10 Fan Theories That Make Comedies Really Depressing

Forget the eponymous title: according to this fan theory, John Hughes’ '80s teen comedy is actually about depressed BFF Cameron Frye, not Ferris. Neglected by his parents and in the throes of a depressive fugue, Cameron concocts a character who is the polar opposite of himself – happy, popular, outgoing – and lives vicariously through him for one fun day.

This helps explain some of the movie’s more impossible elements like Ferris infiltrating a street parade to perform an impromptu rendition of Twist and Shout without getting arrested and how the truanting trio are able to sight-see around the huge metropolis that is Chicago in the space of one day – because Ferris isn’t actually real and the events of the film are taking place inside Cameron’s head.

Basically, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is Fight Club but without all the bare-knuckle brawling and spliced in penis pictures.