Better Off Dead (1985) User Reviews (230)

Endlessly quotable 80s teen comedy ...

[filmbufferx · 8/10 · 20 December 2017]

BETTER OFF DEAD is an impressively energetic debut feature for writer/director Savage Steve Holland. First time director Holland is conspicuously the new kid on the block as he saturates his film with so many ideas, a clear giveaway that he is yet to trust himself enough to release the reigns enough to let his movies breath. The results are spectacularly manic but it really works. Amidst the zany comedy and plentiful sight gags (the cereal boxes with all the giveaways cut out, for example), Holland throws in some amusing cel animation, a stop-motion fantasy sequence, and a cameo from Barney Rubble. Yet despite all the mania, the film's comedy has a level of discipline and restraint that ensures all the jokes land and humorous plot points established early on are satisfyingly resolved.

One of my favourite characters in the film is super-enthusiastic maths teacher Mr Kerber, played by late-great character actor Vincent Schiavelli. Telling maths formula jokes to his spellbound class, Schiavelli spins comedy gold using that discomfortingly warm tone that made him such a sought-after talent. His is one of several casting choices that are pitch perfect: John Cusak as the self-involved teen who wants to end it all when his vapid girlfriend (Amanda Wyss) dumps him for someone more popular; Laura Waterbury as the odious loud-mouthed neighbour and gas guzzling mother of shy bullish nerd Ricky Smith (perfectly played by Dan Schneider); Kim Derby as the timid clueless stay-at-home mom who makes slime-ridden meals that seem somehow sentient and slide off the plate by themselves (her "Frawnch" dinner party host is unforgettable); Curtis Armstrong ostensibly reprising his role from REVENGE OF THE NERDS gets the lion's share of one-liners and he delivers them with so much aplomb; Chuck Mitchell reprising his PORKY'S role is perfect as bad-tempered burger baron Rocko; Diane Franklin as the hapless frustrated French exchange student who is both a fairy godmother and the surprise love interest; monster child Scooter Stevens who wields newspapers as weapons and to whom two dollars means the world; and the super talented David Ogden Stiers as the priggish father attempting to bridge the generation gap with his checked-out son.

BETTER OFF DEAD is not for everyone and the film is most likely best enjoyed by those who lived through the 80s and understand its cultural peccadilloes, but if you have watched your fair share of 80s comedies like SCREWBALLS, 16 CANDLES, BACHELOR PARTY, PORKY'S, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, REAL GENIUS, ZAPPED, or POLICE ACADEMY, you might wanna give BETTER OF DEAD a chance. Who knows, after seeing how everybody wants some, you may just want some too!

Bizarre. But disarmingly so.

[pleiades10 · 7/10 · 18 December 2000]

John Cusack's girlfriend has just dumped him for the biggest jerk in school, and John deals with the depression, anger, and frustration in humorous ways. Slowly, he finds himself bonding with French exchange student Diane Franklin, a beautiful and clever young woman, that helps to build up Cusack's self-image so he can win his girlfriend back.

Better Off Dead follows a familiar basic storyline. Main likeable character is dealt a bad hand in life, pulls themselves up by their bootstraps, and ends up triumphing over the people who pushed them down. This formula led to such films as "Animal House", "Revenge of the Nerds", and "Porky's". Not that these films are bad, they are just similar in basic plot.

Better Off Dead however, adds a bizarre surreal quality unaccomplished by these other films. Perhaps this is due to the claymation hamburger sequence, or the unlikely skiing competition at the end of the film.

Or perhaps it's due to the parade of familiar faces from other 80's films. John Cusack's best friend is none other than Curtis Armstrong, best known as "Booger" in the Revenge of the Nerds movies. Next door neighbor and consummate slob Dan Schneider is recognizable as "Dennis" from the TV show "Head of the Class". Cusack's boss at the fast food joint is played by Chuck Wallace, the title character from "Porky's". And with a bit part, yet one the funniest in the whole film, Yano Anaya reprises his "Grover Dill" persona from "A Christmas Story" in the form of a vengeful paperboy. I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!!

Also has some of the funniest lines in 80's teen comedy, such as Franklin's accidental misuse of the word "testicles", and the comment made by an onlooker when Cusack tumbles into a trash truck.

Definitely better than the majority of 1980's teen comedies.

I don't think they'd make a movie like this today

[cricketbat · 8/10 · 23 December 2021]

Better Off Dead is a childhood favorite that I still enjoy as an adult. Yes, the filmmaking is a little amateurish, but that's part of the charm. This movie has so many quotable quotes ("I want my two dollars!" "Gee, I'm really sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.") and moments that make me smirk. I don't think they'd ever make a movie like this these days, so I'm glad they did in the 80s.

Half 80s teen comedy, half insane

[cherold · 8/10 · 6 January 2016]

Savage Steve Holland, who went on to create the insanely wonderful Saturday morning cartoon series Eek! the Cat, combined two 80s genres - John Hughes romantic comedies and gag-a-second movies like Airplane! to create one of the more unusual teen comedies of the 80s.

The movie stars John Cusack as a jilted teen pining for his ex while oblivious to the absurdly perfect girl across the street, the two girls falling into the classic 80s stereotypes of the cold blonde and the magical, quirky brunette.

Cusack is more emotionally unstable than a Hughes protagonist, spending much of the movie in inept attempts to kill himself.

He also has to deal with living in an insane world. His mom makes weird gloppy dishes that crawl away on their own power, a newspaper boy seems to be the beta version of the Terminator, Cusack's best friend snorts all his food. The movie is frequently hilarious, resulting in a minor classic.

Suicide Is A Question You Don't Wanna Answer

[Chrysanthepop · 15 August 2008]

Savage Steve Holland's sensational 'Better Off Dead...' is another one of my favourite teen films. I had seen this movie decades ago but didn't catch the name. I've been looking for the nameless film for years and only recently I found out the title and got it immediately.

Ah, the nostalgic 80s when kids knew how to be young rather than spend their days on the cellphone or behind the computer. The film delightfully spoofs those teen angst movies that were so popular at the time. Lane's ex-girlfriend giving him an excuse that she dumped him for someone better looking and more popular, Lanes failed suicide attempts, Lanes cartoons are among some of the most amusing sequences.

Holland gives the film a unique treatment. 'Better Off Dead...' has an innovative quality that makes it one of a kind. It includes the adorable claymated romantic Hamburgers, cartoons, a stalking paperboy, a ski competition on one leg, a little brother who's a silent genius and an international language. Holland put a lot of heart in the writing and some of the lines had me rolling on the floor laughing.

The acting is splendid. The character Lane seems tailor-made for John Cusack. I've always thought of Cusack as an underrated actor and 'Better Off Dead...' is one of the few movies that does justice to his talents (even though this is perhaps one of his first roles). A vivacious Diane Franklin is supercute and she has the loveliest smile. The chemistry between her and Cusack is undeniable and both have excellent comic timing. David Ogden Stiers and Kim Darby are hilarious as the nutty parents. Curtis Armstrong provides some morbidly funny moments.

To say it in one sentence, 'Better Off Dead...' is one of the rarest examples of teen movies at its best. It already is a classic and while many of us watch it for nostalgic reasons, others may like it simply for the heart and humour.

Language Lessons

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 4 September 2016]

The teenager Lane Meyer (John Cusack) has a crush on his girlfriend Beth Truss (Amanda Wyss). When Beth dumps him to stay with the successful skier Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier), Lane is depressed and decides to commit suicide. However he gives up and tries to improve his skill of skier to ski the dangerous K12 slope to impress Beth. Meanwhile his neighbor Mrs. Smith (Laura Waterbury) receives the exchange French student Monique Junot (Diane Franklin) and her fat son Ricky Smith (Daniel Schneider) considers Monique his girlfriend; however, Monique has an unrequited crush on Lane that does not note her. When Lane stumbles upon Monique in a high-school party, he befriends her. The upset Lane challenges Roy in a competition on the K12 slope but then he regrets. However Monique is a great mechanic and skier, and fix Lane's Camaro and teaches him how to ski the K12 slope. What will happen to Lane?

"Better off Dead" is a cute romantic comedy even thirty-one years later. The story is funny and there are hilarious situations. Further this film has not aged and entertains. Maybe the greatest difference is that in the viewer that enjoyed this cult-movie in 1985 now is able to understand much more Lane's father attitudes. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Minha Vida é um Desastre" ("My Life Is a Disaster")

Classic 80's Movie Must See

[gurks73 · 10/10 · 4 June 2004]

This is a must have in your DVD collection. Some love it, some say OK, some don't laugh at all. I say, you must have the uncanny ability to laugh at things ordinary people wouldn't understand the humor in. I've owned this movie on VHS and now DVD and have a steady belt of laughter each countless time I watch it. This is one of those movies where you are with your friends twenty years later and go, "I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS" and the room jocularly erupts and instigates discussion. If you find yourself easily amused, can see the humor in the way life hands you a sour glass of milk to wash down lifes trials in love, then you MUST see this Classic Movie that made me a Cusack fan!

Funny movie!

[grahamsj3 · 7/10 · 20 December 2002]

This one's hilarious! My family have borrowed several lines from this film and use them as inside jokes. John Cusak stars in this film about a teenager whose girlfriend dumps him for the Captain of the ski team. The film has enough skiing in it to satisfy most ski buffs, but it's not really about skiing. It's about relationships more than anything and the results are absolutely hilarious. This is destined to be a classic and it's a permanent part of my film library.

Truly, a sight to behold!

[baumer · 10/10 · 26 July 1999]

Better Off Dead is the zaniest movie that I think I have ever seen. Let's just recap what this movie has in it. We have a guy that attempts suicide but he can't even succeed at that. There is his best friend that declares that a mountain they are on in the dead of winter is pure snow, saying " Do you know what the street value of this is?" We have a father that is trying to speak the lingo of his kids and fails miserably and a mom that cooks food that literally slides off it's plate. We have a math class full of genius' that get upset when they don't have homework to do. Lane has a younger brother who orders books on how to pick up trashy women and learns how to build rockets. We have the entire male population ( and Barney Rubble ) that wants to go out with Lane's ex-girlfriend now that they are broken up. There is two Oriental guys that want to constantly race Lane and then broadcast it over the loud speaker on their car. There is Porky from the Porky's movies basically playing the same role here, dancing hamburgers, a basketball team that grunts and of course the most relentless paper boy in the history of paper delivery.

Whoooooooo! I'm out of breath. So why do I mention all of these things about the movie? Because all of these little issues combine to somehow make one of the funniest and zaniest movies you will ever see. Better Off Dead is so full of energy that there is enough material in here for ten movies. But Savage Steve Holland makes it work. Don't ask me how, but he does. I think I'm going to stop here because if you haven't seen this movie you have to see it now. This is a completely original film and it also one that no one will ever have the guts to make again. This is one hell of a film.

Half bizarre and half straight teen comedy but one you remember

[policy134 · 6/10 · 4 October 2005]

The 80's was full of rather bland teen comedies such as Pretty in Pink and the dreadful Revenge of the Nerds series. Here we get one of the nerds, Curtis Armstrong but i suspect that he was merely in this movie to give it some clout, as the lead John Cusack wasn't really a household name yet. When you look at the movie Curtis Armstrong's screen time doesn't even amount to 5 minutes.

The rest of the movie is sort of interesting because of the style of the first half which is kind of offbeat considering that Cusack's character, Lane is ten times more realistic than the rest of the characters. His mother, who cooks rather disgusting meals belongs in some kind of 50's sitcom and almost all her lines are written like she is talking to herself and not interacting with anybody else. And who could forget that pesky little paperboy who keeps showing up and demanding 2 dollars. That scene has almost been parodied to death on various spoofs through the 90's and 00's.

The director, Savage Steve Holland, did not have a prolific career but you certainly can't deny that he made some movies out of the ordinary and I am glad that I can remember this as being one of the more satisfying experiences at the movies because usually 80's movies were extremely formulated. John Cusack may not have been a official member of what was known as the Brat Pack and this film certainly is a notch below the Breakfast Club. However, since he succeeded where they failed, I doubt that he lost much sleep over it.

Have You All Gone Mad?

[BloodTheTelepathicDog · 2/10 · 7 March 2010]

The IMDb user rating seems a bit excessive. Now, I like John Cusack (he was great in Grosse Pointe Blank and Eight Men Out) and I enjoy teen comedies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but this flick is about as bad as a movie can get. A dark comedy with very little edge and even less laughter, this was one of the biggest disappointments I have seen in recent memory. Now I know why it was listed for one cent on Amazon.com.

The story concerns high schooler Cusack whose girlfriend, played by Amanda Wyss (Shakma) leaves him for a boorish jock. The film's title come from Cusack believing himself to be better off dead than minus Amanda Wyss. So, he tries to commit suicide (he really doesn't, his foolish attempts only give credence to the fact that he can't score at anything) a couple times during the film. Savage Steve Holland tries to coax laughs out of an eccentric family, Cusack's best pal that snorts snow and a deranged newspaper boy demanding his money. It's films like this that give teen comedies a bad name.

STORY: $$$ (There was plenty room here for Holland to give his viewers the goods but his writing skills are wanting to say the least. He fails to build any sort darkness out of John Cusack's character making his suicidal sojourns pointless and flat. Holland was dealt a hanging curveball and popped the darn thing up).

ACTING: $$ (Rather weak here as well. Genre favorites Curtis Armstrong, Vincent Schiavelli and Amanda Wyss do their thing and try to give this some substance but fail. Cusack is far better in other films and David Ogden Steirs is wasted as John's father).

SEXUALITY: $ (Little of note here. The sexy Tina Littlewood is accidentally stripped in the school cafeteria and blushes in her underwear).

The ultimate teen angst flick!

[MrBallroom · 10/10 · 23 August 2005]

If there was ever a role that John Cusack milked until it mooed, this one would have to have been it. His portrayal of Lane Meyer will forever be remembered in high school lore as the Ultimate Champion of the Underdog. I laughed so hard my sides ached and tears were running down my cheeks. What has long been a cult classic, this film did an excellent job of portraying the awkwardness of those teenage years that all adults thank God every day that we now have behind us. "Savage" Steve Holland's directorial debut was simply sensational; he could not have picked a better vehicle in which to make his mark!

Rounding out the cast includes Amanda Wyss as the fickle girlfriend who is more interested in her popularity than anything else; David Ogden Stiers (Major Winchester from M*A*S*H fame) as the dad who tries too hard to be "in", Kim Darby is priceless here as the mother who is completely, absolutely and utterly clueless, Scooter Stevens as Lane's little brother Badger is one ongoing surprise after another, and what is probably going to go down as BY FAR the most coveted film role in the 20th century, Demian Slade plays the paperboy from Hell. His portrayal alone makes the film not only worth watching, but worth buying! To close matters off in the casting department, the chemistry between Cusack and Diane Franklin – who plays the French foreign exchange student Monique Junot, is something that simply cannot be denied. Keep in mind however, that whatever you do – that like The Cable Guy – DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT take your eyes off that paperboy!

Cusack and Holland do a perfect job of capturing that period of time in the 1980's better than any other film of the period. This film is well worth an evening's entertainment. Rent it once, and then buy it, as you will want to watch it many times over. It took me SEVEN YEARS to find a copy in VHS. The DVD was just bought for $10.00 and change from from Wal-Mart.com. I highly recommend this film to one and all as a MUST-OWN!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this film a 12/10. ***

Booger Hath I Loved. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 7/10 · 19 August 2004]

I picked up this movie to see my favorite 80s comedy actor, Curtis Armstrong who is probably best known for his role as Booger in 'Revenge of the Nerds' or Miles in 'Risky Business.' He's just as good here as the 6-year high school senior and Lane Meyer's friend Charels.

Better Off Dead, sister movie of One Crazy Summer, is one hell of an oddball film for the 80s teen category. It is a mix of strange humor, animated sequences (drawn by writer/director Savage Steve Holland), and a loveable star, to pull off quite an entertaining, and hopefully not too obscure, 80s teen comedy.

John Cusak is his typical outrageous teenager character in his role as Lane Meyer, the same type of character we saw in One Crazy Summer, Hot Pursuit, and others; the one where he is always a regular nice guy who somehow gets caught up in unforseen crazy situations. But Better Off Dead offers the most off-the-wall atmosphere for such a seemingly level-headed kid.

Lane Meyer is a young guy who's long time girlfriend, Beth (Amanda Wyss), breaks up with him. Lane is crushed and isn't quite sure whether he can deal with the problem (even contemplating suicide until he realizes he has not yet even visited New York). Beth has taken up with Lane's blonde macho nemesis, Roy (Aaron Dozier) (who's character is quite similar to Cusak's nemesis character in One Crazy Summer). As guys typically do in these movies to compete for a girl's heart, Lane is going to race Roy in the dangerous K-12 run (there is a joke in the measurement of the slope because 9 is actually the highest and hardest slope rating). But, Lane is in over his head and seems nowhere near ready for such a dangerous slope. But, since things have gone pretty lousy for Lane since breaking up with Beth, what's he got to lose? The tag line 'Sometimes...you're Better Off Dead' is quite right for Lane. It seems like for a while, everything is disastorous for Lane such as always losing the race to the two Japanese brothers who mimic Howard Cossell; the date with the girl who just suggests that Lane give her the money that a date would've cost and spare them both the agony of pretending to enjoy each other's company; or when everybody in the school, including Lane's geometry teacher, keeps asking Lane if it's alright if they ask Beth for her number).

But things get better when a French exchange student, Monique, moves in next door with a fat mama's boy (Dan Schneider as Ricky) and his obnoxious mom who make her stay in America literally a living hell. So, she and Lane Meyer soon enough become friends and maybe life without Beth just isn't so bad for Lane Meyer after all.

The movie is great ("Valley Girl's" E.G. Daily plays at the school dance!), and a completely different kind of 80s teen movies, one that should be in a category by itself, because the things that go on around Lane are so weird. For example, Lane's little brother Badger (Scooter Stevens), who has no speaking lines in this movie, spends the entire film cutting off those little sweepstakes mailers from various household food boxes and mailing them in to get stuff, particularly supplies needed to build himself a rocket (really). In another example, you'll notice that the filming locations used for the slope sequences in which the entire city appears to be covered in a blanket of snow is much different from the sunny, dry climate of the locations where Lane is at school or at home or anywhere but the slope. The Nine Lives song, Paperboy, makes the reference to the running gag of the paperboy in the movie who keeps hassling Lane for his two dollars. "Where's my two dollars?" repeats the kid with a paperboy posse. It subtle and unsubtle humor.

If you like this movie, try Holland's One Crazy Summer, which came out a few years later, starring Cusak (again) and Demi Moore and Bobcat Goldwaith, among others. It is just as bizarre and funny.

Better off without it

[Random Terrain · 2/10 · 11 June 2003]

I can't believe how many people like this movie. It's cartoony fluff about shallow rich kids who like to ski. The main character (Lane) wants to kill himself because his girlfriend broke up with him. He eventually gets over it and falls in love with the first girl who is nice to him.

Although Lane and his family seem to have more money than God (he has a huge walk-in closet on top of everything else), they somehow can't afford to pay the evil paperboy two dollars. The paperboy then stalks Lane throughout the movie which is just one of the many things that lowers the quality to the level of a second-rate Saturday morning kiddy show.

If you're a not-too-bright, upper-middle class ten or eleven year old kid, you'll probably love this movie and laugh until you wet yourself. But, if you hate trivial movies that contain silly chase scenes, lame car crashes, idiotic daydreams, and unbelievable situations that the director seems to think are ever-so-wacky, you'll want to avoid this movie.

If you like wacky movies, but don't want your intelligence insulted too much, try "Weird Science." Lots of crazy stuff happens in that movie, but it's a thousand times more believable because of the premise.

A Sheer Delight (Minor Spoilers)

[tayster12-5 · 4 June 2002]

First of all, the fact that I used the phrase "sheer delight" in the summary of this film should say something. I mean, if I used this phrase anywhere else...in the bathroom, for instance...they'd beat me up and give me a swirly.

Anyway, on with my review of one of the funniest movies of my time.

The first time I ever saw "Better Off Dead" (referred to as "BOD" from here on out), I was 14 years old and I went to the video store and rented it and "Weird Science". I first watched "Weird Science", then "BOD", then I watched "Weird Science" another two times, because Kelly LeBrock was totally hot, and I really didn't think "BOD" was all that great.

It's now 16 years later, and I can honestly say that I have not seen "Weird Science" since then, but I've watched "BOD" so many times, I can't keep track. (FYI Kelly LeBrock is still hot.)

Sure, I admit, I'm a Cusack fan, so that definitely makes me enjoy the movie. Plus Curtis "Booger" Armstrong makes me chuckle. (Side note: Curtis Armstrong could win the Nobel Prize and he'd still be "Booger".) But "BOD" has so much little things that just make you understand why you watch movies. TO BE ENTERTAINED.

***SPOILERS*** (Is there anyone out there who hasn't seen this movie?)

From "Booger" snorting anything he could (I snorted Smarties when I was 15) to Cusack playing with a claymation hamburger to Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some" to a very persistent newspaper boy ("I want my two dollars") this movie is just an enjoyable little movie that has since become a classic.

***END SPOILERS***

There's only one problem I really have with this movie. Kelly LeBrock doesn't star in it.

Blurred Realities

[jldmp1 · 9/10 · 15 February 2006]

Ahhhh...an actual dark comedy. I watched this again, to clear my mind of "Wilbur..."

What makes this a cut above is the composition of sight gags -- 'How to build a space shuttle out of household items' is in the foreground, and then the eye pulls back to reveal the mother battling a sea monster in a pot, which frustrates her attempt to cook it...Cusack frets over an impossibly broken binding, and in the same frame the 'paperboy from hell' appears on a weatherized delivery bicycle...it's priceless stuff.

The story is told visually, you see...this has less to do with dialogue (although what there is of it, is classic), than with the idea of the writer's imagination conflated with movie imagination conflated with movie 'reality'. We see Holland seeing Cusack seeing the situations somewhere in between Holland's imagination and the platform of the movie (high school role playing - already a confused reality). At key points, Holland literally invents characters on paper or in stop motion animation to further warp that perception. These realities continually blur with 'real' reality, and the sheer absurdity keeps it seamless.

Some impressive camera work during the skiing portions.

This is capable film-making that can be enjoyed as what it was meant to be.

Everybody wants some

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 20 August 2015]

Does Cusack still have a beef with this movie? Whatever the reason is, it's beyond me; the guy fits the teen side of this thing to a T. "Better Off Dead" has all the tropes of the '80s teen comedy, but jazzes it up with the surreal sense of humor of Savage Steve Holland (best director name ever). The sight gags in this movie are a trip, and his animation bring all sorts of charm to the table.

It's a fun movie. The one-liners are good, it's got the requisite pop soundtrack, as well as Curtis Armstrong at his funniest. The whole package is an endearing brand of wacky.

7/10

Everybody Wants Some....

[Figgiedan · 9/10 · 10 March 1999]

I recently held a movie survey for an upcoming 12-hour "silly film" party at my house. This movie, surprisingly, was the top title to be voted on out of about 40 movies. Then I thought about it a bit - I loved this flick, and over 14 years, videos have been rented and others saw it and love it as well. What other flick can have a homicidal paper boy, a japanese guy who speaks only as howard cosell, a car that has darkened our driveway for six months, the k-12, and charles demar? The love story inside of it is good as well. "Reminds me of the moonshine Ricky's dead pappy used to make - God Bless him!" 9 of 10.

Very Odd, Sometimes Unnecessary

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 16 May 2015]

A teenager (John Cusack) has to deal with his girlfriend (Amanda Wyss) dumping him among family crises, homicidal paper boys, and a rival skier.

Apparently John Cusack hated this film after it came out. Maybe he still does. Most likely he has moved on, focusing more on the dozens of other great films he has made since 1985. Anyway, not sure what the hate was about. The film is definitely weird and unlike most of the teen comedies of the 1980s, but it is by no means a bad movie.

The cast alone makes it appealing, with Cusack alongside the amazing Diane Franklin, Kim Darby and Amanda Wyss. Sure, some scenes could have been trimmed or cut to improve the pace, but overall it is a solid entry into the world of 80s comedies.

Unconventional teen movie with surreal elements

[aquascape · 8/10 · 29 March 2018]

I've seen "Better Off Dead..." in late 2017. I have a tendency to avoid teen comedies or coming-of-age films once I passed into adulthood. To my defense, most teen films done lately are atrocities, to say the least, with dumb down characters, playing on stereotypes and modern social issues in the wrong way. Not ten minutes in and I instantly regretted not seeing this movie earlier. It has such a wacky take on teenage days in the 80's, with a hint of surreal and supernatural.

"Better Off Dead..." is about a high school student, played by boy-wonder John Cusack, who gets dumped by his girlfriend, leaving him with suicidal inclinations while trying to win her back by extreme measures. The characters are simply excellent, just mildly stereotyping the teen genre, with a memorable newspaper boy and his eternal yell "I want my two dollars!"

Savage Steve Holland's debut film would assure him as a cult director, but sadly once the 90's emerged, he would fall into an abyss of mediocraty.

"Better Off Dead..." is a unique teen movie that captures the vibe of the 80's and is an essential watch in a period where the "brat-pack" ruled.

I want my two dollars!

[khanbaliq2 · 6/10 · 24 March 2016]

I wanted to write a review about Better Off Dead months ago, but, after I watched it for the first time, I immediately became busy doing other things. So, I forgot about the film for a while. But now I'm ready to offer my opinion about this memorable little gem. I've actually known about Better Off Dead for years, but I had no urge to watch it. That's because the DVD cover for the film does not look interesting to me. I also had no interest in John Cusack's work before I watched Better Off Dead. But later, when I decided to watch a number of 1980s teen movies, I saw the original poster for Better Off Dead (which looks much better than the DVD cover) and decided to watch the film. There are teen movies that the entertainment industry keeps telling us about, like The Breakfast Club (1985), and it's these films that people are familiar with. But I discovered that the more memorable films are the ones that don't get advertised and that don't appear on lists of the top films. So, if you're curious about a film that isn't praised by critics, you should still see it. You'll probably discover that it's a good film, regardless of what critics say. My recommendation is to never listen to film critics. I also recommend staying away from those official lists of the top films. Anyway, I had no expectations for Better Off Dead when I began watching it, and I didn't even know what it's about. Needless to say, I was immediately surprised because the film is very funny from the very beginning to the very end. There isn't really a dull moment. The film is so entertaining that I watched it in one sitting (something that I rarely do). The animator Savage Steve Holland wrote and directed Better Off Dead, so he's the one who deserves most of the praise. But there's also a good cast. John Cusack is likable as the normal, depressed, somewhat lazy high school student Lane Myer. Cusack wears an expression of hangdog gloom for most of the film, and this makes the ridiculous situations that Myer get into that much funnier. Myer has problems at home and at school. On top of all that, his girlfriend of six months, Beth (Amanda Wyss), dumps him for the handsome and popular Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier). Quirky performances by Curtis Armstrong, Daniel Schneider and Diane Franklin also help the momentum of this teen fantasy. Franklin is especially memorable as Monique Junet, a French foreign-exchange student. Much like Lea Thompson, Franklin is nice and eager to talk about her 1980s film roles in real life. I can say that Better Off Dead isn't really about anything. It's only an unusual, very funny coming-of-age story filled with jokes and outlandish incidents. But people (including me) don't seem to care because it's still funny and charming. I definitely recommend it.

Better Off...before I ever watched it

[skay_baltimore · 3/10 · 12 December 2011]

This movie is a poor man's (or woman's) version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Fast Times At Ridgemount High -- without the humor, heart, soul, charm, music, screen chemistry, or creativity of those films. It's a sophomoric attempt, at best, to display high school heartache, that fails miserably.

There is not a single solitary likable character (with the possible exception of Monique); and I use the term character rather loosely when it comes to this disaster. The so-called characters are less dimensional than cartoon characters. In fact, I've seen Saturday morning cartoons that are better than this. (Hint: Beep-Beep) As such, there is no empathy evoked for any of them. Just the opposite -- I felt nothing but contempt and disdain for the characters, the writers, and the director.

Coupled with the fact that the humor is Neanderthal-like (i.e. slipping on a banana peel), this apparent spoof is nothing but a colossal flop. It strains the mind trying to grasp how in the world this movie rates as high as it does on IMDb.

Great 80's flick!

[Pezo3178 · 8/10 · 15 April 2018]

Loved this movie as a kid. Mom making crazy dishes, little brother builds a rocket in the house, a singing hamburger & how to build car whole in a day. A few one liners, good jams & John Cusack! Everything you need.

A classic John cusack movie

[jaroddfinch · 7/10 · 6 October 2021]

The first time that I watch this is when I was five and it didn't make any sense until I got older and it made more sense now. John cusack is a good actor his movies are good. But this one is really good even the soundtrack is really good too. So if you haven't seen this movie you should watch it it's really good.

Better Off Dead Best Describes this Film *

[edwagreen · 2/10 · 15 July 2010]

Outlandish film where John Cusack, at age 18, is despondent over the loss of his girlfriend and even tries to end it all.

To say that the family is dysfunctional is to put it mildly. David Ogden Stiers provides some funny moments but Kim Darby, who was 38, at the time of the movie, is totally miscast as the mother. Her being so naive doesn't help her cause.

We have a French exchange student living across the street from Cusack. She is staying with a boy who reminded me of Josh Mostel and a mother similar to Lainie Kazan.

Naturally, we have the bully who took Cusack's original gal pal away. There will be an ultimate challenge by the two in the skiing finale.

The oriental man doing an impression of the late Howard Cosell is hilarious.

The picture lacks credibility and is most inane at times.