Better Off Dead… (1985): The Surrealist Teen Comedy
1985 • Savage Steve Holland • 1.78:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Some 1980s teenage comedies were a bit out-there, but not a lot were full of episodic absurdist gags and surreal detours… and exaggerated suicide attempts that repeatedly fail. Savage Steve Holland’s Better Off Dead… (1985) follows Lane Meyer, a high school student in a ski-obsessed town, who becomes depressed after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Convinced that life has no meaning now, he tries to end it. But, as with everything he attempts, he fails miserably. Perhaps the cute French exchange student who has just arrived next door could help him move on.
Despite the subject, this is not a dark comedy. On the contrary, it’s full of colorful characters, classic teen movie tropes, fantastical cutaways reflecting Lane’s interior monologue, a very cartoonish approach with exaggerated sound effects, deadpan reactions to absurd events, and running gags (like the paperboy demanding his “two dollars”).
The visual highlight is undoubtedly the stop-motion animated musical hamburger scene, a sequence that encapsulates the film’s chaotic philosophy. Alongside its vibrant 80s color palette and exaggerated sound effects, Better Off Dead… uses its visuals to turn teen angst into a colorful, absurdist playground. It is a film that captures the chaotic energy of a high schooler’s imagination better than almost any of its contemporaries.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: A heartbroken teenager spirals after being dumped by his girlfriend, drifting through absurd misadventures, eccentric neighbors, and surreal detours as he tries to win her back or simply survive high school. Read my review of Better Off Dead…
- Actors: John Cusack, Diane Franklin, Curtis Armstrong, Kim Darby, David Ogden Stiers.
- Director: Savage Steve Holland
- Year: 1985
- Cinematographer: Isidore Mankofsky
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Genre: Comedy & Satire
