15 Best John Hughes Movies, Ranked

Writer-director John Hughes He had at least 35 credits to his name, forming a celebrated and memorable filmography, with 10 films standing out as his greatest. Although Hughes is best known for his 1980s coming-of-age films, he has made films in many different subgenres, with varying degrees of success. Additionally, Hughes has more credits as a writer than as a director by a large margin, so there are many films that viewers don’t realize he helped make. This also led to John Hughes having a lot of underrated films that deserve more love.

After some success as a writer, Hughes did not make his directorial debut until his fifth film, Sixteen candles. That kicked off an iconic series of coming-of-age films in the mid-1980sbut it wasn’t his only focus at the time. The 1980s were also the beginning of the famous Vacation franchise, inspired by his time writing for National Lamp magazine. Hughes, who sadly passed away at age 59 in 2009, often drew inspiration from his own personal experiences for his films, making them relatable and timeless.

15

She’s Gonna Have a Baby (1988)

Written by John Hughes

Although John Huges has made some of the most iconic teen films of all time that deal with the struggles of that time in a person’s life, She’s going to have a baby It’s an interesting look at young adulthood. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern star as a newlywed couple who navigate this phase of their lives with the complications of married life and the financial anxieties of being adults, only to add to the busy life with plans to start a family.

The film received somewhat mixed reviews and sometimes gets lost in its insistence on including silly gimmicks and jokes. However, She’s going to have a baby is more charming and effective when it simply tells smaller stories about this young couple’s lives. Bacon is particularly effective as a young man who struggles with what is expected of him as a married man. It’s a different kind of Hughes film that speaks to an older audience.

14

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

Written by John Hughes

John Huges has created some fantastic love triangles in his films over the years, but Some kind of wonderful offers perhaps the most underrated of all. The film stars Eric Stoltz as a blue-collar, nonconformist young man who works in a garage and has a crush on the most popular girl in school, Amanda (Lea Thompson). Although he is thrilled that Amanda agrees to go out with him, it causes problems when Keith realizes that his childhood friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), has feelings for him.

The love triangle provides an engaging romance aspect to the film, with all three main actors creating interesting and strong characters to build these relationships on.. However, the romance is just one aspect that makes this film work; It’s also one of Hughes’ best films about teenagers looking at the rest of their lives. Some of the film’s best moments are the simple conversations between Keith and his father (John Aston) about his future.

13

Lord Mother (1983)

Written by John Hughes

Before Michael Keaton was Batman, he was one of Hollywood’s best comedic actors, with Lord mother being one of the films that helped solidify this reputation. Keaton stars as Jack, a family man who loses his job during the recession. As his wife manages to re-enter the workforce, Jack takes on the household chores, discovering that taking care of the house and children is a much more complicated job than he imagined.

The idea of ​​a man staying home and taking care of household chores is not as new a concept as it was in the early 1980s, when such a premise was an immediate setting for a comedy. Despite that, Lord mother remains a comedy that works many decades later, thanks in large part to Keaton’s performance. He’s hilarious and grounding as his man juggles his new job, making mistakes and learning along the way.

12

Outdoors (1988)

Written by John Hughes

While John Hughes Vacation films steal the spotlight like the great family vacation adventures, The outdoors should not be forgotten either. John Candy stars as a man who takes his family out of the big city to spend some time in a rented cabin in the desert. However, his perfect escape is ruined when his obnoxious broker brother-in-law (Dan Aykroyd) shows up with his family uninvited to join in the wild fun.

As Vacation or the Alone at home films, the film is based on many slapstick moments and silly misadventures. However, these are well achieved with big laughs. The main reason to watch the film is to see Aykroyd and Candy working together as two of the best comedy stars of the time.. Their chemistry, even as antagonistic characters, is endlessly fun and it would have been nice to see them in more projects together.

11

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Written by John Hughes

Given the enormous success of the original Alone at homeIt’s not surprising that a sequel was quickly put together. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York continues to show that Kevin’s family is the most forgotten family in the world, as Kevin is accidentally put on the wrong flight and ends up spending the holidays alone in New York City. To make matters worse, their old enemies, Harry and Marv, have escaped from prison and also ended up in the Big Apple.

Home Alone 2 can’t take much credit for originality, as it follows the formula of the first film very closely. However, larger scale and seeing the various locations used for Home Alone 2 made it better than the original in the eyes of many fans. It still offers holiday fun and slapstick humor, plus some excellent new cast members, especially Tim Curry.

10

Strange Science (1985)

Written and directed by John Hughes

In the year of The Breakfast Club and National Lampoon’s European VacationHughes ended 1985 with a genre change. Strange Science was his first and only science fiction fantasy comedy film outside of 1997 Flubberthat he just produced. In Strange ScienceAnthony Michael Hall (Gary) and Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Wyatt) play two teenagers who use a computer program to bring the AI ​​woman of their dreams, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), to life. The film was based on the 1951 comic book “Made of the Future” by Al Feldstein.

Hughes’ ability to bring strange and hilarious comics to the screen makes Strange Science one of his greatest films. One of the best descriptors for Strange Science it’s in the title: strange. So much of Strange Science it probably shouldn’t have worked. The horny teenagers are likable, Bill Paxton’s main villain Chet is fun, Lisa has some real depth, and even the 1980s special effects haven’t aged too badly. Hughes didn’t just make it work, he excelled. Strange Science it may have been made for teenagers, but its comedy makes it entertaining beyond its demographic.

9

Uncle Buck (1989)

Written and directed by John Hughes

John Hughes finished the 1980s strong with Uncle Buck and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation back-to-back in 1989. Of the films he wrote and directed, Uncle Buck is Hughes’ highest-grossing film, surpassing other hits such as The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The comedy is about Buck (John Candy), a lazy bachelor who takes care of his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger children, including his only son, Miles (Macaulay Culkin).

Despite Uncle Buck Being Hughes’ most successful film as a writer and director, it can be considered underrated as it is not one of his teen comedies and is occasionally overshadowed by other collaborations Hughes had with Candy and Culkin. Yet, Uncle Buck is one of Hughes’ funniest films. Candy was one of the greatest comedy talents of her timeand Uncle Buck shows why. Like other Hughes films, it also has a lot of heart, with a story about growing up – both for children and the titular character himself.

8

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Written and directed by John Hughes

As mentioned above, Sixteen candles It was John Hughes’ directorial debut and the beginning of the collaborations between Hughes and Molly Ringwald and their many coming-of-age teen comedies. Ringwald plays Sam Baker, a girl whose parents forget her 16th birthday because her older sister is getting married the next day. It’s one of Hughes’ wildest films, with big party sequences, ridiculous sets, and an ensemble of talented comedic actors.

While Sixteen candles hasn’t aged as well as some other 1980s films, it remains a classic for good reason. Even in its troubled moments, it highlights how difficult it is to be a high school student who just wants to fit in and find love — or, in some cases, have sex to impress his geek friends. Sixteen candles is a product of its time and exists as a great time capsule for viewers to relive their 1980s high school years in all their glory or learn what life and school might have been like for those high school students.

7

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Written by John Hughes

John Hughes has some Christmas classics in his filmographywith National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation being one of the most beloved. Christmas Vacation is the third of five films in the main series Vacation series and widely considered one of the best. As the name suggests, the film shows Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family trying to have a perfect Christmas. Like everyone Vacation movies, things go wrong along the way.

With a rotating cast playing most of the Griswold family members, Chase and Beverly D’Angelo (Ellen Smith-Griswold) hold the line as parents, with Randy Quaid also returning as cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation. Despite this, the family aspect at the heart of the film is what makes it so moving. There are several memorable and quotable comedic scenes, but the ability to watch it with your family every Christmas makes it National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation one of Hughes’ best.

6

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Written by John Hughes

Beautiful in pink was one of several Hughes films that addressed social groups and class differences. Ringwald played Andie Walsh, a high school student who was classified as queer because of her working-class status. When she started dating one of “rich”, Blane (Andrew McCarthy), his socioeconomic position has become an issue for him. All along, Andie’s best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer) had a crush on her.

Ringwald’s performance in Beautiful in pink is undoubtedly the best of his three films with Hughes, and Cryer was perfectly cast as Duckie. Both characters are relatable and feel very rooted in a world where high school movies can be unrealistic and exaggerated. Although the Beautiful in pink the ending is somewhat controversial, it’s a great show of friendship when Duckie lets Andie go. Regardless of whether you’re team Blane or team Duckie, the image of Blane and Andie (in her pink dress) kissing in the parking lot remains iconic.

5

Home Alone (1989)

Written by John Hughes

Alone at home is often remembered as a Christopher Columbus film, as he directed the Christmas classic, but it was written and produced by John Hughes. However Uncle Buck came before that, Alone at home it was the film that truly propelled Macaulay Culkin to A-list child actor status. Culkin played Kevin McCallister, a boy who has to defend his home from two thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) when his family accidentally leaves him behind for Christmas vacation.

It’s hard to find a child who has seen Alone at home and I didn’t want to be like Kevin at some point, setting traps and tricking grown men into hurting themselves in ridiculous ways. Kevin’s ingenuity and Culkin’s performance made him the most fun and memorable children’s character in all Hughes films. Pesci and Stern put on a masterclass in physical comedy and Catherine O’Hara shouting “Kevin!” Before You Pass Out is one of many examples of how she shines even in smaller roles.

4

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Written and directed by John Hughes

Probably Hughes’ most popular film The Breakfast Club It’s also one of his best. The film shows five students from different groups – the “athlete”André (Emilio Estevez), the “brain”Brian (Hall), the “criminal”John Bender (Judd Nelson), the “princess”Claire (Ringwald), and the “basket”Allison (Ally Sheedy) – bail during a nine-hour detention period on Saturday. The Breakfast Club has some of the best lessons of all of Hughes’ films, reminding viewers not to judge people by what they appear to be on the outside.

By having each student represent a different group, there is at least one character in The Breakfast Club that every member of the public can identify with. Each character also bears the weight of trying to balance their home, social, and academic lives, as all high school students struggle to do at some point or another. The Breakfast Club it’s quite problematic to watch again, which could detract from its status as a timeless classic. Regardless, it’s still one of the best high school coming-of-age movies of all time.

3

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Written by John Hughes

The debate over the best Vacation the film can easily get heated, as the franchise has a strong nostalgic factor. Due to Christmas Vacation being a holiday classic, it may have been the first one some viewers saw, but National Lampoon’s Vacation That’s what started the series. The road trip film has a darker comedy that may make it less suitable for some families, but it also makes National Lampoon’s Vacation stand out.

Chase was the first breakout cast member of Saturday night live in the mid-1970s and the first Vacation the film allowed him to capitalize on the type of comedy he became famous for. It also gave John Hughes his highest score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 94% critic rating. Its wacky comedy, great performances, and quotable scenes made it a critical success. There would be no Vacation series without the original, which is the best of the bunch.

2

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Written and directed by John Hughes

As Hughes is best known for his coming-of-age films and the Vacation franchise, 1987 Planes, trains and automobiles tends to go unnoticed. The comedy-drama film stars Steve Martin as uptight marketing executive Neal and John Candy as the kind but irritating Del. When their Thanksgiving flight is diverted, they become an odd pair of traveling companions, with the two eventually forming a meaningful friendship. .

It was already established that Candy was a major comedic genius, and pairing him with Steve Martin elevated the performance of both. Planes, trains and automobiles it may not have their best individual performances, but it’s a classic comedy, and Candy and Martin make a brilliant duo. Unfortunately, they never worked together again, but that only makes Planes, trains and automobiles even more special. With laugh-out-loud scenes and great emotional moments, Planes, trains and automobiles is Hughes’ best comedy-drama.

1

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Written and directed by John Hughes

John Hughes’ best film is Ferris Bueller’s Day Offwhich stars Matthew Broderick as the fun and outgoing titular character. Since Hughes is best known for his 1980s coming-of-age films, it’s only fitting that his best film falls into this category. Ferris’ best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloan (Mia Sara) join him on his last sick day of high school, traveling around Chicago for the best day of their lives. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off It’s every student’s dream sick day, making viewers want to perform “Twist and Shout” with Ferris and drive a classic red Ferrari.

While Ferris Bueller There are some good messages about stopping to look every now and then because “life goes by too fast… you can lose”And Facing Your Parents, it’s mostly a fun and hilarious movie. Ferris is one of the most intriguing main characters in a Hughes film and is arguably Broderick’s best performance. John Hughes may have more relatable or emotional films, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off It’s his best and funniest film.