The 1980s produced so many unique thrillers that some were bound to be overlooked, but these praiseworthy movies aren’t talked about nearly enough. Though the thriller has been a part of cinema since the early days, the genre really took over toward the end of the Hollywood Golden Age. The thriller lives at the intersection of action, horror, and drama, usually striking a fine balance between all three.

By the 1980s, the genre had become so diverse that it had splintered into various subgenres like psychological thrillers and erotic thrillers. Filmmakers were especially influenced by noir, but they brought a distinctive contemporary flair. The greatest ’80s thrillers were often tinged with shadows and neon, a healthy mix of the old and new on screen.

Thrillers, more so than many other genres, retain their appeal even as they age. They are a window into the anxieties and fears of their era, and a well-made story never loses its edge no matter how old it gets. Nevertheless, the volume of thrillers produced in the ’80s resulted in many classics slipping through the cracks as the decades wore on.

Perhaps they were overshadowed by more successful movies, or got a bad rap when they first released. Whatever the reason, a good underrated thriller is like finding a diamond in the rough. The 1980s is noted for its excellent cinema, and these 10 praiseworthy thrillers don’t deserve to be forgotten. In fact, some are even better than the more popular films from the decade.

10

Jack’s Back (1988)

Jack’s Back pushes the boundaries of the thriller genre toward horror, but it’s still a fun little gem of the former category. In Los Angeles, a copycat killer mimics the brutal slayings of Jack the Ripper, and a man is out to prove his deceased sibling didn’t do it. James Spader flexes his acting chops playing both of the twin brothers in a truly underrated dual role.

Though Jack’s Back teeters on the edge of schlock, it never fails to be a gritty and entertaining thriller. It’s creepy and weird, and the performances push what would have been a mediocre movie to another level. The sincerity makes the movie all the more endearing, and it has some nice surprises for viewers who think they’ve seen everything the thriller genre has to offer.

9

Tightrope (1984)

Clint Eastwood’s ’80s filmography is a mix of genres and styles, and Tightrope is an underrated part of the legendary actor/director’s legacy. In the film, he plays a New Orleans detective who must confront his own inner demons while hunting a serial killer. As cliché as that sounds, Tightrope is able to transcend the tropes for an engaging neo-noir.

Eastwood does conflicted anti-heroes really well, and Detective Wes Block is about as conflicted as they come. There’s a seediness to the flick not seen since the height of the film noir era, and that’s an intentional part of Tightrope‘s storytelling. Though it lags a lot in the middle, it nevertheless has a strong thread of suspense throughout.

8

Roadgames (1981)

Australian cinema is littered with excellent films that are often forgotten by American audiences, including the spine-tingling Roadgames. A long-haul trucker begins to suspect he’s following a killer, and his new hitchhiking passenger helps him track down the suspected murderer. Alternating between horror and psychological thrills, Roadgames is a little bit of both.

The movie invites the viewer into the paranoid mindset of the main character, so there is a surreal and almost dreamlike logic to many of the scenes. The emptiness of the Australian countryside is a purgatory of sorts, and an ideal battleground between hero and villain. Though it’s overlooked, Roadgames has one of the best finales of any ’80s thriller.

7

Dead Calm (1989)

If it’s remembered at all, Dead Calm is often recalled as an excellent early movie starring Nicole Kidman. She co-stars alongside Sam Neill as a grieving mother who tries to escape the loss of her child by going on a long sailing voyage. When they pick up a stranded passenger, things take a turn for the worse. By limiting the movie’s scope to a boat, Dead Calm immediately creates unbearable tension.

The trio of Kidman, Neill, and Billy Zane put on an acting clinic, and the film has the slightly exaggerated tone of other classic thrillers. Dead Calm is a perfectly streamlined experience, and is tense from the first frame. It’s likely overlooked because of Kidman’s skyrocketing success in the ’90s, but the underrated ’80s thriller is certainly worth a revisit.

6

The Stunt Man (1980)

The Stunt Man is a satire first and foremost, but its thriller elements help it land on this list. On the run from the cops, a criminal ends up on a movie set and is blackmailed by the director to take part in increasingly dangerous stunts. The film is an unsubtle jab at the dangerous and unfair film industry of the early ’80s, so it’s funny and thrilling in equal measure.

Peter O’Toole is a revelation as the crooked director, and he’s clearly venting his own frustrations toward the industry into the role. For film business laypersons, The Stunt Man has lots of action and a pretty suspenseful plot. Its satire might get a bit lost in translation at times, but it deserves to be rediscovered as the hidden gem that it is.

5

Talk Radio (1988)

The best thrillers are products of their era, and Talk Radio is a distinctly ’80s movie in all respects. A confrontational shock-jock spends his last night on the air before his show is syndicated across the country. The movie is adapted from the play of the same name, and feels very much like a stage production put on screen.

That’s not to say that Talk Radio isn’t thrilling, but it is compelling despite being small in scale. Eric Bogosian stars, and he wrote the original play, so everything feels very personal. There’s a dour mood that comes from the inevitability of the film’s dark ending. Talk Radio is the black sheep of Oliver Stone’s filmography, but his creative fingerprints are all over the lesser-known classic.

4

House Of Games (1987)

David Mamet has made some of the most compelling thrillers ever, but his movies are generally overlooked. House of Games is the story of a psychologist who befriends a con-man in order to learn his tricks, only to get pulled into his confusing world. Instead of action, House of Games finds thrills in its complicated plot and abundant twists.

The movie keeps the viewer guessing until the very last scene, where surprises and double-crosses abound. House of Games has Mamet’s distinctive thoroughness in its storytelling, so the viewer gets an education about cons while being entertained by the complex characters. It’s one of the best movies of the ’80s, and it certainly deserves a spot among the great thrillers of the decade.

3

Mona Lisa (1986)

Though overshadowed by their American counterparts, British thrillers like Mona Lisa are some of the highlights of the ’80s. Fresh from prison, a small-time crook becomes a driver for a sex worker, but he gets way too involved in her personal life. Neil Jordan’s erotic thriller hearkens back to the kitchen sink dramas of the ’60s, but with touches of neo-noir.

Mona Lisa assembles its ingredients, puts them all together, and lets things cook until an inevitable explosion occurs. In that way, it’s such an effectively suspenseful thriller that it can be almost unbearable at times. The slow-burn pays off in the final few minutes, and its dourness is only outdone by its unwavering grit.

2

Manhunter (1986)

Manhunter is overlooked because of The Silence of the Lambs, but the Michael Mann classic is actually the first Hannibal Lecter movie. The adaptation of Red Dragon follows retired FBI profiler Will Graham, who is called back into service to track and capture the elusive Tooth Fairy killer. While its successor opts for a gothic tone, Manhunter is drenched in ’80s neon noir.

Every moment is well-paced, and Tom Noonan’s performance as the Tooth Fairy is effortlessly creepy. The sudden violence of the story acts as jump scares, and Manhunter is nearly a pure horror flick. However, the intriguing mystery and the “howcatchem” plot structure settles it firmly in the thriller category. It also features a great performance from Brian Cox as the first Hannibal Lecter.

1

The Long Good Friday (1980)

Though The Long Good Friday is also a gangster picture, it is perhaps the most overlooked praiseworthy thriller of the ’80s. Bob Hoskins stars as a British gangster who hosts an American crime boss in hopes of forming a partnership. Unfortunately, a series of bombings derail his plans. Watching the entire criminal empire crumble makes for some really engaging thrills.

The tension and stakes build scene after scene, and Hoskins is perfectly cast as the short-tempered mafioso. The movie subverts traditional thriller tropes because it presents an engaging story without asking the audience to sympathize with the lead. Like other cringe-inducing thrillers, The Long Good Friday is an anxiety-inducing roller-coaster ride.