It seems like there’s a brand new streaming service popping up every other week these days. Some fall by the wayside without making much of an impact, as the DC Universe did. However, some find their footing and one of the most recent to do so is HBO Max.
Along with some fantastic original content in terms of shows and films, the service offers up an impressive back catalog of hits. The movies from the past that give you a welcome dose of nostalgia. That includes films from the 1980s as HBO Max has a unique array of releases from that decade.
My Left Foot (7.9)
The only entry on this list to have an IMDb rating under 8.0, My Left Foot was still met with high praise from those who have seen it. For example, it holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also picked up two Academy Award victories.
Those came for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker). Released in 1989, this film was based on a memoir of the same name from the 1950s. It told the story of a poor man with cerebral palsy who could only control his left foot.
Wings Of Desire (8.0)
The first of two movies on this list to score an 8.0, Wings of Desire ranks lower due to having fewer total reviews. This German film was originally released in 1987. Many American audience members may have overlooked it due to it being in a different language but that’s what makes HBO Max so valuable.
Folks can now go back and watch a well-received film they might’ve missed. Wings of Desire focused on two angels who roamed Berlin but never interacted with humans. That changed when one of them fell in love with a human woman and looked to be mortal beside her.
Castle In The Sky (8.0)
There’s a reason that Hayao Miyazaki has become one of the most legendary filmmakers in history. He has produced some of the most fantastical animated movies ever released. 1986’s Castle in the Sky is right up there with the most beloved of his many works.
Castle in the Sky was notable for being the first animated film by the now iconic Studio Ghibli. It takes place in the 19th century, following a boy and girl who attempt to hide a magic crystal from military agents as they search for a magic floating castle. This has been hugely influential in Japanese pop culture over the years.
Paris, Texas (8.1)
With an original release date in 1984, this is one of the oldest movies included on this list. Paris, Texas had a relatively simple premise at its core. It followed a drifter after he wandered out from the desert and struggled to reacclimate to the world around him since he was missing for four years.
Although it boasted memorable cast members like Harry Dean Stanton, this movie wasn’t a big hit, only grossing $2.2 million. That being said, it received strong critical acclaim and even won several awards at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (8.1)
Regardless of which decade of great films is being discussed, at least one or two Hayao Miyazaki projects will be included. That’s the case here again as 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind remains in the conversation for Miyazaki’s best film ever.
Based on a 1982 manga of the same name, this was larger in scale than his previous work. It was a fantasy epic that centered on the princess of the Valley of the Wind, who helped to battle a kingdom attempting to use a weapon to destroy a jungle and the giant insects guarding it.
Blade Runner (8.1)
Topping the entries tied at 8.1 due to a larger number of ratings, Blade Runner is basically the definition of a cult classic. When it was released in 1982, it only grossed a mere $41.5 million on a $30 million budget. Over the years, Blade Runner only gained popularity.
Based on a work by Philip K. Dick, it became big enough to get preserved by the U.S. National Film Registry and spawn a 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049. The original stars Harrison Ford, who plays Rick Deckard as he hunts down replicants (bio-engineered beings) after they steal a ship and come to Earth.
My Neighbor Totoro (8.2)
Don’t look now but it is yet another film made by Hayao Miyazaki. This one came later than the rest, getting a release in 1988. One look at the poster reveals how recognizable it is as the characters and story have become the stuff of legend in pop culture.
My Neighbor Totoro focused on the bond between two sisters living alone with their father while their sick mother is in the hospital. The siblings end up bonding with various friendly spirits from the nearby woods in a heartwarming tale that audiences adore.
Die Hard (8.2)
Bruce Willis is as celebrated an action star as there has ever been. The main reason for that was 1988’s Die Hard. The plot followed a New York City detective who went to visit his estranged wife only to get caught up in a terrorist hostage situation at Los Angeles skyscraper.
Everyone knows the tale because it has gone on to become one of the most memorable films in history. John McClane and Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) are etched in pop culture and Die Hard has gone down as one of the greatest Christmas or action movies ever made.
Aliens (8.3)
In 1979, Ridley Scott directed Alien and it was groundbreaking in terms of sci-fi horror and visual effects. Fast-forward to 1986 and change the director to James Cameron for a sequel. Aliens might have actually been superior to the classic that came before it.
It saw Ellen Ripley (played again by Sigourney Weaver) return with space marines to the place where she encountered the creature from the first installment. Aliens was both a critical and commercial success, helping to spawn a massive franchise and more sequels.
Cinema Paradiso (8.5)
This might be a surprising holder of the top spot but those who have seen Cinema Paradiso (originally called Nuovo Cinema Paradiso) can attest to its greatness. It’s kind of a great look at the beauty of filmmaking and movies in general.
Released in 1988, Cinema Paradiso focuses on a filmmaker as he recounted aspects of his childhood that helped him fall in love with his future profession. That included the bond he had formed with the projectionist at his local movie theater. This Italian picture won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
