Spielberg 1980s · Ranked
Best Spielberg Films of the 1980s, Ranked by IQ Score
The decade Spielberg's commercial peak aligned with his initial prestige work. Every 1980s Spielberg film, ranked.
The 1980s is the decade Steven Spielberg's commercial peak (Raiders, E.T., Indiana Jones) aligned with his first major prestige work (The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun). The transition from blockbuster-only director to prestige-and-blockbuster director happens within this decade.
Anchor picks: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). E.T. (1982). The Color Purple (1985). Empire of the Sun (1987).
6 titles · ranked by IQ Score
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Questions about this ranking
What is the best Spielberg film of the 1980s?
By IQ Score on TV Intelligentsia, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and E.T. (1982) anchor the decade. The Color Purple (1985) and Empire of the Sun (1987) demonstrate Spielberg's transition to prestige drama work.
Why is the 1980s considered Spielberg's transition decade?
1980s Spielberg started as the canonical commercial-blockbuster director (Raiders, E.T., Indiana Jones franchise) and ended as one capable of prestige drama (The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun). The transition would complete in the 1990s with Schindler's List (1993), but the 1980s is when it began.
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