Must-watch John Hughes films

'80s best -- Mike Giuffrida

John Hughes was the influential writer and director who captured both the angst and the humor of the 1980s’ teen experience via a slew of films, with a quick Google search resulting in a quite-vague answer of “at least 41.” Hughes passed away in 2009, at the age of 59. This year commemorates the 10-year anniversary of his death, here are the famed writer-director’s best movies.

The ultimate John Hughes movie list -- Mike Giuffrida

Pretty in Pink (1986): This is a cutesy romance drama about a girl who falls for the popular rich kid, starring James Spader and Molly Ringwald. Many people don’t know it, but the film was not directed by John Hughes (it was Howard Deutch at the helm), though Hughes wrote the screenplay. It was also a big Billboard success, helping fuel the career of The Psychedelic Furs who sang the title song. Mike Giuffrida.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): This sleek high-school comedy about best friends features Matthew Broderick in a raucous performance, certainly one of his best as a teen actor. The many funny and memorable one-liners have gained the film a cult following over the decades. Mike Giuffrida.

The Breakfast Club (1985): Who’d have thought that this poorly budgeted film who be the easy favorite for many among the Hughes movies? The director had decided to film the entire movie in a single school location to help with the low budget, but it turned out to be the right formula as the intimate nature of the narrative made us relate more with the characters played by Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. Mike Giuffrida.

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987): One of the most underrated yet arguably the best in Hughes’ catalogue of romance comedies is this beautifully handled New-Wave era film about a working-class high school boy crushing on the popular schoolgirl. He wouldn’t know until the end that it was actually his drumstick-wielding musician of a best friend that he truly liked. The story is not entirely novel, yes, but it was in Hughes’ handling that the acting of both Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson truly shone. Mike Giuffrida.