Most Controversial '80s Movies, Ranked

Discover the most controversial '80s movies and the impact they had on cinema and society.

The Most Controversial 1980s Movies

Controversial 80s movie fatal attraction

The 1980s was not a decade of innovation and experimentation in film like the 1970s was. It was a decade in which filmmakers mostly played it safe. Still, there were movies that pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable or appropriate for mainstream audiences.

Today, the graphic violence and explicit sexuality depicted in these films may be more commonplace, but when they were released, they sparked debates about censorship and artistic freedom. Conversely, some films weren't problematic at the time but have become so due to changing social mores.

Here are 15 controversial '80s movies that continue to push buttons today.

15. The Last Temptation of Christ

Year released: 1988

Director: Martin Scorsese

Actors: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie

Bottom Line: The Last Temptation of Christ

A movie telling the tale of Jesus Christ that doesn't specifically follow the Bible is bound to be controversial. Based on the novel of the same name by Nikos Kazantzakis, Scorsese's movie depicts Jesus as a conflicted and flawed human and shows what his life would have been like had he married Mary Magdalene and had children.

Of course, religious groups protested the film, calling it blasphemous and offensive. Some Christian fundamentalists even called for a boycott and attempted to block its release.

14. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

Year released: 1989

Director: Peter Greenaway

Actors: Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Tim Roth

Bottom Line: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

"The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" revolves around Albert Spica, a brutal and vulgar criminal who frequents a high-end restaurant with his wife, Georgina (who he regularly abuses publicly) and his gang of criminals. Georgina finds solace in a solitary but kind man named Michael, who is also a regular, and they begin a secret affair right under Spica's nose.

The film's graphic depictions of violence, including scenes of torture, mutilation and cannibalism, were challenging for audiences. Similarly, its frank and explicit portrayal of sex was considered controversial, particularly as it featured several scenes of full-frontal nudity.

13. Wall Street

Year released: 1987

Director: Oliver Stone

Actors: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen

Bottom Line: Wall Street

This film's depiction of the greed and corruption of the financial industry was shocking at the time but, as it turns out, quite prescient. Gordon Gekko is an unscrupulous Wall Street broker who becomes a mentor to a younger, ambitious broker, Bud Fox. Gekko, who famously proclaims that "greed is good," uses insider trading, stock manipulation and other unethical practices to get ahead.

"Wall Street" was released around the time of the insider-trading scandals of the mid-1980s, which had rocked the industry and led to increased scrutiny from regulators and the public. The movie became emblematic of the era and was seen as a representation of the worst excesses of the financial industry.

12. Heathers

Year released: 1988

Director: Daniel Waters

Actors: Wynona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty

Bottom Line: Heathers

Veronica Sawyer is one of the "Heathers," a popular but cruel clique at her high school. The other Heathers are wealthy and rule the school's hallways with iron fists, mocking and bullying anyone who doesn't meet their lofty standards. Sawyer, deep down, is not like the other girls in her group and soon falls in love with J.D., a mysterious outsider, and out of love with the Heathers. The duo then plots deadly revenge against the Heathers and others like them.

At the time, suicide, murder and revenge were not typically depicted in teen movies — so "Heathers" take on high school culture and its criticism of conformity and peer pressure were challenging for audiences and critics alike. While it was a commercial failure in 1988, "Heathers" has since gained a cult following and critics have changed their minds about the film. In fact, it was rebooted as a TV series in 2018.

11. 9 1/2 Weeks

Year released: 1986

Director: Adrian Lyne

Actors: Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger

Bottom Line: 9 1/2 Weeks

In the age of "50 Shades of Grey," "9 1/2 Weeks" seems quite tame, but it was shocking in the 1980s. The film shows an intense and highly sexual relationship between a wealthy but mysterious Wall Street broker, John Gray, and an art gallery assistant named Elizabeth.

Almost as soon as they meet, the characters embark on a highly erotic affair that includes BSDM, which was highly controversial and taboo in mainstream films at the time. Even more controversial was the relationship between John and Elizabeth, which portrayed an abusive and controlling dynamic between the two.

10. Fatal Attraction

Year released: 1987

Director: Adrian Lyne

Actors: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer

Bottom Line: Fatal Attraction

"Fatal Attraction" tells the story of a married man who has a brief affair with a woman who becomes increasingly obsessive and dangerous. A massive hit in 1987, the film has suffered some criticism since, as it depicts the female character, Alex, as a mentally unstable, sex-crazed villain, which is seen today as perpetuating negative and sexist stereotypes about women.

It has also been criticized for its depiction of mental illness. Glenn Close, who played Alex, has said in recent years that she felt her character did not get a fair shake. "There’s no way for the audience to know what her past was. It’s only hinted at when she looks at him giving the bunny to his daughter and then throws up in the bushes. Nobody would say, 'Well, why did that happen?' Whereas I asked that, and the psychiatrist said if she was molested at an early age and what she was made to do made her gag and throw up, then that’s her trigger.

"I felt from all my research, I just didn’t think she was a psychopath. I thought she was a deeply disturbed woman."

9. Platoon

Year released: 1986

Director: Oliver Stone

Actors: Charlie Sheen, Willem DaFoe. Forest Whittaker, Johnny Depp

Bottom Line: Platoon

Films about the Vietnam War were a big part of the 1970s and 1980s, and all of them were controversial to some degree, as they shocked audiences with their realistic portrayals of the war. They often showed unsavory behaviors of American soldiers in the conflict, which challenged the traditional heroic portrayal of soldiers that was always a part of Hollywood lore.

"Platoon" depicted soldiers committing atrocities such as burning down villages, torturing prisoners and engaging in the random killings of civilians. At the time of its release, many were questioning the morality and effectiveness of the Vietnam conflict.

8. Cannibal Holocaust

Year released: 1980

Director: Ruggero Deodato

Actors: Robert Kerman

Bottom Line: Cannibal Holocaust

One of the first "found footage" films, "Cannibal Holocaust" is a mockumentary about filmmakers who venture into the Amazon rainforest to film a cannibal tribe. This situation becomes more violent and exploitative with each passing minute, leading to horrific consequences for both the filmmakers and the tribe. It was believed to be so realistic that director Ruggero Deodato was arrested for murder when it was released.

The film showed real on-screen animal cruelty and death, which sparked widespread outrage and protests from animal rights activists. "Cannibal Holocaust" was also criticized for racism and exploitation of the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest.

7. Blue Velvet

Year released: 1986

Director: David Lynch

Actors: Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern

Bottom Line: Blue Velvet

David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" explored dark and disturbing themes of violence and sexual perversion and showed the seedy underbelly of suburbia.

Jeffrey Beaumont is a curious young man who becomes embroiled in a dark mystery involving a singer named Dorothy Vallens who is terrorized by Frank Booth, a violent and sadistic criminal. Scenes of rape, murder and sadomasochistic sex were highly disturbing and provocative to audiences and critics alike, although the film has since been regarded as one of the best of the decade.

6. Revenge of the Nerds

Year released: 1984

Director: Jeff Kanew

Actors: Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong, Robert Carradine

Bottom Line: Revenge of the Nerds

While "Revenge of the Nerds" wasn't seen as controversial when it was released, it has since become so in the wake of the "Me Too" movement. The movie tells the story of a group of socially awkward college students (nerds) who are bullied by a group of jocks and cheerleaders when they first come to college. They eventually band together and seek revenge by creating their own fraternity and engaging in a series of pranks against their bullies.

The key reason the film is controversial today was its portrayal of a scene in which one of the main characters, Lewis, pretends to be his love interest's boyfriend and has sex with her under false pretenses. Writer Steve Zacharias said that he now regrets writing that scene. "It’s not excusable. If it were my daughter, I probably wouldn’t like it."

5. Rain Man

Year released: 1988

Director: Barry Levinson

Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise

Bottom Line: Rain Man

"Rain Man" was a massive hit upon release and loved by critics and audiences alike. Dustin Hoffman even won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Raymond Babbitt, an autistic man with savant syndrome who inherits a fortune from his father. He is kidnapped by his selfish and materialistic brother, Charlie, who takes him on a cross-country road trip in an attempt to gain control of his inheritance.

Since its release, disability rights advocates have criticized "Rain Man" for portraying autistic people as objects of pity or inspiration. It has also been criticized for not casting an actor with autism in Hoffman's role.

4. Sixteen Candles

Year released: 1984

Director: John Hughes

Actors: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall

Bottom Line: Sixteen Candles

Another movie that over the decades has become problematic, "Sixteen Candles" tells the story of 16-year-old Samantha Baker, whose family forgets her birthday in the wake of her older sister's wedding plans. She also has a crush on the most popular guy at school who seems not to know she exists, and she also must deal with the unwanted attention of Ted, a geeky freshman who won't take no for an answer.

One of the main criticisms of the film is its offensive portrayal of Long Duk Dong, a hyper-sexed Asian exchange student staying with Sam's family. Additionally, the film has sexual consent problems. Jake, the popular boy Sam has a crush on, gives his blackout-drunk girlfriend to Ted as a "gift." Ted proceeds to drive away with her, and it is insinuated that they have sex without her knowledge or consent.

Molly Ringwald, who played Sam, said that she has misgivings about the film now that she has kids. "You know, when I made those movies with John Hughes [the director], his intention was to not make 'Porky’s' or 'Animal House.' But I think that times were different, and what was acceptable then is definitely not acceptable now and nor should it have been then, but that’s sort of the way that it was.

"I feel very differently about the movies now, and it’s a difficult position for me to be in because there’s a lot that I like about them ... I don’t want to appear ungrateful to John Hughes, but I do oppose a lot of what is in those movies."

3. Twilight Zone: The Movie

Year released: 1983

Directors: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, George Miller, Joe Dante

Actors: Vic Morrow, John Lithgow, John Larroquette, Dan Aykroyd

Bottom Line: Twilight Zone: The Movie

This anthology film is based on the popular television series from TV's early years and features four segments directed by four different filmmakers. Of the four segments, only one was controversial.

During the filming of John Landis' segment, a helicopter accident occurred, killing actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. This led to a high-profile investigation and trial, which resulted in Landis and other crew members facing charges of involuntary manslaughter.

The investigation found that the production hired the children without adhering to California's child labor laws, which did not allow them to work at night or in proximity to explosions. Furthermore, children on set require the presence of a teacher or social worker.

While Landis and the crew were acquitted for manslaughter, the accident resulted in stricter safety measures and greater enforcement of child labor laws.

2. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Year released: 1986

Director: John McNaughton

Actors: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles

Bottom Line: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

True crime wasn't yet a popular genre when "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" was released in 1986. The film is a fictionalized account of real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and his partner in crime, Ottis Toole, as they take part in a random murder spree.

The film's realistic portrayal of rape, murder and mutilation caused significant controversy upon its release. Its graphic content led to it being initially denied certification by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and receiving an X rating.

1. Do The Right Thing

Year released: 1989

Director: Spike Lee

Actors: Spike Lee, Rosie Perez, Samuel L. Jackson, Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Aiello, Ozzie Davis, Ruby Dee

Bottom Line: Do The Right Thing

"Do the Right Thing" takes place in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Brooklyn on a hot summer day and follows various characters in the community as temperatures and tensions rise, culminating in a violent confrontation between residents and the police.

At the time, the film was seen as controversial for its portrayal of police brutality and the death of Radio Raheem, who dies needlessly at the hands of law enforcement. The film also faced criticism for its portrayal of racial stereotypes.

Today, however, "Do the Right Thing" is widely regarded as groundbreaking in that it sparked discussions about race and police brutality in the United States, topics that have since become far more commonplace.