20 Best Cult Movies Of The 1980s

With character names like Prince Humperdink, Pricess Buttercup and The Ancient Booer, it's clear that audiences aren't supposed to take Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride all that seriously. This is both a loving homage and playful spoof of the classic fairy tales of old, respun for modern audiences through the framing device of an old man (Peter Falk) reading a book to his poorly grandson (Fred Savage).

The Princess Bride features some inspired casting: Chris Sarandon and Robin Wright play the aforementioned prince and princess, with Carey Elwes stepping into the shoes of hero Westley, joined by his companions Fezzik (Andre the Giant) and Montoya (Mandy Patinkin). Wallace Shawn delivers his most memorable role as the devious crook Vizzini, a role which made the word "inconceivable!" eminently quotable.

Making excellent use of the location shooting and featuring some truly charming production design, The Princess Bride has successfully transcended its modest performance at the box office and become an enduring cult classic. It's also found its way into broader popular culture (a good mark of cult status if ever there was one), with Fred Savage reprising his role as The Grandson in Deadpool 2.