Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
High school student Lane Meyer sinks into suicidal depression when his girlfriend dumps him for jock Roy Stalin, the high school ski racing champion. Meanwhile, he has to deal with his eccentric family, a tenacious paperboy and an obnoxious neighbor whose mother is hosting a beautiful French exchange student named Monique.
Better Off Dead is a wonderfully quirky 80s teen comedy that distinguishes itself through its surrealist, almost Monty Python-esque humor — animated hamburgers, a claymation sequence, the obsessive paperboy — giving it a genuinely distinctive voice that sets it apart from contemporaries. The plot is thin but functional, serving mainly as a vehicle for absurdist gags. Acting is competent with John Cusack charming in an early role, though the ensemble is uneven. Cinematography is standard for the era with some fun ski sequences. The ending is satisfying but formulaic for the genre. Its high Novelty score reflects how singular its comedic sensibility remains decades later.