The 9 Best Movies of 1985

9. National Lampoon's European Vacation

8. Private Resort

The year following his feature film debut, Johnny Depp appeared in his first role that saw him survive to the credits. Depp's lesser-known "Jack" character accompanies his buddy, Ben, to a hotel in order to meet girls. During their stay, the baby-faced wannabe players do just that -- as well as a gangster, a crazy cult lady and Police Academy's Sgt. Callahan.

7. Weird Science

If Victor Frankenstein were a 1980s high school nerd, would he create a mute, giant man cobbled together from various corpses? Of course not; he'd use a superpowered computer to make a gorgeous, hard-partying young woman with a British accent who adored him and his equally geeky best friend in spite of their loser reputations.









6. Brewster's Millions

More money really does cause more problems for minor-league baseball player Monty Brewster. When a rich uncle -- who he didn't even know he had -- kicks the bucket he leaves his only surviving relative a $300 million inheritance. But there are a couple of catches: he has to spend $30 million in 30 days AND he's not allowed to tell anyone about the deal. Otherwise, he gets nothing.

Part of the fun is in watching Monty blow his newly-gained FU money in increasingly creative ways -- all while his friends doubt his sanity and/or come to believe that he's turned into the type of rich jackhole they've always hated.









5. Just One of the Guys

4. Mischief

Awkward Jonathan gets a new lease on high school life in 1950s Ohio when a legitimately cool guy, Gene, moves to town and makes friends with him. Gene teaches him how to get girls and stand up to bullies. What are friends for?









3. Legend

Two years after appearing in his first great movie (The Outsiders), Tom Cruise starred in the first -- and so far only -- sword-and-sorcery film of his career.

Cruise's Jack must battle goblins and resist lustful sprites in order to rescue his love, Lily, from Darkness in a straight-up fairytale.









2. Secret Admirer

Secret crushes, mistaken identity and miscommunication are a great recipe for drama -- and comedy. In a decade full of them, Secret Admirer is one of the best (and most underrated) teen movie of the 1980s.

Best friends Michael and Toni know almost everything about one another. But what Michael doesn't know is that Toni is head-over-heels in love with him. After she reveals her feelings in an anonymous letter on the last day of the school year, Michael ends up with the most popular girl in school (who tells Toni all about it) and Toni's mom ends up in an affair with Michael's dad.









1. Back to the Future