Best Drama movies of 1980s

Actors : Burt Reynolds, Rachel Ward, Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith,
Directors : Burt Reynolds,

Tom Sharky is demoted to vice after a bust goes terribly wrong. He and his team stumble across a mob murder tied to prostitution and government.

Actors : John Pankow, Willem Dafoe, William Petersen, Debra Feuer,
Directors : William Friedkin,

A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.

Actors : Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello,
Directors : Eddie Murphy,

During the 1930s, a New York illegal gambling house owner and his associates must deal with strong competition, gangsters and corrupt cops in order to stay in business.

Actors : Christine Hargreaves, Eleanor David, Bob Geldof, James Laurenson,
Directors : Alan Parker,

A confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.

Actors : Doug McKeon, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda,
Directors : Mark Rydell,

Norman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.

Actors : José Lewgoy, Klaus Kinski, King Ampaw, Salvatore Basile,
Directors : Werner Herzog,

During the 1800s, paroled Brazilian bandit Cobra Verde is sent to West Africa with a few troops to man an old Portuguese fort and to convince the local African ruler to resume the slave trade with Brazil.

Actors : Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson, Tom Hanks, Reginald VelJohnson,
Directors : Roger Spottiswoode,

A detective must adopt the dog of a dead man to help him find the murderer.

Actors : Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis,
Directors : Herbert Ross,

A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship and welcome her into the fold.

Actors : Nicoletta Braschi, Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni,
Directors : Jim Jarmusch,

Two innocent people are arrested. An interesting third person, with broken English, joins them in their cell. On his idea, they decide to escape from the prison. Their journey is the rest of the movie.

Actors : Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson, Kurt Russell, Mickey Rooney,

Two childhood friends find themselves forced to become enemies.

Actors : Susan Blakely, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Loggia, Rick Zumwalt,
Directors : Menahem Golan,

Tough trucker Lincoln Hawk is determined to win back his son and triumph at the world arm wrestling championships.

Actors : Pat Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, Ralph Macchio,
Directors : John G. Avildsen,

Ostracised villain John Kreese attempts to gain revenge on Daniel and Miyagi, with the help of a Vietnam War comrade, the wealthy owner of a toxic waste disposal business.

Actors : Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Richard Cox, Karen Allen,
Directors : William Friedkin,

A police detective goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.

Actors : Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Amy Ingersoll, Tom Savini,
Directors : George A. Romero,

A medieval reenactment troupe find it increasingly difficult to keep their family-like group together, with pressure from local law enforcement, interest from entertainment agents and a growing sense of delusion from their leader.

Actors : Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Ralph Brown, Richard Griffiths,
Directors : Bruce Robinson,

At the end of the 1960's, two substance-abusing, unemployed actors retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous.

Actors : Ray McAnally, Jeremy Irons, Robert De Niro, Aidan Quinn,
Directors : Roland Joffé,

18th century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal.

Actors : Saundra McClain, Margaret Welsh, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman,
Directors : James Ivory,

Set during World War II, an upper-class family begins to fall apart due to the conservative nature of the patriarch and the progressive values of his children.

Actors : James Mason, Charlotte Rampling, Paul Newman, Jack Warden,
Directors : Sidney Lumet,

A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling.

Actors : Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard, Spalding Gray,
Directors : Garry Marshall,

A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.

Actors : John MacKay, Rebecca Nelson, Martin Donovan, Adrienne Shelly,
Directors : Hal Hartley,

After being thrown away from home, Maria encounters a lady who complains of not having children. Almost getting raped, she ends up in an abandoned house, where she meets Matthew. When a baby is kidnapped Maria sets out to find the lady.