Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- wistful
- date night
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film sweet, intelligent, emotionally observant, and elevated by Molly Ringwald’s performance despite its conventional romantic plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Andie, a less-popular student raised by an unemployed father, dates Blane, a wealthy and popular classmate whose peers oppose the relationship.
Andie designs and wears handmade clothes that distinguish her from the dominant high school cliques.
Bullying, cliques, peer pressure, jealousy, and prom-centered status politics determine how the characters navigate intimacy.
The film observes casual remarks, social rejection, and first love through Andie's vulnerable point of view rather than treating students as caricatures.
Films like Pretty in Pink, and why
The Breakfast Club
teen romance, class differences, outsider identity, and witty high school social observation
Some Kind of Wonderful
1980s coming-of-age romance driven by adolescent insecurity, peer pressure, and social hierarchies
Sixteen Candles
warm teen romantic comedy featuring class tension, first love, and an emotionally direct outsider protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- Howard Deutch
- Release Date
- 1986-02-28
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (1255)
Cast
- Molly Ringwald
- Andrew McCarthy
- Jon Cryer
- Annie Potts
- Harry Dean Stanton
- James Spader
- Kate Vernon
- Alexa Kenin
- Emily Longstreth
- Jim Haynie
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pretty in Pink about?
- An inventive outsider and a privileged classmate risk social rejection when first love crosses the fault line of their high school’s cliques.
- What is Pretty in Pink like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pretty in Pink as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Pretty in Pink violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Pretty in Pink.
- What did critics think of Pretty in Pink?
- Critics generally found the film sweet, intelligent, emotionally observant, and elevated by Molly Ringwald’s performance despite its conventional romantic plot.
- Which films are like Pretty in Pink?
- Films with a similar feel include The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Sixteen Candles.
- How long is Pretty in Pink?
- Pretty in Pink runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pretty in Pink?
- In United States, Pretty in Pink is available to rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
