10 Most Essential Movies of 1989, Ranked

The 1980s marks one of the most eclectic and eccentric decades cinema has ever seen, with everything from macho action blockbusters to crass teen dramedies, adorably cheesy rom-coms, and even poignant and piercing dramas. The essential films of 1989 are able to highlight the decade’s variety and its striking, impressionable punch while also presenting a tease of some tropes and ideas that would become more prominent through the early part of the 1990s.