10 Cult Classic Movies From The '80s That Have Aged Poorly

This article contains mention of sexual assault, racism, and homophobia.

Cult classics come in many forms, and many great movies of the 1980s went overlooked, only to be hailed as influential and important today. There are plenty of 1980s comedy movies that no one remembers, and the same can be said for most genres, no matter the decade. However, several films have gained cult status but have been reevaluated through a contemporary lens because of their dated elements. Most movies have problems, no matter when they were filmed, and this doesn’t mean they’re not worth watching, but context might change the meaning of some scenes.

Controversial and intense subjects have a place in cinema, but characterizing them well and not perpetuating stereotypes is an important aspect of filmmaking.

Every decade has its pitfalls, as plenty of cult classic movies from the 1990s have aged poorly as well. Some problems with older movies simply stem from the cultural differences in what was socially acceptable to portray onscreen. Additionally, there are films that hold up well in every aspect except visually because of the technological limitations of their time. Controversial and intense subjects have a place in cinema, but characterizing them well and not perpetuating stereotypes is an important aspect of filmmaking.

10 Caddyshack (1980)

Directed by Harold Ramis

Starring Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and many more icons of their time, Caddyshack represents a key period in comedic history. The offbeat sports comedy was never a critical or commercial hit but found a following in the later decades thanks to the star power of its cast. Many films in the sports genre have attempted to follow its example, but Caddyshack‘s disorganized and slapdash nature is difficult to replicate. However, it’s hard to ignore the distinct lack of female characters in the film, except Maggie and Lacey, who are both only love interests.

Caddyshack
‘s story reads more like a series of discreet sketches rather than a full movie, but it’s fun if viewers can look past the outdated elements.

Caddyshack boasts a great cast with some of the most influential comedic actors of the 1980s. However, the humor in the film doesn’t connect with modern audiences the way it did with theatergoers of the past. An example of this comes in the form of the recurring antics between Murray’s character and the gopher he’s chasing, which is over-the-top and detracts from the main throughline of the plot. Caddyshack‘s story reads more like a series of discreet sketches rather than a full movie, but it’s fun if viewers can look past the outdated elements.

9 Weird Science (1985)

Directed by John Hughes

Though Weird Science will never rank among John Hughes’ best movies, it does highlight some recurring problems in his work. While Hughes’ films are classics and were groundbreaking in the coming-of-age genre, they have sexist themes that become uncomfortable in Weird Science. Lisa, the dream woman Gary and Wyatt create, exists only to better their lives and serve them. Though she does have some agency in how she grants their wishes, Lisa’s characterization perpetuates the idea that women exist in these narratives only to serve the male characters’ development.

Additionally, Gary and Wyatt’s only purpose in the movie is to become cool and steal away the girlfriends of the popular boys. Outside the thematic issues, Weird Science also fails to justify the fantasy elements of the script. Though the point of Weird Science isn’t worldbuilding, and the way the boys build Lisa does have some fun, campy elements, it still leaves the audience with some questions. There are more special effects in Weird Science than most other Hughes films, and they don’t hold up well by today’s standards.

8 Sixteen Candles (1984)

Directed by John Hughes

Molly Ringwald and John Huges collaborated several times across their careers, and the results were mostly fantastic. Their best project together, The Breakfast Club, has held up reasonably well in the eyes of contemporary audiences, but Sixteen Candles has a few problems that can’t be overlooked. As a character, Ringwald’s Sam is a relatable young woman who has trouble navigating the pangs of adolescence. Though her budding romance with Jake isn’t perfect, it has some sweet moments, and most of the glaring problems with Sixteen Candles don’t revolve around Sam’s plotline.

The racist depiction of the exchange student, Long Duk Dong, is offensive and is a misrepresentation that would never be allowed onscreen today. Additionally, one of the most infamous moments in any Hughes movie happens when Caroline, the popular girl who serves as Sam’s foil, is unconscious and then assaulted by Ted. It’s made even worse by the fact that Jake is complicit in this assault, and when Caroline awakens the next day, it’s played for laughs. This demonstrates everything that was wrong with cinema in the ’80s and is a damaging depiction of rape culture.

7 Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)

Directed by Jeff Kanew

The 1980s didn’t just have movies about coming-of-age in high school but also the awkward period of almost adulthood in college. These films often included more drinking, partying, and sexual situations because that’s what the culture associated with kids testing their independence at school. However, Revenge of the Nerds carries over the tired nerd and jock stereotypes into the university years. In an escalating series of pranks, the “nerds” try to attain respect and status on campus despite the “jocks” working against them.

This conception of the story is simple enough, but due to the prevalence of rape culture in the ’80s,
Revenge of the Nerds
can be tough to watch.

This conception of the story is simple enough, but due to the prevalence of rape culture in the ’80s, Revenge of the Nerds can be tough to watch. Lewis, one of the nerds, pretends to be Betty’s boyfriend, Stan, and they have sex, which is an assault by deception. Additionally, the predominantly white nerds use their acceptance into a historically Black fraternity as a source of insensitive humor. In recent years, after critics and audiences have reevaluated the movie, the writers and filmmakers have expressed regret about including the assault scene in the narrative (via GQ).

6 Adventures In Babysitting (1987)

Directed by Chris Columbus

Adventures in Babysitting features a performance from Elisabeth Shue as the lead character, Chris, and audiences might recognize her from her work in the Back to the Future sequels or The Karate Kid. In many ways, Shue was a hallmark of teen comedies in the decade, and Adventures in Babysitting is a project that’s often overlooked. The movie sees Chris agree to babysit her next-door neighbors when the night takes a surprising turn, and the group ends up on an odyssey across Chicago, trying to find Chris’ friend and get home.

It’s interesting to view Adventures in Babysitting‘s depiction of Chicago and the city’s suburbs, as many movies of this era only focused on the affluent parts of the area. However, where Adventures in Babysitting fails is its use of the racial stereotype that predominantly Black neighborhoods are more dangerous and represent a change in the city. Almost every person of color that the group encounters is characterized as an antagonist. Had the movie attempted to make a critique of racial dynamics in the city during this time, it could have avoided aging so poorly.

5 Mr. Mom (1983)

Directed by Stan Dragoti

Directed by Stan Dragoti, Mr. Mom was written by John Hughes and is part of the filmmaker’s legacy. It features his characteristic brand of humor and stylization in the project and stars a young Michael Keaton as the main character, Jack. The crux of the plot sees Jack lose his job and his wife, Caroline, returns to the workforce. This leads Jack to discover the struggles of being a stay-at-home parent while Caroline feels estranged from her family. Mr. Mom uses role reversal as a comedic element and reinforces gender stereotypes throughout the story.

Seeing a man in the role of caregiver and performing tasks that were considered feminine was unexpected for audiences.

It should be noted that for the 1980s, this reversal of traditional gender roles could almost be considered groundbreaking, as U.S. culture was still deeply tied to the nuclear family. Seeing a man in the role of caregiver and performing tasks that were considered feminine was unexpected for audiences. Of course, today, viewers expect a lot more from films and can recognize that fathers should pitch it with all aspects of childcare and housework and be supportive partners. While Jack is doing the bare minimum by contemporary standards, it was a conversation starter in the ’80s.

4 To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

Directed by William Friedkin

There are many things to love about the neo-noir To Live and Die in L.A., from its stellar visuals thanks to director William Friedkin to an early performance from Willem Dafoe. A cult classic for a reason, To Live and Die in L.A. features thrilling action, car chases, and many elements that moviegoers have come to associate with the nebulous and corrupt age of the ’80s in Los Angeles. Though the point of the film is how far Agent Richard Chance, the protagonist, will go and how corrupt he will become, his treatment throughout the narrative is terrible.

The audience is supposed to see that he’s no better than the villains he seeks, but that doesn’t change the fact that Chance’s abuse and manipulation of his informant, Ruth, is hard to watch. Almost every woman in the film is treated as secondary and a means to an end by the male characters. While the film intends to comment on this dynamic, it doesn’t always transcend it. To Live and Die in L.A. is a great example of a non-Western movie set in the American West, but the themes are still deeply entrenched in toxic masculinity and rugged individualism.

3 Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Directed by Amy Heckerling

The all-star ensemble cast and many overlapping plotlines have made Fast Times at Ridgemont High into a household name. For the most part, Fast Times is an amazing time capsule of the decade and is more honest about the teenage experience than most. Unfortunately, the movie falls flat in its casual homophobia and racism that were typical of the genre. Forest Whitaker is seen in an early role here, but he’s one of the only Black characters in the film. Additionally, Sean Penn’s Spicoli uses derogatory slurs, and he isn’t the only one.

Overall,
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
is deeply empathetic to Stacy’s journey of exploring her sexuality in ways that other ’80s films aren’t.

Outside this, the relationship between Stacy and Ron is one of the worst parts of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, as the former is only a freshman in high school while the latter is well into his mid-twenties. This age difference makes their sexual encounter statutory rape, and the film doesn’t dive deeply enough into the ramifications of this. However, overall, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is deeply empathetic to Stacy’s journey of exploring her sexuality in ways that other ’80s films aren’t. The frankness of adolescent sexual experiences is what has kept the movie from fading into obscurity.

2 Tron (1982)

Directed by Steven Lisberger

The original Tron, which has since garnered sequels, is a beloved classic to many who encountered this revolutionary sci-fi movie in 1982. Tron has become a cultural touchstone and was deeply in conversation with the early video game boom of the 1980s. Starring Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, the software engineer who’s transported into the world of computer programs, Tron follows his journey trying to get back to the real world. Since so much of the movie takes place inside the computer, the cinematography and VFX leave something to be desired.

Like many of Hollywood’s early forays into using CGI, Tron‘s visuals don’t hold up to scrutiny when looked at through a modern lens. This is the biggest issue with Tron and one that the recent sequel films have tried to correct by incorporating new and exciting technology for the virtual realities of the story. In some ways, it’s fun to look back on the campy and lower-tech animations in the computer world of Tron, as they’re reminiscent of an earlier period of cinema.

1 Zapped! (1982)

Directed by Robert J. Rosenthal

Zapped! is the even raunchier cousin of Weird Science, and though there’s more of an emotional throughline in the movie, its failures are more significant than its strengths. The protagonist, Barney, accidentally gets telekinetic powers through an experiment and is easily convinced by his best friend, Peyton, to use them to sexually harass women. The character Jane, who’s characterized as the stereotypical aloof and popular young woman, is treated terribly by the young men. At the end of the film, Barney uses his powers to strip her naked in front of the whole school, making her a laughingstock.

The movie’s attempts at being raunchy and poking fun at the genre don’t land well.

Like many of the teen sex comedies of the era, Zapped! merely gives its central male characters power and control over the people in their lives and justifies this by characterizing them as “nerds.” The relationship between Barney and his love interest, Bernadette, is slightly better, as Barney genuinely cares for her and is moved to be a better person by her influence. However, the movie’s attempts at being raunchy and poking fun at the genre don’t land well.