Who else feels like digital media is meant solely for the new generation? Whether it’s the setting of a story (disenchanted youth attempt to take down the system through hacking/deep fake), the subject matter (dystopia today) or the characters (disenchanted girl with bi-color hair, disenchanted boy with mystery past or suspicious DNA), everything is just so different and new (from the “good old days of solid storytelling”, we tell ourselves.)
While the easy way out is to grab a couple 80s classics, remaster them and plonk them onto Netflix, surely Gen Xers deserve more. Please, no more terrible remakes in the vein of Charlie’s Angels, SWAT, Total Recall...stahhhhp.
Netflix has also tried to “bring back the feels” with updates on popular series, like Gilmore Girls. But let’s face it, what used to be “witty repartee” between Lorelei and Rory transposed to this era just sounds forced and annoying, and (spoiler alert) the fact Rory goes and does exactly what her mother did as a teenager… that’s just a dumb move for a smart girl. (TWO STARS for “Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall”)
If you’ve ever gritted your teeth or rolled your eyes at the numerous sad attempts to recreate nostalgia, we wrote this article just for you. For every set-in-the-80s Stranger Things (FIVE STARS), there is a Riverdale (please, for the love of all things Archie) and Nancy “Skanky” Drew (please, for the love of Nancy Drew, virginal sleuth idol of the Gen Xers).
Believe it or not, you can actually indulge your Gen X sensibilities watching Netflix: there are precious gems, hidden in the crevices of Netflix, that you will be glad you did not miss.
Here’s a list of our must-watch, FIVE STAR blasts from the past: three 80s cult classics and three new shows set in the 80s.
CLASSICS
GHOST (1990)
This megahit movie released in 1990 was the highest-grossing film of that year, and arguably Patrick Swayze’s most memorable film. Ghost is the perfect marriage between weepy and comforting, supernatural and crime thriller: a combination that hasn’t quite been replicated since.
Swayze plays Sam who is murdered and returns as a ghost who solves his own murder with the help of a psychic and saves the life of his one true love, Demi Moore, all the while looking like a fresh ham sandwich you need to dig into. Demi Moore’s limpid pools of eyes won every male heart in that era, and Whoopi Goldberg catapulted into comedic royalty, thanks to her portrayal as Oda Mae Brown, a fake psychic who turned out to be the real thing.
Ghost is the perfect 80s mix of of drama, romance, hope and a touch of magic—the pottery scene set to the Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody is as cheesily wonderful now as it was then. Watch it again, and find yourself wishing that ghost in the corner of your room is half as charming as Swayze.
BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY (1985-1990)
It is difficult to go wrong with the Back To Future trilogy, simply because nobody is willing to hear otherwise. Arguably one of the best trilogies—and time travel tales—of all time, its perfection lies in its imperfection. Does it have logical fallacies, plot loopholes and unrealistic themes? Yes. Does it also leave viewers hurting with laughter, giddy with happiness and fuzzy warm hearts? Absolutely.
Back in the 80s, the time travel plot was giddily mind-boggling and oodles of fun—it was also novel at the time. Today’s kids would find plot fairly simple—time travel and all the crazy science stuff—but they may not realise that the many time travel plots they see in present day shows were influenced by BTTF in some way, shape or form. Compared to the complex time travel plots of today’s productions, what makes the trilogy special is its simple messages: reconciliation and family are themes that have proven to stand the test of time.
The Back To The Future trilogy is a reminder that we are always on a ticking clock, whether 40 years ago or 40 years later.
THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)
The film that defined the coming-of-age genre way back when, The Breakfast Club has yet to be topped even 35 years on. It is a high school drama that sees five students from different cliques in school forced together one Saturday morning to serve a full day detention. Each student represents a clear archetype and it is nothing short of a revelation to see them interact.
The magic of watching these adolescents navigate a day together is delightful, yet the exchanges spoken and unspoken offer a depth that surprises. The film quickly unravels the stereotypes and exposes a rawness that is disconcerting but necessary, much like the feeling of growing up.
The Breakfast Club is relevant to all generations. For the Gen Xer in particularly, apart from the nostalgia it brings on, it is a reminder that you were once that teenager who is now driving you crazy.
NEW SERIES
SWEET MAGNOLIAS (2020)
Set in the 80s and revolving around three middle-aged best friends, Sweet Magnolias is a 10-part series that is the pick-me-up every world-weary Gen Xer needs. The series successfully manages to create a whole new world in the small fictional town of Serenity, where the birds are always chirping and the flowers are always blooming.
Now, that is not to say that it is all roses and butterflies. Sweet Magnolias’ appeal comes from the hit of reality in its portrayal of relationships. From extramarital affairs to teenage angst, heartbreak to friendship, this feel-good show has it all.
Sweet Magnolias acts as a mirror. What you see is largely based on what you have experienced which makes this series unique, personalised and refreshing.
MINDHUNTER (2017)
Move over small-town romance! Let’s dive head-first into the dark and twisted world of serial killers and their convoluted psyches. Based on true stories, facts and killers, this psychological thriller series features the formation of the FBI’s behavioral science unit.
The characters get up close and personal with some of the most infamous killers of the 70s and 80s, such as Charles Manson, as they re-enact actual interviews and case facts. While the series adopts a slow-burn approach, it is one of the best crime thrillers on Netflix, one that just happens to be set in the 80s!
Mindhunters will take Gen-Xers right back to their growing up years when they read all about these investigations in the newspapers, only this time they get to watch it all unfold with unprecedented intimate access.
COBRA KAI (2018)
Strictly speaking, Cobra Kai is a mash of both our categories: it’s a spin-off of an 80s cult movie that features the original characters as they are today, set decades after their All Valley Karate Tournament. (So, like the update on Gilmore Girls, but good.)
In many ways, Cobra Kai has done the impossible. The sequel series has brought back two of the main characters from the original Karate Kid—Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka)—and successfully recaptured the essence of the legendary 80s film. What’s fresh is that the same audience who rooted for Daniel in 1984 now gets to see the other side—what life has been like for Johnny, giving the hero-villain roles a tumble. The audience gets more than enough to soothe that nostalgic itch.
While the loss of Mr Miyagi still reverberates through the series, there is much “new blood” to be excited about. Teenagers and dojos, what could go wrong right?
Cobra Kai is a multi-generational crowd pleaser. There is something for Gen-Xers and their kids alike, which speaks to just how timeless this 80s underdog classic is.
