The 1980s were a golden age for movies, with innumerable films from that decade going on to be cult classics and film industry icons in the modern day. This was true for myriad genres, from horror movies like The Shining and A Nightmare on Elm Street to romances like When Harry Met Sally and Dirty Dancing. Yet, one of the most dominant and successful genres of the 1980s was undoubtedly sci-fi movies; in fact, sci-fi films of this decade continue to define the genre in many ways.
Perhaps one of the most impressive things about popular sci-fi movies from the ’80s is their use of special effects. With how rapidly technology has advanced over the last several decades, particularly when it comes to cinema, it’s all too easy for movies of earlier eras to feel outdated and even cheesy. However, these three sci-fi films from the 1980s in particular took significant special effects risks, and clearly, they totally paid off, as all three movies hold up today.
There’s little doubt that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, often just called E.T., is one of the best and most influential sci-fi movies of the 1980s, if not one of the most influential movies in the film industry overall. This beloved classic famously centers on the story of a young boy named Elliott’s discovery of an alien, the titular E.T., and his desperate attempts to save his new friend and return him to his home. Clearly, with such a fantastical plot, the movie required a number of special effects.
Among the most significant were the approaches to bring E.T. to life, which involved various tricks, multiple actors, and puppetry, and the iconic imagery of the bikes flying in the sky, which employed a mix of models and miniatures as well as a camera crane, a blue screen, and a soundstage. While neither necessarily reflects the most shocking or innovative visuals of the decade, these are iconic images, and they were risks at the time. Particularly in terms of E.T., there was a significant risk of him just looking silly. Instead, this character has stood the test of time.
Like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the 1985 movie Back to the Future is a legendary classic, and it’s considered the best time travel sci-fi movie of all time by many. Although the title might seem a little confusing at first glance, it captures the basic arc of the movie, which sees the teenage lead character, Marty McFly, try to make his way back to 1985 (also the year in which the movie is set) after accidentally traveling back in time 30 years. His stint in 1955 involves multiple awkward encounters, including some uncomfortable run-ins with a younger version of his mother.
Given that the story focuses on time travel, Back to the Future of course required a range of special effects. That included the scenes in which the DeLorean has to travel through time, which implemented practical effects on the cars themselves (multiple were used for filming) as well as optical compositing. As was true of E.T., there was a serious risk of these strategies looking unconvincing or falling flat, even at the time when the film was released. And, sure, CGI could make this look much different now, but the movie absolutely pulled off these effects and holds up today.
Finally, Aliens absolutely ranks among the best sci-fi movies of the 1980s, which is especially impressive considering that this is actually a sequel story to the 1979 movie Alien, making it a rare example of a sequel that performed just as well if not better than its predecessor. One thing that Aliens also has in common with Alien is its Academy Awards success. Both movies specifically won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, which already underscores the movie’s staying power.
However, Aliens also implemented a wide array of practical and other special effects that made the film stand out, from camera tricks and miniatures to the absolutely massive 14-foot Alien Queen puppet. As with the other two inclusions on this list, there are countless ways that these approaches could have gone sideways or failed to captivate audiences over the years, but instead, Aliens remains a beloved classic that certainly holds up today.
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