8 Best Movies of 1987

By Vlad Zakh · June 28, 2026

1987 had romance, sci-fi action and prestige drama. Dirty Dancing has a teenager falling for her resort’s dance instructor, RoboCop resurrects a dying cop as a cyborg, and Predator hunts an elite commando team in the jungle. The Last Emperor, The Princess Bride, The Untouchables, Wings of Desire and Full Metal Jacket round out the eight.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A teenage girl at a summer resort falls for the resident dance instructor from the wrong side of the tracks.

Directed by Emile Ardolino · 1h 40m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Sling TV Orange and Blue · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

RoboCop (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A murdered cop is rebuilt as a corporate-owned cyborg enforcer with fragments of his humanity intact.

Directed by Paul Verhoeven · 1h 42m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · 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

Predator (1987)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 65% Metacritic 47

An elite rescue team is hunted one by one by an invisible alien in the jungle.

Directed by John McTiernan · 1h 47m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar3 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Last Emperor (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.6

China's final emperor reflects on his extraordinary life, from the Forbidden City to a Communist prison.

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci · 2h 43m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Princess Bride (1987)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 93% Metacritic 78

A fairy tale that spoofs itself constantly and still works as a real one.

Directed by Rob Reiner · 1h 39m · Rated PG

Nominated for 1 Oscar8 wins & 15 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Untouchables (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A determined Treasury agent assembles an incorruptible team to bring down Al Capone through his finances.

Directed by Brian De Palma · 1h 59m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Wings of Desire (1987)

TMDB ★ 7.8

An angel watching over divided Berlin falls for a mortal woman and considers giving up eternity.

Directed by Wim Wenders · 2h 08m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 89% Metacritic 78

Marine recruits endure brutal training before being thrown into the chaos of the Vietnam War.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick · 1h 57m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar8 wins & 15 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · 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

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 1987

Dirty Dancing (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

Predator (1987)

The Last Emperor (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Untouchables (1987)

Wings of Desire (1987)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

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