In many ways, the 1980s were one of the most formative decades in American history, with its art, culture, and style continuing to be a key influence in the world today. The decade was a golden age for thriller filmmakers, who pushed boundaries of storytelling and spectacle with gripping, psychosexually charged movies. However, not all of those experiments in subversiveness paid off, and quite a few of the thrillers of the time have not aged well.
With some of these movies, the fact that they’re dated and uncomfortable doesn’t necessarily take away from what they do get right in terms of storytelling and performances, even if their representations and ethics are questionable. But in some cases — the ones we’re looking at in this article — they really have aged in the worst ways possible, getting more and more unpalatable with the passage of time. Without further ado, here’s our selection of some ’80s thriller movies that have truly aged like milk.
1
‘Body Double’ (1984)
A neo-noir erotic thriller directed and produced by Brian De Palma, Body Double follows Jake Scully, a struggling actor house-sitting for his wealthy friend, who becomes obsessed with a female neighbor and starts watching her constantly. His voyeuristic habits land Jake in deep trouble when he witnesses the woman’s murder and becomes the prime suspect in the case, taking him down the dark alleys of the entertainment industry. The film stars Craig Wasson as Jake Scully, with Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith, Deborah Shelton, and Guy Boyd in notable roles.
Body Double clearly feels like a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock and his favorite psychosocial themes like obsession, voyeurism, claustrophobia, and anxiety, but it was never one of Brian De Palma’s best works. Though it earned Griffith praises for her performance and a Golden Globe nomination, it was simultaneously criticized for its vulgar and violent narrative. Not only did it age badly, but the film was also a commercial and critical failure even in its time, owing to its exploitative sexual politics and campy tone, all of which leave a bad taste for the viewer.
2
‘Blue Velvet’ (1986)
Written and directed by David Lynch and named after the 1951 song of the same name, Blue Velvet follows college student Jeffrey Beaumont, who returns to his hometown and finds a severed ear in a field. When he starts investigating, it leads him down a dangerous path of sexual obsession involving a troubled nightclub singer and a criminal conspiracy. Kyle MacLachlan stars as the protagonist, Jeffrey, with Isabella Rossellini as the singer, Dorothy Vallens, and Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern in other key roles.
When it was first released, Blue Velvet met with a divisive critical response from viewers and critics, and yet it is widely regarded as one of David Lynch’s best films and has achieved cult status over the years. On the one hand, the film’s surreal style, unsettling tone, and Hopper’s terrifying performance still hold power in terms of filmmaking. But four decades since its release, the film’s tropes and treatment now feel unduly exploitative, where sexual violence and voyeurism only dehumanize Dorothy’s situation and trivialize her trauma.
3
‘Cruising’ (1980)
A crime thriller written and directed by William Friedkin, Cruising is based on the 1970 novel by Gerald Walker, a New York Times reporter. The film, like the book, follows a New York City detective, Steve Burns, who is on a hunt for a serial killer who only targets gay men, especially within the leather subculture. Al Pacino stars as Detective Burns with Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, and Don Scardino in supporting roles.
Despite the grungy atmosphere and Pacino’s raw and intense performance, Cruising has always been a controversial film that has only gotten staler with time. Even at the time of its release, the film had mostly negative reviews and was heavily critiqued for sensationalizing gay subcultures and stigmatizing the representation of the same. While the film aims to be an abstract psychological exploration of identity and violence, the crime thriller elements often get overshadowed by the reductive narrative, unlike other films by William Friedkin, such as The Boys in the Band, which became a milestone of queer cinema.
4
‘Jagged Edge’ (1985)
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Years before Damages, Glenn Close earned recognition for playing a lawyer in this neo-noir legal thriller film directed by Richard Marquand and written by Joe Eszterhas. Jagged Edge follows Teddy, a high-profile lawyer who reluctantly represents Jack Forrester, a charming publisher arrested on suspicion of murdering his rich heiress wife. While Teddy gets romantically involved with Jack, she remains uncertain if he is truly innocent or not. Close plays the role of Teddy Barnes with Jeff Bridges as Jack. Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia, and Karen Austin appear in supporting roles.
Genre fans might find Jagged Edge to be a satisfying, trendy potboiler that has enough suspense and thrills, but it cannot be called a well-crafted crime mystery thriller with an evergreen appeal. The legal thriller did not manage to age well owing to its formulaic, melodramatic courtroom scenes and outdated genre tropes. Even though the film remains mostly recognized for Glenn Close’s anchoring performance and the overall atmosphere, Jagged Edge is best seen as a relic of the past and fails to hold up to modern standards of storytelling.
5
‘Black Rain’ (1989)
A neo-noir action thriller directed by Ridley Scott, Black Rain follows two NYPD detectives, Nick Conklin and Charlie Vincent, who arrest a member of the yakuza and transport him back to Japan. When their prisoner escapes on the way, the two American police officers find themselves in uncharted territory, forced to traverse the dangerous underbelly of Japan’s criminal underworld. Michael Douglas stars as Nick and Andy Garcia as Charlie, with supporting performances by Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw, and Yūsaku Matsuda in his final film role.
Black Rain was a box office success at the time of its release, but was not a critical favorite like most Ridley Scott films. The film scores plus points with Michael Douglas’s strong performance, Hans Zimmer‘s musical score, and good editing, but has been criticized for the screenwriting, clichéd storyline, and lack of character development. But most importantly, the frequent and offensive Asian stereotypes make Black Rain fall flat as a genre classic in retrospect, even though it has a cult following.
6
‘Sea of Love’ (1989)
Written by Richard Price, directed by Harold Becker, and inspired by Price’s 1978 novel Ladies’ Man, Sea of Love tells the story of a troubled New York City police detective, Frank Keller, who investigates a serial killer known for finding victims through singles ads in newspapers and leaving the titular song playing at the crime scene. During his investigation, Frank gets into an intimate relationship with one of his main suspects, which puts his personal life and professional duties in jeopardy. Al Pacino stars as Detective Keller with John Goodman, Ellen Barkin, Michael Rooker, Richard Jenkins, and Michael O’Neill in various roles.
Sea of Love was a commercial success, mostly because it marked Pacino’s comeback after 1985’s Revolution, but it had a mixed reception in its time and even in the years since. While the film has been praised for Al Pacino’s excellent performance and the moody atmosphere, it has also garnered criticism for its writing and characterizations. Despite its suspenseful crime noir premise and good casting, Sea of Love gets weighed down by the formulaic dialogue, outdated gender dynamics, and character tropes that fail to make it memorable.
7
‘The Morning After’ (1986)
A psychological crime thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet, The Morning After follows Alex, a washed-up, alcoholic actress who wakes up hungover in an unknown loft beside a dead body, with no memory of the events from the night before. As Alex struggles to uncover the truth of what happened and get a grip on her reality, she seeks the help of Turner, a lone ex-cop whom she encounters while on the run. Jane Fonda stars as Alex and Jeff Bridges as Turner, with Raúl Julia, Diane Salinger, Geoffrey Scott, and Kathy Bates in supporting roles.
If The Morning After can be called a remotely good thriller film, it is mostly due to Jane Fonda’s committed performance as an amnesiac, anxiety-ridden victim and Lumet’s crisp direction. However, the film did not age well and feels stale against the modern cinematic landscape, where the depiction of alcoholism feels trivialized along with its implausible mechanics. Despite the strong performances and chemistry of Fonda and Bridges, The Morning After is best left buried in a 1980s time capsule.
8
‘The Mean Season’ (1985)
Directed by Phillip Borson and written by Leon Piedmont (a pseudonym of Christopher Crowe), The Mean Season is based on the 1982 novel In the Heat of the Summer by John Katzenbach and follows Malcolm, a Miami reporter burned out from covering local crimes, who is suddenly contacted by a serial killer he once wrote about. When the killer informs Malcolm of his next kill, Malcolm finds himself unconsciously pulled into the murders, blurring the lines between reporting a crime and becoming a part of it. Kurt Russell stars as Malcolm, with Mariel Hemingway, Richard Jordan, Richard Masur, Joe Pantoliano, Luis Tamayo, and Andy García in supporting roles.
While the film intends to be a crime thriller with an underlying social commentary, The Mean Season loses its thematic sensibility along the way. Despite its strong cast and convincing performance by Kurt Russell, the film did not garner much acclaim or praise at the time of its release, nor did it evolve into an ’80s classic that is worth remembering. The trope of “reporter vs. killer” feels more topical and tense for its time, but is largely considered outdated and predictable today, as is its pacing and dialogue.
- Release Date
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February 15, 1985
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Mariel Hemingway
Christine Connelly
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Richard Jordan
Alan Delour
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