MTDb › Best of › Mystery › 1980s
Best Mystery Movies of the 1980s
#1 Twin Peaks (1989) · ★ 8.5 · 677 votes · 1h 56m · tv-movie, thriller, dramaAn idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks. (This standalone version of the series pilot was produced for…
#2 Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983) · ★ 8.3 · 804 votes · 0h 14m · thriller, horror, musicA night at the movies turns terrifying when Michael and his date are attacked by zombies. Released at the height of Thriller’s success, the short film redefined the music video, br…
#3 The Thing (1982) · ★ 8.1 · 8,235 votes · 1h 49m · horror, science-fiction, mysteryA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.…
#4 Fanny and Alexander (1982) · ★ 7.8 · 918 votes · 3h 8m · fantasy, drama, mysteryAs children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father dies unexpectedly, however, the si…
#5 Mississippi Burning (1988) · ★ 7.7 · 2,031 votes · 2h 8m · thriller, drama, crimeTwo FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and…
#6 Angel's Egg (1985) · ★ 7.7 · 609 votes · 1h 11m · fantasy, science-fiction, animationIn the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.…
#7 Blue Velvet (1986) · ★ 7.6 · 3,969 votes · 2h 0m · thriller, drama, crimeThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminal…
#8 The Name of the Rose (1986) · ★ 7.5 · 3,395 votes · 2h 10m · thriller, drama, mystery14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To sol…
#9 Blow Out (1981) · ★ 7.4 · 1,759 votes · 1h 48m · thriller, crime, mysteryWhile recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes…
#10 The Secret of NIMH (1982) · ★ 7.4 · 981 votes · 1h 23m · fantasy, adventure, dramaA widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave moth…
#11 The Vanishing (1988) · ★ 7.4 · 867 votes · 1h 46m · thriller, mysteryRex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation when they stop at a busy service station. Saskia is abducted in broad daylight and three years pass with no answers or closu…
#12 Crossroads (1986) · ★ 7.4 · 501 votes · 1h 39m · romance, drama, musicA wanna-be blues guitar virtuoso seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician, Robert Johnson.…
#13 Videodrome (1983) · ★ 7.2 · 2,558 votes · 1h 28m · horror, science-fiction, mysteryAs the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture…
#14 Clue (1985) · ★ 7.2 · 2,071 votes · 1h 34m · comedy, thriller, crimeClue finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy -- who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the k…
#15 The Great Mouse Detective (1986) · ★ 7.1 · 1,824 votes · 1h 14m · adventure, animation, familyWhen the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps London's master toymaker, the brilliant master of disguise Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson try to elude the ulti…
#16 Angel Heart (1987) · ★ 7.1 · 1,809 votes · 1h 53m · horror, mysteryA down-and-out Brooklyn detective is hired to track down a singer on an odyssey that will take him through the desperate streets of Harlem, the smoke-filled jazz clubs of New Orlea…
#17 Day of the Dead (1985) · ★ 7.0 · 1,454 votes · 1h 41m · drama, horror, mysteryAs the world is overrun by zombies, scientists and military personnel in an underground Florida bunker must decide on how they should deal with the undead.…
#18 Dressed to Kill (1980) · ★ 7.0 · 1,169 votes · 1h 45m · thriller, horror, mysteryAfter witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the…
#19 The Blob (1988) · ★ 6.9 · 1,111 votes · 1h 35m · action, thriller, horrorIn Arborville, California, three high school students try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches.…
#20 Evil Under the Sun (1982) · ★ 6.9 · 541 votes · 1h 57m · thriller, drama, crimeAn opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.…
#21 Fletch (1985) · ★ 6.8 · 801 votes · 1h 38m · comedy, crime, mysteryWhen investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher goes undercover to write a piece on the drug trade at a local beach, he's approached by wealthy businessman Alan Stanwyk, who of…
#22 Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) · ★ 6.8 · 717 votes · 1h 49m · adventure, thriller, mysterySherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet as boys in an English Boarding school. Holmes is known for his deductive ability even as a youth, amazing his classmates with his abilities. Whe…
#23 Tenebre (1982) · ★ 6.8 · 717 votes · 1h 41m · thriller, horror, mysteryA razor-wielding serial killer is on the loose, murdering those around Peter Neal, an American mystery author in Italy to promote his newest novel.…
#24 The Entity (1982) · ★ 6.8 · 602 votes · 2h 5m · thriller, horror, mysteryA single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play.…
#25 The Fog (1980) · ★ 6.7 · 1,816 votes · 1h 30m · thriller, horror, mysteryStrange things begin to occur as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark sec…
#26 Frantic (1988) · ★ 6.7 · 1,177 votes · 2h 0m · thriller, drama, crimeThe wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris. To find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form filling bureaucrats and…
#27 Body Double (1984) · ★ 6.7 · 963 votes · 1h 54m · thriller, crime, mysteryAfter losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood Hills. While peering through the beautiful…
#28 Opera (1987) · ★ 6.7 · 543 votes · 1h 47m · thriller, horror, crimeA young opera singer is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.…
#29 Cocoon (1985) · ★ 6.6 · 1,460 votes · 1h 57m · comedy, drama, science-fictionWhen a group of trespassing seniors swim in a pool containing alien cocoons, they find themselves energized with youthful vigor.…
#30 Sea of Love (1989) · ★ 6.6 · 715 votes · 1h 53m · thriller, romance, dramaSeen-it-all New York detective Frank Keller is unsettled - he has done twenty years on the force and could retire, and he hasn't come to terms with his wife leaving him for a colle…
#31 Cruising (1980) · ★ 6.6 · 656 votes · 1h 42m · thriller, crime, mysteryWhen New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, rookie cop Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try an…
#32 Psycho II (1983) · ★ 6.5 · 768 votes · 1h 53m · thriller, horror, crimeNorman Bates is declared sane and released from the facility in which he was being held, despite the complaints of Lila Loomis, sister of his most famous victim. Is he really cured…
#33 My Bloody Valentine (1981) · ★ 6.4 · 575 votes · 1h 30m · thriller, horror, mysteryTwenty years after a Valentine's Day tragedy claimed the lives of five miners, Harry Warden returns for a vengeful massacre among teen sweethearts gearing up for another party.…
#34 Lifeforce (1985) · ★ 6.2 · 774 votes · 1h 42m · action, thriller, horrorA race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.…
#35 American Gigolo (1980) · ★ 6.2 · 753 votes · 1h 57m · drama, crime, mysteryJulian makes a lucrative living as an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. He begins a relationship with Michelle, a local politician's wife, without expecting any pay. O…
#36 Above the Law (1988) · ★ 6.1 · 826 votes · 1h 39m · action, thriller, dramaNico Toscani is an Italian immigrant, American patriot, ex-CIA agent, aikido specialist and unorthodox Chicago policeman. He is as committed to his job as he is to his personalized…
#37 Maniac Cop (1988) · ★ 6.1 · 552 votes · 1h 25m · action, horror, crimeA killer dressed in a police uniform begins murdering innocent people on the streets of New York City.…
#38 The Final Conflict (1981) · ★ 5.8 · 675 votes · 1h 48m · thriller, horror, mysteryDamien Thorn has helped rescue the world from a recession, appearing to be a benign corporate benefactor. When he then becomes U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Damien fulfill…
#39 Prom Night (1980) · ★ 5.7 · 510 votes · 1h 33m · thriller, horror, mysteryAt a high school senior prom, a masked killer stalks four teenagers who were responsible for the accidental death of a classmate six years prior.…
#40 Q (1982) · ★ 5.7 · 501 votes · 1h 33m · horror, crime, mysteryA fleeing gangland flunky discovers the New York nest of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, the man-eating flying serpent.…