The Breakfast Club

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The Breakfast Club

R

Released Feb 15, 1985

1h 32m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

112 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

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Critics Consensus

If The Breakfast Club's gestures towards authenticity are occasionally undercut by trendy flourishes, its blistering emotional honesty and talented troupe of young actors catapult it to the top of the teen comedy class.

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

The film behaves as if it's dealing in soul-baring insights and emotional deepening. But it's only dealing in plastic. It's rare to encounter such unfailing falseness in a movie that seems to have been launched with benign intentions.

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

Harper Barnes

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

I suspect all these kids are going somewhere, and Hughes, of course, is already there.

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

Rob Salem

Toronto Star

Hughes is clearly of the impression that he knows a lot about kids and the way they think. He is, for the most part, mistaken... Yet this is a movie well worth seeing, if only for the performances, which are without exception excellent.

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

No list of the best teen films or best films of the 1980s is complete without including The Breakfast Club.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 18, 2025

Full Review

Patrick Taggart

Austin American-Statesman

I can't remember ever wanting to applaud at the end of a movie, but the only reason I didn't after The Breakfast Club is that I was practically paralyzed with excitement. With this rousing new film... the Hollywood youth film finally comes of age.

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

George Williams

Sacramento Bee

It's almost worth sitting through a hundred of those exploitative, lame-brained teen farces in order to get to the warm and authentic intimacy of The Breakfast Club. It's a grand payoff.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 14, 2025

Full Review

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best movie ever

Best Movie ever made. Rip John Hughes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/01/24

Full Review

Jo S

Best movie of ALL time!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/22/21

Full Review

gavin s

Late to the party as I thought 5 kids in a room would be boring. I was mistaken. The film is riveting and a must see. It's not a teen angst flick, but rather a people listen and learn flick. It does not matter if it is stereotypical or corny at times. It's supposed to be. The message is clear. Respect each others differences, and embrace them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

Full Review

Tyler S

I think I just have a new liking for all these 80s classics. Really funny!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Zachary L

This movie is an utterly amazing piece of cinema and a must see for anyone no matter age (within reason) and I think it is John Hughes best movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/25

Full Review

Chip C

One of the best movies of all time. Judd Nelson should have won an Oscar for this. Ally was amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/25

Full Review

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John Hughes

Director

Emilio Estevez

Andrew "Andy" Clark

Molly Ringwald

Claire Standish

Judd Nelson

John Bender

Paul Gleason

Principal Richard Vernon

Anthony Michael Hall

Brian Ralph Johnson

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Bender Mocks Claire

2:57

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Lunchtime

2:59

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Andrew and Bender Fight

2:27

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Covering for Bender

3:00

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Eat My Shorts

3:00

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Social Clubs

2:58

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Don't Mess With the Bull

3:00

The Breakfast Club: Official Clip - Getting to Know Each Other

2:59

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The Breakfast Club: Trailer 1

1:25

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Synopsis

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

Director: John Hughes
Producer: Ned Tanen, John Hughes
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 15, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Runtime: 1h 32m

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