7 Underrated ’80s Sci-Fi Movies You’ve Never Seen (But Really Should)

It’s not an understatement to say that sci-fi movies were huge in the 1980s. The genre has long been one of the most popular in fiction, but the 1980s seemed to see a spike in excellent sci-fi blockbusters. Inspired by the success of Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the closing years of the ’70s, the sci-fi genre proliferated throughout the 1980s. Early successes with movies like The Empire Strikes Back, Flash Gordon, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial only cemented sci-fi as a dominant force at the global box office. And, with so many success stories, it’s easy to see how filmmakers felt emboldened by the boom in science fiction.

However, there’s a downside to that success. The wealth of sci-fi it inspired naturally gave birth to more than a few stinkers, but that’s not all. Many exceptional 1980s sci-fi movies have been forgotten, slipping through the cracks in the collective consciousness of most movie fans due to the influx of entries into the genre during that decade. Sadly, even some of the most exciting and thought-provoking sci-fi movies of the 1980s have become incredibly underrated today, and many fans haven’t seen them at all, even if they really should.

7) Night of the Comet (1984)

Night of the Comet has earned the status of a cult movie and has even been credited with inspiring the title character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that doesn’t mean that it’s been widely viewed by today’s audiences. A sci-fi comedy that sees two teenage sisters survive an apocalyptic event involving a comet and a whole lot of zombies, Night of the Comet is one of those films that proves just how good the 1980s were for sci-fi movies. Despite being an incredible post-apocalyptic comedy, Night of the Comet has become an underrated gem in the years since its release.

6) Enemy Mine (1985)

While Enemy Mine might not be considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, it is an underrated entry into the genre that is often unfairly overlooked. An underrated 1985 gem, Enemy Mine follows a human and an alien soldier who are stranded together on an inhospitable planet and forced to cooperate in order to survive. Though an upcoming sci-fi movie remake might help the original get some more attention, it’s a sci-fi classic that has been unfairly forgotten by the general public.

5) The Hidden (1987)

Kyle MacLachlan might be best known for his appearances in multiple David Lynch projects, but he also played a huge part in the sci-fi boom of the 1980s. One of his more forgotten movies from the decade is the aptly named The Hidden, which sees him play one half of a buddy cop duo tasked with investigating a sinister alien killer. An excellent blend of cop movie and sci-fi tropes, The Hidden has become a hidden gem, even though it deserves to be far better remembered by modern audiences.

4) The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Remembered by its fans as an underrated sci-fi film that deserved a franchise, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension has instead had to settle for the title of a cult classic. A genre-bending movie that boasts an unbelievably talented cast, Buckaroo Banzai has instead become a relatively obscure piece of sci-fi history. Considering its quality, its underrated status is truly baffling, although it might have something to do with its unnecessarily wordy title.

3) Death Watch (1980)

Despite starring some of the world’s most respected actors, Death Watch was never widely watched in North America. Its story follows a young woman who accepts an offer for her final days to be recorded by experimental equipment after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. An insightful and subtly chilling look at the way human privacy is being rapidly stripped away, Death Watch is an excellent slow-burn sci-fi movie that sadly doesn’t get the flowers it thoroughly deserves.

2) Somewhere in Time (1980)

The 1980s saw the release of several great time-travel movies, but not all of them earned the same popularity as Back to the Future and The Terminator. Somewhere in Time is a romantic drama that follows a playwright who becomes obsessed with a photograph of a woman from 1912, and using self-hypnosis, is able to travel back through time to find love. It’s another movie with a cult following, but many have never even heard of the romantic sci-fi drama.

1) Brazil (1985)

Over the years, many sci-fi movies eerily predicted the future, but Brazil was surprisingly prescient. Terry Gilliam’s 1985 movie envisioned a future in which humanity lives under the oppressive gaze of an overwhelmingly bureaucratic and dystopian society. A satirical look at technocracy that is reminiscent of the works of George Orwell, Brazil is a remarkable film that sadly never quite gets the credit it deserves. Sci-fi fans who have never seen Gilliam’s 1985 movie should undoubtedly seek it out, as it’s one of the best sci-fi movies of the 1980s.

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