10 Best John Hughes Movies, Ranked

Summary

• John Hughes had a diverse filmography with 35 credits, producing iconic coming-of-age films like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
• His more underrated films, like Weird Science and Uncle Buck, showcase his range as a writer-director with a knack for comedy and heartfelt storytelling.
• Collaborations with talented actors like Molly Ringwald and John Candy in films like Sixteen Candles and Planes, Trains and Automobiles solidified his status as a beloved filmmaker.

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

Following some success as a writer, Hughes didn’t make his directorial debut until his fifth film, Sixteen Candles. This kicked off an iconic stretch of coming-of-age films in the mid-to-late 1980s, but it wasn’t his only focus at the time. The 1980s were also the start of Hughes’ famous Vacation franchise, inspired by his time writing for National Lampoon magazine. Hughes, who sadly passed away at 59 in 2009, often took inspiration from his own personal experiences for his films, making them relatable and timeless.

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10 Weird Science

1985

Weird Science
PG-13
Sci-Fi
Comedy
Romance

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John Hughes’ 1985 comedy Weird Science tells the story of two high school students who create a virtual woman using their computer, only to have her come to life. Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith star as teenagers Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly, with Kelly LeBrock playing the artificially created Lisa and Bill Paxton and Robert Downey Jr. in supporting roles,

Director John Hughes Release Date August 2, 1985 Writers John Hughes Cast Bill Paxton , Robert Downey Jr. , Ilan Mitchell-Smith , Anthony Michael Hall , Robert Rusler , Kelly LeBrock Runtime 94 minutes

In the year of The Breakfast Club and National Lampoon’s European Vacation, Hughes ended 1985 with a change of genre. Weird Science was his first and only science fiction fantasy comedy film outside 1997’s Flubber, which he only produced. In Weird Science, Anthony Michael Hall (Gary) and Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Wyatt) play two teenage boys who use a computer program to bring their AI dream woman, Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), to life. The film was based on the 1951 comic “Made of the Future” by Al Feldstein.

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

9 Uncle Buck

1989

Uncle Buck
Comedy

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Uncle Buck stars John Candy as Buck Russell, an eccentric uncle who comes to babysit his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger kids. Macaulay Culkin stars as the young Miles Russell alongside Gabby Hoffmann, and Jean Louisa Kelly. John Hughes directed Uncle Buck, coming off the heels of The Great Outdoors, which also starred John Candy.

Director John Hughes Release Date August 16, 1989 Writers John Hughes Cast James Lesure , Aalyrah Caldwell , Mike Epps , Sayeed Shahidi , Nia Long , Iman Benson , Zedakiah Koterba Runtime 100 minutes

John Hughes ended the 1980s strong with Uncle Buck and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation back-to-back in 1989. Of the films he both wrote and directed, Uncle Buck is Hughes’ highest-grossing movie, beating out other hits like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The comedy is about Buck (John Candy), a lazy bachelor who babysits his brother’s teenage daughter and two younger children, including their only son, Miles (Macaulay Culkin).

Despite Uncle Buck being Hughes’ most successful film as a writer-director, it can be considered underrated as it isn’t one of his teen comedies and is occasionally overshadowed by other collaborations Hughes had with Candy and Culkin. Still, Uncle Buck is one of Hughes’ funniest films. Candy was one of the greatest comedic talents of his time, and Uncle Buck shows why. Like other Hughes films, it also has a great deal of heart, with a story about growing up–for both the kids and the titular character himself.

8 Sixteen Candles

1984

Sixteen Candles
PG

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In John Hughes’s directorial debut, Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha Baker, a high school student in suburban Chicago whose sixteenth birthday is marred when her whole family forgets to celebrate the occasion due to her older sister’s wedding. Navigating a school dance and a seemingly unrequited crush on an older boy, Sam’s sweet sixteen becomes a day to remember. Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, and Gedde Watanabe also star. 

Director John Hughes Release Date May 4, 1984 Writers John Hughes Cast Molly Ringwald , Gedde Watanabe , Anthony Michael Hall , Haviland Morris , Michael Schoeffling Runtime 93 minutes

As aforementioned, Sixteen Candles was John Hughes’ directorial debut, and the start of the collaborations between Hughes and Molly Ringwald and his many teen coming-of-age 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 scenarios, and an ensemble of talented comedic actors.

Sixteen Candles is rated PG because it was made before the MPA introduced the PG-13 rating. With nudity, vulgar language, and underage drinking, it is a teen/adult comedy and should be regarded as such.

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While Sixteen Candles hasn’t aged as well as some other 1980s films, it remains a classic for good reason. Even in its problematic moments, it highlights how hard it is to be a high schooler who just wants to fit in and find love–or in some cases, have sex to impress your geeky friends. Sixteen Candles is a product of its time and exists as a great time capsule for viewers to either relive their 1980s high school years in all their cringey glory or learn what life and school might have been like for those high schoolers.

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7 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

1989

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
PG-13
Comedy
Holiday

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The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, father of the Griswold family whose intentions to have a good Christmas with his family face several setbacks. Between his arguing parents, the uncooperative decorations, and the unexpected arrival of some unwanted distant relatives, Clark’s dreams for a wonderful Christmas seem to be fading, forcing him to take some comedically drastic measures.

Director Jeremiah S. Chechik Release Date December 1, 1989 Writers John Hughes Cast Chevy Chase , Beverly D’Angelo , Randy Quaid , Juliette Lewis , Johnny Galecki , John Randolph , Diane Ladd , E.G. Marshall , Miriam Flynn Runtime 97 minutes Franchise(s) National Lampoon’s Vacation Sequel(s) Vegas Vacation , Vacation prequel(s) European Vacation , National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

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John Hughes has a few Christmas classics in his filmography, with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation being one of the most beloved. Christmas Vacation is the third of five movies in the main Vacation series and widely regarded as one of the best. As the name suggests, the movie sees Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family trying to have the perfect Christmas. Like all Vacation movies, things go hilariously wrong along the way.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was Juliette Lewis’ first major film role. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Cape Fear (1991) a few years after Christmas Vacation.

With a revolving cast playing most of the Griswold family members, Chase and Beverly D’Angelo (Ellen Smith-Griswold) hold down the fort as the 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 heartwarming. There are multiple quotable and memorable comedic scenes, but the ability to watch with your family every Christmas makes National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation one of Hughes’ best.

6 Pretty In Pink

1986

Pretty in Pink (1986)
PG-13
Romance
Drama
Comedy

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Pretty in Pink is a 1986 romantic comedy-drama directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes. The film stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, a high school student navigating social divisions and romantic entanglements. With a prominent supporting cast including Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy, the story explores themes of class disparity and youthful aspirations in the context of 1980s suburban America.

Director Howard Deutch Release Date February 28, 1986 Writers John Hughes Cast Molly Ringwald , Harry Dean Stanton , Jon Cryer , Annie Potts , James Spader Runtime 97 Minutes

Pretty in Pink was one of multiple Hughes’ movies that touched on social cliques and class differences. Ringwald played Andie Walsh, a high school student who was classified as an outsider because of her working-class status. When she started dating one of the “richies,” Blane (Andrew McCarthy), her socioeconomic standing became a problem for him. All the while, Andie’s best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), harbored a crush on her.

Ringwald’s performance in Pretty in Pink is arguably the best of her three films with Hughes, and Cryer was perfectly cast as Duckie. Both characters are relatable and feel very grounded in a world where high school films can be unrealistic and exaggerated. Though the Pretty in Pink ending is somewhat controversial, it’s a great display of friendship as Duckie lets Andie go. Regardless of whether you were 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

Home Alone
PG
Comedy
Family

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Home Alone tells the story of Kevin McAllister, an eight-year-old who is left behind in his Chicago home when his family flies to Paris for the holidays. Not only must Kevin keep himself safe while his mother flies back across the world, but he must protect his home from the Wet Bandits – serial burglars who are targeting the McAllister House. Kevin must use every trick in the book to keep the Wet Bandits from stealing Christmas before his mother returns.

Director Chris Columbus Release Date November 16, 1990 Writers John Hughes Cast Macaulay Culkin , Joe Pesci , Daniel Stern , John Heard , Roberts Blossom , Catherine O’Hara Runtime 103 minutes Sequel(s) Home Alone 3 , Home Alone 2: Lost in New York , Home Alone 4

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Home Alone is often remembered as a Christopher Columbus film, as he directed the Christmas classic, but it was written and produced by John Hughes. Though Uncle Buck came before it, Home Alone was the film that truly shot Macaulay Culkin into 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 on their Christmas vacation.

Home Alone was the highest-grossing comedy until the release of The Hangover Part II (2011) over 20 years later.

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It’s hard to find a kid who has seen Home Alone and didn’t want to be like Kevin at some point, creating booby traps and fooling grown men into injuring themselves in ridiculous ways. Kevin’s ingenuity and Culkin’s performance made him the most fun and memorable child character in all of Hughes’ films. Pesci and Stern put on a physical comedy masterclass and Catherine O’Hara screaming “Kevin!” before fainting is one of many examples of how she shines even in minor roles.

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4 The Breakfast Club

1985

The Breakfast Club
R
Comedy
Drama

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After receiving detention, a group of five high-school students bonds as they realize they have quite a bit in common despite being from different friend groups. Despite being over 35 years old, The Breakfast Club still stands as one of the quintessential movies of the ‘80s and one of director John Hughes standout films.

Director John Hughes Release Date February 15, 1985 Writers John Hughes Cast Molly Ringwald , Ally Sheedy , Anthony Michael Hall , Judd Nelson , Emilio Estevez Runtime 97 minutes

Arguably Hughes’ most popular film, The Breakfast Club is also one of his best. The film sees five students from different cliques – the “athlete” Andrew (Emilio Estevez), the “brain” Brian (Hall), the “criminal” John Bender (Judd Nelson), the “princess” Claire (Ringwald), and the “basket case” Allison (Ally Sheedy) – bond over a nine-hour Saturday detention period. The Breakfast Club has some of the best lessons in all of Hughes’ movies, reminding viewers not to judge people by what they may appear to be on the outside.

By having each student representing a different clique, there’s at least one character in The Breakfast Club that each audience member can relate to. Each character also carries the weight of trying to balance their home, social, and academic lives like all high schoolers struggle to do at some point or another. The Breakfast Club is pretty problematic upon rewatch, which can hurt its status as a timeless classic. Regardless, it’s still one of the best high school coming-of-age films of all time

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3 National Lampoon’s Vacation

1983

The debate over the best Vacation movie can get heated easily as the franchise has a strong nostalgia factor. Due to Christmas Vacation being a holiday classic, it may have been the first some viewers have seen, but National Lampoon’s Vacation is what kicked the series off. 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.

John Hughes’ first film was National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982), but it’s not considered part of the Vacation franchise because it didn’t feature the Griswold family.

Chase was the first breakout cast member of Saturday Night Live in the mid-1970s, and the first Vacation movie allowed him to capitalize on the kind of comedy he’d become famous for. It also gave John Hughes his highest Rotten Tomatoes score with a 94% critics rating. Its screwball comedy, great performances, and quotable scenes made it a hit with critics. There would be no Vacation series without the original, which happens to be the best of the bunch.

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2 Planes, Trains and Automobiles

1987

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
pg-13
Comedy

Directed by John Hughes, Planes, Trains and Automobiles stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, a busy advertising executive who finds himself the unwilling traveling companion of salesman Del Griffith as the two attempt to return to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday. Beset by bad weather and a continuing comedy of errors in attempting to make travel plans, Neal and Del must work together, however unwillingly, to accomplish their shared goal. John Candy also stars alongside Martin as Del. 

Director John Hughes Release Date November 25, 1987 Writers John Hughes Cast John Candy , Steve Martin , Kevin Bacon Runtime 93minutes

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Since Hughes is most-known for his coming-of-age films and the Vacation franchise, 1987’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles tends to fly under the radar. The buddy comedy-drama film stars Steve Martin as high-strung marketing executive Neal and John Candy as the kind but irritating Del. When their Thanksgiving flight is diverted, they become an odd pair of travel companions, with the two eventually forming a meaningful friendship.

John Candy and Steve Martin were in Little Shop of Horrors (1986) the year before Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but they didn’t have any scenes together.

It’s already been established that Candy was a great comedic genius, and pairing him with Steve Martin elevated both their performances. Planes, Trains and Automobiles may not have their best individual performances, but it’s a classic buddy comedy, and Candy and Martin make a brilliant duo. Sadly, they never worked together again, but that just makes Planes, Trains and Automobiles even more special. With laugh-out-loud scenes and major tearjerker moments, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is Hughes’ best comedy-drama.

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1 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

1986

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
PG-13
Comedy

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John Hughes’ comedy classic Ferris Bueler’s Day off follows the titular high schooler, a self-assured, charming young man who wants a day off. Going to unheard-of lengths to secure that day for himself, his girlfriend, and his best friend, he conjures up the ultimate scheme to get them out of school. However, his sister and principal are confident he’s up to no good, and his principal will embark on an equally overblown quest to expose Ferris’ truancy. 

Director John Hughes Release Date June 11, 1986 Writers John Hughes Cast jennifer grey , Matthew Broderick , Mia Sara , Alan Ruck , Jeffrey Jones Runtime 103 minutes

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

While Ferris Bueller has some good messages about stopping to look around every once in a while because “life moves pretty fast … you could miss it” and standing up to your parents, it’s mostly just a fun, hilarious film. Ferris is one of the most intriguing main characters in a Hughes film, and it’s arguably Broderick’s best performance. John Hughes may have more relatable or emotional movies, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is his best, most entertaining movie.​​​​​​​

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Category: Entertainment