291 movie summaries
Movie Summaries & Endings Explained from 1981
291 movies from 1981, each with a full plot summary, timeline, character guide and the ending explained. Combine filters to narrow it down.
Movie Summaries Matching Your Filters
Showing 1–40 of 291 movies · newest release first
Reds
1981 · Biography
Kisapmata
1981 · Crime
Kaalia
1981 · Crime
Peter-No-Tail
1981 · Romance
Taps
1981 · Drama
Modern Problems
1981 · Sci-Fi
Madly in Love
1981 · Comedy
Ghost Story
1981 · Thriller
Heartbeeps
1981 · Family
Neighbors
1981 · Comedy
Sharky's Machine
1981 · Action
Absence of Malice
1981 · Drama
A Chipmunk Christmas
1981 · Animation
The Amateur
1981 · Action
Dawn of the Mummy
1981 · Horror
Rollover
1981 · Drama
The Little Fox
1981 · Animation
Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure
1981 · Action
La Chèvre
1981 · Crime
Child Bride of Short Creek
1981 · Drama
On Golden Pond
1981 · Drama
Hotel America
1981 · Romance
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1981 · Drama
The Marva Collins Story
1981 · Drama
Venom
1981 · Thriller
Frankenstein Island
1981 · Horror
Just Before Dawn
1981 · Thriller
The Trolls and the Christmas Express
1981 · Family
Shivers
1981 · Drama
Ragtime
1981 · Drama
Skokie
1981 · History
Burning an Illusion
1981 · Drama
The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper
1981 · Adventure
The Brave Archer 3
1981 · Action
The Prodigal Son
1981 · Comedy
Davaro
1981 · Comedy
Tik Tik Tik
1981 · Crime
The Prowler
1981 · Mystery
Time Bandits
1981 · Adventure
Coup de Torchon
1981 · Drama
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Pick a genre and read what happens in its newest and most searched movies, from fan-favourite classics to this week's releases: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines.
- Action Explosive set pieces and last-minute rescues, untangled.
- Horror Who survives, what the monster was and why it ends that way.
- Thriller Twists, double-crosses and reveals in plain order.
- Sci-Fi Time loops, multiverses and big ideas made clear.
- Mystery Every clue, red herring and the final reveal.
- Drama Character arcs and emotional turning points, explained.
- Comedy The jokes, the chaos and how it all wraps up.
- Romance Who ends up together, and everything in the way.
- Crime Heists, betrayals and who really did it.
- Fantasy Magic, prophecies and epic endings decoded.
- Adventure Quests, journeys and how the heroes make it home.
- Animation Family favourites and anime stories, scene by scene.
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Find Movies by Mood, Pacing & Ending
Not sure what to watch or read next? Start from how a movie feels: dark or feel-good, slow burn or fast-paced, mind-bending or easy to follow, and whether it has a happy, sad or ambiguous ending.
- Dark Movies Grim worlds, moral grey zones and heavy atmospheres.
- Movies with a Happy Ending Stories that leave you smiling when the credits roll.
- Mind-Bending Movies Confusing, twisting stories you need to watch twice.
- Fast-Paced Movies No slow scenes: the story never stops moving.
- Slow-Burn Movies Patient storytelling that builds to something big.
- Tense Movies Edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish.
- Movies with Ambiguous Endings Open endings that people still argue about.
- Bittersweet Movies Bittersweet endings: the win comes at a real cost.
- Emotionally Heavy Movies Movies that make you cry and stay with you.
- Light & Easy Movies Easy watching with low emotional stakes.
- Intense Movies Relentless action and constant pressure.
- Whimsical Movies Playful, imaginative and a little bit odd.
Beyond genre
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Looking for something more specific? Movie categories group films by emotion, atmosphere and story type, from mind-bending twists to quiet character studies. Every movie in them is fully explained.
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