1988 Ranked Films
The ranked list of 1988 films that I have seen so far.
List activity
459 views
• 3 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
- 41 titles
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBob HoskinsChristopher LloydJoanna CassidyWhen a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.10/10
Spearheaded by Robert Zemeckis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a lush, imaginative neo-noir comedy that creates as many iconic toons as it borrows. - DirectorGiuseppe TornatoreStarsPhilippe NoiretEnzo CannavaleAntonella AttiliSalvatore, a famous film director, returns to his hometown for the funeral of the local theater's film projectionist, Alfredo. He reminisces about his life as a young boy falling in love with cinema.10/10
Enthusiastic and emotionally robust, Cinema Paradiso is a powerful coming-of-age saga and a touching love letter to classic filmmaking. - DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisAlan RickmanBonnie BedeliaA New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.10/10
Making a star out of Bruce Willis, Die Hard kicks a handful of ass on its way to defining the modern action film for decades to come. - DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsDustin HoffmanTom CruiseValeria GolinoAfter a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.10/10
A soulful drama that headlines a meticulous and moving Dustin Hoffman performance, Rain Man has its heart working to full capacity. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHitoshi TakagiNoriko HidakaChika SakamotoWhen two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.10/10
A paragon for Studio Ghibli in terms of heartwarming, accessible storytelling and breathtaking creativity, My Neighbor Totoro will have you hard-pressed to find more charming animated fare. - DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerGeena DavisAn emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.9/10
The Accidental Tourist will prove too soft-spoken for most moviegoers, however finely layered within a well written script are rich themes and subtly profound character development. - DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.9/10
Wholly ambitious and sometimes deeply disturbing, Akira’s visceral animation pulsates with energy and takes the viewer on a wild science-fiction ride. - DirectorPenny MarshallStarsTom HanksElizabeth PerkinsRobert LoggiaAfter wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.9/10
More than just a clever concept, Big is given multilayered, emphatic life thanks to a star-marking turn from Tom Hanks. - DirectorJonathan KaplanStarsKelly McGillisJodie FosterBernie CoulsonAfter a young woman suffers a brutal gang rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.9/10
Tackling its heavy subject matter with resolve and aplomb, The Accused is a well acted legal drama through and through. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsAlec BaldwinGeena DavisMichael KeatonThe spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.8/10
Weird, zany and all the better for it, Beetlejuice makes a star out of the wacky Michael Keaton and has a little bit of everything for everyone. - DirectorDavid ZuckerStarsLeslie NielsenPriscilla PresleyO.J. SimpsonIncompetent police Detective Frank Drebin must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.8/10
Led by a pitch-perfect performance from Leslie Nielsen, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! utilizes its absurdist humor to side-splitting effect. - DirectorJohn SaylesStarsJohn CusackClifton JamesJace AlexanderA dramatization of the Black Sox scandal when the underpaid Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.8/10
Eight Men Out loses some steam down the stretch and doesn't delve as deep as it should into baseball's biggest disgrace, however a zippy pace makes it eminently watchable. - DirectorJohn LandisStarsEddie MurphyPaul BatesGarcelle BeauvaisAn extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.7/10
Comedically, Coming to America relies on one too many Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall caricatures, though it does get the most out of its fish-out-of-water premise. - DirectorTom HollandStarsCatherine HicksChris SarandonAlex VincentA dying serial killer transfers his consciousness into a popular kids doll using voodoo. A struggling single mother gifts her six-year-old son the much sought-after doll for his birthday, and the doll slowly begins to show its true colors.7/10
Admittedly silly but also very disturbing, Child's Play takes a schlocky premise and manages to churn out quite the effective and unique slasher flick. - DirectorDonald PetrieStarsAnnabeth GishJulia RobertsLili TaylorThree teenage girls come of age while working at a pizza parlor in the Connecticut town of Mystic.7/10
Keeping its aspirations relatively low, Mystic Pizza is a quaint and believable little romantic tapestry thanks to a charismatic young cast. - DirectorDon BluthStarsPat HingleGabriel DamonHelen ShaverAn orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.7/10
Primarily for young children, The Land Before Time still impresses with its memorable characterizations and grounded story. - DirectorStephen ChiodoStarsGrant CramerSuzanne SnyderJohn Allen NelsonAliens who look like clowns come from outer space and terrorize a small town.7/10
Almost unsettling in its zaniness, Killer Klowns from Outer Space takes advantage of its outlandish premise and inspired set pieces to elicit the chuckles in a knowing audience. - DirectorFrank HenenlotterStarsRick HearstGordon MacDonaldJennifer LowryOne morning, a young man wakes to find that a small, disgusting creature has attached itself to the base of his brain stem. The creature gives him a euphoric state of happiness but demands human victims in return.7/10
Offering a surprisingly potent allegory on addiction, Brain Damage finds writer-director Frank Henenlotter once again utilizing inventive creature design to ride the line between seriousness and campy charm. - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsBill MurrayKaren AllenJohn ForsytheA selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.7/10
Though perhaps giving an absolutely wacky Bill Murray too much range, Scrooged confirms that Charles Dickens's immortal tale thrives in virtually any environment. - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsWillem DafoeHarvey KeitelBarbara HersheyThe life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross.6/10
For better or worse, The Last Temptation of Christ represents bold, nouveau filmmaking, even if its histrionics don't measure up to its spiritual overtones. - DirectorJohn De BelloStarsAnthony StarkeGeorge ClooneyKaren M. WaldronCrazy old Professor Gangreen has developed a way to make tomatoes look human for a second invasion.6/10
With a more concrete narrative through which to channel its parodical ribbings, Return of the Killer Tomatoes! nearly feels fresher than the original. - DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsRoddy PiperKeith DavidMeg FosterThey influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.6/10
Under the guise of B-movie schlock, They Live actually gets a good amount of gleeful sociological commentary in, a shaky third act notwithstanding. - DirectorAnthony HickoxStarsZach GalliganDeborah ForemanJennifer BasseyA wax museum owner uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world.6/10
Seriously wanting for wit and conviction, Waxwork nevertheless embraces its mashup of a premise and hardens into campy fun. - DirectorGeorge ScribnerStarsJoey LawrenceBilly JoelCheech MarinA lost and alone kitten joins a gang of dogs engaged in petty larceny in New York City.5/10
Though perfectly harmless animated fare, Oliver & Company doesn't capitalize enough on the classic Dickens story it's lifting from. - DirectorChuck RussellStarsShawnee SmithKevin DillonDonovan Leitch Jr.A deadly entity from space crash-lands near a small town and begins consuming everyone in its path. Panic ensues as shady government scientists try to contain the horrific creature.5/10
The film has more fun with its concept than the original, but unfortunately a lack of narrative focus has The Blob feeling similarly amorphous.