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Best Mystery Movies

of the 1980s

The 20 highest-rated mystery movies released between 1980 and 1989, ranked by IMDb score.

1

Fanny and Alexander(1982)

8.1 IMDb100% RT100 Meta

As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father dies unexpectedly, however, the siblings end up in a j

2

Mississippi Burning(1988)

7.8 IMDb79% RT65 Meta

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger

3

The Vanishing(1988)

7.7 IMDb96% RT

Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation when they stop at a busy service station. Saskia is abducted in broad daylight and three years pass with no answers or closure surrounding her d

4

Blue Velvet(1986)

7.7 IMDb91% RT75 Meta

The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped

5

Angel's Egg(1985)

7.7 IMDb

In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.

6

Missing(1982)

7.7 IMDb94% RT78 Meta

Based on the real-life experiences of Ed Horman. A conservative American businessman travels to Chile to investigate the sudden disappearance of his son after a military takeover. Accompanied by his s

7

The Secret of NIMH(1982)

7.5 IMDb93% RT76 Meta

A widowed field mouse must move her family -- including an ailing son -- to escape a farmer's plow. Aided by a crow and a pack of superintelligent, escaped lab rats, the brave mother struggles to tran

8

Blow Out(1981)

7.4 IMDb88% RT86 Meta

While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terry stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally from the c

9

Clue(1985)

7.3 IMDb73% RT41 Meta

Clue finds six colorful dinner guests gathered at the mansion of their host, Mr. Boddy -- who turns up dead after his secret is exposed: He was blackmailing all of them. With the killer among them, th

10

Bianca(1984)

7.3 IMDb

Eccentric and full of manias, Michele is a young high school professor who defines himself as “not used to happiness”. He realizes his life is meaningless if he doesn’t have a woman by his side but, a

11

Confidentially Yours(1983)

7.2 IMDb78% RT

After he's implicated in several murders, a real estate agent goes on the lam while his intrepid secretary does some private investigating of her own to locate the killer.

12

Videodrome(1983)

7.2 IMDb83% RT58 Meta

As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max

13

The Draughtsman's Contract(1982)

7.2 IMDb97% RT

R. Neville, a brash young draftsman, is hired to make a dozen landscape illustrations at the estate of Mr Herbert and his wife Virginia. Aside from monetary compensation, the arrangement includes a se

14

Crossroads(1986)

7.1 IMDb76% RT55 Meta

A wanna-be blues guitar virtuoso seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician, Robert Johnson.

15

The Great Mouse Detective(1986)

7.1 IMDb78% RT73 Meta

When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps London's master toymaker, the brilliant master of disguise Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson try to elude the ultimate trap and foil t

16

Day of the Dead(1985)

7.1 IMDb61% RT60 Meta

As the world is overrun by zombies, scientists and military personnel in an underground Florida bunker must decide on how they should deal with the undead.

17

The Great Muppet Caper(1981)

7.1 IMDb78% RT70 Meta

Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secre

18

Scooby-Doo! Meets the Boo Brothers(1987)

6.9 IMDb

After the death of Shaggy's Uncle Beaureguard, he, Scooby and Scrappy arrive at the late uncle's Southern plantation to collect the inheritance. But as soon as they arrive, they find it is haunted by

19

Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School(1988)

6.8 IMDb

Scooby, Shaggy and Scrappy are on their way to a Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls, where they've been hired as gym teachers. Once there, however, they find that not only is it actually an al

20

Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf(1988)

6.6 IMDb

Shaggy is turned into a werewolf, and it's up to Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy's girlfriend to help him win a race against other monsters, and become human again.

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