8 Best Movies of 1983

By Vlad Zakh · June 28, 2026

1983 gave us comedy, horror and the end of a trilogy. Trading Places has two rich brothers swapping a con man and a broker for a bet, Videodrome has a cable programmer discovering a broadcast that blurs reality, and The Evil Dead has friends unleashing a demonic force at a cabin. Zelig, The Right Stuff, A Christmas Story, Return of the Jedi and Scarface round out the eight.

Zelig (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A mysterious man who can transform into anyone around him becomes an unlikely 1920s celebrity.

Directed by Woody Allen · 1h 19m · Rated PG

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Trading Places (1983)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 87% Metacritic 69

Two wealthy brothers swap a commodities broker and a street con artist's lives as a bet, with chaotic results.

Directed by John Landis · 1h 56m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar3 wins & 8 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Videodrome (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A cable TV programmer's exposure to a mysterious broadcast signal triggers grotesque hallucinatory transformations.

Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 28m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Evil Dead (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Five friends on holiday at a remote cabin unwittingly unleash a demonic force after reading from an ancient book.

Directed by Sam Raimi · 1h 25m · Rated NC-17

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Right Stuff (1983)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 96% Metacritic 91

The original Mercury Seven astronauts and the test pilots who paved the way for them.

Directed by Philip Kaufman · 3h 13m · Rated PG

Won 4 Oscars14 wins & 18 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Christmas Story (1983)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 87% Metacritic 77

A boy's single-minded wish for a BB gun at Christmas is met with universal adult disapproval.

Directed by Bob Clark · 1h 33m · Rated PG

4 wins & 11 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Return of the Jedi (1983)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 83% Metacritic 58

The Rebel Alliance mounts a final assault on the Empire's second Death Star.

Directed by Richard Marquand · 2h 12m · Rated PG

Nominated for 4 Oscars25 wins & 23 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Scarface (1983)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 77% Metacritic 65

A Cuban refugee's ruthless rise through Miami's cocaine trade consumes everything in his life.

Directed by Brian De Palma · 2h 50m · Rated R

8 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

8 Best Movies of 1983

Zelig (1983)

Trading Places (1983)

Videodrome (1983)

The Evil Dead (1983)

The Right Stuff (1983)

A Christmas Story (1983)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Scarface (1983)

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