#1 of 123 Best of 1985
Best Movies of 1985, Ranked
1,642 films on the site were released in 1985, and 123 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Ran tops the list, ahead of Back to the Future and After Hours. The biggest hit was Back to the Future with $385.1M worldwide, and Out of Africa won Best Picture at the 1986 Oscars.
- films released in 1985
- 1,642
- ranked by rating
- 123
- worldwide, top 10 hits
- $1.7B
- award wins
- 52
#1 of 1985
What Is the Best Movie of 1985?
Ran is the best-rated film of 1985, with a rank value of 89/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of Back to the Future (88/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
#1 of 123 Ranked
Top 25 Movies of 1985, Ranked
Back to the Future and After Hours follow Ran. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (16 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
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2. Back to the Future 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100 (26 critic reviews))1985 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 56m
Dir. Robert Zemeckis No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
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3. After Hours 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100 (9 critic reviews))1985 · Thriller, Comedy · 1h 37m
Dir. Martin Scorsese No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences
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4. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (7 critic reviews))1985 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 1h 57m
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences
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5. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))1985 · Biography, Drama · 2h
Dir. Paul Schrader No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences
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6. Blood Simple 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (33 critic reviews))1985 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 39m
Dir. Ethan Coen No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences
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7. Brazil 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1985 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 2h 12m
No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences
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8. The Color Purple 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)1985 · Drama · 2h 34m
Dir. Steven Spielberg No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences
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9. The Sure Thing 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)1985 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 40m
No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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10. To Live and Die in L.A. 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100)1985 · Action, Drama · 1h 56m
Dir. William Friedkin No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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11. The Purple Rose of Cairo 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)1985 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 22m
No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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12. Witness 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)1985 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 52m
Dir. Peter Weir No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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13. A Passage to India 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))1985 · Adventure, Drama · 2h 44m
Dir. David Lean No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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14. The Killing Fields 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)1985 · Drama, History · 2h 21m
Dir. Roland Joffé No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
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15. The Breakfast Club 66 Metascore (Metascore 66 out of 100)1985 · Drama · 1h 37m
Dir. John Hughes No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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16. Lost in America 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (10 critic reviews))1985 · Comedy · 1h 31m
No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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17. Desperately Seeking Susan 71 Metascore (Metascore 71 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))1985 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 44m
Dir. Susan Seidelman No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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18. Prizzi's Honor 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100)1985 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 10m
No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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18. The Falcon and the Snowman 68 Metascore (Metascore 68 out of 100)1985 · Biography, Drama · 2h 11m
Dir. John Schlesinger No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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20. Re-Animator 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100)1985 · Sci-Fi, Horror · 1h 45m
Dir. Stuart Gordon No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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21. The Journey of Natty Gann 66 Metascore (Metascore 66 out of 100)1985 · Adventure, Family · 1h 41m
Dir. Jeremy Kagan No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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22. Real Genius 71 Metascore (Metascore 71 out of 100)1985 · Sci-Fi, Comedy · 1h 48m
Dir. Martha Coolidge No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
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23. The Return of the Living Dead 66 Metascore (Metascore 66 out of 100)1985 · Sci-Fi, Horror · 1h 31m
No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
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24. The Goonies 62 Metascore (Metascore 62 out of 100)1985 · Adventure, Comedy · 1h 54m
Dir. Richard Donner No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
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25. Smooth Talk 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100)1985 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 32m
Dir. Joyce Chopra No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
Box office
What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1985?
Back to the Future earned $385.1M worldwide, ahead of Rocky IV ($300.5M). The top 10 took $1.7B together; 192 films released in 1985 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.
- #1 $385.1M worldwide Back to the Future $214.6M domestic · Adventure
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#2 $300.5M worldwide Rocky IV $127.9M domestic · Drama -
#3 $300.4M worldwide Rambo: First Blood Part II $150.4M domestic · Action -
#4 $227.5M worldwide Out of Africa $87.1M domestic · Biography - #5 $98.5M worldwide The Color Purple $98.5M domestic · Drama
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#6 $96.8M worldwide The Jewel of the Nile $76M domestic · Action -
#7 $85.3M worldwide Cocoon $76.1M domestic · Sci-Fi - #8 $68.7M worldwide Witness $68.7M domestic · Drama
- #9 $64.5M worldwide The Goonies $63.7M domestic · Adventure
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#10 $60.1M worldwide Spies Like Us $60.1M domestic · Adventure
Awards
Which 1985 Movies Won the Most Awards?
The Killing Fields leads with 11 wins from 27 nominations, then Out of Africa with 10 wins. Out of Africa won Best Picture at the 1986 Oscars. In all, 42 films released in 1985 have award nominations on the site, with 52 wins between them.
- The Killing Fields 11 / 271985 · Drama, History · 11 wins from 27 nominations
- Out of Africa 10 / 251985 · Biography, Drama · 10 wins from 25 nominations
- A Passage to India 3 / 251985 · Adventure, Drama · 3 wins from 25 nominations
- Witness 3 / 221985 · Drama, Thriller · 3 wins from 22 nominations
- Ran 3 / 111985 · Action, Drama · 3 wins from 11 nominations
- Cocoon 3 / 101985 · Sci-Fi · 3 wins from 10 nominations
- Back to the Future 2 / 201985 · Adventure, Sci-Fi · 2 wins from 20 nominations
- Prizzi's Honor 2 / 171985 · Drama, Comedy · 2 wins from 17 nominations
By genre
What Is the Best 1985 Movie in Each Genre?
The highest-ranked 1985 film of 12 genres, from Action (Ran) to War (The Killing Fields). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.
- Ran 97 Metascore
- Back to the Future 87 Metascore
- After Hours 89 Metascore
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 86 Metascore
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters 84 Metascore
- Blood Simple 84 Metascore
- Brazil 84 Metascore
- The Sure Thing 76 Metascore
- To Live and Die in L.A. 81 Metascore
- The Purple Rose of Cairo 75 Metascore
- A Passage to India 78 Metascore
- The Killing Fields 76 Metascore
Release months
When Were 1985's Movies Released?
October was the busiest month of 1985 with 154 releases; its best-rated film is Re-Animator. January shows 318 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.
- January Best: Blood Simple318
- February Best: Witness109
- March Best: The Sure Thing126
- April Best: Desperately Seeking Susan99
- May Best: The Purple Rose of Cairo117
- June Best: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind109
- July Best: Back to the Future95
- August Best: Real Genius117
- September Best: After Hours144
- October Best: Re-Animator154
- November Best: To Live and Die in L.A.144
- December Best: Ran110
- January (Best: Blood Simple): 318
- February (Best: Witness): 109
- March (Best: The Sure Thing): 126
- April (Best: Desperately Seeking Susan): 99
- May (Best: The Purple Rose of Cairo): 117
- June (Best: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind): 109
- July (Best: Back to the Future): 95
- August (Best: Real Genius): 117
- September (Best: After Hours): 144
- October (Best: Re-Animator): 154
- November (Best: To Live and Die in L.A.): 144
- December (Best: Ran): 110
Languages
Which Languages Were 1985's Movies In?
47% of 1985's films with a known language are in English (763). Japanese comes next with 113 films, out of 57 languages in all.
English 
Japanese 
French 
Spanish 
German 
Italian 
Cantonese 
Turkish 
Russian 
Arabic 
Hindi 
Portuguese 
Tagalog Every year
Best Movies by Year
A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
FAQ
Best Movies of 1985: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about 1985's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.
What is the best movie of 1985?
Ran is the best-rated film of 1985 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 89/100 from critics and audiences. Back to the Future is second and After Hours third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
About Ran What was the highest-grossing movie of 1985?
Back to the Future earned $385.1M worldwide, the most of any 1985 release on the site. Rocky IV follows with $300.5M.
1985 box office Which 1985 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?
Out of Africa (1985) won Best Picture at the 1986 Academy Awards.
Out of Africa Which 1985 film won the most awards?
The Killing Fields has the best award record of the 1985 releases on the site: 11 wins from 27 nominations.
1986 awards season How many movies were released in 1985?
The site lists 1,642 films released in 1985. 123 of them are ranked, and October had the most releases with a known day (154).
How are the best movies of 1985 ranked?
Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.