to grapple with their own mortality and what it means to be gay in America. Longtime Companion is a powerful and moving film that captures the fear and uncertainty of those early years of the AIDS epidemic.

    • Actors: Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Stephen Caffrey, Mark Lamos, Patrick Cassidy
    • Released: 1990
    • Directed by: Norman René
  • We Were Here
    Photo: We Were Here
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    We Were Here is a powerful documentary that chronicles the early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. Through interviews with five long-time survivors of HIV/AIDS, the film tells the story of how the disease ravaged the gay community in the 1980s and how those who were affected fought back. The film is a moving tribute to those who lost their lives to AIDS and a reminder of the strength and resilience of those who survived.

    • Actors: Paul Boneberg, Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark
    • Released: 2011
    • Directed by: David Weissman, Bill Weber

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  • And the Band Played On
    Photo: And the Band Played On

    And the Band Played On is a 1993 American television film directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The film chronicles the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, from the discovery of the disease to the search for a cure. The film stars Matthew Modine as Dr. Robert Gallo, the scientist who discovered HIV, and features an ensemble cast of characters from various walks of life affected by the disease.

     

    • Actors: Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin, Richard Gere, Steve Martin
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode

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  • In the gripping drama Dallas Buyers Club, we follow the life of Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a hard-living Texan diagnosed with HIV. Struggling against the medical establishment, he establishes an operation to smuggle unapproved treatments into the US. Aiding him is Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender woman also battling the disease. Their unconventional methods and dogged determination bring hope to those left in the margins. The film, which won Oscars for both McConaughey and Leto, presents a raw portrait of courage and resilience in the face of adversity.
    • Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O'Hare, Steve Zahn
    • Released: 2013
    • Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallée

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