Pfeiffer opened up about her attempts to land one of her most famous roles while speaking to the hosts of the SmartLess podcast via YouTube. The fan-favorite actress opened up about the now-legendary story of how she went from rejection to screen-testing opposite Pacino, and accidentally drawing blood. Before that situation happened, though, Pfeiffer was apparently having a tough time auditioning:

Director Brian De Palma was pushing for Michelle Pfeiffer from the start, but Pacino wasn’t sold. And, after two months of auditions, the Ant-Man alum admitted she went from nailing it early on to spiraling under pressure. She continued:

Pfeiffer thought that was the end of it, until a month later, she received a surprise call to return for a screen test. Burned out and assuming it was a lost cause, she walked in with nothing left to lose. And that’s when things got... bloody. The (arguably best-ever) Catwoman actress herself recalled:

Turns out a little chaos, and a lot of broken glass, was exactly what the role needed. It's fitting, really, for a movie where barely anyone makes it out alive. Pfeiffer nailed it, and the rest is cinematic history.

Now, Scarface is considered a great gangster film by many, but I’ll be honest: it’s not one I’m racing to rewatch. It’s a solid remake, arguably better than the original but, for me, it’s not exactly fun. That said, Michelle Pfeiffer is easily one of the best parts of a not-so-great movie, in my eyes. Now, knowing what she went through just to get cast, beyond the extreme weight loss and months of rejection, I find her performance to be all the more impressive.

Still, if you’re not like me and do want to dive back into Scarface (and catch Michelle Pfeiffer at her most radiant), you can stream it now with your Netflix subscription. Pfeiffer will also next be seen on the big screen in the holiday comedy Oh. What. Fun., which is set to hit theaters on December 3 amid the 2025 movie schedule.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

The Rat Pack-led original Ocean's 11 from 1960, which sees a group of World War II veterans reuniting to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night, just for fun. Steven Soderbergh's remake reimagines the heist (involving only three casinos in one vault) as Danny Ocean's (George Clooney) act of revenge against casino magnate Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), who is dating his ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts).

Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

Instead of following a high school student who inherits a family curse that makes him half-man, half-animal like the 1985 comedy, Teen Wolf, MTV's more earnest series adaptation starred Tyler Posey as a wolf bite victim who ends up using his lycanthropic abilities to protect his community from supernatural forces with the help of his friends, Buffy style

The Invisible Man (2020)

Considered one of the best horror movie remakes ever made is writer and director Leigh Whannell's reinterpretation of the classic Universal Monster Movie, The Invisible Man. The acclaimed Blumhouse thriller introduces a more plausible explanation for the eponymous villain's transparency and tells the story from the perspective of the victim, his tormented wife (played by Elisabeth Moss), resulting in a powerful and frightening commentary on gaslit abuse victims.

Westworld (2016-2022)

Michael Crichton's 1973 film Westworld was almost a precursor to Jurassic Park, taking place at a high-tech tourist attraction with an Old West aesthetic and highly realistic androids that go haywire. Decades later, an acclaimed HBO drama of the same name would expand on the concept in much darker, timely, and thought-provoking ways.

Scarface (1983)

Howard Hawks' 1932 gangster drama Scarface follows an Italian immigrant (played by Paul Muni) who rises to power in Chicago's criminal underworld. Director Brian DePalma's 1983 classic, which many may not realize is a remake, follows a Cuban immigrant (played by Al Pacino) and his rise to power in Miami's criminal underworld.

War Of The Worlds (2005)

There has never been a truly faithful adaptation of H.G. Wells' seminal novel, but the two best-known alien invasion movies it inspired could not be more different from one another. The 1953 version follows various residents of a California town and shows things from a governmental perspective, while Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds is told entirely from the point of view of a divorced father (played by Tom Cruise) and his two children as they travel the country searching for sanctuary. The remake even subverts expectations by having the evil extraterrestrials rise from the ground as opposed to coming down from the sky.

The Mummy (1999)

Universal's 1932 monster movie, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff, is an undisputed classic of the studio's seminal creature feature era. When the story was updated in the late '90s, it took a more action-adventure approach, with Brendan Fraser leading the cast as a stand-in for Indiana Jones.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

Joss Whedon took the basic premise of his screenplay for the 1992 Kristy Swanson-led horror-comedy movie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and revamped it (no pun intended) as a more earnest monster-of-the-week thriller, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the teen monster hunter, that became a cultural phenomenon.

A Star Is Born (1976)

Bradley Cooper's Oscar-winning 2018 directorial debut, A Star is Born, is a wonderful achievement in spite of its many similarities to the late '70s hit of the same name starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. However, that film is a wholly original take on two other synonymous dramas that came before it in 1937 and 1954, both of which revolve around the movie business instead of the music industry.

Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)

The main differentiator between Glen A. Larson's classic '70s sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica, and Ronald D. Moore's SyFy original reimagining is how it drops the campy tone. However, the contrast is unquestionably dramatic, resulting in one of the most celebrated cosmic TV shows of its time, or any time, and a benchmark for reboots done right.

The Thing (1982)

It is almost cheating to refer to John Carpenter's classic horror movie, The Thing, about an Arctic research crew that can't tell who among them is a shapeshifting alien, as a remake. It could more accurately be described as a far more faithful adaptation of its source material, a novella called "Who Goes There?" than producer Howard Hawks' 1951 thriller, The Thing from Another World, which is a relatively by-the-numbers creature feature.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)

Archie Comics character Sabrina Spellman became a household name when Melissa Joan Hart portrayed her on the very lighthearted ABC sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Years later, Netflix released Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, in which star Kiernan Shipka's iteration faces mystical situations of a far graver matter.

The Nutty Professor (1996)

In the original The Nutty Professor from 1963, Jerry Lewis plays the clumsy, unsophisticated, but brilliant Julius Kelp, who develops a serum that alters his personality, creating a more suave and well-kept alter ego he calls Buddy Love. In director Tom Shadyac's remake, Eddie Murphy plays the perfectly sophisticated, but vastly overweight Sherman Klump, whose revolutionary serum initially serves as a temporary, instant weight loss solution, and his thinner self, also named Buddy Love, eventually begins to take on his own persona over time.

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Many of the best Western movies are reimaginings of classic Japanese action films. One of the best-known examples of this is The Magnificent Seven, which is merely an Americanized update of Seven Samurai, which trades swordfights for gunfights.

Pete’s Dragon (2015)

Co-writer and director David Lowery did not bother rewatching 1977's Pete's Dragon, which follows the friendship between an orphaned boy and a mystical creature that can turn itself invisible. He updated the Disney film into something that is not a musical nor a broad comedy, and goes for a more dramatic, atmospheric fantasy adventure for all ages, with great results.

Bel-Air (2022)

The classic NBC comedy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stars Will Smith as a young man taken out of his Philadelphia neighborhood to live with his wealthy California relatives after a violent encounter. This premise worked well as the set-up for a sitcom, but is also well-suited for a drama, as demonstrated in Morgan Cooper's 2019 short film that became the basis for Peacock's darker reimagining, Bel-Air, from producer Smith and starring Jabari Banks.

The Fly (1986)

The original 1958 adaptation of George Langelaan's short story, The Fly, involves an instantaneous transportation experiment gone wrong when an insect gets in the machine, causing a scientist (played by David Hedison) to come out the other end with a fly's head and arm. David Cronenberg's reimagining takes that same transportation device setup, but Jeff Goldblum's Seth Brundle comes out the other end seemingly fine, before his body slowly begins to deteriorate as a result of his DNA being fused with the fly.

Beetlejuice (1989-1991)

The animated series adaptation of 1988's beloved Tim Burton movie, Beetlejuice, is still a story told from a ghost's perspective and retains the same one-of-a-kind, maniacally macabre aesthetic. However, it reimagines the title character as a lovably goofy ghoul who, instead of manipulating Lydia Deetz into marriage, makes friends with her and takes her on various wondrous adventures in the afterlife.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

Jack Finney's classic alien invasion story has been adapted into multiple Invasion of the Body Snatchers movies, all of which are really no different in concept, but differ from each other in various stylistic and thematic ways. For instance, the original 1956 film is a commentary on fears of McCarthyism, while director Philip Kaufman's adaptation instead comments on blind consumerism and boasts not just a bleaker ending, but one of the most devastating endings in horror history.

A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)

At the time A Fistful of Dollars was released, few people realized the first installment of director Sergio Leone and star Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name Trilogy" was a remake. That is because, while the film is a Western-style, beat-for-beat reimagining of the 1961 samurai classic Yojimbo, which is also about a drifter who protects a village by playing two oppressive gangs against each other, Akira Kurosawa never received any credit for inspiring the story, leading production company Toho to file a lawsuit.

RoboCop (2014)

While some might say that José Padilha's RoboCop is a remake that should have never been made, it at least tried to be different in some respects. In particular, Peter Weller's Alex Murphy from the original has almost no memory of his life before becoming a hybrid of man and machine, but the version played by Joel Kinnaman is fully aware of the person he was before and forced to undergo his unusual procedure against his will, which is quite a bit darker.

Dragnet (1987)

One of the first films to honor the bewildering tradition of adapting earnest TV crime dramas into feature-length comedies was director Tom Mankiewicz's Dragnet. This slapstick parody of detective stories is set in the world of Jack Webb's seminal police procedural, featuring Dan Aykroyd as the nephew of Sgt. Joe Friday (who is also named Joe Friday) and Tom Hanks as his partner, Det. Pep Streebek.

Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (2009)

Director Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage, boasts an entirely different story from Abel Ferrara's 1992 crime drama, Bad Lieutenant, starring Harvey Keitel, despite also focusing on the exploits of a corrupt cop.

Disturbia (2007)

Director D.J. Caruso's Disturbia is recognized as an unofficial reimagining of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It stars Shia LaBeouf as a teenage boy who suspects his neighbor is a murderer while confined to his home under house arrest, as opposed to a grown man (played by Jimmy Stewart) recovering from an injury.

Suspiria (2018)

Luca Guadagnino's reimagining of Dario Argento's 1977 Giallo-style supernatural thriller, Suspiria, has the same setting (a German ballet studio run by witches), but has none of the same eye-popping production design, incorporates a tangentially connected detective story B plot, and boasts a bleak twist ending.

Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

While also set in a mall this time, writer James Gunn and director Zack Snyder's take on the second installment of George Romero's revolutionary zombie movie franchise from 1978, Dawn of the Dead, makes the cast bigger, the zombies faster, the comedy more overt, and the subtle satirical nuances non-existent.

Death Race (2008)

Producer Roger Corman's 1975 B-movie Death Race 2000 takes place in a futuristic, totalitarian United States that holds an annual cross-country racing competition in which the object is to run over as many random pedestrians as possible. Paul W.S. Anderson's reimagining softens the dystopian angle, makes the race exclusive to incarcerated convicts on a single island, and challenges the racers to only kill each other, crowning the last person standing.

Velma (2023-2024)

In the HBO Max original animated prequel series, Velma, starring Mindy Kaling in the title role, the meddling kids from Mystery Inc. are nothing like who they used to be. There is also no Scooby-Doo, which was probably the last straw for all the haters.

When A Stranger Calls (2006)

The Camilla Belle-led update of When a Stranger Calls takes the first 20 minutes of the original 1979 suspense thriller, in which a babysitter discovers her unsettling phone calls are coming from inside the house, and extends that to its own 90-minute feature.

Beauty And The Beast (2012-2016)

From 1987 to 1990, CBS aired a modernized, crime drama-style take on the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, depicting a romance between a lion-man living underneath New York City (played by Ron Perlman) and a beautiful ADA (played by Linda Hamilton). When The CW developed its own version, the series dropped the mystical half-man, half-animal creature aspect in favor of making the Beast a normal man who goes feral when angered after being subjected to a government experiment.

Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank (2022)

The original title of the animated comedy Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, about a dog who becomes an unlikely hero to a village of cats, was Blazing Samurai, to reflect how Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles served as its structural inspiration.

Mockingbird Lane (2012)

Mockingbird Lane, which aired on NBC as a Halloween special, was developer Bryan Fuller's failed attempt at reimagining the spooky, silly sitcom The Munsters into a modern supernatural dramedy.

This is a "me problem" most of the time, but still, I wanted to put this list together to talk about movies everyone loves, but have never done anything for me, so without further ado, let's get into it!

The Shawshank Redemption

Let's just get this big one out of the way. The Shawshank Redemption is generally considered one of, if not the, best movies of the 1990s by many people. The Frank Darabont-directed prison movie, based on a book by Stephen King and starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, is beloved by many, especially those people (like me) who watched it on cable all the time in the '90s. The thing is, I just don't like it. Maybe it's because of the prison element, or that it's a little too... I don't know... cheesy to me. It doesn't work for me.

The Deer Hunter

Where to start with The Deer Hunter? Often cited as not only one of the best war movies ever, it's even thought of as one of the best films of all time. I couldn't disagree more with those assessments. This might be a hot take, but I find it boring. Do we really need to see a Russian-Orthodox wedding as it happens? The history is dubious at best. There is nothing that ties Russian Roulette to POW camps in Vietnam in actual history. While the performances are amazing from the entire cast, the movie, with a runtime of 184 minutes, is about 3 hours too long.

Avatar

The first time I saw Avatar, I was on a double date, and my girlfriend and I spent the whole movie snickering about how silly we thought it was. The other couple on the date loved it (as most seem to), so again, we snickered about how silly the movie is, and how much the other couple loved it. The special effects achievements in Avatar are rightfully lauded, but everything else... I can't take it seriously.

300

People were so excited when the graphic novel 300 got a film adaptation in 2006. While I'm often a stickler for good history in a movie about historical events, that's not what bothers me about this one. For me, the movie just looks and feels incredibly cheesy.

Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is a polarizing director, at least in my own head. I tend to either really love his movies (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Hard Eight, and Inherent Vice are all movies you can watch over and over) or I really don't like them at all, like Magnolia. I remember being so excited to see his follow-up to Boogie Nights in the theater and walking away disappointed and, honestly, pretty bored by the movie.

Scarface

Scarface has to be one of the most dated movies of all time. Talk about cheesy! Everything from Miami in the '80s to the score by the legendary Giorgio Moroder all feels like they are trapped in time - and not in a good way. Though some might disagree, it's also a really boring movie for most of it. Sure, the action scenes are classics, but Al Pacino's weird accent ruins even some of the best lines for me.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I'm the perfect age for someone who loves Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, as I was a preteen when it came it. It is a movie directed right at the audience I was a part of when it became a smash hit in 1980. I never really liked it, even then. The humor doesn't land for me at all. I do like the animation, but other than that, it's just not for me.

Sin City

I don't read a lot of graphic novels, and that might be why I don't like adaptations like 300 or this one, Sin City. Both are adapted from works by Frank Miller, some of whose adaptations I do really like, like the third season of Daredevil, then on Netflix, now part of the MCU on Disney+. The style of Sin City does little for me, and I just couldn't get past that.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is a movie I really want to like. I love both stars of the movie, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and The Sting, which I first saw years before seeing Butch and Sundance, is still one of my all-time favorite movies. I'm also a huge fan of Westerns, and despite this being considered one of the best Westerns of all time, I've never been able to connect with this one. I've tried over the years to get into it, but I end up turning it off every time.

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino is a director, like some others on this list, who is always a little hit-or-miss with me. Reservoir Dogs is one of my all-time favorites, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is an example where I think Tarantino nailed the alternate history in the story he was telling. Inglourious Basterds is the opposite of that. Outside of the incredible opening scene with Christoph Waltz's amazing performance, the movie is just too silly for me, and the ending drives me nuts. I do secretly love Brad Pitt's wacky accent.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Time for me to come clean: I'm not a big fan of any of the Mad Max franchise. Although I'm the perfect age to have grown up with it, I've never been able to get into it. Mad Max: Fury Road is widely praised, and visually, it is really awesome, but seeing it once was enough for me. I have no desire to watch it again.

Titanic

I know I'm not alone here in my dislike of Titanic. That's not to say I hate everything about the movie. I actually really love the set design and the special effects. Visually, it's an amazing movie. It's the story that does absolutely nothing for me. Frankly, it bores me, and now, by no fault of the movie itself, it's been so meme'd and quoted over the years, it leaves me with no desire to watch it again.

Top Gun: Maverick

The original Top Gun is a near-perfect action movie in my opinion. Its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was disappointing because it's basically a beat-for-beat remake. That's not why I really don't like it, though. It's that silly ending, which is essentially the exact same idea as Luke blowing up the Death Star in the first Star Wars movie, and that left me really bummed out when I finished watching it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

When people rank the MCU movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is often near the top, or at least in the top third of all the movies. For me, though, it's way down the list. But what do I know? I love Iron Man 2, and everyone else hates that one.

Chariots Of Fire

I'm convinced that the reason people love Chariots Of Fire is solely for the incredible score by Vangelis. I love a good period piece, and by all accounts, I should love this movie, and yet, I don't. It's a movie that somehow won Best Picture over Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that never should have happened!

Heat

Another movie that I think I should really love, but just can't buy some of the ridiculous dialogue is Heat. The epic shootout is amazing, and I remember all too well what a huge deal it was that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were appearing in scenes together in a movie for the first time. That novelty has worn off, and all we're left with is some silly dialogue now.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This is where Wes Anderson lost me. I was excited for The Grand Budapest Hotel when it was released, as I was a huge fan of Anderson's earlier work, but this one left me feeling flat and, frankly, a little annoyed at the directing. I love that Anderson has a clear vision and style in his movies, but I'm just not into them anymore.

American Hustle

I once had a friend comment that American Hustle should really be called "American Hair and Makeup." The wardrobe and make-up departments more than earned their money on this one; it's all fantastic. The movie could have been so much better, though.

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America is one of those movies that has what feels like dozens of different versions. The directors cut, the theatrical cut, the USSR cut... it goes on and on, but I have yet to find a version of the movie that makes me love it. Maybe one day a Redux cut will finally make it click.

The Big Chill

I'm pretty outspoken about my feelings about Gen X nostalgia, and that's my generation. I had to grow up in an America drenched in Baby Boomer nostalgia, and no movie represents that quite like The Big Chill. That said, I will always be grateful for the movie introducing me to Motown with its fantastic soundtrack.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is a movie that never fails to annoy me. Yes, it has a great soundtrack, and I actually love Tom Hanks' performance in it. But it's just dripping in saccharine Boomer nostalgia, and that will always annoy me about it.

Driving Miss Daisy

I remember what a huge deal Driving Miss Daisy was when it was released, and I'm almost positive it was the first movie I ever saw with Morgan Freeman, so it does get points for that. It loses points for everything else.

The Shape Of Water

Let me get this straight... Is The Shape of Water is a better movie than Dunkirk, Get Out, Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post? That's what the Academy thought when it named the movie Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars. There's just no way. I don't get it. Maybe it's me, but of all the films directed by Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is by far my least favorite.

Grease

I get, Grease is a beloved movie for generations of kids and teenagers. The musical is one of the most popular movies ever made, and that popularity has never waned. Except with me. It never did anything for me. Except for the song "Greased Lightnin'." That's a great tune.

Harold And Maude

I love a great dark comedy, and Harold and Maude should fit that bill for me, but it just doesn't do anything for me at all. I mean, I kind of appreciate that Maude lives in an old train car; that's fun.

The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant is the perfect example of a movie that just came out at the wrong time for me. I was too old to care about kids' movies and too young to appreciate kids' movies as an adult. It's a movie that I finally watched about 20 years after it came out, simply because it was referenced in Ready Player One, but it still just wasn't for me.

American Sniper

I love a good movie about the military, and American Sniper is a very intense one of those, for sure. This is a case where I don't totally hate the movie, but I don't like it enough to ever watch again. I'm not going to get political here, so I'll leave it at that. Also, the fake baby totally took me out of the movie, and I never really recovered.

Easy Rider

I'm a huge fan of late '60s music and, by extension, the hippie culture. I love literature from the era, and so, by all accounts. I should love Easy Rider. Except... I don't. Like other movies on this list, it feels really dated, as do a lot of movies from the era. The motorcycles will always look cool, though.

Brazil

Terry Gilliam is a genius. I love his work with Monty Python, and I'm a big fan of a bunch of his movies, like Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Fisher King. I'm a huge fan of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, as well. But I just don't like Brazil. I can't put my finger on exactly why I don't, but I find it a little boring, and while I generally appreciate anything weird, this one may just be a little too off-kilter for me.

Moneyball

I read the book Moneyball years before the movie came out, and I have the same issue with the book as I do with the movie. As a baseball fan, it bugs me that the movie completely downplays the epic pitching staff the A's had in this era and gives far too much credit to Billy Beane's rethinking of player evaluation. It's something that I just can't get out of my head whenever I try to watch the movie.

The Fifth Element

I get why people love The Fifth Element. It's visually stunning, and the cast is amazing. It's missing something that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I need to try this one again, but I'm not sure I'll like it anymore than I used to.

Terms Of Endearment

For me, Terms of Endearment isn't one of those movies that is so good, but so brutal to watch that you can never watch it again; it's just a bland movie that I'll never understand how it won so many awards or was so popular at the time. It's a stellar cast, to be sure, but it seems only to serve one purpose: to make people cry. That isn't my kind of movie.

That said, if you want to check out 32 movies where almost no one makes it out alive, stick around because we’re about to break it all down…

Titanic (1997)

Rose DeWitte Bukater (Kate Winslet) and several historical figures who survived the real-life 1912 sinking survived Titanic, but the vast majority of the characters we met during James Cameron’s massive box office hit sank with the doomed ship. Only if the epic’s protagonist had saved some room for her third-class lover on the infamous door.

Scarface (1983)

As soon as Al Pacino’s Tony Montana was introduced in Scarface, we all knew this rags-to-riches story was going to end in a hail of gunfire. And it did just that, as the film’s antihero is massacred alongside most of his men in his massive Miami estate in the film’s explosive and bloody final scene. Tony wasn’t alone, as all but a few of the characters introduced in this iconic crime film bite the dust before it’s over.

Much like the book on which they are based, the various adaptations of All Quiet on the Western Front have all been dark, terrifying, and heartbreaking antiwar films that show the true cost of combat. Edward Berger’s 2022 take on Erich Maria Remarque’s landmark novel is particularly harrowing, especially in the final moments when a last-minute charge of death and destruction shatters hope and survival.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, one of the best movies in the franchise, is admittedly a little bleak with its depiction of a doomed band of spies trying to steal the plan for the Death Star, but there is some hope in their act of sacrifice. The blast of an operational battle station in the final moments is an awesome show of power and a dreadful end for characters we came to know and love.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s The Thing is a masterclass in tension and paranoia, with its story about a remote research base being taken over by a mysterious shape-shifting alien. If that wasn’t bad enough, the main characters begin getting picked off one by one as the survivors (it ends up only being two in the end) are left trying to make sense of the madness and not knowing if they can trust each other or themselves.

Night Of The Living Dead (1967)

George A. Romero put himself on the map in 1967 with the transformative zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead. On top of introducing heroes that go against the status quo in ‘60s Hollywood, the start of Romero’s legendary horror franchise ended with one of the bleakest moments in horror history.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

It’s hard to say how many of the thieves from the ill-fated diamond heist in Reservoir Dogs make it out alive, but we know that the vast majority of the color-coded crew don’t make it out alive. Either at the hands of their former partners or the police chasing them down, these lowly criminals meet a violent yet unsurprising end in Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut.

The Grey (2011)

Joe Carnahan’s 2011 survival thriller, The Grey, is honestly one of the most intense movies to come out in the 2010s. Starring Liam Neeson as a sharpshooter at an oil facility in Alaska, the movie follows the grieving man and a group of other roughnecks as they attempt to survive a plane crash in a remote part of the state. If that’s not bad enough, the wounded and weary men are targeted by a pack of hungry wolves.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Thanks to a clever and very impressive marketing campaign, The Blair Witch Project felt less like a found-footage horror movie and more like a documentary about a trio of filmmakers getting lost and dying in the woods. With one of the most shocking endings in horror history, this trailblazing 1999 movie left no one alive.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1968)

Though we never see Paul Newman or Robert Redford’s characters die in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it’s all but guaranteed that these two outlaws die in the final shootout. With figures like this, did anyone expect there to be survivors?

The Departed (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime epic is a remake of a Hong Kong movie called Internal Affairs, but it totally feels like a modern take on a Greek tragedy. Before this one comes to a close, all but a couple of the main characters are in the grave. Heroes, villains, and random characters in one or two scenes, they are all taken down in this Oscar-winning classic.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

A movie primarily set in one location, The Hateful Eight doesn’t hold back with the violence and mayhem. Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 Western introduces and kills characters at such a high rate of speed that you’ll find yourself pausing and rewinding to make sense of all the carnage.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

One of the best examples of a disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure follows a group of survivors as they attempt to escape a capsized cruise ship. Though there are thousands aboard the ship before a wave tips it over, only a handful of passengers and crew make it out of this race against time.

Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead introduces some of the best zombie movie characters of all time, but going in, you know most are going to either die or turn into an undead ghoul. By the time everything is said and done, only two survivors make it out, which is far cheerier than what Romero originally had planned.

The Northman (2022)

Based on the ancient legend that inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Robert Eggers’ 2022 epic revenge film, The Northman, is a bloody, violent, and mind-bending experience. And just like any tale of vengeance, it’s not one with a happy ending or a lot of survivors.

Alien (1979)

One of the best things about Ridley Scott’s Alien is how the crew of the Nostromo is picked off one by one by the mysterious and deadly xenomorph after each of the Weylan-Yutani employees is introduced and given time to shine on screen. In fact, it’s only Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and Jones the cat who make it out alive.

Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine, an oft-forgotten collaboration by director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, follows eight astronauts as they try to reignite a dying sun. Though the movie does give you some hope that the core cast – Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, and Michelle Yeoh – will survive the mission, it becomes clear that this is a one-way trip to save humanity.

Hereditary (2018)

Ari Aster’s Hereditary is one of the most traumatizing and terrifying horror movies of the past decade, and one that doesn’t leave a whole lot of survivors. In fact, pretty much the entire Graham family is killed in some bloody, fiery, or devastating fashion by the time this is over and done with.

Cloverfield (2008)

When it comes to disaster films with the largest body count, Cloverfield has to be up there on the list. Not only do all the main characters get squashed, eaten, mutated, or killed by the invading alien creatures, but pretty much all of New York City is wiped off the map once the military gets involved.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Don’t let Don’t Look Up’s darkly comedic tone fool you; the 2021 Netflix satirical end-of-the-world disaster film is full of death, destruction, and heartbreak. Even as the members of the ruling class learn centuries after the destruction of Earth, there’s no escaping death.

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of the funniest satirical dark comedies of all time. It’s also a political movie with a whole lot of death, especially with the whole ending sequence of atomic warheads detonating around the world, sending what survivors are left into a nuclear winter of epic proportions.

The Alamo (2004)

Before even pressing play on The Alamo back in 2004, we all knew how John Lee Hancock’s historical drama was going to end. One of the most told stories in American history, the Battle of the Alamo in the Texas Revolution, has become the stuff of legends (just don’t ask about the basement). Some 200 Texans, including Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), Jim Bowie (Jason Patric), and Bill Travis (Patrick Wilson), sacrifice themselves for freedom in this epic.

300 (2007)

Few movies kill off the main character like 300, which sees Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas (and his Spartan soldiers) go out looking awesome. Yeah, it’s sad to see these brave warriors get defeated by the Persian army, but it took A LOT to bring down this king.

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

The Return of the Living Dead has to be one of the best horror comedies of all time, as well as a movie that doesn’t end on the happiest of notes. After a zombie outbreak turns Louisville, Kentucky, into a wasteland of brain-eating ghouls, the military gets involved in an attempt to sweep it all under the rug.

Knowing (2009)

Blending elements of sci-fi, thrillers, and disaster films, the 2009 Nicolas Cage movie, Knowing, centers on the discovery of a manuscript that can help predict various disasters in the future. Those familiar with this setup know that survival isn’t likely in this scenario, and that’s what happens when a solar flare turns everyone on the planet into ash.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is one of the wildest, silliest, and most unique horror movies of the 21st century, and one that kills a lot of people. One by one, a group of college students is killed off by different monsters as they unknowingly become part of a plan to save the world from old gods.

Open Water (2003)

Inspired by true events, Open Water follows a couple as they are mistakenly left behind while scuba diving on vacation. Left alone in shark-infested waters and deteriorating conditions, the couple attempts to survive the situation, which is no easy task.

Silent Night (2021)

Camille Griffin’s Silent Night is one of the funniest, strangest, most brutally honest, and unsettling dark comedies of the past decade. When a deadly fog rolls into England and offers no chance at survival, a group of friends decides to have one final holiday party before dying. But there’s a twist…

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Like its predecessors, Final Destination 5 is a movie about cheating death and what happens if you evade the grim reaper’s touch. Well, in this 2011 installment, a group of survivors think they’ve cheated death for good when they board a plane. However, it’s not just any plane but instead the doomed flight from the first movie.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)

With a title like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, it should be no surprise that this 2012 romantic comedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley was going to end with everyone dying. Despite the obvious ending, this charming little movie has a whole lot of heart and soul.

Melancholia (2011)

There are disaster movies and then there’s Melancholia, Lars von Trier’s 2011 drama about two sisters coming to terms with their lives and past decisions days, hours, and minutes before a planet crashes into Earth. With a heavy focus on the inner and more psychological aspects of impending doom, opposed to the collapse of society outside their picturesque escape, this frightening yet awe-inspiring meditation on life and death is a sight to see.

This Is The End (2013)

This is the End, an over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster film starring Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and some of the biggest comedians of the late 2000s and early 2010s, is an absolute bonkers movie. Going in, you know everyone and their mother is going to die. But it’s what comes after death in this one that’s so much fun.

Apparently, if it were up to Johnson, he’d choose movies that are a bit more targeted toward adults. He cited Bad Santa, Goodfellas and Scarface as the three Christmas movies he’d prefer to watch, but like any good father, he caves every year and allows his kids to watch their preference instead. That’s apparently Home Alone, as he showed us in an adorable clip that includes Catherine O’Hara’s iconic “KEVINNNNNNNN” scream, as well as a first person shot of himself reacting in Christmas PJs. You can check out the post below…

First of all, you could do a lot worse than all four of these when it comes to movies to watch around Christmas. I’m not going to call out any specific movies by name, but I think we can all think of some holiday favorites people keep watching for inexplicable reasons that are actively bad. All of these are good and have at least some connection to the Christmas season.

The most tenuous of those connections is, of course, Scarface, but people forget that movie was actually a huge winner over the Christmas season when it was released all the way back in 1983. Most of the country got it on December 9th, and it did big business throughout the rest of the year. It’s also inspired a bazillion Christmas sweaters and a bazillion and one cocaine-related jokes about snow. I personally don’t make a habit of watching it over the holidays, but if that’s your thing, I respect it.

Now, Goodfellas is another matter entirely. Yes, it’s not traditionally considered a Christmas movie, but part of it takes place over Christmas and includes some great Christmas music. It also includes one of my favorite quick cut lines of dialogue of all-time. After Robert De Niro’s character hammers all his associates one by one for attracting way too much attention with their elaborate purchases following a robbery, we get a cut to of Ray Liotta, who is supposed to be the sensible one, shouting “I got the most expensive tree they had!” So, yeah, it’s a Christmas movie to me, and I’ve absolutely watched it over Christmas break before.

I definitely don’t need to argue the merits of whether Bad Santa is a Christmas movie. No one has ever said otherwise, though I’ve discovered over the years that it’s a little more divisive than I would have guessed. It has a lot of supporters who can’t get enough of Billy Bob Thornton’s raunchy mall Santa, and it has a lot of detractors that think it’s a little unevenly paced and doesn’t have much going for it beyond the novelty of a foul-mouthed Santa. Personally, I like it, but that might be because I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan.

And then, of course, there’s Home Alone, which was the winning movie in The Rock’s household. I’ve watched it no less than twenty times in my life, and I’m down to do it again every single time someone brings it up. With all due respect to the other A-Listers who circled the part, Macaulay Culkin is just so freakin good, and it makes me happy to see parents showing it to another generation of kids and watching them fall in love with it too.

Of course, The Rock has his own Christmas movie out right now too. Red One is dominating the streaming charts and picking up a lot of fans along the way. You can stream it on Amazon Prime right now for free with a subscription.

Al Capone - The Untouchables

Robert De Niro famously gained a bunch of weight to play legendary Chicago mob boss Al Capone in The Untouchables. Though the story is really about Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and the crew that took down Capone in the 1930s, De Niro stole the show with his amazing performance and he was rewarded with an Oscar for it. There's a reason it's considered one of the best gangster movies of all time.

Jimmy Conway - Goodfellas

There is no doubt that Goodfellas had to feature prominently on this list. Almost every character in the movie is based on a real mobster and, of course, the great Robert De Niro puts in another all-time great performance in this one as Jimmy Conway, who was based on the real-life gangster Jimmy "The Gent" Burke.

Jimmy Hoffa - The Irishman

Al Pacino sure knows how to play a mobster. Of course, at the top of any list is the fictional Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies, but he also has played some famous real-life criminals, like notorious union boss Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman. Though his performance is, predictably, a little over the top, it's still the best in the movie.

Frank Lucas - American Gangster

Gangster Frank Lucas was a kingpin in New York City in the 1970s who revolutionized the drug trade in the U.S., specifically in Harlem. He spent years in prison for his crimes, but he's gone down as a legendary criminal since. In American Gangster he's played brilliantly by the great Denzel Washington as one of the best gangsters in film history.

Frank Costello - The Departed

It's easy to make fun of Jack Nicholson's sketchy Boston accent in The Departed, but what he nails in the role is the intensity of Whitey Bulger, who his character, Frank Costello, is loosely based on. While the movie isn't a true story, per se, many of the characters were based on real-life cops and robbers, including Costello. Like Bulger Costello is terrifying.

Lefty Ruggiero - Donnie Brasco

Lefty Ruggiero has gone down as one of the most notorious gangsters for what he did wrong - namely bringing the undercover police officer Joseph D. Pistone, better known as Donnie Brasco, into the Bonanno crime family. In the movie Donnie Brasco, Al Pacino plays the luckless Ruggiero wonderfully as a mobster who tries his best, but never really has things go his way.

Bugsy Siegel - Bugsy

Gangster Ben "Bugsy" Seigel left his mark on the world by basically inventing modern Las Vegas in the 1940s when he built the first hotel on what would become the famous Las Vegas strip. The movie Bugsy tells the story of Siegel and that hotel, The Flamingo with the great Warren Beatty in the title role.

John Dillinger - Public Enemies

During The Great Depression, the public was fascinated by criminals, gangsters, and mobsters. John Dillinger was at the top of the list of bank robbers that people just loved to follow the exploits of. Public Enemies covers quite of few of the famous criminals in Dillingers various gangs, and Dillinger himself is played wonderfully by Johnny Depp.

Ace Rothstein - Casino

Martin Scorsese's Casino is all based on real-life gangsters who moved out to Las Vegas to oversee the mob's investments in the city at the height of their influence in the 1970s. Sam "Ace" Rothstein, played by Robert De Niro, is based on Frank "Ace" Rosenthal, who was a legendary bookmaker and casino exec for the East Coast families.

Whitey Bulger - Black Mass

Whitey Bulger is one of the most infamous mob bosses in American history. Bulger ran the Winter Hill Gang in Boston for years before disappearing for decades after it got out that he was an FBI informant. Johnny Depp, who plays Bulger in Black Mass disappears into the role, playing it with the same smoldering intensity that the real-life Bulger was famous for.

Baby Face Nelson - O Brother Where Are Thou?

George "Baby Face" Nelson was a Depression-era gangster who gained popularity in the public eye for his brazen crimes and psychotic behavior. A heavily fictionalized version of Nelson features prominently in a couple of scenes in the Coen Brothers' classic O Brother Where Art Thou? played by Michael Badalucco.

Henry Hill - Goodfellas

This list absolutely has to include Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, in Goodfellas. Not only is the Scorsese classic among the best mob movies ever made (with an amazing soundtrack), but Hill made himself into a celebrity as a result of the movie and his many appearances on The Howard Stern Show before his death in 2012.

Lucky Luciano - Mobsters

1991's Mobsters was a star-studded movie with a big budget that flopped pretty hard. It also failed to inspire critics. It did, however, have some pretty memorable portrayals of famous gangsters from the early days of organized crime in America. One of the most important figures in that history, Charles "Lucky" Luciano, is played by Christian Slater in the movie, and if we're honest, he's pretty good, despite the movie's failings.

Anthony Spilotro - Casino

Anthony Spilotro, who was the basis for the character Nicky Santoro played by Joe Pesci in Casino was pretty much exactly like Pesci played in the movie, according to most accounts. That's amazing to think about as the character seems so over the top it's hard to believe.

Tony Montana - Scarface

We just had to include Tony Montana in Scarface on this list, but calling the character based on a real-life gangster is a little tricky. Montana, played by Al Pacino, is a Cuban refugee in the movie, whereas the character was very loosely based on the real Scarface, Al Capone. It's not exactly the most direct analog, but it does follow the gangster in his rise to the top of the drug trade in Miami, much like Capone and booze in Chicago. So... sort of?

Frank Sheeran - The Irishman

Frank Sheeran is one of the most infamous mob hitmen of all time. He is also the titular Irishman in Netflix's The Irishman. He worked for Jimmy Hoffa, and, at least according to the movie, assassinated the union leader at the behest of mobster Russell Bufalino.

Nicky Barnes - American Gangster

American Gangster was mostly about the rise and fall of Frank Lucas in Harlem in the 1970s, but his biggest rival at the time, Nicky Barnes, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., also features prominently in the film. As portrayed in the movie, Barnes ran "The Council" and worked alongside the Italian mob families at the time.

Sonny Black - Donnie Brasco

Michael Madsen plays the character Sonny Black in Donnie Brasco who was based on the real-life mobster Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano. Napolitano was the leader of the crew, which included Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino in the movie). In real life, as in the movie, Napolitano trusted Brasco and ultimately was assassinated for that trust in 1981 when it was revealed that Brasco was really undercover agent Joe Pistone.

Frank Nitti - The Untouchables

To be clear, very little about the fictional Frank Nitti in The Untouchables is anything like the real-life Nitti. But, Frank Nitti was an infamous enforcer for Al Capone in the 1920s and '30s. In the movie, he has one of the most haunting mob deaths of all time, though it's completely fictional, as the real Nitti wasn't thrown off a building by Eliot Ness, but died many years later from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Mickey Cohen - Gangster Squad

One of the most important figures in the establishment of a mob influence on the West Coast and in LA and Las Vegas particularly was Mickey Cohen. Not only was he really the first "boss" in LA, but he also worked with Bugsy Siegel in the establishment of Las Vegas as a mob-run town in the early days. In Gangster Squad, a movie about the LAPD's case against Cohen, he is played wonderfully by Sean Penn.

Thomas DeSimone - Goodfellas

Tommy Devite, played by Joe Pesci in Goodfellas is one of the most unhinged mobsters ever portrayed on film. The character is based on the real-life Thomas DeSimone, who is part of the crew that Henry Hill is associated with. Some of the things that are likely true in the movie are his brutal murder of "Billy Batts" Bentvena, and his death at what he thought was going to be the ceremony to induct him as a "made man" as portrayed in the movie.

John Patrick Looney - Road To Perdition

Road to Perdition is a great example of a movie based on a graphic novel that isn't about a superhero, and it's loosely based on the life of Irish mobster John Patrick Looney. John Rooney, played by Paul Newman, was one of the most influential gangsters in northern Illinois in the early 20th Century.

Jimmy Hoffa - Hoffa

Decades before Al Pacino played the infamous union boss Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman, another all-time great, Jack Nicholson, played him in Hoffa. The biographical film about Hoffa was a box office bomb when it was released in 1992 co-stars (and was directed by) Danny DeVito, and while Nicholson's performance wasn't loved by all the critics, he was earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

Pretty Boy Floyd - Public Enemies

Director Michael Mann's 2009 hit Public Enemies has a whole bunch of characters based on real people on both sides of the law. One of those notorious bad guys was Pretty Boy Floyd who wasn't part of the gang led by John Dillinger but was tracked by the same G-man, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale in the movie). Pretty Boy Floyd was played, appropriately, by Channing Tatum.

John Gotti - Gotti

One of the most ridiculed gangster movies of all time has to be Gotti. It's hard to recommend it as something to be watched and enjoyed, we couldn't leave it - or the performance by John Travolta as the infamous mob leader John Gotti - off this list. It's all just so... silly.

Russell Bufalino - The Irishman

Russell Bufalino, played by Joe Pesci in The Irishman, was the boss of his own family in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He was closely associated with the Five Families in New York City, and his cousin, William Bufalino, was Jimmy Hoffa's lawyer.

John Dillinger - Dillinger

One thing you really have to love about Tom Hardy is that he's pretty fearless in the roles he takes on and never plays it safe. In Capone, the English actor takes on the role of legendary Chicago mobster Al Capone. It's all about the end of Capone's life, after he'd been in jail for years and had lost his spot at the top of the Chicago outfit. It's a weird movie, to be sure, but Hardy is great.

Paul Vario - Goodfellas

Paul Sorvino plays the character Paul Cicero, based on Paul Vario in Goodfellas. That's a lot of Pauls! First name aside, Paul Vario was the caporegime in the Lucchese crime family who was put in jail in part on the testimony of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta in the movie). Sorvino was one of the most memorable parts in a very memorable movie as the quiet, but powerful, boss of the crew Hill was a part of.

Kevin Weeks - Black Mass

Jesse Plemons' portrayal of Kevin Weeks, an associate and enforcer with the Winter Hill Gang in Black Mass is one of the best performances in a movie filled with great performances. Alongside Whitey Bulger, Weeks was a brutal henchman who eventually turned against the mob and became a snitch, snitching on his boss, which is pretty ironic.

Baby Face Nelson - Public Enemies

Unlike the version of Baby Face Nelson in O Brother Where Art Thou?, the version played by Stephen Graham in Public Enemies is much closer to the real gangster. He's psycho, but he's pleasant. It's the perfect role of Graham and the performance is a real highlight of the film.

Al Capone - Capone

You really have to appreciate Tom Hardy's choice of roles. He rarely takes the easy ones. Instead he challenges himself, like playing the aging Al Capone in Capone. The film is all about the end of Capone's life, after he's served his prison time and lost his spot at the top of the Chicago outfit. It's a powerful man in completely decline mentally and physically. It's really a fantastic performance in an uneven movie.

Billy Batts - Goodfellas

William "Billy Batts" Bentvena, played by the great Frank Vincent (who is a master at playing mobsters) in Goodfellas is really only in one scene in the whole movie, but it's become such an iconic moment, when Nicky (Joe Pesci) stabs him to death with pen, that we had to include the real-life gangster on this list.

Since there are few better ways to achieve escapism than through movies, what better way to balance the holiday rush than by kicking back with a lineup of Hollywood’s golden age goodies, modern favorites, cult classics, and more. (For those who enjoy putting things together while the TV’s on, these LEGO Black Friday deals are winners.) The following list of steep Blu-ray and DVD discounts is a perfect fit for movie buffs like myself who trust in permanent physical media more than the temporary nature of streaming services.

[Counterpoint: there are plenty of excellent Black Friday streaming deals and Black Friday VPN deals for those who prefer that route.]

For anyone who enjoys watching high-octance action sequences, criminal operations, and guys who quite enjoy zipping around the city in a customized batsuit, check out these A+ action and drama movie discounts. (And be sure to check out our curated list of Black Friday TV deals for the best way to watch all the movies you end up buying.)

Action And Drama Movie Fans' Black Friday Blu-Ray Deals

• The Batman [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital]:
• Jurassic Park [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital]: $10.99 (Was $29.98)
• King Kong [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD]: $10.98 (Was $22.98)
• Godzilla [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $34.98)
• Godzilla x King: The New Empire [DVD]: $7.99 (Was $24.98)
• Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 [Blu-ray + Digital]: $9.99 (Was $24.95)
• A Clockwork Orange [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $33.99)
• No Time to Die [4K UHD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $22.98)
• The Matrix Resurrections [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $33.99)
• The Northman [Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital]: $11.99 (Was $24.98)
• The Green Knight [Blu-ray]: $11.49 (Was $22.99)
• Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection [Blu-ray]: $54.99 (Was $99.98)
• Blade [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $14.99 (Was $34.98)
• The Equalizer 3 [UHD/BD Combo + Digital]: $16.49 (Was $49.99)
• Scarface [Gold Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital]: $10.99 (Was $29.98)

If heists, drug running and taking down vampire gangs is still too much havoc to contend with alongside all the post-Thanksgiving festivities, then why not hop into a fun coming-of-age adventure, take a few classes in magic spells or get schooled by Mr. Miyagi? Those experiences and more can be found among the various comedies and family film deals below!

Comedy And Family Movie Fans' Black Friday Blu-Ray Deals

• Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $55.99 (Was $88.72)
• The Goonies [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $34.98]
• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]: $10.99 (Was $34.98)
• $16.99 (Was $38.99)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital]: $29.99 (Was $42.08)
• Beetlejuice [4K UHD]: $12.99 (Was $34.98)
• Shrek [6-Movie Collection Blu-ray + Digital]: $33.99 (Was $69.99)
• Puss in Boots [2-Movie Collection Blu-ray + Digital]: $16.99 (Was $39.99)
• Some Like It Hot [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• The Three Stooges [Blu-ray Collection]: $128.21 (Was $230.99)
• The Breakfast Club [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• The Graduate [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• Broadcast News [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)

We all know Black Friday is more or less the official starting point for the Christmas season to begin, just under a month beyond spooky season's conclusion with Halloween. But true blue horror fans definitely don't just wait for the fall to embrace being frightened and disturbed. Thankfully, there's nothing scary in the slightest about all of the horror and sci-fi blu-ray discounts seen below, which include a few of the best scary movies of all time.

Horror And Sci-Fi Movie Fans' Black Friday Blu-Ray Deals

• Thanksgiving [Blu-ray + Digital]: $14.99 (Was $38.99)
• Universal Classic Monsters [Limited Edition Collection 4K Ultra HD + Digital]: $96.98 (Was $129.99)
• Abigail [Collector’s Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital]: $9.99 (Was $29.98)
• Saw 1-8 Film Collection [DVD]: $9.49 (Was $19.98]
• The Watchers [Blu-ray + Digital]: $9.99 (Was $22.95)
• Eyes Without a Face [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.99 (Was $39.99)
• The Devil's Backbone [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)
• Videodrome [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.99 (Was 39.95)
• Don’t Look Now [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was 39.95)
• Star Trek [10-Movie Stardate Collection Blu-ray + Digital]: $39.49 (Was $55.99)
• Terminator [6-Film Collection Blu-ray]: $24.49 (Was $44.99)
• Akira [Blu-ray/DVD Combo]: $11.99 (Was $34.98)
• The Night of the Hunter [Blu-ray]: $24.98 (Was $49.95)
• Häxan [The Criterion Collection Blu-ray]: $19.98 (Was $39.95)

Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales necessarily have to end, that doesn't mean other new deals and offers won't be there to take their places, so be sure to keep checking back in with CinemaBlend for maximum entertainment that doesn't result in empty wallets.

Anyone who just can't justify buying up more Blu-rays or DVDs should definitely check out the latest Roku Black Friday deal, as well as Amazon's best Fire Stick deal.

However, if you were a hip-hop head back in the ‘90s (like I was), your answer would likely be the Brian De Palma-directed, Al Pacino-starring-crime drama, Scarface, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest remakes of all time.

I recently re-watched it since it's currently on Netflix, and let me tell you. It's just as badass now as it was back at the height of its popularity. Here's why.

It's A Different Kind Of Immigrant Story

One of my favorite classes in college was film study on the American western and gangster films. I thought this was an odd pairing at first, but the professor made it clear that both genres, at least for many of the great films in each medium, were essentially about change.

For the western, it was the march toward progress (which is why you often see railroads being constructed in western films) and the old ways being left behind. And, for the gangster film, it was the change people were bringing to this country, most notably because of America being the land of opportunity (which is why some people–namely immigrants–turned to a life of crime when they realized that they weren’t wanted here).

I got to watch some of the best western movies in this class, as well as so many great gangster flicks, but the one prominent gangster movie that wasn’t on the curriculum was the 1983 movie Scarface. Instead, my professor included the Howard Hughes 1932 original. When I asked him why he didn’t include the 1983 film, he merely shrugged and said, “Because everybody’s probably seen that one.”

And, to be fair, he’s not wrong. However, I think he missed a great opportunity to talk about how the 1983’s Scarface has a fairly unique immigrant story, which is very different from the one we typically get about Italian immigrants. In this Scarface, we get a Cuban refugee in Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino.

In the film, Montana is literally fresh off the boat and arriving in Miami. He gets into a refugee camp, but due to his former life of crime, is offered a green card with the task of murdering one of Fidel Casro’s henchmen. This ultimately leads to his ascension in the crime world. It’s certainly a different approach to the immigrant story, and it makes for an interesting companion piece to the 1932 original.

Tony Montana Relishes Being The Bad Guy

Another thing I love about Scarface – and why it likely connected with rappers in the ‘90s – is because Tony Montana just loves being a bad guy. Unlike, say, Don Corleone, who believes that power (and family) are everything, Tony Montana literally shoots his best friend out of rage after he finds him with his sister.

He also doesn’t operate in silence, which is funny, since Al Pacino also played Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, and in that world, he made connections and became legitimate in a way that allowed him to operate his business quietly. But, that is not Tony Montana.

Tony is the kind of guy who wears a white suit and a red shirt as if to say, “Come on now. Look at me. Don’t I look good?” He’s the kind of guy who even calls himself a bad guy. In fact, one of the best lines in the movie concerns that very topic:

And, that pretty much sums Tony up right there. Montana doesn’t hide behind a desk. He goes out to fancy clubs and grabs his wife by the hair in public. He is totally unfiltered, and a true antagonist. Tony Soprano, eat your heart out.

The Film Is Just Dripping In The '80s, Which Is One Of The Coolest Decades

One of the coolest video games of all time is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and one of the reasons for that is because it fully embraces its ‘80s aesthetic.

However, while GTA: VC revels in that era (even though it’s a 2002 game), Scarface lives in it. That’s why Scarface is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the ‘80s, and ultimately one of the best movies of all time. It practically marinates in that decade.

From the music, to the can-do attitude, to the sunny outlook toward the future, Scarface is 1983 top to bottom. And, this is important, since the time period of a gangster movie is almost like a character in itself.

Just look at The Godfather Part II. The story actually takes place in two time periods, and both of them are distinct from one-another. Michael’s story takes place in 1958. While a young Vito’s story takes place in the early 1900s.

This is very important thematically, since young Vito comes to the states at a very young age (and it is also where he gets his Corleone surname). We see the trials and tribulations Italian immigrants had to go through just to scrape by, so when we see his son, Michael, in the 1950s, we also see just how far he’s come, as well as the setting shifting along with him.

And, this is very similar to Scarface. The excess of the ‘80s runneths all over Tony Montana. So, when he’s sitting behind a mountain of cocaine on his desk, it feels very much of the time. What a decade to be alive!

Tony's Rise And Fall Is One For The Ages

Tony Montana is not a hero. I think I’ve already established that. From the very onset, you can tell he’s a very bad dude, and you know that things aren’t going to end well for him.

That said, he has charisma for days, and you end up liking him, even though he’s a terrible human being (I mean, at one point, he gets pissed off because somebody wants to kill a journalist with their wife and child present, to which Tony adamantly replies, “No wife, no kids.”

So, obviously, this is a man with a code. Things are good for Tony at the midpoint of the movie when he's building his empire. I mean, hell, even the blimp reads, “The World is Yours” (which is also the title of the underappreciated Scarface video game).

However, things quickly go south from there. Tony steps on a few too many toes, and he gets too big for his britches, as my mom likes to say.

He also gets hopelessly addicted to cocaine, which clouds his judgment to the point that he struggles to realize what's even happening when his sister gets shot to death. Oh, and speaking of which…

The Final Shootout Is One Of The Most Memorable In Film History

I once had a DVD back in the day from Costco of the best action scenes, which came from some of the best action movies of all time.

Now, of course you had your obvious picks, like Rumble in the Bronx, The Matrix, and Hard Boiled, but it also had the final shootout from Scarface, and I'm sorry. Is Scarface an action movie all of a sudden?

Obviously, it's not, but the shootout at the end is so legendary that it doesn't feel misplaced on that list.

It all occurs when a legion of killers swarm Montana's mansion. His sister comes to shoot her brother after he killed her husband (his former best friend), and after she gets shot herself, Tony loads up and gets ready for war, and man, what a scene it is.

I mean, Tony is killing pretty much everybody left and right. And since he's so high on coke, he gets pelted with plenty of bullets, only for him to just stand at the top of the staircase, shouting his head off. Eventually, he gets blown away from behind. Seriously, this scene never gets old.

And, that's why Scarface will always be the coolest gangster movie of all time. For more news on other gangster films, be sure to swing by here often!

Los Angeles - The Big Lebowski

There are a lot of movies set in Los Angeles. Narrowing it down to one is almost impossible, so we chose a movie that at its heart is pure LA. The Big Lebowski has become one of the most beloved movies of all time, and since the protagonist, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) plays "the laziest man in Los Angeles County," well, his movie just had to be on the list.

Atlanta - Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind may have some very problematic themes, to say the least, but it is still the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) of all time. Set in and around the city of Atlanta during the Civil War, it's a timeless bit of history both in story and in production.

Houston - Rushmore

Director Wes Anderson is from Houston and Rushmore, as only his second feature film, has a bit of an autobiographical feel to it. It is set in his hometown, and much of it was filmed there as well, including his own high school for the fictional Rushmore Academy.

San Francisco - Vertigo

San Francisco is one of the most iconic and picturesque cities in the whole country so it's no surprise that a lot of movies have been shot there. Everything from The Rock to Bullitt, to more. However, there is no way you can't pick the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo to go on this list. Not only is it one of Hitchcock's best, it's among the best films of all time.

Philadelphia - Rocky

When you mention Philadelphia on a list like this, almost everyone is going to think of one movie: Rocky. There may be no movie more identified with the city it takes place in than the 1977 Best Picture winner. Sure, there are other fantastic movies set in the City of Brotherly Love, but none compare to Sly Stallone's classic. Or, if we're honest, all the other movies in the Rocky franchise.

Dallas - Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club is a heartbreaking, but incredible picture. Matthew McConaughey's performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar and while Dallas, Texas, has been the setting for quite a few films, none are as important, or as good, as this one.

Cleveland - Major League

In the opening song to Major League, Randy Newman sings "Cleveland, city of light, city of magic." It's meant to be ironic in the song, but the movie is as much a love letter to the city and the fans of the former Indians (now Guardians) baseball team. It's one of the best sports movies ever made and there is nothing more Cleveland than long-suffering sports fans.

Austin - Dazed And Confused

When you watch Dazed And Confused, you feel Austin in the 1970s as much as you see it. Director Richard Linklater truly made a love letter to his hometown and his high school years with this classic film, filled with amazing moments and hilarious quotes. It's truly one of the best movies set in Texas.

Washington DC - All the President's Men

Washington DC is an iconic world capital and as such, has been the setting for dozens of movies. From biopics about Presidents like Nixon to horror movies like The Exorcist, DC has seen it all. There isn't a movie that oozes DC power and corruption quite like All The President's Men, which tells the story of the two reporters who broke one of the biggest scandals of all time with the Watergate break-in.

Miami - Scarface

Florida has been described as a sunny place for shady people and there is no film that portrays that better than Scarface. Al Pacino's classic performance as Cuban-criminal-turned-refugee-turned-drug-kingpin is a stone-cold classic. There are lighter films set in Miami, but there are no better films than the dark and violent Scarface.

New York City - Do The Right Thing

How do you pick just one movie to represent New York City on film? It could be a classic Woody Allen movie or one of the many rom-coms set in the Big Apple. Maybe it's a comedy like Ghostbusters. It's an impossible task, but for this one, we've settled on a native New Yorker's classic. Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing simply is New York.

Boston - Good Will Hunting

Boston is one of the oldest and most iconic cities in the U.S. Picking one movie from here is tough, but you simply can't go wrong with Good Will Hunting. Written by and starring two Beantown stars, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie was filmed all over town and Boston is as much a character in the film as Will and Chuckie Sullivan. Just the name "Chuckie Sullivan" oozes Southie.

San Diego - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

San Diego may only be about 100 miles from the capital of the film industry, but sometimes it feels like a million. There are a few movies set there, but fewer than you would think. Still, it's easy to pick the best one. Anchorman was an instant classic and all the humor holds up as well today as when it was released in 2004.

Seattle - Sleepless In Seattle

While it's true that much of Sleepless In Seattle actually takes place in New York, including the classic final scene, it's still a movie very much about Seattle in the early '90s. It's a classic Tom Hanks rom-com filled with some of his funniest lines and was among the first movies to put Seattle on the Hollywood map (though far from the only).

Memphis - The Firm

Memphis may be the home of Elvis, but it hasn't seen a ton of movies set in it. The iconic southern city invented rock and roll and still hosts some of the best music festivals in the country, but it's just not the most picturesque place to set a movie. The Firm goes against that wisdom with great success and as much of the film was actually shot there, you get a real feel for what the city is all about.

St. Louis - Meet Me In St. Louis

For many years, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the United States. The town started to lose its luster towards the middle of the 20th Century, but it's still a classic American city. Surprisingly few films are set there, but there is no greater classic than Meet Me In St. Louis, set at the apex of the city's history during the 1904 World's Fair.

Detroit - Dreamgirls

Motor City. Motown. Detroit is known for two American icons. The auto industry and Motown records. The latter is where Dreamgirls comes from as a fictionalized version of the amazing music scene in the city in the 1960s. Like other cities on this list, Detroit may have lost some of its luster, but it'll never lose its history.

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Fargo

The Coen Brothers grew up in Minnesota, so that makes Fargo their most personal film in a way. No other movie oozes The Land of 10,000 Lakes quite like the Academy Award winner. From the ubiquitous snow to the spot-on accents, there is simply no other movie about the Twin Cities or the state of Minnesota quite as good.

Chicago - The Untouchables

Chicago has long been one of America's most iconic (and largest) cities. There have been dozens and dozens of great movies filmed there, including most of the late, great John Hughes movies. If you travel abroad, though, you'll find that around the world, the city is still famous for Al Capone and Chicago's organized crime during prohibition. That means you have to include The Untouchables on this list.

Las Vegas - Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven is one of the great heist movies of all time. Whether it's the original starring the Rat Pack in the 1960s, or the amazing 2001 version starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and the rest of that amazing cast, you get a full view of "cool" Las Vegas. Both movies represent different eras of the gambling mecca, but the more modern version is the better movie, if we're honest.

Birmingham - Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes is not only a wonderful representation of Birmingham, Alabama, it's a great representation of the whole state. Sure, you might think of Forrest Gump for the state, but Gump travels all over the place, while Fried Green Tomatoes sticks close to home and highlights everything about Birmingham folks that makes them great.

Nashville - Nashville

The city of Nashville means one thing to most people: Country music. So it tracks that the best movie set in Nashville is not only called Nashville, but is about breaking through the competitive music scene in the city. The Robert Altman classic shows why the city is such a crossroads in American music.

New Orleans - A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams may have been born and raised in St. Louis, but he is most associated with New Orleans. NOLA, as it's known, is maybe the most unique city in America and it's been the subject of all kinds of storytelling over the years, but A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story like few other.

Pittsburgh - Fences

Like many other rustbelt cities, Pittsburgh's best days seem to be in its past, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have interesting stories to tell today, even if they are about its past. Fences is a perfect example of that. The Academy Award-nominated movie starring the brilliant Denzel Washington isn't always the easiest movie to watch, but it's just so satisfying in the end, even as tragic as it is.

Columbus - Ready Player One

According to Ready Player One, the future belongs to Columbus, OH. It's not the most likely place to be tech capital, but in the sci-fi movie filled with '80s nostalgia and endless amazing easter eggs, it is just that. We'll just have to see if this version of a dystopian future pans out.

Tampa - Cocoon

Tampa is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, but its film history is pretty thin. One major exception to that is the classic Cocoon. With an all-star cast including Wilford Brimley, Don Ameche, Steve Guttenberg, Jessica Tandy, and Brian Dennehy, the movie is set in Florida for good reason, it's about retired folks finding the fountain of youth, of sorts. Two things long associated with the Sunshine State.

Kansas City - Kansas City

Jazz is one of the truly "American" forms of music and Kansas City is one of the homes of the homegrown art form. The movie Kansas City draws on that rich history as director Robert Altman, who was born and raised in the Missouri city, made a true love letter to his hometown, showing the highs and lows of Kansas City's most important historical era in the 1930s.

Denver - Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a strange, but wonderful movie if you are in the mood for it. While the Colorado mountains have long held a mystique for Hollywood, the city of Denver itself hasn't been held in quite the same esteem. This movie shows why it should, and as Denver is growing by leaps and bounds these days, we'll probably see more of the Mile High City in the future.

Baltimore - Hairspray

Whether it's the original version of Hairspray directed by John Waters or the more recent musical version, both ooze the great city of Baltimore in the early '60s. If The Wire is the definitive take on the city on television, Hairspray is a different, yet equally important take on the silver screen.

Charleston - The Notebook

Set in Charleston, SC, The Notebook is one of the best romantic movies of all time. Though the love is interrupted by World War II, and it's set in a number of locations, the movie still highlights just what Charleston was and is today, to some extent.

Cincinnati - Traffic

Cincinnati is a great river city in American and it feels like there should be more stories to tell about the city. There surely are and while Traffic is set in a number of places around the world, the story that takes place in Cincinnati feels the most American of the whole movie. It's a story that could happen anywhere, but setting in Cincinnati makes it uniquely American.

San Antonio - Cloak & Dagger

If you grew up in the '80s and had cable TV, there is a good chance you watched Cloak & Dagger a lot. It was on all the time in the mid-eighties and it remains an under-appreciated gem by anyone who didn't grow up watching the Dabney Coleman classic. One of its most iconic scenes happens on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.

The question is, in what film did these stars hit their peak of cinematic brilliance during that decade? Let's see if we can provide an answer by looking at the best '80s movies starring the most iconic '80s actors, in our opinion.

Bruce Willis (Die Hard)

While the TV series Moonlighting made Bruce Willis a household name, playing John McClane, a New York cop at war with violent German thieves in an LA high-rise on Christmas Eve, made him a movie star in 1988. However, Die Hard might be the actor's best film in any decade, let alone the greatest action movie of all time. 

Sigourney Weaver (Aliens)

Fans have been debating which is the best Alien movie for years but no one disagrees that James Cameron's Aliens is the best Alien movie of the '80s. The 1986 sci-fi movie classic, in which our human protagonists take on plenty more than just one vicious extraterrestrial this time, saw Sigourney Weaver reprise Xenomorph survivor Ellen Ripley to Academy Award-nominated acclaim.

Jack Nicholson (Terms Of Endearment)

The single most iconic Jack Nicolson performance from the 1980s, arguably, comes from the horror movie classic, The Shining. However, we chose to highlight his Academy Award-winning performance in director James L. Brooks' tragic 1983 Best Picture Oscar winner, Terms of Endearment, as Garrett, who forms a complicated relationship with his widowed next-door neighbor, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine). 

Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally...)

Meg Ryan made up one of Hollywood's most beloved onscreen couples with Tom Hanks, but we loved her the most in the '80s when she was falling in love with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... Considered one of the greatest rom-coms of all time, director Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's clever and sweet 1989 favorite traces the titular duo's evolution from enemies, to friends, to lovers over the course of 12 years.

Tom Cruise (Top Gun)

Everyone had the need, the need for speed, in 1986 when director Tony Scott's romantic, action-packed instant classic, Top Gun, ruled the box office, captured the hearts of audiences everywhere, and spawned an acclaimed blockbuster sequel in 2022 called Top Gun: Maverick. If Tom Cruise was not a movie star before then, there was no doubt he was at the top of A-list after giving his all as daredevil Navy pilot, Maverick.

Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice)

There are few actors with as much esteem in Hollywood as the great Meryl Streep, who earned her second Academy Award for her mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance in the title role of Sophie’s Choice. Writer and director Alan J. Pakula's adaptation of William Styron's passionate novel follows the relationship between a Polish woman who survived the Holocaust and a Jewish-American man (played by Kevin Kline) who is obsessed with the tragedy.

Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice)

The all-time best Michael Keaton movie and performance might always be up for debate but no one can deny that, in the 1980s, no film saw him demonstrate his high-energy comedic talents and versatility better than Beetlejuice. The Oscar nominee plays the title role of Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy classic (actually spelled "Betelgeuse") — a sleazy "bio-exorcist" begrudgingly enlisted by a recently deceased couple (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) to scare their home's new inhabitants out.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias)

The 1980s was a great time for Sally Field, who won both of her Oscars during that decade — one for Norma Rae in 1980 and another in 1985 for Places in the Heart. However, we believe the one film that best encapsulates the actor's stunning range is the powerful, charming 1989 dramedy Steel Magnolias, in which she shines brightly among an ensemble cast including Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts as a close-knit group of Louisiana women.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

There were few movie stars in the '80s bigger than Eddie Murphy, who made such a huge impact in very little time on SNL before hitting it big with feature-length classics like 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop. Yet, 1988's Coming to America was the first film to see him disappear into multiple roles and, not to mention, African Prince Akeem's search for love in Queens, New York, amounts to a hilarious and heartfelt story.

Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club)

The first face we tend to picture when we think of the Brat Pack is Molly Ringwald, who was the go-to young female actor for coming-of-age dramedies of the '80s, such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. However, her best film — and, arguably, the greatest high school movie of all time — is writer and director John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, in which she and four of the decade's most essential stars (Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson) play a group of socially disparate teens who find unexpected kinship during Saturday detention.

Denzel Washington (Cry Freedom)

Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington received his first Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of activist Steve Biko in director Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom. The 1987 film focuses primarily on the friendship between the influential Black anti-Apartheid activist and the white South African journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), who puts his own life at risk to investigate Biko's death.

Jodie Foster (The Accused)

Not only does 1988's The Accused feature one of Jodie Foster's most powerful, Academy Award-winning performances, but it is also an enduringly relevant indictment of a flawed justice system that silences women. Foster plays Sarah Tobias, the victim of a violent assault who, along with her prosecuting attorney, Katheryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), is challenged by a case that puts the blame on her.

Robert De Niro (Raging Bull)

Out of all of Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese's collaborations, none have been as unique and as moving as 1980's Raging Bull. De Niro delivers a roaring one-two punch in the masterful sports movie as real-life boxer Jake LaMotta, tracing his rousing success in the ring and his tragic self-destructive tendencies outside of it.

Cher (Moonstruck)

In 1987, Cher proved that she was a master in both the world of music and the world of acting with her Academy Award-winning performance as Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck. Soon after the widowed Italian-American woman agrees to marry her boyfriend, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), she finds herself falling deeper and deeper in love with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage).

Harrison Ford (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

One of Harrison Ford's all-time greatest characters is the rough, resourceful, globe-trotting archeologist Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones. The iconic hero was first introduced in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark — director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas' tribute to cinema that would later inspire countless tributes to its stunning visual design, John Williams' sweeping score, and its endlessly thrilling, wall-to-wall action.

Diane Keaton (Reds)

Diane Keaton is an absolute revelation in co-writer and director Warren Beatty's 1981 historical epic, Reds. She plays famed activist Louise Bryant who falls in love with radical-minded fellow journalist John Reed (Beatty) as he hopes to bring the ideals of Russia's Communist Revolution to the United States.

Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society)

The late Robin Williams gives us the best of both his comedic energy and dramatic authenticity in director Peter Weir's moving 1989 drama Dead Poet's Society. As English teacher John Keating, he serves as a much-needed role model to a close-knit group of Catholic boarding school students (played by rising stars such as Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard) who learn how to seize the day.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface)

It was in the '90s when three-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer really began to hit her stride but her strongest work in the '80s is, arguably, Scarface. She stars in director Brian de Palma's 1983 gangster movie classic as Elvira Hancock, who becomes the wife of Cuban crime lord, Tony Montana (Oscar winner Al Pacino).

Morgan Freeman (Glory)

One of the most inspiring Morgan Freeman performances comes from 1989's beloved, moving war movie, Glory. The Oscar winner stars as Sergeant Major John Rawlins, who is the highest-ranked Black member of his regiment in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Legendary comedian Whoopi Goldberg earned her first Academy Award nomination for her heartbreaking performance as Celie Johnson in 1985's The Color Purple. Director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's seminal novel chronicles decades in the life of the Black, Southern woman as she endures dehumanizing adversity and traumatic abuse. 

Kurt Russell (Escape From New York)

One of co-writer and director John Carpenter's best movies, 1981's Escape from New York, takes place in a war-torn future when Air Force One crash lands inside a maximum security prison that used to be the Big Apple and the President of the United States (Donald Pleasance) is taken hostage by the prisoners. The only one who can save him is a recently arrested, hardened war veteran named Snake Plissken, which is easily one of Kurt Russell's coolest roles and certainly one of his greatest performances.

Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction)

While we do not condone treacherous acts like boiling a family's pet rabbit alive, we would consider Alex Forrest to be a villain with understandable motivations, and not just because Glenn Close gives a brilliant performance in 1987's intense thriller, Fatal Attraction. It was married lawyer Dan Gallagher's (Michael Douglas) mistake to indulge in a one-time fling with the New York editor, who then misconstrues the affair for love and continues to taunt him and his family in increasingly horrifying ways.

Sylvester Stallone (First Blood)

Sylvester Stallone has played many iconic roles in many great action movies, especially in the 1980s, but his best role from that decade would have to be John Rambo in First Blood. The 1981 adaptation of David Morell's novel is not a conventional shoot-em-up thriller like the later Rambo movies but an emotionally charged, nuanced drama in which the burdened Vietnam veteran is pushed to the edge by a cruel sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and wages a war against a whole town.

Goldie Hawn (Overboard)

Many of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn's most memorable roles see her sharing the screen with her real-life romantic partner, Kurt Russell, and the couple's chemistry was at an all-time high in director Garry Marshall's Overboard. Hawn stars in the inventive and charming 1987 rom-com as a spoiled socialite with amnesia who is convinced by a carpenter (Russell) that she is his wife and the mother of his four boys to get back at her for her cruel treatment. 

Bill Murray (Ghostbusters)

Academy Award nominee Bill Murray is one of the most beloved comedic talents of the '80s (or any decade, really) and to understand why, all you need to do is watch 1984's Ghostbusters. Also one of director Ivan Reitman's best movies, the spooky, kooky classic sees Murray's masterfully witty Peter Venkman team up with Ray Stantz (writer Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) to rid New York of its scariest spirits.

Geena Davis (The Accidental Tourist)

Geena Davis earned an Academy Award for her wonderfully eccentric performance in 1988's The Accidental Tourist as Muriel Pritchett. Emotionally distant travel writer Macon Leary (William Hurt) meets and begins to fall for the free-spirited dog trainer after splitting with his wife (played by Kathleen Turner), following the death of their son, in director Lawrence Kasdan's moving dramedy. 

Kevin Bacon (Footloose)

It is no wonder why Chris Prat's Peter Quill regarded Kevin Bacon's role in Footloose as one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history. Ren singlehandedly brought dance back to the cruelly repressed small town of Bomont in the timelessly entertaining music movie from 1984.

Kathleen Turner (Romancing The Stone)

The ultimate romantic adventure comedy would have to be director Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit, Romancing the Stone. Kathleen Turner is wonderful as novelist Joan Wilder, who enlists the help of a rogue mercenary to help rescue her kidnapped sister in Colombia and ends up joining him on the search for a prized artifact. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator)

The film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger the leading action movie hero of the 1980s remains his best action movie from the decade, as far as we are concerned. The Austrian bodybuilder gives a pitch-perfect, ice-cold performance as one of the best '80s movie villains — the cybernetic title role of James Cameron's The Terminator, which is sent from a war-torn future to prevent the birth of humanity's savior by killing his mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).

Jane Fonda (9 To 5)

After taking the '70s by storm as one of the decade's biggest and most acclaimed stars, Jane Fonda started off the 1980s right with 9 to 5. In the hilarious workplace satire, her character, Judy Bernly, teams up with fellow office assistants Violet (Lily Tomlin) and Doralee (Dolly Parton) to turn the tables on their nightmare of a boss (played by Dabney Coleman).

Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)

In his second Academy Award-winning performance, Dustin Hoffman plays autistic-savant Raymond Babbitt in Barry Levinson's Best Picture Oscar winner, Rain Man. He stars opposite Tom Cruise as his younger brother, Charlie, who gets to meet him for the first time in this beautiful family story from 1988. 

Daryl Hannah (Wall Street)

You can find Daryl Hannah in many of the '80s' most iconic cinematic classics but the cream of the crop would have to be Wall Street. She stars in Oliver Stone's riveting 1987 drama as Darien Taylor, who once shared a romance with corrupt stockbroker Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) and begins a relationship with his ambitious protege, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).

Father of the Bride

The 1991 Steve Martin flick Father of the Bride is loved by millions who grew up with it as one of their go-to comedies. What might surprise you is that it's a remake. The original, starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor marked a moment in Taylor's career when she moved to playing adult roles. It's also really good, having been nominated for multiple Oscars after its release in 1950.

Ben-Hur

Usually, you'd expect a movie released in the 1950s to be the one being remade, rather than being a remake itself, but one of the greatest movies in Hollywood history, 1959's Ben-Hur, is actually a remake itself. The original, a silent movie released in 1925, was also a blockbuster, but it's almost completely in the shadow of the Charlton Heston-led hit. 

Cape Fear

Nick Nolte and Robert De Niro are fantastic in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear from 1991. De Niro got jacked for the role and his performance is legendary. The movie itself is actually a remake of a 1962 movie that Gregory Peck in the Nolte role and Robert Mitchem as the psychopath Max Cady, played by De Niro in the remake. A fun bit of trivia is that both Peck and Mitchem appeared as different characters in the remake. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is one of the most quotable and timeless comedies of the 1980s. Michael Caine, Steve Martin, and Glenne Headly star in the movie about scheming con artists on the French Riviera. It's also a remake of a movie starring David Niven, Marlon Brando, and Shirley Jones called Bedtime Story, released in 1964.

True Lies

1994's True Lies was Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron at the height of their collective powers. Tom Arnold is surprisingly great too. The original version of the story was released just three years earlier, a French comedy called La Totale! It doesn't have the huge action sequences that True Lies has, but it is really funny. 

Heat

Michael Mann's 1995 film Heat is one of the best heist movies ever made and marked the first time Robert De Niro and Al Pacino acted opposite each other in a movie (they were both in The Godfather II, but not together). 

The Fly

If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance the 1986 film The Fly is one of the craziest movies you remember watching. The combo of Jeff Goldblum as the star and David Cronenberg as director makes for one wild ride of a horror movie. The visuals stick with you forever. Of course, the original, released in 1958, is also a classic of the sci-fi horror genre and should not be missed. 

The Birdcage

The Birdcage was a massive hit upon its release in 1991. The Robin Williams and Nathan Lane-led film is considered a landmark movie in LQBTQ+ representation in film and was a remake of a wonderful French movie called La Cage aux Folles. La Cage aux Folles won a Golden Globe and was nominated for three Oscars after its release in 1978.

The Ring

The Ring was one of the scariest movies of the early 21st Century that benefited from a unique marketing campaign that in and of itself freaked people out. The Gore Verbinski-directed horror movie was a fantastic remake of a 1998 Japanese movie simply called Ring. Both are excellent. 

Three Men And A Baby

Did you know that Three Men and a Baby was a remake? Like a lot of movies, it was based on an earlier French film. Trois hommes et un couffin, which translates to "Three Men and a Cradle," was in 1985, two years before its American cousin. The French version was a hit in France and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. 

The Thomas Crown Affair

It's rare that remakes are actually better than the original, but one clear case is 1999's The Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo. That's not to say the original 1968 version with Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen is bad, because it's also great. That's just how good the later version is. Both are worth watching, if you've never seen them. 

3:10 To Yuma

Despite being one of the best Westerns of the 21st Century, 3:10 To Yuma was a box office disappointment. Both the 2007 version and the 1957 version of the movie were based on a short story by the great Elmore Leonard. 

The Departed

For many, the most surprising entry on this list will be Martin Scorsese's masterpiece The Departed. That's right, the Best Picture winner released in 2006 was actually a remake of a 2002 Hong Kong movie called Infernal Affairs. Obviously the setting and the characters are different, as Scorsese set his movie in Boston, but the plot points, dueling "rats" in the police department and mafia, remains the core of both stories. 

Little Shop Of Horrors

This one is a little different than most of the others on this list. 1986's Little Shop of Horrors was actually a film adaptation of a 1983 Broadway musical, but the musical was based on a 1960 B horror movie directed by Roger Corman. Frankly, all three are worth your time, but the '88 off-beat version of the musical is the best. 

Gone In 60 Seconds

The original Gone In 60 Seconds, released in 1974, is a fantastic low-budget flick that was basically the vision of man, H. B. Halicki. The remake, which basically just lifts the plot with very little else in common, is a big-budget blockbuster that is also a really fun watch. It's filled with some of the coolest cars in Hollywood history, so if that's your thing, you should check out both. 

Fatal Attraction

There are few movies in history as disturbing as 1987's Fatal Attraction. Glenn Close's performance as the jilted lover/psychopath is remarkable and it's a shame she didn't win an Oscar for it. The movie itself was based on a short filmed from 1980 short film called Diversion. Both were written by James Dearden, who was also involved in the 2023 TV show, also called Fatal Attraction.

The Ladykillers

The Ladykillers, directed by the Coen Brothers, is generally thought of as a bad movie by iconic directors, That might be because it's a remake. Sure, they did a great job with True Grit, but the original Ladykillers, released in 1955 and starring Alec Guinness, is a much better movie than the Coens' version, and that isn't easy to admit. 

Angels In The Outfield

Angels in the Outfield is another movie on this list that might surprise you. The family baseball movie released in 1994 was a hit and is still beloved by people today who are nostalgic for their childhood. It also happens to be a remake of a movie few of those same people have seen. The original Angels in the Outfield was released in 1951 and faired poorly at the box office but is generally thought more highly of today. 

The Maltese Falcon

1941's The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart is a stone-cold classic. It's also, surprisingly, a remake! That's right, one of the best movies ever was based on a movie from ten years earlier, of the same name. The original is mostly forgotten these days, and understandably so.

Living

One of the most overlooked movies in recent years has to be 2022's Living starring Bill Nighy. The movie, based on a 1952 Akira Kurosawa film called Ikiru, is about what it's like to be freed by a terminal cancer diagnosis and really start... living. It's always a bold decision to remake a movie by a master like Kurosawa, but the crew behind Living knocked it out of the park. 

The Taking Of Pelham 123

The Tony Scott-directed 2009 movie The Taking Of Pelham 123 is actually the third film adaptation of a novel by Morton Freedgood. The first movie, directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Walter Matthau, is still the best of the three, but the '09 version is also worth a watch. 

Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks, from 2010, isn't the greatest movie Steve Carrell has ever made, but his performance is still fantastic. It's a real bright spot in the film. If you want the same story, but better, and you don't mind French subtitles, check out the movie Schmucks was based on, the 1998 French film Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game).

The Man Who Knew To Much

This is a unique one. Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much from 1956 is, in fact, a remake of his own movie of the same name from 1934. The '50s version, starring James Stewart and Doris Day, actually altered quite a bit from the original, but we simply have to include it for its uniqueness. 

Scarface

1983's legendary Scarface is very different from the movie it was based on, a 1932 movie loosely inspired by Al Capone. The '80s movie is about a Cuban immigrant who rises to power in the Miami underground, as opposed to the Capone-inspired character in the original rising to power in Chicago. 

Scent Of A Woman

Al Pacino finally won his first Oscar for his performance in 1992's Scent Of A Woman. While it's debatable if it's one of Pacino's best performances, there's no question he needed to win an Academy Award at some point. The movie was based on an Italian film of the same name (Profumo di donna in Italian), and that movie was nominated for two Oscars, so it's well worth checking out. 

The Magnificent Seven

Yes, there was a remake of the 1960 John Sturges-directed The Magnificent Seven in 2016, but we're talking about the original here. The 1960 movie is technically a remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai from 1954, which is often listed as among the Japanese director's best. Sturges' movie is great too. 

Victor/Victoria

Victor/Victoria, starring Julie Andrews in one of her best roles and directed by the great Blake Edwards, is kind of a forgotten hit these days. It was nominated for seven Oscars in its day and features some wonderful performances. The movie was a remake of a German movie from 1933 called Viktor und Viktoria.

Man On Fire

2004's Man on Fire isn't one of Denzel Washington's best movies. The movie it was a remake of (or, at least, another movie based on the same book) wasn't very good either. The original was released in 1987 and starred Scott Glenn in the lead role. It's a great story, so at some point maybe someone will remake it again and make it work. 

Heaven Can Wait

Warren Beaty was nominated for four Academy Awards for 1978's Heaven Can Wait, picking up nominations for Best Picture (he produced it), Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor. Sadly he didn't win one, but it's still a great movie. It's a remake of a movie from 1941 called Here Comes Mr. Jordan, though both are based on a play, originally. 

An Affair To Remember

An Affair to Remember (1957) starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr is one of the most beloved movies of its day. It was not, however, totally original. It was, in fact, a remake of a 1939 movie called Love Affair, itself far less revered. Just remember that the next time someone says "Hollywood doesn't have original ideas anymore" - Hollywood has been remaking movies forever. 

CODA

2021's CODA was a bit of a surprise hit, winning Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars. It tells the story of a woman who is the only hearing member of a deaf family. It's a powerful movie, reflected in the praise it earned from critics. It is a remake of another wonderful movie, a Belgium film called La Famille Bélier (The Family Belier) released in 2014. 

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

While The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty was a modest hit with generally middling reviews, it really should be seen by any movie fan. Ben Stiller puts forth one of the best performances of his stellar career in the movie, which is the second adaption of a short story by author James Thurber. The first came way back in 1947, starring Danny Kaye in the lead role. 

He plays the ultimate villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Josh Brolin recently revealed that he needed a little help tapping into his inner bad guy to play the alien warlord Thanos, who appeared in a number of MCU movies but most notably Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

While Marvel fans have been scouring the universe for every teasing clue that more Thanos is coming—here's what the actor himself had to say about those relentless rumors—Brolin took moviegoers back to the character's beginnings in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy during a sit-down with GQ, in which Josh broke down some of his most iconic film roles, from The Goonies to Dune. 

He, of course, touched on the Mad Titan, but shared that he didn't think he was right to play the supervillain, until the Russo Brothers gave him a note that helped him unlock that performance: 

To play the Marvel villain (who Brolin hilariously calls "a super good guy, like a neighbor...just purple and big"), the actor had to navigate the complicated nature of motion capture work, which sees performers having to sport skintight bodysuits covered with "1500 dots on your face" to record their movements. 

Those 3D points can then be rendered into a digital character and placed in a new setting, à la Thanos on planet Titan. Brolin previously revealed that it was Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Smaug in the Hobbit movies that brought him around to the greatness of mo-cap work.

Given that much of an actor's motion-capture performance isn't fully realized until they can see the whole finished product onscreen, a role like Thanos requires a lot of trust in the filmmakers. Thankfully Brolin said that he's been lucky enough to work with people who are "absolutely and utterly committed to their vision," like directors Anthony and Joseph Russo. 

It's unclear whether we'll be seeing Josh Brolin as Thanos in any upcoming Marvel movies—last we saw the iconically evil character onscreen, he died not once but twice in Avengers: Endgame, first in a beheading by Thor and then in Iron Man's Infinity Stones sacrifice. But if we do, we know that the actor is more than capable of letting out that Tony Montana rage. 

In the meantime, you can catch Brolin in another big-budget sci-fi epic, Denis Villeneuve's space blockbuster Dune: Part Two, in theaters tomorrow, March 1.

Sonny Corleone (The Godfather)

It's not like audiences are ever surprised to see Don Corleone's oldest son, Sonny, get taken out by Barzini's men by the toll booth in The Godfather. His famous "hot head" gets to him as he tries in vain to rescue his sister from her abusive husband. Still, there is something in that performance by James Caan that makes it unforgettable, he so wants to live and it takes a true barrage to take him down.  

Nicky Santoro (Casino)

Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) in Casino is a notorious hothead, never backing down from even the slightest insult. His unbridled recklessness eventually is his undoing when the mobsters from back east have had enough and order his hit. The brutality of the hit, done with baseball bats, will forever live in our nightmares. 

Sonny (A Bronx Tale)

Sonny's (Chazz Palminteri) death in A Bronx Tale isn't particularly violent, it's a straight up mob shooting. What makes it so freaky is how happy Sonny looks just before he gets it. He's at a party, enjoying life, when bang! he's gone. He never even sees it coming. 

Billy Batts (Goodfellas)

Actor Frank Vincent plays a great mob guy. In Goodfellas, which is one of the best movies of the '90s, he plays Billy Batts, the guy that tells Tommy (Joe Pesci) to go get his shinebox. Tommy doesn't like it very much, to say the least and later, when Billy is relaxed, he jumps him with the help of Henry (Ray Liotta) and Jimmy (Robert De Niro). It's a brutal beating, but he doesn't die right away, instead, Tommy is forced to stab him in the trunk of the car later. 

Tango (American Gangster)

Idris Elba plays a criminal well. Let's be honest, he plays everything well. One of his smaller roles in American Gangster is a dealer named Tango who's trying to take over Harlem. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) gets insulted by Tango and his greed, so Lucas takes him out in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. No one saw it coming, and Tango didn't get his 20% of the package. 

Fredo Corleone (The Godfather II)

There is no more haunting on-screen moment on film than Fredo Corleone's (John Cazale) final moments on a boat, reciting a Hail Mary, in the middle of Lake Tahoe just before he meets his end. He had crossed his brother and insulted him, and while Michael (Al Pacino) waits until their mother has passed to do the deed, Fredo's time comes. 

Dominic (Once Upon A Time In America)

Dominic (Noah Moazezi) is one of Noodles' (played as an adult by Robert De Niro) best friends as a kid.  In one of the most touching and sad parts of the movie, Dominic is murdered in the streets by their boss-turned-enemy Bugsy. In a fit of rage, young Noodles attacks Bugsy, stabbing him to death before assaulting a police officer and getting carted off to jail. 

Jimmy Hoffa (The Irishman)

The Irishman isn't a perfect movie, and it plays fast and loose with some of the history, but it's not like every viewer didn't wait to see how they would portray the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Hoffa, whose body has never been found, was shot to death in the movie by Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who is the Irishman in the title of the movie. Just when you think they won't show anything, Sheehan takes him out. 

Jimmy "Jump" Colt (King Of New York)

Laurence Fishburne is one of the best actors of our time, and there is no more haunting death scene in a mob movie than his death in King Of New York. The screams of agony as he's shot and laying on the ground will stay with us forever. 

Luca Brasi (The Godfather)

"Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes," is one of the most iconic lines ever. How he got to the fishes is terrifying. When Brasi (Lenny Montana) is strangled to death, the look on his face and the fear and intensity in his eyes is something no one could ever forget. The scene is so realistic, it's scary. 

"Hollywood" Dick Moltisanti (The Many Saints of Newark)

Patricide is always haunting, even when the father maybe deserves it. In The Many Saints Of Newark, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola) violently murders his father "Hollywood" Dick Moltisanti (Ray Liotta). You can understand maybe where the rage comes from, but it doesn't make it easier to watch. 

Bill The Butcher (Gangs of New York)

For most of Gangs of New York, Bill The Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis) is the one dishing out the violence. That changes when he's confronted on the street by Amsterdam (Leonardo DiCaprio) during the Civil War draft riot. Amsterdam brutally gets his long-awaited revenge on Bill by stabbing him to death with his father's knife. 

Johnny Ola (The Godfather II)

Fredo betrayed his brother in The Godfather II, and his partner in that was Johnny Ola, played by future Sopranos cast member Dominic Chianese. It stands to reason that Michael would be looking for revenge on Ola and he gets it when Ola is strangled to death on a balcony with a clothes hanger.

Carlito (Carlito's Way)

In Carlito's Way, Al Pacino plays Carlito Brigante, a gangster trying to go straight and stay out of prison. Sadly, as is too often the case, his criminal past won't let go of him and he finds himself back where he started, as a gangster. Because he tries so hard to turn his life around, his death at the hands of Benny Blanco from The Bronx (John Leguizamo) is especially tragic. 

Frank Nitty (The Untouchables)

The notorious gangster and henchman to Al Capone Frank Nitty is one of the creepiest roles in The Untouchables. Billy Drago's performance is evil personified in the best way. Finally, that evil is too much for the straight-laced Eliott Ness (Kevin Costner) has had enough and tosses him from a roof, and the screams on his way are terrifying. 

Billy Costigan (The Departed)

Just when you think Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is going to make it out of his undercover assignment in The Departed alive, his life ends in a millisecond. As the doors open to the elevator that is transporting an arrested Sullivan (Matt Damon) in, Billy is immediately dropped, almost mid-sentence by Trooper Barrigan (James Badge Dale). 

Walter McGinn (Gangs Of New York)

Walter McGinn (Brendan Gleeson) is one of the most likable characters in Gangs of New York which makes the beating he takes from Bill the Butcher all that much harder to watch. Bill murders him right in the street in front of everyone, shocking the characters in the movie and the audience watching. 

Joey Zasa (The Godfather III)

All three Godfather movies leave audiences' mouths agape at some of the murders. They aren't usually gory, but they are unforgettable. Even the lamented Godfather III provides one excellent moment like this. As he walks down the street, mob boss Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna) is gunned down by Vincent Corleone (Andy Garcia) and we'll never forget it. 

Tommy Devito (Goodfellas)

Tommy Devito in Goodfellas is a bad guy, a really bad guy. Still, when he walks into the room thinking he's about to get made, only to realize at the last moment that he's actually getting murdered, it shocks us. Jimmy's reaction on the pay phone says it all, breaking the phone in a fit of anger and frustration. For audiences, it's simply shocking. 

Bar Patron (Casino)

One of the most shocking and brutal scenes in any mob movie is when Ace (Robert De Niro) and Nicky in Casino get into an argument with a random bar patron. Ace asks the man about his pen, and the man, not knowing who was dealing with, responds with an attitude. He learns quickly he messed with the wrong guys when Nicky used the pen to stab him to death. 

Lefty Ruggiero (Donnie Brasco)

Here is an example of why you don't even need to see the death to be haunted by it. Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino) in Donnie Brasco knows what fate lays before him. He quietly takes off his wedding ring and other valuables, careful not to let his wife see, walks out the door and audiences hear a shot. It's hard not to feel sorry for him. 

Moe Green (The Godfather)

There is a moment in The Godfather when Michael is settling all family business. A number of associates are killed, but none of those leave an impression on the audience like Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) taking a bullet right in his eye. 

Manny Ray (Scarface)

A great trick that mob movies pull is getting audiences to feel empathy for the violent thugs portrayed in them. There are few better examples than Scarface. Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and Manny Ray (Steven Bauer) might be blood brothers, but they are terrible people. Still, you can't help but feel terrible for both of them after Tony guns Manny down after catching Manny with his sister. 

Jim Malone (The Untouchables)

Sean Connery's Jim Malone in The Untouchables is finally what won an Oscar for the Scottish actor. He's the heart and soul of the movie, and the crew of agents tracking Capone. When he's gunned down in his apartment, it's heartwrenching. 

Frankie Carbone (Goodfellas)

Audiences don't see Frankie Carbone (Frank Sivero) get whacked in Goodfellas, but we'll never forget what he looked like when the cops found him in the meat truck. "He was frozen so stiff it took them three days to thaw him out for the autopsy," according to Henry Hill in the movie. 

The Horse (The Godfather)

The most brutal and terrifying scene in The Godfather isn't the death of a human but of a horse. When Jack Woltz wakes up with his prized racehorse's head in his bed, the blood-curdling scream is pure nightmare fuel. 

John Rooney (Road To Perdition)

Like so many other mob movies, audiences develop a bond with the characters in Road to Perdition, and when Tom Hanks' character guns down his mentor, John Rooney, played by the great Paul Newman, our collective hearts sink. His last words, "I'm glad it was you," are forever haunting.

Virgil (True Romance)

The late James Gandolfini doesn't have a huge role in True Romance but his fight and eventually death at the hands of Alabama (Patricia Arquette) is absolutely brutal and totally unforgettable. Gandolfini shows that terrifying rage in his eyes he later became famous for on The Sopranos.

Don Ciccio (The Godfather II)

Revenge plays a big role in the development of young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II. He completes his revenge mission by taking out Don Ciccio, the Don in Italy who killed his family and forced him to leave for the United States. Ciccio is an old man, and defenseless, which makes the stabbing all the more brutal and unforgettable. 

Johnny Boy (Mean Streets)

Somehow Mean Streets is often overlooked in both Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese's careers far too often. When De Niro's character Johnny Boy gets it at the end, it's at the hands of Jimmy Shorts, played by Scorsese himself. 

Bugsy Siegel (Bugsy)

Bugsy, starring Warren Beatty as Ben "Bugsy" Siegel is a pretty uneven movie, but there is no question that the scene toward the end when Bugsy meets his end is unforgettable. There is something about the way he never sees it coming that makes it so scary. 

Spider (Goodfellas)

One of Michael Imperioli's earliest roles was Spider in Goodfellas. Tommy really doesn't like Spider and audiences soon learn just how scary Tommy is when he shoots Spider in the foot for messing up his drink order. Later, it gets even worse when Spider insults Tommy and Tommy kills him. Who can forget Spider jumping on one foot? 

Mob movies have a way of imprinting themselves in our memory, and the haunting deaths are a big reason why. 

Here are 32 movies that had to press pause on shooting due to an injury that either happened on set or in an actor’s off-time.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Tom Cruise is known for pushing himself to the limit, which, more times than not, leads to some unforgettable moments in his movies. But the action star’s habit of performing his own stunts led to production on Mission: Impossible – Fallout temporarily being put on hold after Cruise broke his ankle performing a stunt, THR reported in August 2017.

F9 (2021)

The Fast & Furious movies are known for their reality-defying stunts and massive action set pieces. But an accident on the set of F9 brought the production to a screeching halt in July 2019, when, according to Variety, a stuntman fell and injured his head while filming one of those scenes.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

In November 2021, a little more than a year before the film’s release, production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was temporarily put on hold several months after Letitia Wright sustained an injury on set. According to THR, production originally went on without Wright, but it was ultimately put on hold after director Ryan Coogler shot everything he could without the star.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Maze Runner: The Death Cure was forced to undergo an extended production freeze in Spring 2016 after star Dylan O’Brien was involved in an on-set car accident, per Variety. The delay was originally supposed to be short, but 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) pushed the start date back to allow O’Brien’s injuries to further heal.

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Adam McKay’s 2021 Netflix original movie, Don’t Look Up, had to temporarily be put on hold after one of its stars, Jennifer Lawrence, was injured after a trash can went through a window, according to the Boston Globe. The shoot was put on hold for the rest of the day.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Though he played one of the MCU’s best superheroes for more than a decade, Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t immune from injuries. In August 2012, E! News reported that RDJ injured his ankle on the set of Iron Man 3, which put the shoot on hold while he healed. The delay was brief and the massive threequel premiered in May 2013.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Harrison Ford has a long history of being injured on set, like the time a piece of the Millenium Falcon fell on him on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. According to the NY Daily News, production on the 2015 blockbuster was put on hold for two weeks while the Han Solo actor recuperated.

No Time To Die (2021)

Back in May 2019, the set of No Time to Die temporarily went dark after Daniel Craig sustained an injury in Jamaica. According to the Sun, Craig, who was playing James Bond for the fifth and final time, slipped while filming a running scene and had to be flown to the United States for X-rays.

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023)

Harrison Ford had to be put on the sidelines after he hurt himself rehearsing a fight scene for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in June 2021. Deadline reported at the time that the production would film around Ford’s injury and that the schedule would be configured as needed after that.

Rocky IV (1984)

Rocky IV, considered one of the best ‘80s movies, was quite a ride, and unfortunately one that put star and director Sylvester Stallone in the hospital. According to THR, Stallone was in the ICU for nearly two weeks after he told Dolph Lundgren to actually hit him during their boxing scene. Lundgren’s uppercut was so strong the impact caused Stallone’s heart to hit against his ribcage.

Bruised (2020)

The same year she kicked all kinds of butt with Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Halle Berry suffered a minor injury on the set of her 2020 Netflix movie, Bruised. In November 2019, Deadline reported that the Oscar winner was hurt during a fight scene and that a brief production delay was taken as a precautionary measure. 

Aeon Flux (2005)

In September 2004, the Guardian reported that production was put on hold for Aeon Flux after its star Charlize Theron sustained injuries while performing stunts. At the time, it was believed that shooting would be halted for a minimum of a few weeks so that the actress could heal.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

The making of Moulin Rouge! was no easy task for director Baz Lurhmann, as the filmmaker had to overcome multiple obstacles to get the movie into theaters. One of those issues was a knee injury sustained by Nicole Kidman, which contributed to the director stopping production and resuming a few months later, according to EW.

American Made (2017)

Production on Tom Cruise’s American Made was temporarily put on hold in September 2015 after a crew member was killed in a plane crash. The shoot eventually started back up, but faced legal issues in the months and years following, per THR.

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

A blaze on the set of Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn resulted in the death of a New York firefighter in March 2018, according to ScreenDaily. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known and production was suspended as a result of the event.

Syriana (2005)

George Clooney won an Oscar for his performance in Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana, but the actor was also left with a lingering back issue after being injured on set. Clooney later told Rolling Stone (via THR) that he suffered a spinal injury during a botched stunt that left him in rough shape. He was hospitalized following the accident and suffered a great deal of pain.

Exit Wounds (2001)

Exit Wounds, the 2001 action thriller starring Steven Segal and the late DMX was hampered by an on-set accident involving a stuntman. According to THR (via ABC News), the stuntman allegedly hit his head while jumping from a moving vehicle during a scene. He was taken to a Toronto hospital where he passed away less than a week later.

The Rhythm Section (2022)

Production on Blake Lively’s spy thriller, The Rhythm Section, was halted after the actress sustained a hand injury. According to THR, the shoot was initially only going to be on hold for a short amount of time, but the freeze was extended after a surgery failed to fully address the issue.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales faced all kinds of issues that negatively impacted the production of the fifth film in the Disney franchise. In March 2015, Empire reported that star Johnny Depp suffered a finger injury in an off-set incident, which resulted in another delay. The injured finger situation became a major part of the legal drama involving Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard.

Hercules (2014)

During the conclusion of his two-year WWE feud with John Cena, Dwayne Johnson suffered a pelvic injury at WrestleMania 29, which caused some major issues with the production of Hercules. The film was delayed two weeks while its star recuperated, according to USA Today, and was released in July 2014.

In Time (2011)

Andrew Niccol’s 2011 sci-fi thriller, In Time, was forced to press pause on production back in December 2010 when star Justin Timberlake suffered a leg injury, per UPI. The filming of the movie, which was called Now at the time, was halted for a short amount of time.

Scarface (1983)

The 1983 crime epic, Scarface, is still regarded as one of the best crime movies of all time, but it had quite a troubled production. According to Vulture, after the movie was delayed multiple times due to weather conditions, the shoot was put on hold for another week in March 2013 when star Al Pacino fell on a machine gun and severely burned his hand.

Back In Action (TBD)

In April 2013, Jamie Foxx suffered a medical emergency on the set of the yet-to-be-released Netflix comedy, Back in Action, which resulted in the production shutting down for the day, according to People.com. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution later reported that body doubles were used to complete Foxx’s remaining scenes while he recovered in the hospital.

Quantum Of Solace (2008)

Production on the 2008 James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, was put on hold after a stuntman was injured and left in a coma following an on-set accident. According to the Telegraph, this was the third such incident on the set in a period of five days.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Filming Raiders of the Lost Ark doesn't sound like it was the best time for Harrison Ford, as the actor in the titular role had to overcome a torn ACL and a battle with dysentery while filming in Tunisia. In a 2014 Reddit AMA, Ford explained that the scene where he shot the swordsman was supposed to be much longer, but with his physical state (he couldn’t spend more than 10 minutes away from his trailer), he and director Steven Spielberg called an audible, which allowed them to go back to England to complete the shoot earlier than expected.

Armour Of God (1986)

Jackie Chan has put his body through the wringer multiple times over the years, but his injury on the set of Armour of God sounds like it's on another level. In his autobiography, Never Grow Up (via ScreenRant), Chan revealed that he fell on the set of the 1986 Hong Kong action movie after jumping onto a tree branch, which gave out. He suffered a partially collapsed skull and had to undergo emergency surgery. However, he was back filming a week later.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh made a name for herself in the world of Hong Kong cinema, where she performed many of her own stunts. While filming Ang Lee’s 2000 epic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yeoh injured herself during a major fight sequence and she tore her ACL. She was forced to undergo surgery and returned to complete her scenes several weeks later, according to the New York Times.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

One of the best war movies ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 epic, Apocalypse Now, had one of the most tumultuous productions of any major Hollywood film. The biggest incident on set was Martin Sheen’s heart attack, which kept him out of action for a month. Sheen discussed the scare with Yahoo! Entertainment where he talked about being a changed man after it all.

Geechee (TBD)

Andrea Riseborough’s Geechee was in the middle of production in September 2020 when police in the Dominican Republic opened fire on several members of the production crew, striking one person multiple times, per Deadline. As of November 2023, the film has yet to resume production.

Panic Room (2002)

David Fincher had to go back to the drawing board for his 2002 home invasion thriller, Panic Room, after the film’s original star, Nicole Kidman, was forced to drop out of the production due to a lingering knee issue from her work on Moulin Rouge!, according to EW. Jodie Foster eventually replaced the actress.

Flora Plum (Not Completed)

Back in the early 2000s, Jodie Foster was set to direct Flora Plum, a movie about 1940s circus performers starring Russell Crowe, but the Gladiator actor suffered a shoulder injury before the cameras started to roll and he was forced to drop out, per Fox News. The movie has still never been made.

211 (2018)

In 2017, Nicolas Cage’s crime thriller, 211, was put on hold for about a month after the actor broke his ankle. According to Deadline, the freak accident occurred while Cage was filming a scene in Bulgaria, and flew back to Los Angeles to receive treatment.

While a couple of these movies have yet to be released or haven’t resumed production for one reason or another, the vast majority of these films saw the light of day after injuries healed and filming picked up where it left off – just with more caution…

Tom Cruise - Top Gun

This one is obvious, right? Top Gun is the movie that made Tom Cruise a superstar and his career has never wavered since. It was such a cultural phenomenon at the time that not only did it make an astounding $357 million at the box office (against a $15 million budget), it became the best-selling VHS tape of all time, based on pre-orders alone! Everyone saw it that summer, and again when it was released on home video. He revived the franchise 36 years later and dominated at the box office again with Top Gun: Maverick. 

Steve Martin - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Steve Martin had a string of hits in the 1980s, but his best of the bunch was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It’s a perfect example of how varied Martin’s comedy could be. At times refined, at others completely physical and off the wall. Martin puts everything into this performance and it shows in the results. It’s just a brilliantly hilarious film. 

Whoopi Goldberg - Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Whoopi Goldberg burst onto the big screen in The Color Purple (more on that film in a minute). Her performance was lauded by critics, with Roger Ebert calling it “one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history.” It’s certainly a film worth watching for her Oscar-nominated performance, but if you really want to get a great idea of what Goldberg was all about in the ‘80s, check out  Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Goldberg is, after all, a comedian at heart, and she brings all her comedic skill to bare in this early tech/spy thriller. It’s another A+ performance from the star of The View.

Goldie Hawn - Overboard

Goldie Hawn was already a veteran in show business by the time the ‘80s started, but she saved some of her best performances for the decade. In her final movie of the decade, she teamed up with Kurt Russell for Overboard, and the chemistry between the two is right there on the screen for all to see. Both actors are amazing, and Hawn truly is one of America’s sweethearts. 

Morgan Freeman - Lean On Me

By 1989, Morgan Freeman had been steadily working in Hollywood for more than two decades, but it was that year that his career jumped to superstar levels. He starred in 4 films in the final year of the decade, including Driving Miss Daisy and Glory. Those two films garnered 14 Oscar nominations between them, including a Best Actor nod for Freeman. It was a third film though, Lean On Me that really lit the screen on fire. Based on the true story of a principal named Joe Clark who is charged with cleaning up a Paterson, NJ school. Freeman’s performance is powerful and set the stage for all that came after it in his career. 

Demi Moore - About Last Night

One of the actors to emerge out of the 1980s “Brat Pack,” Demi Moore forged a career that lasted well into the ‘90s and beyond, with some of her finest work coming in her first few films. One of those, About Last Night, holds up incredibly well. It’s a unique take on the rom-com and is at times much more serious than so many others from this era, due in large part to the grittier story it was adapted from (David Mamet’s play, Sexual Perversity in Chicago) and Moore’s excellent performance alongside Rob Lowe.  

Harrison Ford - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Sure, there are a few movies that would fit here for Harrison Ford, like that one about the space wars or whatever it’s called. But for pure, distilled Ford, nothing beats Indiana Jones and nothing beats the OG Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s Ford at his very best: snarky, charming, witty, and tough. No Nazi is safe with Indy after them. 

Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey’s rise to all-powerful media queen began in the ‘80s and a very big piece of that was her acting performance in 1985’s The Color Purple. She was nominated for an Oscar in her film debut and almost four decades later, the film’s powerful message of overcoming abuse still resonates with audiences. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, though it shockingly didn’t win any, which is a shame. 

Chevy Chase - Fletch

Like Harrison Ford, you could go in a lot of directions with Chevy Chase, but, like Raiders, you need to go with the purest form of Chase and for that, there is nothing better than the original Fletch. He's at his sarcastic best as Irwin Fletcher. No one can quite be as charmingly condescending as peak Chase and no one is spared here. Order up a couple of steak sandwiches and some caviar; Fletch just hit a water buffalo.

Meryl Streep - Out Of Africa

In the 10 Academy Awards shows of the ‘80s, Meryl Streep was nominated seven times. She won her first (and only of the decade) for 1982’s Sophie’s Choice, but let’s get real, as amazing as she is in it, no one really wants to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and watch that one. Instead, consider a performance just as good, but slightly more upbeat (only slightly, though). Out of Africa is beautiful, as are Streep and Robert Redford in the lead roles, and the tragic story comes to life like magic with her performance. 

Geena Davis - Beetlejuice

Geena Davis made steady progress in her career in the early ‘80s but really found a new level in Beetlejuice. Her on-screen partnership with Alec Baldwin as two ghosts frustrated with the people living in their house is excellent, as they more or less play the “straight man” to Micheal Keaton’s titular character. It’s not an easy gig, but Davis is amazing. 

Jackie Chan - Police Story

Jackie Chan didn’t break big in the United States until the ‘90s and by then he was the biggest action star in Hong Kong. It was 1985’s Police Story that solidified his spot at the top and if you’ve never seen it, you definitely need to. While Chan has always been an amazing stuntman, it’s Police Story that brings all his skills to the forefront, from amazing fight scenes to the epic opening car chase with Chan hanging onto a bus with an umbrella as he pursues the baddies. It’s one of the most insane stunts in Chan’s history of insane stunts. 

Kathleen Turner - Romancing The Stone

Romancing the Stone is one of the great comedies of the 1980s and features some amazing performances from Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, but Kathleen Turner’s Joan Wilder takes the cake. Or the bail of pot, as the case may be here. Walking that line between an intrepid explorer looking for her kidnapped sister and a damsel in distress, Turner shines. Her chemistry with Douglas and DeVito is so good, they made two more films together, the sequel Jewel of the Nile and the unrelated The War of the Roses, but it’s Stone that remains the best. 

Michael Douglas - Wall Street

Michael Douglas is great as Jack in Romancing The Stone, but it’s his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street that makes for one of the greatest movie villains in cinema history. Of course, he won an Oscar for the performance, but it’s how quotable the movie and his character are that makes it one of the best of all time, even if those quoting don’t always understand the heavy-handed irony in each line. 

Edward James Olmos - Stand And Deliver

With Stand And Deliver, director Ramón Menéndez told the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante who sought to raise the level of education single-handily in an East LA high school by daring to teach underprivileged Hispanic kids calculus. Edward James Olmos plays Escalante brilliantly, earning himself an Oscar nomination in the process. 

Tom Hanks - Big

Tom Hanks grew up with Big, literally and figuratively. It marks the point in his career when he jumped from a wild and wacky comedian to an actor who can take on any role, no matter how serious, and make it his own. There are the wilder moments, but there is also a real vulnerability to the man-child Josh Baskin that Hanks makes so authentic for the audience. It’s no wonder it earned him his first Oscar nomination. 

Daryl Hannah - Splash

Another Hanks movie also happens to be the great Daryl Hannah’s finest performance. Before Ariel, there was Madison, the mermaid who longed to walk on the land with humans and falls in love with an average Joe. Hannah’s performance magically convinces audiences that it’s exactly what a fish out of water would be like. 

Mel Gibson - Lethal Weapon

Back before Mel Gibson was a lightening rod for controversy, he played some pretty amazing roles and none more so that Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. From the very first scene, audiences see that classic “Mel Gibson Crazy Eyes” face and it sets the tone for the movie and the franchise, one that had remarkable life to it. That first scene is also why Lethal Weapon should be in the conversation for the best Christmas movie, alongside Die Hard. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger - The Terminator

The decade wouldn't be as big and as over the top as it was without Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Austrian bodybuilder took the movie world by storm and there are any number of enjoyable performances, but if you're looking at 1980s movies, you have to choose The Terminator. It launched him to superstardom, and it kicked off a franchise of Terminator movies that's lasted for decades. Sure, he only has a handful of lines, but no one could top his performance as a relentless killing machine that we all somehow fell in love with… later. 

Sylvester Stallone - First Blood

Not only did First Blood launch one of the most enduring franchises of the era, but it’s also just a really good film. It could be argued that it’s Sylvester Stallone’s best. His performance as a down-and-out Vietnam vet highlighted the plight of returning soldiers from that war. Brian Dennehy plays the antagonist perfectly as the angry sheriff that doesn’t take kindly to strangers in his town. A+. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Scarface

Scarface really hasn’t aged all that well. Sure, the memes are fantastic, but as a film, it feels as dated as neon green headbands and electric typewriters. The lone exception is Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance. It’s still great, and made her one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. 

Molly Ringwald - Sixteen Candles

Molly Ringwald was once called John Hughes’ muse and it’s easy to see why she became such a mainstay in many of his hit movies from the era. Sixteen Candles is truly one of the funniest movies of the ‘80s, in part because of the side characters, but mostly it’s due to Ringwald’s fantastic performance as the girl the family forgot. 

Denzel Washington - Glory

Denzel Washington was nominated for his first Oscar for 1987’s Cry Freedom, but he won his first for 1989’s Glory. The cool thing about Glory is that it’s actually one of his most powerful performances, as audiences didn’t know him as DENZEL yet. The movie follows one of the few Black companies fighting for the Union during the Civil War and tells a story that had sort of been forgotten in the public consciousness at the time. The success of Glory and of Washington’s performance, especially in the scene where he is whipped, is one of the reasons that story will never be forgotten again. 

Jodie Foster - The Accused

The Accused is not an easy movie to watch. It begins with one of the most brutal rape scenes in cinema history and follows Jodie Foster’s character, Sarah Tobias, on the quest to get justice. The subject matter was so intense, the role was reportedly turned down by a number of A-listers at the time. It was fortuitous for Foster, who had struggled to re-ignite her career after attending Yale. Her performance won her an Oscar and the rest is history. 

Sally Field - Steel Magnolias

There are great Sally Field movies in every decade since she jumped from TV to the big screen in the mid-70s. For the ‘80s, you can’t go wrong with Steel Magnolias. It may be a tad melodramatic at times, but it stays grounded with the acting by Field and other stars like Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine. 

Bill Murray - Ghostbusters

Bill Murray had so many great movies in the 1980s, it’s difficult to pick just one, but in the end, you have to go with Ghostbusters. His turn as Peter Venkman is so funny, so quotable, and so lovable, that without him, it would be a completely different movie. John Belushi in the role was the original plan, but after his death, Murray ended up in the role, and now we can’t imagine it any other way. 

Robin Williams - Good Morning Vietnam

Good Morning Vietnam was an important movie in Robin Williams' stellar career. It was the movie that truly showed audiences just how great his acting chops were. He was no longer just the frenetic comedian running around the stage inspiring laughs. Williams showed his dramatic side, especially after the bomb went off in his favorite cafe. Of course, there is plenty of off-the-wall zaniness from him that we all love, which makes it one of his most well-rounded performances. 

Glenn Close - Fatal Attraction

There are few more quintessential scenes from the 1980s than the boiling bunny in Fatal Attraction. Glenn Close’s performance as the unpredictable, jilted lover is just as iconic. Like the bunny in the pot, her character comes to a slow boil, getting more and more intense as the movie moves along. It’s a masterclass in acting from the legend. 

Micheal J. Fox - Back To The Future

No way we were going to leave Michael J. Fox off this list. Between Family Ties, and Teen Wolf, there is no actor that defines the decade quite like him. Of course, it’s no surprise that the essential movie for any Fox fan is the great Back to the Future. It’s a movie that has been introduced to, and loved by, countless people from Generation X and the following generations. It’s beloved by all. 

Jane Fonda - 9 To 5

Jane Fonda, like Sally Field, has decades of outstanding movies and performances, but when she teamed up with Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin to make 9 to 5, she became an icon to a whole new generation. It’s been more than forty years since its release, but the chemistry between Fonda and Tomlin remains, as they proved last year with Moving On.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

Last, but certainly not least, we have one of the biggest breakout stars of the 1980s, Eddie Murphy. Like others, it’s hard to decide on just one, but in the end, it simply has to be Coming To America. It’s the quintessential Murphy film filled with memorable quotes and amazing performances from the entire cast, especially Murphy. 

This list could go on and on. The 1980s were a magical decade in theaters and crafting exhaustive list would prove to be impossible. Luckily, you can find the best ‘80s movies, and even '80s movies that don't get enough love if you need more. 

Summer is winding down, but you can stay cozy this fall with a Netflix subscription because there are always steamy movies to keep you warm, not to mention hot shows like The Hunting Wives, Vladimir, and Bridgerton, which we're not including on this list of sexually explicit movies you can stream.

As always, the streamer has everything from steamy thrillers to fun rom-coms that get spicy to foreign films with explicit scenes. If you're looking for a movie that will put you in the mood for romance, we've got the list for you, and in September 2026, they are adding one of my all-time favorites from the '90s, Cruel Intentions, and an '80s crime classic, Scarface.

Party Girl (1995)

The Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer

The Cast: Parker Posey, Anthony DeSando, Liev Schreiber

What It’s About: Just like the title says, it's a movie about Mary (Parker) who is living her best (and worst) life in New York City in the '90s. She spends her nights out at clubs and parties and her days mostly figuring out how to pay for those nights.

What To Expect: Party Girl is pure 1990s in the best possible way. It's what indies were in the '90s, including a cast led by the ultimate '90s indie actress, Parker Posey. It's a true time capsule, and yeah, it gets pretty hot between Mary and Mustafa (Omar Townsend).

• Stream Party Girl on Netflix.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

The Director: Roger Kumble

The Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, Joshua Jackson

Based On: Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

What It’s About: Two step-siblings manipulate their friends into doing some pretty intense things in this '90s classic.

What To Expect: There isn't any nudity, but that doesn't stop this from being one of the steamiest movies of its era. It's also just a really fun, ridiculous movie that remains one of my favorites of the decade.

• Cruel Intentions Hits Netflix on September 1

Blonde (2022)

The Director: Andrew Dominik

The Cast: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, and Julianne Nicholson

Based On: Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates

What It’s About: The life and death of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe from her childhood as Norma Jeane Mortenson, through her days as a pin-up girl and then a world-famous movie star. It's a bit of a disjointed movie, but de Armas gives a wonderful performance.

What To Expect: Monroe is one of the most iconic sex symbols of the 20th Century, so of course that is reflected in the movie with several steamy scenes and moments (along with some very bizarre ones and a couple that will make you very uncomfortable.

• Stream Blonde on Netflix.

Caught Stealing (2025)

The Director: Darren Aronofsky

The Cast: Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Matt Smith

Based On: Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston

What It’s About: A former baseball player-turned-bartender finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when rival gangs come looking for his friend, who’s conveniently out of town.

What To Expect: Caught Stealing is unlike most Darren Aronofsky movies in that it’s not a cerebral exploration of the psyche or complex subject matter, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bite. This ferociously funny, violent, and action-packed crime story in ‘90s NYC is just so much fun.

• Stream Caught Stealing on Netflix.

Scarface (1983)

The Director: Brian De Palma

The Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia

Based On: Scarface by Armitage Trail

What It’s About: Pacino plays Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who turns the Miami drug trade upside down with his ruthless tactics. Michelle Pfeiffer plays his complicated and smart love interest in this crime classic

What To Expect: One of the most celebrated movies of the '80s, there is a lot about it that doesn't hold up, and memes have made some of the more famous scenes less impactful, but Scarface is a classic for a reason. Pfeiffer and Pacino are at the top of their game.

• Scarface hits Netflix on September 1

The Director: Edward Zwick

The Cast: Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Elizabeth McGovern, James Belushi

Based On: Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet

What It’s About: Two yuppies in Chicago in the 1980s fall in and out of love in this classic rom-com. Egged on by their best friends, they struggle through careers and romance in the big city.

What To Expect: Based on a play by David Mamet, this might be a borderline "Brat Pack" movie given the cast, but it's a very adult movie, as you would expect from Mamet. About Last Night is a key touchstone in the careers of two Hollywood legends in Lowe and Moore, and they are both at their best here.

• Watch About Last Night On Netflix.

Ride or Die (2021)

The Director: Ryūichi Hiroki

The Cast: Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato

Based On: The Manga series Gunjō by Ching Nakamura

What It’s About: A 20-something lesbian gets revenge on behalf of a childhood crush, but it doesn't work out for her as she hopes.

What To Expect: The Japanese films has some very sexy scenes throughout, truly living up to its moniker of a psychological erotic thriller.

• Watch Ride or Die on Netflix

Honey Don't! (2025)

The Director: Ethan Coen

The Cast: Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, and Charlie Day

What It’s About: Private investigator Honey O'Donahue (Qualley) investigates the murder of a woman found dead in a car in the desert while getting involved with a police officer named MG (Plaza).

What To Expect: Honey Don't! is the second of a planned trilogy from Ethan Coen and co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke. It's not as good as when the Coen Brothers team up together, but the relationship between Qaulley's character and Plaza's character is steamy enough to give the movie a watch.

• Stream Honey Don't! on Netflix.

The After Movies (2020-2022)

The Director: Jenny Gage (After), Roger Kumble (After We Collided), Castille Landon (After We Fell, After Ever Happy, After Everything)

The Cast: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Anna Todd, Brian Pitt, Aron Levitz

Based On: The After novels by Anna Todd

What They’re About: The After franchise tells the story of Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) as she meets and falls for bad boy Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) during her freshman year, as well as everything that unfolds after.

What To Expect: If you want to start an extensive saga, or maybe revisit it after all these years, you can do that right now, as the entire series is streaming on Netflix.

• Stream After on Netflix.
• Stream After We Collided on Netflix.
• Stream After We Fell on Netflix.
• Stream After Ever Happy on Netflix.
• Stream After Everything on Netflix.

Duck Butter (2018)

The Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson, James Foley

The Cast: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Mae Whitman, Hong Chau and Kate Berlant

What It’s About: A young actress (Shawkat) finds herself in a relationship with a more free-spirited woman (Laia Costa) in what starts as an experiment to open up more emotions before taking a role in her first movie.

What To Expect: Duck Butter is a quirky rom-com that doesn't always hold together, but has some wonderful moments between Shawkat and Costa.

• Stream Duck Butter on Netflix.

More The Merrier (2021)

The Director: Paco Caballero

The Cast: Ernesto Alterio, Raúl Arévalo, Luis Callejo, Anna Castillo as Clara, Pilar Castro, Álvaro Cervantes

What It’s About: An ensemble cast stars in a series of stories and plots focused around a swingers club in this spicy Spanish comedy. Titled Donde caben dos in Spanish.

What To Expect: It's not a surprise that any movie that is based in and around a swingers club is going to have some spicy moments, and this movie certainly has some. It's fairly tame in the way those encounters are presented, and it's pretty funny. It is somewhat akin to the sex comedies made famous in the '70s and '80s.

• Stream More The Merrier on Netflix.

Your Monster (2024)

The Director: Caroline Lindy

The Cast: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan

Based On: Your Monster by Caroline Lindy

What It’s About: Following a bitter breakup and series of professional setbacks, a young actress meets and falls in love with… the monster living in her closet.

What To Expect: With a dark sense of humor, some great horror elements, and a whole lot of love, Your Monster is a wild, chaotic, and sexy rom-com like no other.

• Stream Your Monster on Netflix.

All My Friends Are Dead (2020)

The Director: Jan Belci

The Cast: Michal Meyer, Adam Woronowicz, Julia Wieniawa

What It’s About: A New Year’s Eve party gets out of hand as a group of friends begins exposing secrets (and themselves) for everyone to see and hear.

What To Expect: In the mood for comedy, romance, violence, and a party of the century? Well, All My Friends Are Dead is going to do the trick.

• Stream All My Friends Are Dead on Netflix.

Take This Waltz (2011)

The Director: Sarah Polley

The Cast: Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, Luke Kirby

What It’s About: With her marriage having lost its flame and magic, a woman struggles to come to terms with the relationship while also falling in with a handsome and mysterious artist who lives nearby.

What To Expect: Take This Waltz has romance, it has comedy, and it has nudity. This one will make you laugh while also breaking your heart into a million little pieces.

• Stream Take This Waltz on Netflix.

The 365 Days Franchise (2020-2022)

The Director: Barbara Białowąs, Tomasz Mandes

The Cast: Anna-Maria Sieklucka, Michele Morrone

What It’s About: For the uninitiated, the film franchise is based on the Polish novels of the same name by author Blanka Lipińska, telling the story of mafioso Don Massimo (Michele Morrone) and his captive love interest Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka).

What To Expect: With exceedingly realistic sex scenes, all kinds of drama, and so many stories to unfold, the 365 franchise has given audiences hours of naughty, naked entertainment. All the movies have been panned by critics, but adored by audiences.

• Stream 365 Days on Netflix.
• Stream 365 Days: This Day on Netflix.
• Stream The Next 365 Days on Netflix.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)

The Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

The Cast: Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell

Based On: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence

What It’s About: Lady Chatterley’s Lover follows Constance (Emma Corrin), whose husband is paralyzed in WWI and requests that his wife find someone to impregnate her so that he can have an heir.

What To Expect: If there were a ranking of the steam level of these movies, the thermometer would explode for this one.

• Stream Lady Chatterley’s Lover on Netflix.

Eden (2024)

The Director: Ron Howard

The Cast: Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas, and Sydney Sweeney

What It’s About: After fleeing Germany during the rise of the Nazis, a group of settlers attempts to survive the unforgiving conditions of an isolated island. However, it isn’t just the deadly flora and fauna they have to contend with.

What To Expect: A historical drama, a survival story, and an erotic thriller all woven into one, Eden is a story of intense situations, dangerous dynamics, and all kinds of temptations.

• Stream Eden on Netflix.

Tonight You’re Sleeping With Me (2023)

The Director: Robert Wichrowski

The Cast: Roma Gasiorowska, Wojciech Zielinski, Maciej Musial

What It’s About: Caught between continuing her strained relationship with her distant husband and rekindling the flames of passion with an ex-boyfriend, a writer finds herself in a tough spot.

What To Expect: Steamy, dreamy, dramatic, and sexy as can be, Tonight You’re Sleeping with Me offers a complex look at love, relationships, and happiness in a maddening world.

• Stream Tonight You’re Sleeping with Me on Netflix.

Things Heard & Seen (2021)

The Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

The Cast: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton, Natalia Dyer

Based On: All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage

What It’s About: After moving into a beautiful and seemingly normal farmhouse in upstate New York, an art restorer begins to uncover dark and distressing mysteries.

What To Expect: Things Heard & Seen is a terrifying and unsettling supernatural horror film that’ll test you in more ways than one.

• Stream Things Heard & Seen on Netflix.

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

The Director: Spike Lee

The Cast: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell

What It’s About: An indecisive woman with trouble determining who she wants to be with takes an unorthodox approach to dating by seeing three men at the same time.

What To Expect: One of Spike Lee’s earliest joints, She’s Gotta Have It is a hilarious and honest view of dating, compromise, and finding yourself in a maddening world.

• Stream She’s Gotta Have It on Netflix.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013)

The Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

The Cast: Lea Seydoux, Adele Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche

Based On: Blue Is the Warmest Color by Jul Maroh

What It’s About: After meeting at a bar one night, two young women kick off a beautiful yet tumultuous relationship that’ll test them in more ways than one.

What To Expect: Blue Is the Warmest Color is an NC-17 movie, so those who can’t handle a great deal of sexually explicit scenes, intense drama, and long runtimes better watch out.

• Stream Blue Is the Warmest Color on Netflix.

Ibiza: Love Drunk (2018)

The Director: Alex Richanbach

The Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, Richard Madden

What It’s About: A business trip to Barcelona becomes a life-changing and wildly romantic experience for a 30-year-old public relations manager after having a chance encounter with a famous DJ.

What To Expect: On top of having a wild, raucous, and unpredictable story, Ibiza: Love Drunk also has its fair share of nudity and romance along the way.

• Stream Ibiza: Love Drunk on Netflix.

Mea Culpa (2024)

The Director: Tyler Perry

The Cast: Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes, Nick Sagar

What It’s About: A Chicago defense attorney takes on the case of an artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, only to find herself caught in a steamy and dangerous relationship.

What To Expect: Not your standard Tyler Perry movie, Mea Culpa is an intense erotic thriller that doesn’t hold back.

• Stream Mea Culpa on Netflix.

Burning Betrayal (2023)

The Director: Diego Freitas

The Cast: Giovanna Lancellotti, Leandro Lima

What It’s About: A soon-to-be bride named Babi (Giovanna Lancellotti) discovers that her loving and supposedly faithful fiancé has been cheating on her.

What To Expect: With elements of erotic dramas and revenge-driven thrillers, this film adaptation of Sue Hecker’s O Lado Bom de Ser Traida (The Good Side of Being Betrayed) pushes things to the extreme.

• Stream Burning Betrayal on Netflix.

Through My Window (2022)

The Director: Marcal Fores

The Cast: Clara Galle, Julio Pena Fernandez

Based On: The Through My Window novels by Ariana Godoy

What It’s About: A young woman’s obsession with her uber-wealthy neighbor turns into a swirling romance when she discovers he has the same feelings.

What To Expect: There are multiple sex scenes, including some in wild places like a Ferris wheel and a helicopter. However, the movie also features several of the most sensual sequences on Netflix.

• Stream Through My Window on Netflix.
• Also try: Through My Window: Across the Sea on Netflix.
• Also try: Through My Window 3: Looking At You on Netflix.

Fair Play (2023)

The Director: Chloe Domont

The Cast: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich

What It’s About: Two coworkers attempt to keep their passionate relationship a secret at the office, only for things to get out of hand.

What To Expect: Fair Play doesn’t hold back when it comes to sexually explicit content, and its various sex scenes put it in the same category as other erotic thrillers like Basic Instinct, Indecent Proposal, and Disclosure.

• Stream Fair Play on Netflix.

As always with Netflix, a new month will bring new options (and lost options), so be sure to check in next month to see what's new on the streamer.