The Breakfast Club (1985)

Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. (IMDb)

Discounting the disappointingly cliche ending romances, this is teen drama at its most authentic, dispensing with plot contrivances in favour of a dialogue-driven stage-play-like script–expertly shot and acted–that oscillates between vicious conflict and heartwarming bonding. Splashes of goofy humour (see oddball Allison’s sandwich meat toss) and feel-good shenanigans (see the dance number, hallway run), along with surges of sentimentality (see John’s parent reenactment), are tastefully added.

8/10 (Great)

The Outsiders (1983)

The rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, only heats up when one gang member kills a member of the other. (IMDb)

The story and characters here definitely have their youthful charm, with the film’s grimy aesthetic and dark plot twists adding some grit. Technically, however, the film is hit or miss. Dialogue delivery (and there’s a lot of it) is suspect and causes some scenes to really drag, and the rollicking soundtrack, while at times enjoyable, at others blares on through conversations and contrasts with what feels like should be somber moments. An engaging story that could have been presented better.

6.5/10 (Alright)