Ten '80s Movies That Don't Need Remakes, Sequels, Or Prequels

Seriously, we can all agree that a sequel to Stand By Me would be the worst mistake in cinematic history.

1. Labyrinth (1986)

TriStar Pictures

Half of what made this film so good was Bowie. Sure, who didn't relate to Sarah at least a little bit? But the alluring-yet-toxic behavior of the Goblin King was what really made this movie amazing. Without David Bowie in it, a sequel or remake would just not have half the charm of the original.

2. Stand By Me (1986)

Columbia Pictures

There are very few films adapted from Stephen King's books that needed sequels, and Stand By Me definitely doesn't. I cannot imagine any of the cast would want to return and where would the plot even develop to? The whole idea of friends drifting apart wouldn't work if they then reunited, and would lessen the emotional impact of the original movie. Any remake would never stand up to the original, and I think that there are very few actors now who could pull off the pre-teen angst better than the 1986 cast. River Phoenix had a rare talent for someone so young, and anyone trying to replicate that would struggle not to fall short.

3. The Goonies (1985)

Warner Bros.

A sequel wouldn't make a whole lot of sense. The movie ends perfectly as it is, and any sequel would feel oddly forced. Not to mention as humorous as watching four grown men go on a treasure hunt would be, it definitely wouldn't have the same nostalgic feel to it. Any remake would be completely pointless, and while not necessarily such a disaster as a Stand By Me remake, it would still not have the same feel to it.

4. The Lost Boys (1987)

Warner Bros.

This actually did have a sequel, and a third movie too. Whilst the original is one of my favorite movies, the sequel is on a list of films I made the mistake of watching once and will never watch again. Because of that, I decided against watching the third film, and I really think any other movie made in this series would probably be even worse. My guess would be only one of the original cast would return and we'd end up watching this one guy cosplaying Buffy The Vampire Slayer whilst referencing every '80s movie in the cringiest way possible, as the sequel did. Trust me when I say this classic does not need another film in the franchise.

5. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Universal Pictures

Perhaps I could be wrong in my judgement, but I honestly feel like anyone attempting to remake this would probably try and "Gen Z-ify" it, and the film would end up more cringy than anything good. Likewise, a sequel made would probably feature the children of the original club meeting up and poorly replicating the original. Whilst I think The Breakfast Club is a fun reference for movies and TV shows to play off of (like One Of Us Is Lying), the film does not need anything to be added to the original canon.

6. Heathers (1988)

New World Pictures

Now I do love the musical, and perhaps a movie based off of the musical would be good. However, I think that any remake of the movie without making it a musical could just never quite live up to the original. I think that some of the controversial scenes used in parody would be edited to reflect modern opinions, which would perhaps make the film less funny and dampen the effect of the dark comedy. In 2018, Paramount did attempt a reboot series, but I have yet to find one person who has watched it. I can imagine this film may soon get a remake, probably starring Finn Wolfhard and Jenna Ortega in the roles of Jason Dean and Veronica, and I do think Winona Ryder might come back for this, but I still think it'd be a letdown.

7. Bill and Ted's Epic Adventure (1989)

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

The more they keep adding to this trilogy, the cringier it gets, and whilst I do think the cringe was half the fun of this movie, it really doesn't need any more additions to the series now. I think there comes a point where we have to leave films alone, and this has made it to that point.

8. Clue (1985)

Paramount Pictures

The confusion about the multiple endings is what makes this film so fun to watch the first time around, and the more you watch it, the less entertaining it becomes. Surprise is its key enjoyment factor, however, it is still a good movie. I think that the main problem with any sort of remake to this would be a director trying to mix up the endings to create a new "surprise!" moment, which I think just wouldn't work. This film is a classic, and it should stay that way.

9. Back To The Future (1985)

Universal Pictures

A fourth in this iconic series would just not work. The ironically '80s feel to this movie could not be replicated, and it would be so confusing because 2015 Marty would be very different from a 2023 Marty, which just wouldn't make sense. Besides, we already know what happened to Marty, so adding more to his future would be a bit pointless and could create a lot of plot holes if not done carefully. A remake, likewise, would just completely lose the retro charm this film has and come across as just another weak time travel movie.

10. Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (1983)

Lucas Films

Can we all take a moment to appreciate how truly awful a remake of this classic  — my favorite film of the trilogy — would be? I love Star Wars, but the more the cinematic universe extends, the weaker the new individual films become, and a remake of the originals would just be a terrible disaster. I know the casting would be off, and do not even get me started on overly ambitious CGI attempts.