10 Underappreciated 80s Thrillers You Must Watch

Peter Hyams directs this little-remembered thriller with Michael Douglas as an idealistic Judge who is growing disillusioned with clear-cut criminals getting off on technicalities. He is invited by an older colleague to join a clandestine group of judges known as The Star Chamber.

Their goal is to bring justice to those criminals who get off but are quite clearly guilty. Their form of justice is to review cases and to come to their own collective judgment, from there they hire hit-men to kill the criminals they judge to be guilty. Douglas’s character, Judge Steven Hardin, wrestles with the morality of the group's actions and this is all cleverly juxtaposed with him presiding over the case of two clearly guilty child molesters.

The film has a clever and thought-provoking premise, it is very well written and executed and there is a dark atmosphere to it throughout. Michael Douglas gives a great early performance and is supported brilliantly by the other stand out in Yaphet Kotto as a detective edging closer to uncovering the secret activities of The Star Chamber.