Warning: This article contains spoilers for the documentary Brats.

The documentary Brats brings up Back to the Future, raising questions about whether the 1985 sci-fi film is considered a Brat Pack movie. The new docuseries Brats explores the lives and careers of a group of actors in the 80s called the “Brat Pack.” This term was a play on the term “Rat Pack” from the ‘50s and ‘60s, which described actors in their early 20s who became successful in movies.

The core Brat Pack movies include eight actors who appeared in coming-of-age movies catered towards teenagers. These films are credited with Hollywood realizing that teens and young adults will watch movies. The documentary Brats outlines the creation and aftermath of these movies, bringing up classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink. However, at one point, the documentary brings up the classic sci-fi movie Back to the Future, which was eventually turned into a trilogy. This raises questions about whether the movie and its star, Michael J. Fox, fall into the category of Brat Pack.

Back To The Future Is Not Considered A Brat Pack Movie

Back To The Future Only Meets Half The Criteria For A Brat Pack Movie

Despite the Brat Pack documentary, Brats, mentioning the sci-fi film Back To The Future is not considered a Brat Pack movie. There are some defining characteristics of the Brat Pack movies that Back to the Future meets. Firstly, while sci-fi is the predominant genre, the movie has the hallmarks of a coming-of-age film, too. The movie also came out in the 1980s, the time period when most Brat Pack movies were made.

However, Back to the Future also breaks some major rules that define the genre. A de facto rule for the label is that two or more members of the Brat Pack must appear, and Back to the Future only has one Brat Pack-adjacent actor. The Brat Pack movies also center almost exclusively on the young adult characters. Back to the Future toes this line because Marty McFly is a teen, whereas Doc Brown is much older. Because of these aspects, Back to the Future is a Brat Pack-adjacent movie at best.

Michael J. Fox Was Also Not Part Of The Brat Pack

Michael J. Fox’s TV Debut Excludes Him From The Brat Pack

The only actor in Back to the Future with any connection to the Brat Pack is Lea Thompson, though she’s considered tangential to the group instead of a member. Though Michael J. Fox seems like a part of the Brat Pack, he was never included in this label. The actor never worked with the official Brat Pack members onscreen, meaning he didn’t get lumped in with them.

Fox didn’t appear in either Breakfast Club or St. Elmo’s Fire, the two films that were considered the foundation of the title. Moreover, the term Brat Pack was reserved for teen or young adult actors who got their start in movies, which wasn’t the case for Michael J. Fox. Prior to Back to the Future, Fox got his big break playing Alex P. Keaton in the TV show Family Ties.