Every decade has movies where it feels like the entire point of the film goes over audiences' heads, and the 1980s were no different. As a complex era categorized by societies fractured by Reaganomic policies, Cold War anxieties, and widespread recession, movies often subtly reflected societies' woes in a way not every viewer picked up on.In certain cases, these misunderstandings led to great films completely bombing at the box office, and it’s only in hindsight that their meaning and purpose seem obvious.
The mostcontroversial moviesever made usually become notorious because of some major misunderstandings, as truly insightful films challenge audience expectations and social norms. This has been especially the case in past decades, as prior to widespread online discourse, it was more difficult for film lovers to gain behind-the-scenes information or deep analysis of a particular movie. Whilesome viewers did not initially understand the message of these great films, the fact they are still being written about today shows their enduring legacy.
10Wall Street (1987)
Audiences Overlooked Wall Street’s Capitalist Critique
Michael Douglas won the Oscar for Best Actor, playing the ambitious and ruthless stockbroker Gordon Gekko inWall Street. As a daming indictment of capitalism and the money-hungry landscape of 1980s Reaganomics, Gekko’s ethos that “greed, for lack of a better word, is good” was never meant to be taken seriously. Instead, director Oliver Stone invited viewers tolook past the financial gains of stocks and bonds and see the soullessness and shallow materialism behind it all.
Wall Street
Cast
Wall Street, directed by Oliver Stone, follows the story of Bud Fox, a young stockbroker willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information. Michael Douglas stars as the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko, who mentors Fox in the high-stakes world of finance. The film scrutinizes the ethical dilemmas and moral corruption inherent in the pursuit of wealth and success in 1980s America.
However, the anti-capitalism message ofWall Streetwent over many viewers' heads as, although it made the world of finance look desirable, it was actually a damning critique of the cynical culture of the 1980s. While some audiences may have seen Gekko as a charismatic success, the truth was he was the villain, and the film served to highlight the dubious morality of characters like him. AlthoughWall Streetmay have appeared aspirational, it was anything but.
9First Blood (1982)
Audiences Failed To See The Message About In The Treatment Of Veterans In First Blood
Sylvester Stallone brought to life a cinematic iconic as enduring as his breakout role of Rocky Balboa when he first played John Rambo inFirst Blood. As a PTSD-suffering Vietnam War veteran,First Bloodshowcased a man in emotional crisis relying on his combat skills to survive a vicious manhunt in the forest near the small town of Hope, Washington.
First Bloodwas far more than a simple action film, as it represented the mistreatment of war veterans and how the adverse, deeply traumatizing effects of conflict left their mark on countless soldiers.
WhileFirst Bloodbecame a major blockbuster successand the start of a new action movie franchise, viewers missed the emotional and psychological themes underpinning its story.First Bloodwas far more than a simple action film, as it represented the mistreatment of war veterans and how the adverse, deeply traumatizing effects of conflict left their mark on countless soldiers.
First Blood (1982)
While Rambo’s intense Vietnam flashbacks and reckless guerilla warfare tactics were an extreme example, they showcased how, for those who were in the heart of battle, it’s difficult to leave warfare behind.First Bloodwas a complex and layered story of real emotional resonance; however, the way it devolved into a pure carriage-filled action franchise showcased how viewers missed the point.
8Manhunter (1986)
Audiences Did Not Appreciate Michael Mann’s Stylistic Choices
Although Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter inThe Silence of the Lambsmay be cinema’s most acclaimed version of the character, he was first played on screen by Brian Cox in Michael Mann’sManhunter. Asan adaptation of the novelRed Dragonby Thomas Harris, this box office disappointment was misunderstood by audiences when it was first released but has since become a cult classic.
With one of thebest synth movie scores of the 1980s,Manhunterwas far more than a typical crime thriller and was categorized by pure style and atmosphere. Mann used color to giveManhuntera tinted aesthetic that evoked mood and tone throughout.
Manhunter
Manhunter is a psychological thriller directed by Michael Mann. Released in 1986, the film follows former FBI profiler Will Graham, portrayed by William Petersen, as he tracks down a serial killer known as “The Tooth Fairy.” The film features strong performances from Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor and Tom Noonan as the chilling antagonist. Manhunter is known for its atmospheric tension and complex character studies.
While contemporary viewers were turned off byManhunter’smore artsy style, looking back on it today, this made it stand out among a litany of forgettable and lackluster crime thrillers during the 1980s. Despite not being appreciated in its own time,Manhunter’sfocus on mood and tone notably influenced later thrillers such asSe7en.
7RoboCop (1987)
Audiences Missed Out On The Satirical Depth Of RoboCop
At first glance,RoboCopappeared to be an over-the-top action movie that owed much of its inspiration toThe Terminator. This was how the movie was received by many viewers when it was released in 1987, when it became a box office hit and the starting point for an entirely new franchise.
10 Controversial ’90s Movies Where The Audience Missed The Point
Some of the most controversial movies of the 1990s sparked debates that missed the point of the movie, often dependent upon dark comedy and satire.
However, withcomplex themes about the nature of humanity, personal identity, corporate greed, and corruption,RoboCop’smessage was actually far deeper than the average sci-fi action movie. With a central theme around the power of corporations,RoboCopwas a thought-provoking satire of Reaganomics that spoofed right-wing fear around drugs and crime.
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 film set in a dystopian Detroit, where the corporation Omni Consumer Products privatizes the police force. The plot follows Alex Murphy, a street cop who becomes the test subject for a cyborg prototype. As RoboCop, Murphy discovers the corporation’s malicious intentions and acts against them.
With religious imagery that brought to mind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, it’s only in the internet era of widespread online debate thatthe deeply complex subtext ofRoboCophas become a mainstream talking point among viewers.As movie fans can come together for online discussion around films such asRoboCop, its thematically dense, satirical narrative has become common knowledge in a way it wasn’t during the 1980s.
6Scarface (1983)
Audiences Who Idolized Tony Montana Missed The Point
Scarfacewas truly one of Al Pacino’s definitive movies, whose iconography and quotations have been a touchstone of popular culture. As Tony Montana, Pacino embodied a level of violent excess that showcased the ruthless and outrageous nature of gangsters and powerfully updated the original 1932 Howard Hawks movie for a new generation. However, Tony Montana has since become an icon of hip-hop culture, andviewers who sawScarfaceas an idolization of criminal behavior entirely missed the point.
Scarface
Brian De Palma’s iconic crime drama is loosely based on the 1929 novel of the same name and follows Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino), who begins a life of crime after arriving in Miami. It chronicles his rise from a penniless thug to one of the richest and most ruthless kingpins in the world, amassing a criminal empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The violent excess seen inScarface, such as the “say hello to my little friend” shootout and the outrageous mountains of cocaine on display, highlighted the hollow nature of materialism. While some audiences may have looked to Tony as a symbol of criminal success, his troubling story was, in fact, a critique of the emptiness of the American dream. While Tony turned himself from a penniless immigrant into a drug kingpin, it was at the expense of finding true meaning in life.
5The Thing (1982)
Audiences Failed To Appreciate The Thing, And It Has Since Been Reappraised
As a movie that commonly ranks among the greatest horror movies ever made, it’s shocking just how dismissive audiences were ofThe Thingback when it was released. Although John Carpenter’s thrilling masterpiece of paranoia and the breakdown of trust has endured throughout the decades,The Thingunderperformed at the box officeas viewers favored the more optimistic alien movieE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. While the special effects gained praise, its storyline, and the unique atmosphere were woefully underappreciated.
The Thing
A team of researchers set out to study an alien spacecraft found in Antarctica, where they also discover an alien body on the site. The alien buried in ice is actually alive and has the ability to imitate human form. The group must find a way to distinguish who the real person is from The Thing and stay alive. John Carpenter’s 1982 film is a remake of 1951’s The Thing from Another World and stars Kurt Russel as the hero RJ MacReady.
However,The Things’reputation has only grown in the years since its release, and it’s now considered perhapsCarpenter’s greatest movie. The retrospective reassessment means it’s now a timeless classic and a must-watch movie for horror lovers of all descriptions. The wayThe Thingmelded Lovecraftian horror with Cold War anxieties of mutually assured destruction was overlooked at the time but has since had a major effect on popular culture and influenced everything fromThe Hateful EighttoStranger Things.
4Heathers (1989)
Audiences Were Not Used To Heather’s Cynical Inversion Of Teen Movie Tropes
Heatherscontrasted the optimism of John Hughes-style teen movies, such asSixteen CandlesandThe Breakfast Club, with a dark sense of cynicism that better represented the trials and tribulations of Reagan’s America. While this was a deeply clever high school satire,Heathersfailed to find an audience and bombed at the box office. The idea of a dark teen movie that unpacked the real horrors of bullying and teen suicide was so ahead of its time that audiences missed the point.
Heathers
Heathers is a dark comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, featuring Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer and Christian Slater as J.D. Released in 1989, the story delves into high school social hierarchies and the consequences of rebelling against popular cliques. The film addresses themes of teen angst, peer pressure, and the impact of destructive behavior within a satirical framework.
In hindsight,Heatherswas a hugely influential film that only became more relevant as the years went on. While contemporary viewers took the film’s extreme scenarios and irreverent tone at face value, looking back, this was a clever social commentary on serious issues.Heathershas since become a cult classic coming-of-age moviethat’s been adapted as a musical and with a television reboot.
3Blue Velvet (1986)
Audiences Were Alienated By David Lynch’s Surreal Filmmaking Style
The surrealist auteur David Lynch has always forged his own path, whether critics or audiences understood his work or not. This was the case for his iconic debutEraserheadand has remained so right up to recent works likeTwin Peaks: The Return, excluding one notable example where he was not provided with a final cut for his adaptation ofDune.
10 Controversial Movies That Feel Tame By Today’s Standards
It’s a testament to how much social norms have changed and progressed over the years, considering how tame these controversial movies feel today.
As both an artistic and financial failure, Lynch vowed never to make the same mistake again and delved even further into his uncompromising and often alienating style with his follow-up feature,Blue Velvet. This was a hugely misunderstood film at the time of its release, as Lynch had yet to become widely known for his surreal and dreamlike aesthetics that peeled back the sinister curtain of suburbia.
Blue Velvet
Written and directed by David Lynch, Blue Velvet is a 1986 Thriller and Mystery film. Starring Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini, the film follows a young man that becomes embroiled in a crime.
Blue Velvetwas thought to be a bizarre and pointlessly sexualized film when it was first released, which ignored its insightful commentary on society’s buried violence and desire. AlthoughBlue Velvethas since gained a cult following, during the 1980s, it was just too out there for mainstream audiences.
2The King Of Comedy (1982)
Audiences Failed To Enjoy The Satirical Nature Of The King Of Comedy
WithThe King of Comedy,director Martin Scorsese delivered one of the greatest movies of the 1980s, but sadly, audiences were not interested in this insightful satirical look at celebrity worship and obsession. As a box office flop, this story of a wannabe comedian kidnapping his idol had all the hallmarks ofScorsese’s best work, as its dark character study brought to mind the sinister undertones of previous Scorsese movies likeTaxi Driver.
The King of Comedywas completely misunderstood when it was released, but its dark satire has only become more relevant in the years since.
The King of Comedywas completely misunderstood when it was released, but its dark satire has only become more relevant in the years since. Robert De Niro gave one of his greatest performances as Rupert Pupkin, a stand-up comedian with mental health issues, who so perfectly walked the fine line between comedy and drama that it alienated viewers.
The King of Comedy
The King of Comedy is a dark comedy directed by Martin Scorsese. Robert De Niro stars as Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring stand-up comedian whose obsession with a late-night talk show host, played by Jerry Lewis, drives him to extreme measures to achieve fame. The film explores themes of celebrity, delusion, and the desperation for recognition.
The cringe-inducing and awkward nature of its narrative was just too ahead of its time for the 1980sbut has since had a major influence on later movies.Joker’sbox office smash success, which powerfully paid homage toThe King of Comedythroughout, was a prime example of its enduring legacy.
1Do The Right Thing (1989)
Audiences Protested Do The Right Thing, Missing Its Anti-Violence Message
The fact thatDriving Miss Daisytook home the Academy Award for Best Picture overDo the Right Thingperfectly encapsulatedhow misunderstood this classic film was by contemporary audiences. As an insightful crime-drama by Spike Lee,Do the Right Thingaddressed racial issues in a timely and urgent way, and, when contrasted withDriving Miss Daisy, it was clearly a much more pressing and powerful film.
However, those who criticizedDo the Right Things’depiction of violence failed to understand the deeper meaning at the heart of the film.Do the Right Thingdepicted simmering racial tensions between a neighborhood’s African-American residents and the Italian-Americans on one hot summer day.
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing is Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated film starring himself, Giancarlo Esposito, Bull Nunn, John Turturro, and Ossie Davis. The comedy drama revolves around Spike Lee’s young character Mookie, who is stuck in Brooklyn on the hottest day of summer, where bigotry and hate build before exploding into violence.
Upon release, some protested the film and stated that it could incite riots (viaRolling Stone), despite an anti-violent message being the entire point of the movie.Lee himself commented on the way certain audiences missed the point, calling the protests “outrageous, egregious” and “racist.”
