The movies you watch in your formative years always stay with you. And no one loves a good nostalgic pull through cinema like ‘80s kids. The year 1995 was a huge one when it came to films that left an indelible mark on the youth of that era. No matter what genre you enjoyed, 1980s babies had the best in movie magic to accompany the years of their youth.
Maybe you watched them before you were technically old enough, a sibling watched one with you as a rite of passage, or you have the fondest memories of seeing one with your parents in a theater for the first time. These films hold core memories for a variety of reasons, but the common thread is that ‘80s kids will never stop rewatching them.
David Fincher’s Se7en Is One of the Most Rewatchable Thrillers Ever
Brad Pitt as David Mills and Morgan Freeman as William Somerset in Se7en.Image via New Line Cinema
No one does a psychological thriller like David Fincher. The 1995 crime thriller Se7en is arguably one of his best films, and it still holds up just as much today as when it came out over 30 years ago. From the slow-burn build-up to the shocking reveal at the end, this film leaves viewers wishing they could watch it for the first time just once more.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are electric as Detective Mills and Detective Lieutenant William Somerset, with Gwyneth Paltrow’s small part leaving a huge mark on audiences. The way Fincher weaves in the seven deadly sins as motives behind crimes is unforgettable. The movie is also extremely quotable in any circumstance, where ‘80s kids cannot stop quoting Morgan Freeman’s best lines or look at a box and not scream Brad Pitt’s famous line in their head.
Val Kilmer’s Weapon Skills in Heat Are Still Unmatched
Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis in the 1995 film Heat.Image via Warner Bros.
The 1995 Michael Mann film Heat is one of the best crime dramas ever that still inspires the genre today. It’s cool, it’s edgy, and it’s the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were able to captivate audiences on screen together. The diner scene is one of the most masterful pieces of art to grace a screen.
Beyond De Niro and Pacino’s powerful acting, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Mykelti Williamson, and Jon Voight are an impeccable supporting cast. For a lot of fans of the film, it’s Val Kilmer’s acclaimed performance as Chris Shiherlis that keeps the ‘80s babies coming back for a rewatch. Between Kilmer’s gun handling and the use of recorded live gunfire, the downtown L.A. sequence is one of the most influential and exciting shootout scenes.
Everyone From the ’80s Wants To Play Jumanji With Robin Williams
When the 1995 adventure film Jumanji came out, every kid wanted to be able to play the game for real with Robin Williams leading the way. The biggest disappointment was when a child got the game for Christmas, and it didn’t do the swirly answer animation part when it was your turn. It’s the perfect family movie and evokes warm nostalgia for those who still appreciate a good board game.
With David Alan Grier, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt, and Jonathan Hyde in supporting roles, Jumanji mixes amazing practical effects with well-controlled CGI to bring the magical roll of the dice to life. Inspired by the children’s picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, the fantasy ride is always mentioned as one of Robin Williams’ favorites to watch by ‘80s kids.
Braveheart Is Long, Bloody, Brutal, and Had Every ’80s Kid Screaming for Freedom
Mel Gibson as William Wallace rides on horseback in the 1995 film Braveheart.Image via Paramount Pictures
There was a shortage of blue face paint and a movement to steal your mother’s plaid table runner to turn yourself into William Wallace once you saw Braveheart. Any time your mom asked you to do something, you screamed Wallace’s freedom speech throughout the house. The scale, action, score, and acting in the 1995 historical war drama Braveheart was something ‘80s kids hadn’t experienced before.
Mel Gibson as Scottish warrior William Wallace is arguably his greatest role. The Academy Award-winning film also features strong performances from Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, and Brendan Gleeson. The battle of Stirling Bridge and the execution scene redefined the standards the ‘80s generation would hold every other war drama movie to.
Casino Had All ’80s Kids Wanting To Try Their Luck With the Mob in Vegas
Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein in the 1995 film CasinoImage via Universal Pictures
Though the 1995 gangster movie Casino takes place in a time before ‘80s kids were even born, that generation felt a strong attraction to the film. Goodfellas and Carlito’s Way sparked the obsession with mafia crime films, and Casino was the ultimate gangster-filled Vegas trip. No one directs an epic crime thriller like Martin Scorsese, and Casino is a brutal but beautiful love letter to the Vegas lifestyle of the ‘70s.
A perfect cast, including Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Don Rickles, and James Woods, brings the 1970s Vegas mob scene to life in a mesmerizing way. The costumes are dazzling, the soundtrack is still in the playlist rotation, and Sharon Stone’s performance as Ginger McKenna is gorgeously tragic. Casino showcases a type of neon-soaked, vibrant Vegas style that ‘80s audiences are nostalgic for.
12 Monkeys Delivers the Nostalgia for the Old-School Asylum Aesthetic
Bruce Willis as Cole and Brad Pitt as Goines talking in the asylum in 12 Monkeys.Image via Universal Pictures
Watching the sci-fi thriller 12 Monkeys for the first time during such a formative age made all ‘80s kids a sucker for conspiracy theories for life. Director Terry Gilliam takes audiences on a journey where a convict is sent back in time to find out information to stop a deadly virus in his dystopian future.
The 1995 sci-fi mystery was released only a few months after Brad Pitt knocked us out with his performance in Se7en. PItt’s absolutely unbalanced and deranged performance as leader of the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, Jeffrey Goines, earned him an Oscar nomination. Bruce Willis’s subdued, forlorn portrayal as the time-traveling prisoner James Cole is just as captivating. The grittier signature style Gilliam brings to 12 Monkeys is what the grunge-era audiences love about the film.
Elder Millennials Will Never Get Over the Plot Twist in The Usual Suspects
The lineup from the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.Image via Universal Pictures
You couldn’t call yourself a cinephile in 1995 if you weren’t obsessed with the crime thriller The Usual Suspects. Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay and Bryan Singer’s direction are a formidable cinematic combination, with an ending that retro kids still haven’t gotten over. The duo’s work is heightened by the unbelievable chemistry between Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, and Benicio del Toro.
The Usual Suspects features one of the most unforgettable quotes delivered by Spacey’s Roger Kint. But Benicio del Toro is the underrated jewel of the movie. The police lineup sequence is still one of the most homaged scenes in film and television today. There’s nothing like introducing someone to the film for the first time and seeing their reaction to the reveal.
’80s Kids Everywhere Will Always Have a Friend in Toy Story
Buzz Lightyear and Woody in the 1995 film Toy Story.Image via Pixar Animation Studios
From the catchy music to the iconic characters, no matter what level of millennial someone is, Toy Story unlocks a visceral urge to be a kid again. The film’s groundbreaking use of CGI forever changed how animated movies engage audiences. Themes of letting go of childhood, true friendship, and struggling with insecurities resonated back then, and are still relevant to those kids as adults today.
Toy Story is a classic tale of the journey to adulthood, but the big pull of nostalgia comes from those famous Fisher-Price toys. Whether those young adults now have kids or not, Toy Story will always be a feel-good film to watch. All the ‘80s kids have to hear are the first few notes of that Randy Newman classic, and they are transported back to choosing between Woody and Buzz.