From an era known for bold style choices, these iconic baths are remembered for both their dramatic scenes and designs.

By Elisa Fernández-Arias

The 1980s were a decade of unforgettable fashion, music, and, of course, film. While we often reminisce about the celebrated characters, let’s take a moment to appreciate an unsung hero of ’80s onscreen entertainment — the bath! These fictional spaces played a subtle yet significant role in shaping our memories of famous movies. Join us as we explore the top baths in 1980s movies.

1. The Shining (1980)

The Overlook Hotel of Stanley Kubrick’s famous adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining is filled with spooky, strange spaces — and the bath in Room 237 is no exception. The art deco style and pastel color scheme, which might look inviting in a different context, creates a quietly creepy setting for the discovery of the poltergeist who haunts the room.

2. Splash (1984)

In this literal fish out of water “tail,” starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, moviegoers at the time were invited to experience Hannah magically transforming into a mermaid when taking a salt bath in Hanks’ NYC apartment. The bath is quintessentially ’80s, with a large, impressive tub and blue tiles inlaid throughout the space.

3. Arthur (1981)

Another Art Deco bath, but far less unsettling, is the one from Arthur, the movie featuring Dudley Moore in this tub — an image that would not only be used in the film’s promotional materials but would live on in memory for years to come. Especially notable are the Art Deco details popular in the decade: the fan-shaped sconces, the windows with the ray motif and the calla lilies.

4. The Money Pit (1986)

This film, starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, highlights the ups and downs of a fixer-upper renovation. Before the tub falls through the floor, the bath has a classic, traditional look with a clawfoot tub, wooden details and graphic wallpaper — though the distinctive fixtures, tiling and wall niche are representative of the decade.

5. Fatal Attraction (1987)

The setting of the film’s famous finale, the bath in the upstate home of star Michael Douglas and his family, provides the background against which violence occurs. The bath’s all-white design, vintage art, classic painted wood paneling and traditional hardware are the cinematic canvas where the bloodstained ending will be painted.