Film

In the Mood

Name: In the Mood
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: 1987
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Beverly D'Angelo, Talia Balsam, Michael Constantine, Kathleen Freeman

A 1987 comedy about a precocious fifteen-year-old who becomes an unlikely tabloid sensation after a series of romantic entanglements with older women. It's a broad, period-flavored farce that mines uncomfortable premise for laughs, playing its absurdity very straight. For fans of '80s comedy who can roll with something genuinely weird.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy oddball comedies built on an outrageous premise, where the sincerity of the characters and the period detail of small-town 1980s America matter more than sharp punchlines.

Skip it if the premise asks you to laugh at a relationship between a teenager and an adult, and if that sits badly with you, the film is unlikely to win you over.

What it asks of you: Ninety-eight minutes of light, brisk material that rarely lingers; it moves quickly and keeps its tone breezy even when the situation turns uncomfortable.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Risky Business1983

Tom Cruise plays a high school student in over his head in dangerous situations, with the same '80s energy and fish-out-of-water charm. Fast-paced and genuinely funny, it captures that era's teen-comedy swagger.

But The sexual content and morality around it haven't aged smoothly; it's a time capsule in ways that feel dated now.

The Sure Thing1985

John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga on a cross-country road trip, genuinely witty banter and romantic chemistry. A smart teen comedy that respects its audience and finds real humor in character rather than just situations.

But Slower paced than modern comedies, and the romance might feel earnest to the point of being uncool.

Can't Buy Me Love1987

Patrick Dempsey again, this time as an outsider navigating high school social hierarchy. Charming, funny, and surprisingly touching about authenticity and belonging in a completely '80s package.

But Relies heavily on '80s teen-comedy tropes that have been parodied to death; the plot is very predictable.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from In the Mood

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Breathless1983

Both center on a young man pursuing older women, but where In the Mood plays it for laughs, Breathless treats it as dangerous seduction and manipulation.

Richard Gere as a small-time criminal; Valerie Kaprisky as the woman he manipulates and seduces. A New Wave take on the romance-as-crime idea, stylish and morally slippery in ways that make it genuinely unsettling. The connection: both frame a volatile older-woman-younger-man dynamic, but this one doesn't flinch from asking what's actually happening.

But It's deliberately provocative about sex and power, and the protagonist is genuinely unlikable. The pacing is glacial compared to American comedies.

License to Drive1988

Corey Haim and Corey Feldman stumbling through a night with a stolen Cadillac. Completely ridiculous, perfectly earnest, and genuinely entertaining if you're in the mood for pure '80s teen chaos.

But Paper-thin plot and humor that lands almost entirely on the two leads being charming. Doesn't hold up outside its era.

Some Kind of Wonderful1987

John Hughes touchstone about class and belonging, with Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson. Sincere about its emotions while still being funny, and genuinely invested in its characters' inner lives.

But The pacing is leisurely by modern standards, and the romance unfolds in ways that might feel slow-burn to a fault.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High1982

An ensemble classic that defined the teen comedy, with sharp writing and a real sense of teenage life. Funny without being mean-spirited, and surprisingly touching about growing up and disappointment.

But Sexual content is more explicit than many comedies of the era, and some of it plays very differently now than it did then.

Better Off Dead...1985

Completely unhinged comedy about a lovelorn teenager, shot through with absurdist humor and wild visual gags. Genuinely original and weird in ways most teen comedies weren't brave enough to attempt.

But The humor is so bizarre and disconnected that it can feel alienating; not everyone clicks with its particular wavelength.

The Breakfast Club1985

John Hughes' masterpiece about five teens in detention. Funny and real and heartfelt, it works as both comedy and genuine human drama. A cultural moment that earned its reputation.

But Heavy-handed in places and relies on tropes that have been endlessly copied; might feel familiar to the point of predictability.

Sixteen Candles1984

John Hughes again, this time capturing the specific torture of being ignored on your sixteenth birthday. Molly Ringwald is wonderful, and it balances comedy with genuine feeling about adolescent invisibility.

But The portrayal of Asian characters is cringe-inducing even by '80s standards, and some of the sexual stuff hasn't aged well.

Losin' It1983

Both are '80s comedies about male adolescent sexual awakening, but this one commits fully to the horny-teenager premise without apology or irony.

Tom Cruise and Jackie Earle Haley on a road trip to Mexico to lose their virginity. Raunchier and cruder than In the Mood, but surprisingly character-focused beneath the sex jokes. A weird artifact that genuinely cares about its goofy characters.

But Very 1980s in its sexual attitudes and some of it plays as pretty gross now. Rarely available and largely forgotten for good reason.