Why Are We Still Rebooting the 80s?

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between 80s movies and the movies we’re making now. You’ve probably noticed it too: it feels like every other week there’s news of another reboot, another remake, another attempt to “modernize” something that was already perfect the first time around. And honestly? I’m over it.


I love my 80s movies. I live for them. I know them by heart, word for word, scene by scene. Those films weren’t just entertaining—they were magic. They came from a time when creativity and originality mattered. When you could feel that spark of imagination behind the camera. Whether it was The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, E.T., or Back to the Future, these movies meant something. They were bold. Fresh. Completely their own thing.


Now? It feels like we’ve hit a creative wall. Instead of encouraging new voices and new stories, we keep digging up old ones, slapping on a fresh coat of paint, and calling it a day. Where’s the push to dream bigger? Where’s the why not? spirit that made the 80s so iconic in the first place?


And let’s be real, the only reason we even have these classics to reboot is because someone, once upon a time, dared to think outside the box. They took risks. They made something new. Imagine if they hadn’t? If they’d just recycled what came before? We wouldn’t have any of the stuff we now feel so nostalgic for.


So why aren’t we pushing for that same boldness today? Why are we settling for retreads of other people’s creativity when we could be fostering the next wave of imagination?


I’m not saying there’s no good content out there now. There is. But we’re stuck in this loop of nostalgia, and while it’s fun to revisit old favorites, it’s even more exciting to discover something brand new that hits you right in the gut—just like those movies did the first time around.


Here’s a handful of the 80s movies (and some early 90s) that have been rebooted or remade:

• Ghostbusters (2016 & 2021)

• The Karate Kid (2010) / Cobra Kai (series)

• Footloose (2011)

• Dirty Dancing (2017 remake & 2024 reboot coming)

• The A-Team (2010)

• RoboCop (2014)

• Total Recall (2012)

• Top Gun: Maverick (2022—sequel, but still banking on the 80s)

• The Lost Boys (CW reboot—thankfully canceled)

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024—upcoming sequel)

• Heathers (2018 series)

• Dune (2021—original film was 1984)

• Transformers (based on the 80s cartoon/toys)

• Jumanji (technically 1995, but still part of the nostalgia trend)


And that’s just scratching the surface.


Of course, not everything is a reboot. Every now and then, we do get something that feels like it could have been made in the 80s—original, adventurous, and full of heart. Movies like Super 8, Attack the Block, and shows like Stranger Things manage to honor that spirit while telling their own stories. And when that happens? It’s magic. That’s what I’m craving more of—new voices, new visions, and a boldness to create something that maybe becomes the next generation’s beloved classic.


What’s your favorite 80s movie? And how do you feel about the reboots? Tell me in the comments.

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