The shopping mall has been an integral fixture of the American landscape for decades. The mall once served as a town square for most of the cities across the country — a congregation point essential to the fabric of any given community. Today, malls in America exist either as enclaves for luxury retailers or as modern ruins: vacant reminders of a time before same-day delivery and Big Box plaza ubiquity.

And as a setting in movies and TV, the mall was an effective, emblematic shorthand for contemporary culture in the 80s and 90s. It was only natural for scenes to occur in malls simply because most people spent a lot of time in them. Now, when a shopping mall is portrayed, it’s often to ensure the proper retro feel for a movie or show set in the past — like season 3 of Stranger Things.

But over the last 50 years — from insightful documentaries such as Jasper Mall and coming-of-age classics like Fast Times at Ridgemont High to horror flicks like Chopping Mall and art films like True Stories — the mall has provided a colorful backdrop for some amazing moments on screen. Whether a beloved symbol from a simpler time or a satirical commentary on consumerism, whatever the filmmaker’s intentions, there have been countless enduring shows, movies, and scenes set in shopping malls. After sifting through thousands of contenders, here are the best of the best.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

21 The Blues Brothers (1980)

     Universal Pictures

Directed by John Landis, The Blues Brothers was the first film based on characters from a Saturday Night Live sketch. And while the movie remains a certified comedy classic, the high-speed car chase where brothers Jake (played by John Belushi) and Elwood (played by Dan Aykroyd) lead Chicago’s finest into, around and through a shopping mall — destroying everything in their path — is what earned the movie a place on this list. According to the Sun-Times, The Blues Brothers production enlisted 40 stunt drivers, 13 versions of the “Bluesmobile,” and 60 old police cars while filming in the windy city.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

20 Jasper Mall (2020)

Funny, thoughtful, and more than a little strange, Jasper Mall (directed by Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb) is a documentary chronicling the demise of a mall in Alabama as stores and shoppers vacate the premises over time. Caretaker/security guard Mike acts as the movie’s tour guide, offering anecdotes and observations on the mall and people who continue to show up: walkers, dominoes players, and other assorted folks. It’s a touching portrait of a space that has outlived its function, and yet continues on. The commercial chicken-and-egg causality of stores leaving because there are no customers — and customers not visiting a mall with fewer stores — is an unsolvable spiral throughout the movie, as the inevitable, continued decline of the mall proceeds in slow motion.

19 American Dad — S18, E7: “You Are Here” (2022)

In this hilarious Season 17 episode satirizing the Jasper Mall documentary, Roger the Alien (voiced by American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane) portrays a mall caretaker who is unfailingly optimistic about the mall’s future rebound. As Steve Smith (voiced by Scott Grimes) takes a job and works to engineer some rekindled interest in the mall, it’s revealed that the mall houses an ancient evil spirit attempting to devour the souls of mall-goers and Steve. It’s a perfect Roger episode, complete with a bizarre persona and obsessive behavior, and showcases why he’s the best character on the long-running show (according to AV Club).

18 Chopping Mall (1986)

     Concorde Pictures

Starring Barbara Crampton in one of her finest roles, Chopping Mall is more funny than frightening. When a lightning storm causes the mall’s robotic security force to malfunction and use lethal force, teens staying overnight for an after-hours party must fight for their lives. WIth a plot like that, it’s no wonder why fans of 80s schlock horror have made Chopping Mall a bona fide cult classic.

17 Bad Santa (2003)

     Miramax Films

Acerbic, dark, and heartwarming, Bad Santa features Billy Bob Thornton as an alcoholic, sleazy mall Santa with a plan to make like the Grinch and steal the mall’s big holiday deposit. Will a child who needs a friend melt Thorton’s heart and make him reconsider his plans? With excellent supporting roles from Tony Cox, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, and John RItter, Bad Santa pulls no punches and is as hilarious as it is touching.

16 South Park — S17, E7: “Black Friday” (2013)

     Paramount Global Distribution Group

This Season 17 episode of South Park is a perfect parody of the intrigue and action in Game of Thrones — twisted through the lens of series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. As the kids go to war over whether X-Box or Playstation is the superior gaming system, and angle to secure one or the other during a Black Friday sale, Stan’s father Randy (voiced by Trey Parker) takes a job in mall security to try and be first in line to grab the Black Friday deals.

15 Weird Science (1985)

Considering how many classic teen movies John Hughes created in 80s, it’s surprising that more scenes didn’t take place in shopping malls. In the memorable mall scene of Weird Science, teen bully Ian (played by a fresh-faced Robert Downey Jr.) and his pal empty an entire cherry Icee from the second floor of the mall on to the heads of Gary (played by Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (portrayed by Ilan Mitchell-Smith) below. Luckily, their Frankenstein-monster girlfriend Lisa (played by Kelly LeBrock) comes to the rescue and ensures that Gary and Wyatt get the last laugh.

14 Gilmore Girls — S4, E15: “Scene in a Mall” (2004)

     The WB

In this Season 4 episode of Gilmore Girls, Rory (Alexis Blededl) and Lorelei (Lauren Graham) are pulled through the mall with Emily Gilmore (played flawlessly by Kelly Bishop) as she tries to outspend her anger at her husband Richard. As the episode progresses and Emily’s purchases become more ridiculous and unhinged, Lorelei does her best to try and connect with her semi-estranged mother — with cringey, humorous and bittersweet results. In typical Amy Sherman-Palladino style, the dialogue throughout is crisp, fast, and laden with pop-culture references, a hallmark of the show and one of the reasons fans remain in love with the series.

13 Clueless (1995)

     Paramount Pictures

Clueless remains a touchstone for 90s teen films. In directing Clueless, Amy Heckerling arguably helmed the quintessential teen films of both the 80s and the 90s as she also directed Fast Times At Ridgemont High. While there is scarcely any real shopping in Fast Times, the mall scenes in Clueless put the absurdity, charm, and conspicuous consumption of Cher (a role made immortal by Alicia Silverstone) on display in this reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma.

12 Jackie Brown (1997)

The mall — and specifically a ladies’ dressing room — is a pivotal setting in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (based on the 1992 novel Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard). In one of the most intricately shot and edited moments of the director’s career, film students and fans alike will study the way Tarantino plays with the camera’s eye and characters’ perspectives in the money exchange sequence for years. In addition, the sweeping, grand shots of Jackie (played by the iconic Pam Grier) in the mall add to the feel, scale and scope cinematographer Guillermo Navarro gives to the movie that Hollywood Insider proclaimed to be Tarantino’s “unsung masterpiece.”

11 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

     Orion Pictures

There’s no denying that Keanu Reeves (as Ted) and Alex WInters (as Bill) are the main reasons for the cult-classic status of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where two San Dimas knuckleheads travel space and time to bring historical figures back in the flesh to pass their history class (because, of course, the fate of the universe depends on it). But the scenes where Beethoven, Billy the Kid, Genghis Khan and Joan of Arc (played by the always-amazing Jane Wiedlin) run amuck in the mall make for an unforgettable sequence.

10 Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

     Sony Pictures

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is essentially a reinterpretation of Die Hard with some variations on the theme. The main differences are that filmmakers exchanged Nakatomi Tower for a shopping mall and tough-guy detective John McClane for hypoglycemic mall cop Paul Blart. While not a favorite of critics when released, Paul Blart the movie is a lot like Paul Blart (played by Kevin James) the character: relentlessly optimistic, charming, ready for action and underrated.

9 X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

     20th Century Fox

The deleted extended mall scene in X-Men: Apocalypse is funny, charmingly retro, and gives some levity and humanity to under-served fan-favorite characters Nightcrawler (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Jubilee (played by Lana Condor). While it can be seen on the DVD and Blue Ray versions of the movie, why was this amazing sequence cut from the film? According to director Bryan Singer, “When you look at a film as a feature, it’s called ‘the collective experience.’ And you find certain things that you loved so much in individual scenes, they somehow disrupt the collective experience” (via CInemaBlend).

8 Scream Queens — S1, E11: “Black Friday” (2015)

     20th Century Fox Television

Ryan Murphy has demonstrated a knack for effortlessly weaving the darkest humor through some of the most disturbing horror in recent years. In this episode of Murphy’s most underrated creation, The “Chanels” celebrate their favorite shopping holiday only to be confronted by the Red Devil, allowing the humor and horror typical of the series to go haywire. Filled with confessions, crossbows — and multiple attempts to murder Dean Munsch (played by one of the most famous scream queens of all time, Jamie Lee Curtis) — this episode stands out as one of the finest in the outstanding first season of Scream Queens.

7 Mean Girls (2004)

As Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams) famously said, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.” And with that, the unforgettable mall scene of Mean Girls kicks off. After getting counseled by the Plastics that joining the “mathletes” team at school would be “social suicide,” Cady (played by Lindsay Lohan) envisions the mall as if it’s a watering hole in Africa. Bringing her analogy to life, the teens all shriek and pounce like animals fighting over resources and mates. It’s a perfect scene from one of the best teen movies ever made.

6 Stranger Things — Season 3 (2019)

     Netflix

Throughout season 3 of Stranger Things, the Starcourt Mall in Hawkins is an essential setting. From the touching scenes of Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke) bonding while they work at Scoops Ahoy and Billy’s (Dacre Montgomery) redemption during the kids’ showdown with the Mind Flayer to the tragic demise of the Soviet lab that left fans fearing the worst for Hopper (David Harbour), the mall set the scene — and the tone — for some truly unforgettable moments in one of the most beloved shows of the new century.

5 Observe and Report (2009)

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Anyone who watches Observe and Report (written and directed by Jody Hill) expecting a light comedy is in for a shocking surprise. Observe and Report has more in common with the isolation, obsession, and dementia explored in Taxi Driver than the wacky comedy of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Seth Rogen’s portrayal of the pathologically pathetic mall security guard Ronnie is equal parts disturbing and hilarious, as the story goes off the rails along with Ronnie’s sociopathic desire to be a hero to Brandi (played by Anna Faris, whose comedic range may well make her this generation’s Goldie Hawn). A woefully underappreciated meditation on damaged self-delusion and the fragility of the human sense of self, Observe and Report is an unsung masterpiece.

4 Mallrats (1995)

     Gramercy Pictures

Kevin Smith’s Mallrats is an absurdist exploration of how a person doesn’t have to give up what they love to be with the one they love. Smith’s genius lies in his ability to isolate the pop-culture minutiae comic book, sci-fi, and superhero fans obsess over and explode it all into comedy and commentary relatable to anyone who sees his films. With a cast including everyone from Stan Lee (as himself) to View Askewniverse mainstays Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), Mallrats delivers the crass, ironic, and reference-laden comedy that has made Smith one of the favorite filmmakers of Generation X.

3 True Stories (1986)

     Warner Brothers

There are many ways to watch and appreciate David Byrne’s True Stories. An unblinking commentary on contemporary culture. A meditation on the tragic history and stages of manifest destiny. An un-ironic love letter to middle American simplicity of heart. A postmodern musical untethered from the constraints of narrative storyline. In truth, True Stories is all of these things and more, wrapped in the gravitas of an art-house film. Beautifully framed and shot with a visual artist’s eye for color and design — and featuring an eclectic cast that includes Byrne, John Goodman, Spalding Gray, Swoosie Kurtz and more — True Stories presents a hyper-real fantasy of America that feels at once both alien and familiar.

2 Dawn of the Dead (1978)

     United Film Distribution Company 

George Romero’s sequel to his classic Night of the Living Dead is as much about horrific zombie chills as it is social commentary. While Night of the Living Dead can be viewed as an allegory for the Vietnam War and Civil Rights, Dawn of the Dead is a full-on critique of consumerism. As survivors take refuge in a shopping mall, the zombies swarm and stagger through the stores in a mindless pantomime of how they spent their time while alive. With the creepily upbeat muzak (“The Gonk” composed by Herbert Chappell) providing a soundtrack for the wandering, window-shopping dead, these mall scenes are some of the most eerie and memorable ever to hit the silver screen.