One of the best periods for filmmaking, the 1980s saw the beginning of many blockbuster series that have endured to the present day, such Top Gun and Predator, both of which had successful follow-ups in 2022 that successfully recaptured the spirit of the time. The politics and culture of the 1980s have been attacked in numerous films released. Since then in an effort to denigrate the decade. Of course, not all aspects of the decade conjure warm nostalgia, and there are many aspects of the decade that deserve criticism. The best satirical films that parody the 1980s are listed below.
1. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Director- David Slade
In 1984. Based on the novel “Bandersnatch“, in which you get to make decisions that affect the plot. Stefan is creating a computer game. He has the chance to provide Tuckersoft, a software business, with his game and request that they distribute it. But as he spends more time playing the game, the decisions that are made in his life increasingly resemble those in the game. Stefan seems to be losing his mind.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Director- Martin Scorsese
Jordan Belfort accepts a position at a Wall Street brokerage company in 1987. While still in his 20s, Belfort founded his own company, Stratton Oakmont, at the beginning of the 1990s. Belfort makes a fortune by scamming wealthy investors out of millions of dollars along with his dependable lieutenant and a merry band of brokers. However, the SEC and the FBI are closing in on Belfort’s extravagant empire. While he and his friends indulge in a hedonistic cocktail of sex, drugs, and thrills.
3. Computer Chess (2013)
Director- Andrew Bujalski
Computer Chess takes viewers back in time to a nostalgic time when the struggle between technology and the human soul appeared a little more open. It takes place over the course of a weekend competition for chess software engineers thirty or so years ago. We learn about the quirky geniuses who had the idea to educate a metal box to beat a human opponent—literally—at his own game, creating the foundation for artificial intelligence as we know it today and as it will be in the future.
4. Hot Shots! (1991)
Director- Jim Abrahams
Lieutenant Sean “Topper” Harley, a troubled U.S. Navy ace pilot, unwillingly rejoins the military service after becoming weary of living in his father’s constant shadow. A furious rivalry with cocky fighter pilot Lieutenant Kent Gregory and an unexpected encounter with desire are in store for the emotionally unstable commander as he travels back to the nostalgic setting of his boyhood while still dealing with grief. There is no time for love, though, when America calls. Now, Topper has a crucial assignment in Iraq to complete, and as if that weren’t enough, he also has to deal with a dishonest aerospace designer looking to make a quick buck.
5. Joker (2019)
Director- Todd Phillips
Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comic who struggles to make audiences laugh in grimy Gotham City in the early 1980s, puts on his smudged makeup every day to make ends meet. A loaded revolver enters the scene, offering the long-awaited emancipation, and Fleck’s tenuous hold on reality will pave the way for a steady decline into a dark realm of unfettered violence. Fleck has been mocked, bullied, and most importantly, marginalised. After then, the drugs ceased to be effective, and Arthur’s troubled passionate anger now seemed to be the sole escape route.
6. Kung Fury (2015)
Director- David Sandberg
The dedicated Miami Police Detective Kung Fury receives a set of unheard-of and amazing martial arts abilities by an extraordinary mingling of pure chance and heavenly intervention, making him the undisputed King of Kung Fu. However, Kung Fury vows vengeance after an unscrupulous foe, the invincible Kung Führer, kills the precinct’s chief. Now, he is forced to find the maniacal assassin despite the fact that doing so will bring him back in time and right into the heart of the terrible Nazi Germany. He is deadly, says Kung Fury. He has no fear. He’ll exact revenge.
7. Boogie Nights (1997)
Director- Paul Thomas Anderson
Eddie Adams, a young busboy in the San Fernando Valley in 1977, is discovered by pornographer Jack Horner, who turns him into the star of the adult-film craze Dirk Diggler. Dirk achieves all of his goals thanks to the encouragement of his pals, which also includes other actors Amber Waves, Rollergirl, and Reed Rothchild, but a dangerous concoction of drugs and egotism threatens to bring him back down.
8. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Director- David Wain
The year 1981 and the location are Camp Firewood. It’s the last day before everyone returns to reality, but the summer’s worth of unfinished business still needs to be resolved. The protagonist of the story is camp director Beth, who battles to maintain discipline while developing feelings for the neighbourhood astrophysics professor. As a dangerous component of NASA’s Skylab hurtles toward earth, he is occupied trying to protect the camp. Along with all of that, there are also love triangles, misfits, cool kids, and talking vegetable cans. Naturally, all of the issues will be settled at the concluding great talent event.
9. 21 Jump Street (2012)
Director(s)- Chris Miller, Phil Lord
Schmidt and Jenko are high school students in 2005; one is a geek on the honour roll and the other is a cool, underachiever who plays sports. By 2012, they are rookie officers working in pairs and on bike patrol with the desire to make arrests. They make a mistake and are sent back to high school undercover to track down the manufacturer of a hazardous synthetic narcotic. They mix up their identities, and Schmidt ends up in the easy classes where he meets Wendy and auditions for Peter Pan, while Jenko ends himself in AP classes where he befriends high-achieving dweebs. Schmidt develops inflated expectations as a result of his second shot at high school, endangering the enterprise.
In conclusion, satirical movies provide a unique blend of humor and social commentary that can be both entertaining and thought-provoking. Some of the best satirical movies include “Hot Shots!,” “Joker,” and “Boogie Nights.” These films not only make us laugh, but also challenge us to consider the flaws and absurdities of our society. Whether you are a fan of political satire, social satire, or just want a good laugh, these movies are worth checking out.
