The 12 films of the Brat Pack, ranked

In some sense, Robert Downey Jr. can be considered an honorary member of the Brat Pack since he's co-starred with several of those actors in 1980s movies. In The Pick-Up Artist, Downey plays childish womanizer Jack Jericho, who eventually meets his match in the subtly intoxicating Randy (Molly Ringwald), who, at the least on the surface, equals him in self confidence. It was a more mature type of role for Ringwald, who was trying to keep her crown as the queen of 1980s teen/young adult comedy-dramas.

John Hughes should be considered the unofficial ninth member of the Brat Pack, since the legendary director and screenwriter was involved with many of the movies on this list. We included Weird Science because it's a fun movie about a couple of horny, nerdy high schoolers — Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) — who create a virtual woman (Kelly LeBrock). While Hall is technically the star, LeBrock, Bill Paxton (as the annoying but hilarious Chet), and even the aforementioned Robert Downey Jr., deliver more noteworthy performances.

Andrew McCarthy gets top billing in the screen version of Bret Easton Ellis' novel about youthful wealth and decadence. However, it is co-star Jami Gertz and the aforementioned Robert Downey Jr. who deliver more memorable performances. Most notably Downey, whose portrayal of spiraling addict Julian mirrored the real-life struggles the actor was dealing with. Gertz also should receive some honorary Brat Pack love, since she was also a popular 1980s actor in these type of films. McCarthy, meanwhile, is solid, but nothing to write home about.

Emilio Estevez stars as Billy the Kid in this mega-popular action western, and remains some of his best work. With his brother Charlie Sheen and fellow A-lister at the time Kiefer Sutherland in the mix, plus Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney and Casey Siemaszko, the cast was kind of like Estevez and a group of Brat Pack reserves. However, it would be Sheen, Sutherland, Phillips and Mulroney who actually ended up have more stable acting careers than some of the official Brat Pack members.

"Blue City" might be the most forgettable Brat Pack-associated movie of the lot — and rightfully so. Judd Nelson stars as Billy Turner, a rather unlikable character who returns to his Florida hometown and winds up investigating the murder of his father. He also falls in love with Annie (Ally Sheedy), the sister of his friend, who helps with the investigation in this sad excuse for a thriller. Nelson and Sheedy have played a couple at various times in their films, but that hardly helps save this turkey.

Not even legendary stars Alan Alda, Madeline Kahn and Joe Pesci could save this comedy from enjoying nothing more than middling success during the tail end of the Brat Pack's relevancy. While Alda and Pesci were more than serviceable, Molly Ringwald, who played bride-to-be Betsy Hopper, was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, while Ally Sheedy, as Betsy's police officer sister Connie, earned a Worst Supporting Actress nod.

This was Rob Lowe's first lead feature role as conniving All-American boy Nick Di Angelo, who heads to England looking to draw the fancy of a beauty who attends Oxford University. Ally Sheedy also stars in a supporting role, who is one of the more likable characters in the film. Lowe's attempts to win her over are mostly examples of why many from England hate Americans. The movie received poor ratings, and showed that maybe Lowe could not get by on his good looks alone if he wanted to remain a leading man in Hollywood.

More from Lowe, Class was also Andrew McCarthy's big-screen debut. Critics were not necessarily fans of this prep school comedy-drama. However, Lowe playing "Skip," the prankster, and McCarthy's Jonathan, the strait-laced classmate who quickly becomes a man — thanks to his roommate's mother (Jacqueline Bisset) — it showed that these two young actors had promise. Both, obviously, would find consistent work in the 1980s with more well-received and likable films as we've seen, and will continue to see, on this list.

While some critics were positive about the film version of Larry Ketron's Off Broadway coming-of-age play from earlier in the decade, the movie delivered a poor showing at the box office (earning just $6.6 million). This was the second time Ringwald and McCarthy starred opposite each other as love interest, and, much more intense than the first time they did (more about that in a minute). Ringwald's battered Jewel is far more intriguing than McCarthy's Matt, who continued his run as the well-off, good-looking leading man.

In terms of Hollywood versatility, Estevez proved the most successful as an actor, writer and director. However, his first attempt a feature filmmaking with Wisdom can be considered a failure. Critics panned this drama about a young convicted felon who struggles to find a job and turns to becoming a Robin Hood-like criminal, along with his girlfriend (Demi Moore, who was Estevez's real-life fiancée at the time). While that negative feedback deeply affected Estevez, the movie is actually one of the more tolerable among all those considered in the Brat Pack genre.

The only real reason this excellent film adaptation of S.E. Hinton's classic 1967 novel isn't ranked higher is because Brat Packers Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe were limited to supporting roles. Estevez's beer-swigging-for-breakfast, Mickey Mouse-loving "Two-Bit" Mathews is actually quite the scene stealer as one of the "Greasers" in this coming-of-age drama with a stellar ensemble cast. C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane and Tom Cruise — who has an even smaller role than Estevez and Lowe — also made up this memorable group of talented young actors. 

With six of the eight Brat Packers in the cast (minus Hall and Ringwald), this is the quintessential film for the group, and the '80s for this crop of actors. However, it's really an intolerable film about a group of friends — all recent college graduates — trying to manage the professional and social aspects of life in the real world. It can be argued that none of these characters are likable, and that they're really kids trying to play grownups. Everybody smokes cigarettes, drinks during the day and whines about how life isn't perfect a few months after graduation. The only good thing? John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" theme song.

Lowe and Demi Moore were both praised for their co-starring roles from this romantic comedy-drama directed by Edward Zwick and co-written by Saturday Night Live alum Tim Kazurinsky. The two twenty-somethings, who bar hop their way around Chicago's North Side, try to make a one-night stand turn into a serious relationship. It's not easy, but for the mid-to-late '80s, it was an interesting commentary about the state of relationships at the time, when premarital sex and cohabiting without a ring was becoming the norm. 

By 1986, Molly Ringwald was an '80s movie darling, the queen of the Brat Packers and riding high. Meanwhile, Andrew McCarthy was the closest thing to her king at the time. Pretty in Pink showed off the two at the heights of their Brat Pack success. Ringwald's Andie is a stylish, but poor girl courted by "richie" Blane (McCarthy). The tale is common, but this version is relatively genuine as written by the great John Hughes. Meanwhile, James Spader, another honorary Brat Packer, is deliciously evil as the arrogant Steff. Also, Jon Cryer steals more than one scene in his career-defining movie role as the lovable "Duckie."

Sophomore Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) is peeved that her family forgot her 16th birthday, and her crush Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) doesn't know she exists. Talk about a bummer to start the school year. Not to mention the antics of high school freshman "Farmer" Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), who is looking for love, or a quick score, to show off to his pals at the "New Faces Dance." Throughout roughly 36 hours, their lives intertwine in this classic John Hughes comedy. Though Ringwald was the star, Hall stole the show.

To some film critics and fans, this John Hughes classic is the gold standard for Gen X films. And when it comes to fans of the Brat Pack, this truly is the best of the best. Five of the eight Brat Packers star in the iconic coming-of-age teen comedy-drama. An athlete (Emilio Estevez), princess (Molly Ringwald), brain (Anthony Michael Hall), basket case (Ally Sheedy), and criminal (Judd Nelson) come together for Saturday detention at Shermer High School. At the beginning of the day, they have nothing in common. By the end, their lives have changed. Another memorable and beloved John Hughes that will always remain relevant, and arguably the high point of the Brat Pack era.