10 Movies To Watch If You Love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

John Hughes’s teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off continues to be popular with audiences today. The film was —until recently— available to view on Netflix, where it was hit with another new wave of popularity. Like many of its contemporaries, the movie is a blend of humor, adventure, friendship, and troublemaking.

A seminal decade for teen dramas was the 1980s, and that’s largely thanks to John Hughes. Along with Ferris Bueller, his films Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club set the stage for the future of the genre in the ’80s and beyond for subsequent generations of kids and adults alike to discover.

10 The Breakfast Club (1985)

Like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club is a high school story that doesn’t take place in the classroom. Five students of completely different social backgrounds attend a Saturday detention together.

At the start of the day, they’re strangers and are at odds with each other— but by the end, everything has changed. The film is both a comedy and also a commentary on the social issues of youth, much like Ferris Bueller’s story.

9 Clueless (1995)

Cher Horowitz of Clueless is as charming a lead as Ferris Bueller. She’s popular, stylish, wealthy, and privileged, though she tries to use her social standing for good— for the most part, anyway.

Like Ferris with Cameron, Cher thinks she’s helping a fellow classmate when she tries to make her popular. However, first and foremost, the movie is a rom-com as Cher realizes she has feelings for someone she hadn’t considered a romantic interest before.

8 Booksmart (2019)

For fans of comedy, Booksmart is a film worth checking out. Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, the critically acclaimed film has been labeled as the “girl version” of Superbad— and not just because Jonah Hill’s sister stars in it.

The story is about the friendship between two intelligent, funny, and ambitious teenage girls. On their last day of high school, they realize they’ve devoted themselves to studying so much that they haven’t had any fun, so they decide to attend as many parties as they can.

7 Superbad (2007)

The two boys at the heart of this film are about to head off to college, just like Ferris and Cameron. They decide to make the most of their fleeting time together before plunging headfirst into their uncertain futures.

Of course, the two boys get up to no good and end up in trouble. The movie is a lot raunchier than Ferris Bueller’s Day Off— and most comedies in general— but it’s just as iconic and quotable.

6 She’s The Man (2006)

Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum star in this rom-com, very loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In the original story, Viola is separated from her twin brother during a storm at sea. She ends up on the shore of a strange new land, where she must earn her keep by working as a servant for the Duke, pretending to be a man.

In the 2006 movie, Viola pretends to be her brother to get into the football program. Her roommate is Duke, who is confused by his teammate’s strange behavior and his feelings towards him/her. While some things about this movie might not fly today, it’s still a fun film that Ferris Bueller fans will enjoy.

5 Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)

Another product of the 1980s, Fast Time At Ridgemont High remains popular almost forty years after its release. Teenager Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is interested in dating, but has no experience. Her friend (Phoebe Cates) helps her, and Stacy unwittingly lands herself in a love triangle involving two friends.

Meanwhile, Jeff, a surfer and stoner, faces off against his teacher, who has no time or tolerance for slackers— much like the dynamic between Ferris Bueller and his principal, Ed Rooney.

4 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Another cult classic based on a Shakespeare play, 10 Things I Hate About You is adapted from The Taming Of The Shrew, though obviously significantly modernized.

Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) can’t date Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) until her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) has a boyfriend too. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy named Patrick (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat, who absolutely does not want a boyfriend, least of all Patrick.

3 Easy A (2010)

Emma Stone plays the charming, easy-to-empathize-with Olive, who opens the film by talking directly to the audience. She’s recording a vlog explaining why she lied to her best friend about losing her virginity, and how this white lie spreads through the school and gets out of control.

Amanda Bynes also appears in the movie as Marianne, a bully who’s intent on bringing Olive down. She’s largely the reason that the rumor gets out in the first place.

2 Charlie Bartlett (2007)

For those who love Ferris’s precociousness, Charlie Bartlett is sure to entertain. Charlie is just as mischievous as Ferris, having been expelled from numerous schools.

At his newest school, Charlie decides that the best way to fit in would be to appoint himself as a therapist. He speaks to and treats distressed students from the safety of a bathroom stall, which of course results in a number of funny situations. The movie drew many comparisons to Ferris Bueller by critics and audiences alike.

1 Sing Street (2016)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is known for its musical component, with Ferris’s memorable lip-syncing performance, as well as the stellar soundtrack and iconic feature song, Yello’s “Oh Yeah”.

Sing Street is about a boy named Conor who has just moved from a private school to a less prestigious way of life. On his first day, he gets into trouble, meets an aspiring model named Raphina, and decides to start a band. The comedy is set in 1980s Ireland but will appeal to current and former high schoolers from any part of the world.

About The Author

Svetlana Sterlin
(256 Articles Published)

After years of relocation, Svetlana Sterlin (she/her) was raised by her Russian parents in Brisbane, Australia, where she completed a BFA and contributes to ScreenRant and Our Culture Magazine. An avid cinephile and bookworm, Svetlana also writes creatively across multiple forms and genres. Her fiction and poetry appear in several printed and digital publications. Find more from Svetlana here: https://linktr.ee/svetlanasterlin.

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