Movies EVERYONE Should See In Their Lifetime: The Blog

Three years ago, I began, in the study hall of my middle school cafeteria, to draft a list. I titled it “Movies EVERYONE Should See In Their Lifetime.” I wanted everyone to fall in love with the movies I had, so I began to add all of my favorite movies to this small, half-a-google doc list. I started taking suggestions, and looking at today’s list, I could still tell which movies were suggested by whom. This list became somewhat of my legacy. My friends quiz me on my claims that I know quotes from “every movie on the list” (which is only somewhat true), people I’ve barely even met already know about my list, and my Instagram polls get pretty heated when I claim Ethan Hunt is way better than James Bond. The natural next step was to share it with everyone, right? Every week, I go through a different movie that managed to make a list that now strains to stay one one page. What I liked, what I didn’t, where you can watch: you have found the movie you’ve been looking for, and it won’t take you a lifetime to see it.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Year: 1986
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Teen
Rating: PG-13
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

This John Hughes classic centers around high school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick). Bueller is an average, albeit outgoing, teen with a penchant for skipping class. He fakes out oblivious parents and escapes often, racking up a total of nine days in the year before his final coup. As a last hurrah before graduation, Ferris decides to cut school one last time and have an adventure with his best friend Cameron and girlfriend Sloane in Chicago. All that can go wrong does, including overzealous principal Ed Rooney and frustrated sister Jeanie on his tracks, but Ferris continues to pull wild stunts until the very end. Ingenious comedy and classic Chicago landmarks combine in this hilarious 80s staple.

What I liked: This is an absolutely essential movie. Everything about it, from Broderick’s lovably eccentric character to the ‘61 Ferrari, to the musical number, to the spontaneous quotability of the whole thing: I simply adore it. It never fails to make me cry with laughter, even after a good ten or eleven viewings. It’s creative and somehow also touches on the overarching themes of fleeting childhood and the emotional heft of leaving home. A gem of the era, to be sure.

What I didn’t like: It’s pretty outdated, and there are some serious plot holes. It’s best not to watch this movie while thinking too hard. Also, it really hangs itself on the smart kid/dumb parents cliché, so if you’re not into the quintessential 80’s teen movie, it might not be for you.

Conclusion: For much of my life, I assumed everyone had seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I mean, everyone should see it; the sheer number of pop culture references made to this film is reason enough. Is it far-fetched? Absolutely. But there’s something wonderfully believable about Ferris Bueller. He’s the high school legend of high school legends: if anyone is to have a perfect skip day, it’s him. It’s got meaning, but doesn’t hit you over the head with it like in some of Hughes’ other films. It’s the kind of movie to turn on at the end of a party, the kind that practically everyone can relate to, and the best part of it all? As of this month, it’s on Netflix! So grab some popcorn, your best sweater vest, and enjoy one the most necessary movies of our young lives. This film is available as mentioned on Netflix, as well as for $2.99 on Amazon Prime.