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Every once in a while, a filmmaker comes along that produces movies so beautifully that they change the DNA of popular culture.

John Hughes is one of those filmmakers.

Hughes cut his teeth writing scripts for some of National Lampoon’s most iconic films, including National Lampoon’s Vacation. He’s also the writer and producer behind the 1990 film Home Alone, which has become a generational classic. Hughes is probably best known for the teen comedies he directed in the ‘80s, such as The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink. Those movies did more than capture teen culture, they changed film culture.

The critically acclaimed director passed away in 2009, but his films won’t be forgotten. If you’ve ever wanted to go through John Hughes' filmography, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know to watch John Hughes…

How to watch John Hughes’s movies in release order

Before we run through John Hughes' filmography, we should establish what qualifies as a John Hughes film. Some film buffs only consider films he’s directed, but that leaves out some of his most memorable projects, such as Home Alone. For the purposes of being thorough, this list includes all films Hughes has directed, written, or produced. We’ve noted his role in the parenthesis next to each film.

Some films, such as 1997’s Vegas Vacation, credit John Hughes with creating the characters. However, films like that aren’t listed unless Hughes was directly involved in the production. With that, here’s a rundown of John Hughes’s filmography….

• National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982) (writer)
• Mr. Mom (1983) (writer)
• National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) (writer)
• Savage Islands (1983) (writer)
• Sixteen Candles (1984) (director/writer)
• The Breakfast Club (1985) (director/writer/producer)
• National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985) (writer)
• Weird Science (1985) (director/writer)
• Pretty in Pink (1986) (writer/executive producer)
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) (director/writer/producer)
• Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (writer/producer)
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) (director/writer/producer)
• She’s Having a Baby (1988) (director/writer/producer)
• The Great Outdoors (1988) (writer/executive producer)
• Uncle Buck (1989) (director/writer/producer)
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) (writer/producer)
• Home Alone (1990) (writer/producer)
• Career Opportunities (1991) (writer/producer)
• Only the Lonely (1991) (producer)
• Dutch (1991) (writer/producer)
• Curly Sue (1991) (director/writer/producer)
• Beethoven (1992) (writer)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (writer/producer)
• Dennis the Menace (1993) (writer/producer)
• Baby’s Day Out (1994) (writer/producer)
• Miracle on 34^th Street (1994) (writer/producer)
• 101 Dalmatians (1996) (writer/producer)
• Flubber (1997) (writer/producer)
• Home Alone 3 (1997) (writer/producer)
• Reach the Rock (1998) (writer/producer)
• Just Visiting (2001) (writer)
• New Port South (2001) (executive producer)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002) (story treatment)
• Drillbit Taylor (2008) (story treatment)

 

Which John Hughes movies are connected?

 

Is there a chronological order to watching John Hughes’s films? Mostly no, but a few of his films are connected. Here’s a brief breakdown of the various continuities that exist in John Hughes’s filmographies.

The Shermerverse watch order

Most of John Hughes’s teen comedies are set in the same universe, known as the Shermerverse. According to a 1999 Premiere interview, Hughes invented the town of Shermer, Illinois as the setting for many of his movies. In Hughes’s mind, many of the characters knew each other, even if they never interacted onscreen. “Everybody, in all of my movies, is from Shermer, Illinois. Del Griffith from Planes, Trains & Automobiles lives two doors down from John Bender. Ferris Bueller knew Samantha Baker from Sixteen Candles,” Hughes says.

The following films take place in the fictional Shermerverse…

• Sixteen Candles (1984)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• Weird Science (1985)
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Some fans have speculated that Home Alone and Pretty in Pink are also set in the Shermerverse, but there is no definitive word one way or another.

Vacation watch order

John Hughes wrote the first three films in the Vacation franchise. The series follows a family known as the Griswolds, who experience a series of misfortunes during their various travels. The franchise has continued with more films, shorts, and television specials, but John Hughes was only involved in the first three projects.

• National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
• National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Home Alone watch order

While John Hughes didn’t direct the Home Alone films, he was the writer for the first three movies, and his creative DNA is all over each film. It’s worth noting that Home Alone 3 has no relationship to the first two films, and features a new protagonist. More Home Alone projects have been made, but only the first three films have John Hughes’s involvement.

• Home Alone (1990)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
• Home Alone 3 (1997)

 

What about John Hughes’s television work?

Although John Hughes is primarily known for his movies, he has also done some work for television. While his television work isn’t nearly the size of his filmography, no look at his career would be complete without it. Here’s a brief breakdown of John Hughes’s television work.

• Delta House (1979) – A television spinoff of National Lampoon’s Animal House. John Hughes served as one of the show’s writers.
• At Ease (1983) – A military sitcom created by Hughes. The series was cancelled after one season.
• American Adventure (2000) – A television comedy short based on characters created by Hughes.

 

What are John Hughes’s unfinished projects?

John Hughes is responsible for some of the most iconic movies of the past century. However, some of his films never saw the light of day. Some of this is due to creative differences with studios, development problems, or another project taking priority. Hughes had a lot of ideas that never saw the light of day, and we don’t have to space to go through them all, but we can give you a brief breakdown of some of Hughes’s most notable unproduced films.

• National Lampoon’s Jaws 3: People 0 – A spoof of the Jaws franchise starring Bo Derek and Richard Dreyfuss. Hughes and Tod Carroll cowrote the script. Steven Spielberg got wind of the project, and told Universal Pictures to kill it or he would never work with the studio again.
• Dallas Debs – A comedy film about Texas debutantes. Aaron Spelling Productions was supposed to produce the film in 1984, but the project was abandoned.
• Oil and Vinegar – A rock chick (played by Molly Ringwald) and a traveling salesman (played by Matthew Broderick) discuss life during a road trip. Hughes abandoned the project after Universal Pictures asked for rewrites.
• Black Cat Bone: The Return of Huckleberry Finn – A film about Huck Finn set in the modern era.
• Peanuts – A live-action adaptation of the Charles Schulz comic strip. Hughes met with Schulz personally to discuss the project. The movie would’ve been produced by Warner Bros., but after the critical failure of Dennis the Menace the studio lost confidence in Hughes, and the project was abandoned.
• The Bee – A film about a contractor who is slowly driven mad by a pesky bee. Hughes wrote the script and asked actor Daniel Stern to direct it. However, Hughes began to feel disillusioned with Hollywood and studio politics, so this project never materialized.

 

What’s the deal with Edmond Dantes?

Edmond Dantes was a pseudonym that John Hughes used for projects he didn’t feel comfortable attaching his name to. The name comes from the protagonist of Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo.

The following movies were credited to Edmond Dantes…

• Beethoven (1992)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Drillbit Taylor (2008)

 

Does Ferris Bueller and the Breakfast Club take place at the same school?

Yes, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club both feature Shermer High School, a fictional school found in Hughes’s teen movies. However, each film used a different high school for exterior shots. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off used Glenbrook North High School for exterior scenes, while The Breakfast Club used Maine North High School. For more information about the continuity between Hughes’s films, please see the film connections section of this guide.

 

What was the last movie John Hughes made?

 

This is a complicated question, because there are a few ways to answer it. Drillbit Taylor was the last film Hughes was involved in before his death. Hughes worked on the story treatment but wasn’t around for the film’s production. Hughes wasn’t comfortable having his name on the finished project, so it was credited to his pseudonym Edmond Dantes.

The 2001 comedy Just Visiting is the last comedy film credited to Hughes as a writer, rather than Edmond Dantes. It’s the last film Hughes was involved in the production of, even if it wasn’t as much as his previous films.

Going back further, the 1991 comedy-drama Curly Sue was the last film directed by Hughes. While he wrote screenplays for many movies after, he would never direct another project.

 

Why did John Hughes stop making movies?

After the release of the 1991 comedy drama Curly Sue, John Hughes stopped directing movies. Although he continued to write and produce films, Hughes was done with the grind of directing. According to a profile piece from Vanity Fair, this was due to a combination of factors. Hughes had become disillusioned with studio politics and wanted to spend more time with his family. In 1994 Hughes’s longtime friend and collaborator John Candy died of a heart attack. Many of Hughes’s friends believed that Candy’s death drove him further from Hollywood, as he blamed the industry for working his friend to death.

 

What’s the best John Hughes movie?

This is a subjective question, since everyone has their own idea of what makes a good film. If you’re going by ratings, National Lampoon’s Vacation has the highest critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 94%. The Breakfast Club has the highest audience score, with a score of 92%.

When people list the most iconic John Hughes’s films, The Breakfast Club is regularly at the top of that list. It’s not only an enjoyable film, but it’s become part of our cultural DNA. Even people who haven’t seen the film know it from its iconic poster.

If you only have time to see one John Hughes film in your life, then the Breakfast Club is probably your best bet.

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