Totally Emo Movies

By: Nicole Lero


There are many facets to emo culture; it is not easily placed in a box with a neat and tidy label. That said, many of the culture's unifying characteristics can be seen in various forms of pop culture, including cinema. While there are no definitive emo movies, there are quite a few that appeal to many people in the subculture. We'll explore these movies and why they are so relevant to the people in the subculture.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The movie tells an out-of-order love story about a couple, Clementine and Joel, who have decided to undergo a procedure to have each other, and their relationship, erased from their memories after a fight. Admittedly, the movie walks the line of being a "chick flick," but it's so well done, and the acting from Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey put it on the other side of the fence -- in the cool movie category. So how does this make it an emo movie?

Simple.

Pretty much every girl who is invested in emo culture either:
- Completely relates to Clementine
- Wants to be Clementine
- Thinks she is Clementine
- All of the above.

Pretty In Pink: This John Hughes classic 80s movie was emo before emo even existed. (Note: You'll find many movies on this list fall into this category.) The movie is about a couple of new wave misfits who were thrust into a world of rich, preppy kids. They're struggling to survive high school, and love. It starts Molly Ringwald, 80s female emo icon for her body of work portraying a teenage girl having a hard time. It also stars John Cusack as Duckie Dale, who is pretty much every girl in the emo scene's dream boy.

That said, everybody in the world who is remotely emo is driven mad by the ending of this movie.

Which brings us to...

Some Kind of Wonderful: Also done by John Hughes, this movie features Eric Stoltz as a guy from "the wrong side of the tracks" who wants to be an artist, despite pressures from his father to go to a good college so he can rise above his blue collar roots. To further complicate things, he's in love with a rich, popular girl, and his tomboy best friend is in love with him.

It's not as good as Pretty In Pink, but it is universally agreed that overall, it is more satisfying for the emo types of the world.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: An animated Christmas movie? Really? That's an emo movie? Have you ever looked at the arms of most of the scene's rock stars? Full sleeves of artwork from the movie, which, incidentally, is more of a Halloween movie than a Christmas movie. Plus, it was conceived and directed by Tim Burton -- the ultimate emo filmmaker -- and has music by Danny Elfman. It's a gorgeous movie full of cute emo monsters, Jack Skellington, and Sally's awkwardly stalkerish love for him. You can't go wrong with this one.

Say Anything: Could anyone make a list of emo movies and not include a movie that inspired the name of the band Say Anything? That inspired songs by myriad bands including Fall Out Boy and Pencey Prep? Lloyd Dobler is so emo, it hurts. When John Cusack says the infamous line, "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen..." you know that dude is feeling something emotional. He may have horrible taste in music (I'll bet you when Hollywood gets around to remaking it, a better song comes out of that boombox, which will probably be an iPod with speakers attached) -- but there's no mistaking him for anything but what he is. And that's the "e word."

Ghost World: One look at the black haired, pouting, thick black glasses-wearing Thora Birch -- who may well be at her hottest ever in this movie and you know it belongs on this list. A maladjusted, depressed girl forced into summer school art classes forges a relationship with an awkward older man, played by Steve Buscemi... only to lose everything before she can actually find herself. Few movies portray teen angst and the alienation so many alternative-type girls feel so well. Bonus points go to this one for being an adaptation of the Daniel Clowes comic.

Velvet Goldmine: The movie may be loosely based on David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and set in the 1970s glam rock scene, but you get Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys Myers kissing. While wearing a bunch of makeup. You tell me there's a more emo movie, and I'll eat my hat. It also features an extremely awkward Christian Bale as a sexually confused runaway who desperately wants to fit in, but just doesn't. You end up rooting for him, as well as for the rock stars as the story unfolds, because deep down, you relate to his loneliness and awkwardness in the face of people who seem so much larger than life.

There are plenty of other movies that could qualify as emo movies, but these are some of the greatest. Haven't seen them? Head to your local video store or add them to your Netflix. Seen them? Well, it's time to watch them again... and see what I'm talking about, and just how much they have impacted modern culture.


A handy guide to emo culture. Get to know something about emo music.