The action genre is currently resurging in popularity thanks to movies like the John Wick series, Fast & Furious, and popular shows like Reacher, but the golden age for action was the 1980s. Action is a popular genre that is often blended with other subgenres, but when action movies were growing in popularity in the ’80s, it was all about the action. This was also the period when many of the most famous faces in action films rose to prominence, with actors like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren all becoming legends in the genre.
Many classic films from the ’80s have gone on to become cult classics with dedicated followings. Many of these films enjoyed moderate success upon release, but with the media and film constantly growing in popularity, many people are now looking back, to see what films had to offer in earlier decades. With that in mind, there are plenty of great, iconic movies from the action genre that have earned cult status, and are worth checking out for any fan of action movies.
10 Cobra
1986
Sylvester Stallone is arguably the biggest action star of the 1980s, having successfully launched the Rambo and Rocky franchises and appearing in several other standalone action movies. In the latter half of the ’80s, Stallone was set to launch another action franchise when he appeared as the tough-on-crime cop, Marion Cobretti in Cobra. The film was set to launch a sequel the following year, but after negative reviews from critics, it was dropped. However, the movie still managed to turn a profit and has since gone on to become a cult classic with a potential revival in the works.
9 Red Dawn
1984
Red Dawn
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Red Dawn, starring the likes of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Lea Thompson, imagines World War III becoming a reality and a group of teenagers known as Wolverines fighting back against the Soviets. The film received mixed reviews but is notable for being the first PG-13 rated film to be released in the United States. In 2012, a remake was released starring Chris Hemsworth.
Red Dawn is a star-studded story about a fictional World War III breaking out in the ’80s after the dissolution of NATO. The film stars Patrick Swayze, and Lea Thompson, along with a group of teens who narrowly escape an assault on their school. The young rebels run to the woods to escape, and the story sees them plot how they can resist the enemy forces trying to track them down. Once again, Red Dawn failed to gain favor with critics, but the movie was a financial success and has grown in popularity years after its release.
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8 Road House
1989
Road House
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With a story and screenplay by David Lee Henry and direction from Rowdy Herrington, Road House is a 1989 Action release starring Patrick Swayze in the lead role. Swayze steps into the shoes of James Dalton, a bouncer that is hired by a club owner to provide security for the establishment.
Another action classic starring Patrick Swayze, Road House, is about a man hired to protect a new club from rampant crime in the area. The movie is incredibly compelling, with some dramatic twists and turns when Swayze’s character, James Dalton, fires the son of the local crime boss. Dalton’s incredible combat skills and intelligence are put to the test when he becomes the primary target for local criminals. This cult classic movie has also been remade in 2024, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor.
7 Bloodsport
1988
Bloodsport
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Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the martial arts movie Bloodsport as a fictional version of the real-life Frank Dux, a U.S. Army officer who participated in a secret underground martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. Directed by Newt Arnold, the 1988 action film helped establish Van Damme as a Hollywood star.
Jean-Claude Van Damme also starred in one of the most successful cult films of the ’80s, Bloodsport. The film sees JCVD enter a lethal martial arts competition where participants are frequently seriously injured or even killed. The film was a runaway financial success, earning several times its budget (via The Numbers), and launched a franchise with several sequels. However, Bloodsport is certainly the biggest success of the series, and gained cult status among fans of the film in the years after the movie was released.
6 Flash Gordon
1980
When Flash Gordon was first released in 1980, it managed to obtain early success in some foreign markets, like the UK and Italy, but outside of this, it wasn’t widely seen. However, the movie has proven to be a hit with critics and audiences in the decades since and has earned itself a cult status as one of the best action and space operas of all time. Sam J. Jones stars as the titular hero and is joined by stars like Brian Blessed, and Timothy Dalton. The movie is well-loved for the quirky visuals, imaginative setting, and humor throughout the action-packed story.
5 Highlander
1986
Highlander
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Connor MacLeod, born in 16th century Scotland, is one of a few immortals who can only be killed by beheading. Now, in 1985, the immortals who have survived their centuries-long secret war meet in New Yor for the “Gathering” to fight for the mysterious “Prize.” It’s up to MacLeod to make sure that the Prize does not fall into the hands of his enemy, Kurgan.
Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery star in Highlander, an incredible action flick from 1986. The film explores the underground world of immortal warriors who compete against one another for the glory of battle and the mysterious prize that can only be granted to the ultimate champion of the Gathering. Despite faltering at the box office and losing money against its budget, Highlander quickly developed a dedicated fanbase and sparked a franchise with sequels and TV spin-offs. The success was also helped along by Queen creating several songs for the movie.
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4 The Lost Boys
1987
The Lost Boys
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The Lost Boys follows Michael Emerson (Jason Patric) and his younger brother Sam (Corey Haim) after they move to the small California beach town of Santa Carla only to discover that it is overrun with teenage vampires. When Michael falls victim to the titular gang and joins their ranks, Sam enlists the help of young vampire hunters the Frog brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander) in order to save his brother from head vampire David (Kiefer Sutherland).
From director Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys is one of the best movies of the ’80s and spans across multiple genres, including action, comedy, and supernatural horror. The movie sees Michael and Sam move with their recently divorced mother to a small town in California. The boys immediately notice weird things about their new home, and throughout the film, they are confronted by the dark secrets of the community. The film was a critical and commercial success on release and continued to grow in popularity and success as a cult film in the decades since it was released.
3 The Goonies
1985
The Goonies
When a small Oregon community is threatened by the foreclosure of their homes, a group of young misfits who called themselves the Goonies set out to find an ancient treasure in order to save the town. From a story by Steven Spielberg and a screenplay by Chris Columbus, Richard Donner’s The Goonies is one of the most iconic adventure movies of the 1980s, with a cast comprising the talents of Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, Jeff Cohen, Robert Davi, and Joe Pantoliano.
Richard Donner’s The Goonies has remained an iconic film from the ’80s since it was released, with the legacy of the movie continuing through the young stars who went on to enjoy incredibly successful careers in Hollywood. The film follows a group of kids who set out on an adventure to save their homes from being foreclosed and embark on an epic journey. The movie is easily one of the best family films of all time and a must-watch for anyone interested in classic films from the ’80s.
2 Repo Man
1984
Repo Man faced a difficult initial release as the studio lacked confidence in the project and decided not to push the marketing for the project. Despite this, the film quickly gained critical acclaim for its satirical analysis of political and current events. The movie stars Emilio Estevez as a punk rocker who is fired after assaulting a co-worker, before finding work as a repo man. The film includes supernatural elements and comedy that elevate it and make it perfect as a cult film. And, in the decades since it was released, the film’s cult status has continued to grow.
1 Escape From New York
1981
Escape From New York
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John Carpenter takes on the role of writer, composer, and director in Escape from New York, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film where a large portion of New York City is converted into the biggest prison in the world, with all criminals in the United States sentenced there. When the President is kidnapped and taken abruptly into the heart of the prison, the government will turn to former soldier turned convict Snake Plissken to rescue him within twenty-four hours in exchange for a full pardon of his crimes.
Escape from New York is a dystopian action film by legendary horror director, John Carpenter. The movie stars Kurt Russell, in a fictional 1997, where the United States is overrun by crime and has to convert Manhattan Island into a dedicated maximum security prison. Russell plays an ex-soldier and convicted criminal who is offered the chance to earn his freedom when terrorists hijack Air Force One and crash it into the dangerous island. The movie received praise initially, but the decades since its release have seen it evolve to become one of the best cult action films of the ’80s.
