A 1984 film that collected an impressive amount of actors that would later became big: There’s Sarah Jessica Parker playing a girlfriend, Robert Downey Jr. in a small side role as a class mate, Corey Haim is seen in his debut film role as the little brother and Peter Weller – who’d later hit a homerun with Robocop – plays the mother’s home invading boyfriend.

Interestingly, it’s Christopher Collet who plays Jake as the lead role here that soon disappeared from the big screens.

Firstborn is a drama about a mother’s shady new boyfriend who moves in with Jake, his brother and his mother, and soon turns nothing short of a shady person. The movie depicts well the kids’ lack of power to prevent the downhill their mother is being dragged and the following repressed frustration that bursts out as violent attacks towards the class mates and the teachers. Unfortunately the movie then opts to solve the situation through an action thriller chase and fight scene that feels an extremely unsatisfying cop out solution to a well built, intriguing setup.

80s-o-meter: 76%

Total: 58%