St. Elmo's Fire

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, St. Elmo's Fire is available in Australia on Foxtel Now right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 598 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Emilio Estevez leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Foxtel Now and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, St. Elmo's Fire is worth clearing space for. The jokes in St. Elmo's Fire land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Reluctant to let go of college life, a close-knit team of seven friends--irresponsible saxophone player Billy, young Republican Alec, his girlfriend Leslie, struggling journalist Kevin, drama queen Jules, lovesick waiter Kirby, and Wendy, a social worker with a heart of gold--realise the party is over. And as the burdens of maturity close in on the young dreamers, the complexities of adulthood and the daily struggle of growing up put their sacred friendship to the test. But everyone knows life is not a bed of roses. Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1985. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and St. Elmo's Fire holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, St. Elmo's Fire is a strong candidate. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Emilio Estevez anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.