A Glean movie guide
The Definitive 80s Action Guide
Pure adrenaline from the 1980s.
Explosive stunts, iconic heroes, and the decade that defined the modern blockbuster.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Die Hard
A masterclass in tension and single-location storytelling that redefined the everyday hero.
NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her office's Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.
- 02
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The perfect blend of globe-trotting adventure and relentless, practical stunt work.
When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
- 03
The Terminator
A lean, terrifying chase film that launched a legendary sci-fi franchise.
In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?
- 04
Aliens
A high-octane military thriller that successfully pivots from horror to all-out warfare.
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
- 05
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
A visceral, high-speed wasteland epic featuring some of the greatest vehicular stunts ever filmed.
Max Rockatansky returns as the heroic loner who drives the dusty roads of a postapocalyptic Australian Outback in an unending search for gasoline. Arrayed against him and the other scraggly defendants of a fuel-depot encampment are the bizarre warriors commanded by the charismatic Lord Humungus, a violent leader whose scruples are as barren as the surrounding landscape.
- 06
Predator
A tense, genre-bending thriller where elite commandos become the prey of an alien hunter.
A team of elite commandos on a secret mission in a Central American jungle come to find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
- 07
RoboCop
A brutal and darkly funny urban western that uses sci-fi to critique corporate greed.
In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company's nefarious plans, he turns on his masters.
- 08
Lethal Weapon
The definitive buddy-cop movie, balancing explosive set pieces with genuine character chemistry.
A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.
- 09
First Blood
A grounded and intense survival thriller that introduced the world to John Rambo.
When former Green Beret John Rambo is harassed by local law enforcement and arrested for vagrancy, he is forced to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.
- 10
The Killer
A poetic and hyper-violent masterpiece of 'heroic bloodshed' from director John Woo.
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
- 11
Top Gun
An iconic display of aerial choreography and 80s style that demands to be seen on a big screen.
For Lieutenant Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and his friend and co-pilot Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw, being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete's dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
- 12
Beverly Hills Cop
A fast-paced blend of street-smart comedy and classic police procedural action.
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.