If You Have To Watch Only 5 Movies From the '80s, Make Sure It's These Masterpieces

The 1980s were a mixed decade for cinema. At first sight, it was the era of corporate filmmaking and studio control, executives leaning into formulaic, market-tested blockbusters and mostly sidelining the auteurs who had defined the '70s. It laid the ground for franchise filmmaking while mostly sticking to tried-out formulas (just take a look at the decade's Best Picture winners).