Films and TV shows that feel like Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds

A defiant, aching plea to be remembered after the moment ends, when teenagers from different cliques briefly see each other as people and fear it will vanish on Monday.

1. The Breakfast Club (1985): The song was written for this film, and its final scene is the song's whole meaning.
2. Sixteen Candles (1984): John Hughes's earlier teen film has the same 80s awkward-yearning heart and misfit ache.
3. Pretty in Pink (1986): Class divides between high school groups, with a new wave soundtrack to match.
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986): Hughes again: a last stretch of youthful freedom before adulthood closes in.
5. Dazed and Confused (1993): A last-day-of-school snapshot of teen cliques mixing for one night, with a bittersweet end.
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012): Outsiders find each other and a fleeting, intense bond that they hope will last.
7. Freaks and Geeks (1999): An early 80s high school with cliques, outcasts and tender, honest teen moments.
8. Stranger Things (2016): An 80s kids' friendship story with period synths and a fear of being left behind.