Best Movies of 1983

The highest-rated films from 1983 according to MovieMagicScore. Rankings based purely on what viewers actually think.

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Scarface

1983 · 13,024 ratings

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

8.2

Return of the Jedi

1983 · 16,409 ratings

Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Emperor seeks to destroy the Rebellion once and for all with a second dreaded Death Star.

7.9

Michael Jackson's Thriller

1983 · 765 ratings

A night at the movies turns terrifying when Michael and his date are attacked by zombies. Released at the height of Thriller’s success, the short film redefined the music video, broke racial barriers, and became the first inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry.

8.3

Koyaanisqatsi

1983 · 740 ratings

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

7.9

Nostalgia

1983 · 576 ratings

A Russian poet, Andrei and his interpreter, Eugenia travel to Italy to research the life of an 18th-century composer.

7.8

Mickey's Christmas Carol

1983 · 951 ratings

Ebenezer Scrooge is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some new found friends, Scrooge learns to embrace the spirit of the season. A retelling of the classic Dickens tale with Disney's classic characters.

7.6

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

1983 · 1,997 ratings

Life's questions are 'answered' in a series of outrageous vignettes, beginning with a staid London insurance company which transforms before our eyes into a pirate ship. Then there's the National Health doctors who try to claim a healthy liver from a still-living donor. The world's most voracious glutton brings the art of vomiting to new heights before his spectacular demise.

7.3

The Right Stuff

1983 · 916 ratings

At the dawn of the Space Race, seven test pilots set out to become the first American astronauts to enter space. However, the road to making history brings momentous challenges.

7.4

Videodrome

1983 · 2,352 ratings

As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.

7.3

#10

Zelig

1983 · 895 ratings

Fictional documentary about the life of human chameleon Leonard Zelig, a man who becomes a celebrity in the 1920s due to his ability to look and act like whoever is around him. Clever editing places Zelig in real newsreel footage of Woodrow Wilson, Babe Ruth, and others.

7.4

#11

Trading Places

1983 · 3,467 ratings

A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

7.2

#12

Eddie Murphy: Delirious

1983 · 334 ratings

Taped live and in concert at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. in August, 1983, Eddie Murphy: Delirious captures Eddie Murphy's wild and outrageous stand-up comedy act, which he performed in New York and eighteen other cities across the U.S. to standing-room-only audiences. Eddie's comedy was groundbreaking, completely new, razor sharp and definitely funny.Eddie Murphy pontificates in his own vulgarly hilarious fashion on everything from bizarre sexual fantasies to reliving the family barbecue, and is peppered with Eddie's one-of-a-kind wit. Laugh along as Eddie reminiscences of hot childhood days and the ice cream man intermixed with classic vocal parodies of top American entertainers.Experience Eddie Murphy at his best, live and red hot! Delirious! Uncensored and Uncut!

7.6

#13

A Christmas Story

1983 · 1,327 ratings

The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.

7.2

#14

The Outsiders

1983 · 1,468 ratings

In 1960s Tulsa, class divisions ignite a violent rivalry between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs. When a deadly encounter forces two Greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, to flee, their struggle for survival and redemption exposes the fragile innocence and enduring bonds of youth on the wrong side of town.

7.2

#15

National Lampoon's Vacation

1983 · 1,654 ratings

Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.

7.1

#16

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

1983 · 497 ratings

Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.

7.3

#17

WarGames

1983 · 2,032 ratings

High school student David Lightman has a talent for hacking. But while trying to hack into a computer system to play unreleased video games, he unwittingly taps into the Department of Defense's war computer and initiates a confrontation of global proportions. Together with his friend and a wizardly computer genius, David must race against time to outwit his opponent and prevent a nuclear Armageddon.

7.1

#18

Sorry for the Delay

1983 · 229 ratings

Vincenzo, a 30 years old apathetic and lazy man who still lives with his mother, has no job and no desire to improve. He meets Anna and fell in love with her but to keep the relationship alive he has to learn to accept more responsibility.

7.6

#19

Barefoot Gen

1983 · 224 ratings

A story about the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.

7.5

#20

Project A

1983 · 509 ratings

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

7.2

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About 1983 Movies

These are the best-rated movies released in 1983 according to MovieMagicScore. Our ranking system aggregates genuine viewer ratings to give you an honest picture of what audiences actually think about these films.

From blockbusters to indie gems, discover what made 1983 memorable in cinema based on the collective opinion of movie lovers worldwide.

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