Critic Reviews

Better Off Dead... (1985) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Better Off Dead... (1985) a score of 3.0377 out of 4

based on (30) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(3)

Very Good

(25)

Good

(2)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Ah, I love 80's flicks. More specifically, I love 80's flicks because they just had the talent of not taking themselves too seriously. They weren't out to impress the cool kids in school; often, they shared a strong spiritual bond with the geeks, the ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell

eFilmCritic

Oh. You want to hear about this movie. Well, Lane Meyer (Cusack) gets dumped on his ass by dream girl Beth (Amanda Wyss), and he's whining and moping away with his dorky friends Charles DeMar (Curtis Armstrong) - that snorts jello, Monique (Diane ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at eFilmCritic

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Did kids in 1985 "get" Better Off Dead? John Cusack wouldn't become a teen idol until 1989's Say Anything..., and here his combination loser/geek/skiing stud might come off as hard to relate to. I don't know, I still love this movie, with ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Did kids in 1985 "get" Better Off Dead? John Cusack wouldn't become a teen idol until 1989's Say Anything..., and here his combination loser/geek/skiing stud might come off as hard to relate to. I don't know, I still love this movie, with its bizarre ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Needcoffee.com - DVD Review

Before the days of Being John Malkovich, John Cusack made his name in Hollywood in exactly one fashion - he was perpetually cast as the vaguely lovable but goofy teenager constantly mooning over any of a variety of girls, and inevitably ending up in love ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Needcoffee.com - DVD Review

Apollo Guide (Janet Branagan)

Rarely does a movieâ��s title so perfectly captured what the film is all about. Better Off Dead is the story of a down-and-out teenager, Lane Myer ( John Cusack) who finds his life going from bad to worse after losing the â��love of his lifeâ��, ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Apollo Guide (Janet Branagan)

At-A-Glance Film Reviews

"Gee, I'm real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky." Better Off Dead is a highly rewarding comedy that made me laugh out loud throughout. It's a teen pleaser, technically, and a little nostalgic for me even though I wasn't into this type of movie when I ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews

DVD Talk (Jason Bovberg)

In the midst of the juvenile-teen-sex-comedy-crammed 1980s, Savage Steve Holland came up with a surprisingly humorous and bright-noggin'd gem that shone forth from out of a celluloid river of fool's gold. Better Off Dead is a joy of a movie that holds up ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at DVD Talk (Jason Bovberg)

Film Threat (--)

"Better Off Dead" is the kind of movie that people won't really fess up to liking, but I've rarely met anyone who didn't secretly love it passionately. Made by the courageously named Savage Steve Holland, it is on its face a typical teen comedy albeit ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Film Threat (--)

Film Threat (--)

...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Film Threat (--)

Moda Magazine (Kage Alan)

John Cusack brought us some damn fine teenage comedies during the 80s before he went and grew up. Of course, he became a damn fine adult actor too, but it was his early roles that first endeared him to us and he has quite the resume from back then. ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Moda Magazine (Kage Alan)

Right Turn Clyde

You know what movie that line is from, it's okay to admit it. And I know that you're also thinking about a hamburger dancing to Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some" (minus the "conversation" between Diamond Dave and the control booth) which segues ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Right Turn Clyde

Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

Better Off Dead 's charm stems from its imagination and attitude. ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

a unique, kooky gem ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)

strives to be offbeat and sometimes works itself into a sweat doing so. The humor often hits the bullseye, however... ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Kalamazoo Gazette (James Sanford)

sbs.is (Stefan Birgir Stefansson)

love love love love it ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at sbs.is (Stefan Birgir Stefansson)

HOLLYWOOD'S C LIST

BETTER OFF DEAD is a classic 80â��s comedy with a premise thatâ��s short and sweet. Our teenage hero, Lane Myer, is heartbroken when his girlfriend of 6 months (Beth) decides to dump him for â��someone more popular.â�� What follows is a hilarious romp ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at HOLLYWOOD'S C LIST

Entertainment Insiders

John Cusack stars as Lane Meyer, a high school student whose will to live disappears when his girlfriend, Beth, leaves him for the captain of the school ski team. After several bumbled suicide attempts, Lane believes that he must beat Roy at a downhill ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Entertainment Insiders

Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

John Cusack established his persona as a Gen X icon with two films, this and The Sure Thing, also released in 1985. In the hilarious and brilliantly deadpan Better Off Dead, he plays a high-schooler who tries to kill himself after his beloved girlfriend ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

Of all the teen comedies made in the 1980s--and there were oh so many--Savage Steve Holland's Better Off Dead stands on its own as a unique, kooky gem. Call it the nadir of teenage-embarrassment comedy, Better Off Dead strikes chords with anyone who ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)

A Nutshell Review

This movie is so typical of the 1980s teenage comedy classics, like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Fast Times from Ridgemonth High. It has your typical teenage protagonist, who can be either a complete loser geek, or on the flip side, the coolest dude in ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at A Nutshell Review

Audio Revolution

If someone wanted a quintessentially and literally average â�� not good, not bad, just smack-in-the-middle run-of-the-mill â�� teen comedy from the mid-â��80s, â��Better Off Deadâ�� fills the bill. Itâ��s mildly quirky, amiable, predictable and formulaic ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Audio Revolution

DVD Verdict (Mike Jackson)

For anyone who can safely answer "yes" to that ubiquitous Rhino Records infomercial questionâ��"Remember the '80s?"â��there's a handful of movies that defined teen films for the decade. The Breakfast Club. Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Ferris Bueller's ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at DVD Verdict (Mike Jackson)

digitallyOBSESSED.com (Dan Lopez)

...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Dan Lopez)

Film Frat

Assuming you are old enough to be in college, it's safe to guess that you've had a relationship that hasn't worked out like you wanted. Maybe you initiated the breakup, or, heaven forbid, the other person gave you the heave-ho. No matter what side you're ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Film Frat

DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Lane Myer (John Cusack) has seen better days. He's in the midst of trying out for the high school ski team and the love of his life, Beth (Amanda Wyss), is about to dump him for the local ski jock (and Captain of the high school ski team) simply because ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Better Off Dead would continue the naturally comedic persona of John Cusack in light romantic comedies. Although not a huge hit at the time of release, it would develop an ever-increasing cult audience, and today, it's generally regarded as a classic ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Michael D's Region 4 DVD Info Page

Ah, the 1980s - an era that is hard to forget for anyone who actually lived through it. It's a decade that produced so many memorable items, but memorable mostly for all the wrong reasons. However, something that came to prominence in the movie world ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at Michael D's Region 4 DVD Info Page

New York Times (Janet Maslin)

SAVAGE STEVE HOLLAND, who is 25 and grew up in Greenwich, Conn., isn't as funny as his name. But he does seem to have a genuinely anarchic sense of humor, and ''Better Off Dead,'' which Mr. Holland wrote and directed, has its moments. Fewer of them ...read the complete Better Off Dead... movie review at New York Times (Janet Maslin)