Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Meet Joel Goodson, an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.
Risky Business is a slick, well-crafted coming-of-age comedy-drama that launched Tom Cruise to stardom. The plot is engaging if somewhat thin — a teenager's escalating misadventures feel fresh in execution if not entirely in concept. Cruise delivers a charismatic performance and Rebecca De Mornay brings genuine magnetism, though the supporting cast is serviceable rather than exceptional. Paul Brickman's direction gives the film a cool, dreamy visual style with the neon-lit Chicago nights lending atmospheric cinematography above the genre norm. The film has a distinctive, slightly surreal tone that sets it apart from typical teen comedies of the era, though it's not radically inventive. The ending feels somewhat anticlimactic and convenient — Joel faces few real consequences and the resolution is tidy in a way that undercuts the tension built throughout.