Review of Better Off Dead... (1985) by Caio C — 18 Jul 2011

Better Off Dead is an anarchic mix of black humor and surreal comedy, anchored by John Cusack's winsome, charming performance. John Cusack launched his career as a lovable loser at love with this teen comedy about a guy who gets dumped when his girlfriend decides to trade up. The teen comedy was just establishing itself in the early to mid 80?s, yet it was already spoofing itself - or at least that's how it seems watching "Savage" Steve Holland's Better Off Dead nearly two decades after the fact. Even with its feeling of oddball familiarity, Better Off Dead's charm stems from its imagination and attitude. Writer/director Steve Holland plays with so many cliches in Better Off Dead you'd think that he's well aware of the fact. But he takes several of them that all-important step further to give the film a familiar but different feel.

VERDICT: "Full Price" - My second highest rating (Positive to Mixed reaction). This is a rating to a movie I view as very entertaining and well made, and definitely worth paying the full price at a theatre to see or own on DVD. It is not perfect, but it is definitely excellent.