Inspired by his book of the same name, actor-filmmaker Andrew McCarthy revisits the Brat Pack in the new Hulu documentary, Brats.

“You couldn’t ignore me if you tried.” – John Bender (Judd Nelson)

What do you think of when you hear the word “brat?” It usually has a negative connotation, right? You can probably imagine why the stars featured in this film were not a fan of being coined a member of the Brat Pack? It’s not like they had any say in the matter–the responsibility falls on journalist David Blum. Years later, they have more or less come to accept it for what it represents: a coming-of-age. McCarthy is very blunt about how the label impacted him and hurt friendships with his fellow actors. Because of the Brat label, it really had a negative impact on getting work. In fact, some of the conversations in the film–such as with Emilio Estevez–are their first in nearly 30 years. Even with the magic of film editing, their conversations feel very raw–they are speaking with a person they know but with cameras in the room.

I suppose you can say that it does the job given the 90ish-minute run time. But while they’re having the one-on-one conversations, I would have loved to have seen a larger reunion. Obviously, getting this sort of star power in the same place in the same time is easier said than done. However, I feel it would add even something more to the film. Having everyone in the same room to share their feelings would show that they were maybe not alone. We see it especially in the conversation between McCarthy and Estevez. The Mighty Ducks star says that he turns down any interviews when it comes to the Brat Pack. He says yes to McCarthy because of the phone call. After the article ran, Estevez started distancing himself, not doing a project because of McCarthy.

Outside of the actors, it was important to get McCarthy and Blum in conversation. After all, Blum wrote the very piece that changed their lives. Has Blum’s feelings on the matter changed through the years? “I mean, I guess in retrospect, yes,” the journalist says. “At the time, no. I was proud of the creation of the phrase.”

Neither Molly Ringwald or Judd Nelson appear in the film except through archival footage. While it would be nice to hear their thoughts now, it’s understandable why they declined. Despite what the Brat Pack connotation means to the actors themselves, it has a different meaning for the people who grew up with the film. Even during the final half hour, we see how they seek to reclaim the narrative. Things have changed over time–just ask Rob Lowe how it’s “a special thing” that people are still talking about decades later. Meanwhile, the score is what one would expect from a Brat Pack documentary, even closing with “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”

I have to be honest in that I was late to the Brat Pack and Brat Pack-adjacent films. I’m sure that I watched The Breakfast Club at some point in my youth but it was really not until watching Easy A and subsequently renting the many John Hughes films through Netflix. I also remember renting St. Elmo’s Fire around this time. Watching the many John Hughes films would later allow me to understand plotlines borrowed for Not Another Teen Movie. All that is to say that these films shaped a generation of moviegoers. While they might not have aged so well in the #MeToo era–as Molly Ringwald has written–they still hold a special place the people who watched them.

It may have taken decades for the actors to accept being in the Brat Pack but Brats helps them with reclaiming the narrative.

DIRECTOR: Andrew McCarthy
FEATURING: Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Timothy Hutton, Lea Thompson, Jon Cryer, David Blum, Lauren Shuler Donner, Howard Deutch, Bret Easton Ellis, Kate Erbland, Malcolm Gladwell, Susannah Gora, Marci Liroff, Ira Madison III, Michael Oates Palmer, Loree Rodkin

Brats held its world premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival in the Spotlight+ program. Hulu will release the film on June 13, 2024. Grade: 4.5/5

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