In seventh grade, I lost my retainer in the mall food court trash can. I knew my mom would be so mad at me if I lost it, so the mall cop helped me dig through the trash for the sparkly blue mold of my upper palate, in front of what felt like the entire school. A couple years later, in the same mall food court, I was on my lunch break from a summer job at American Eagle, where I made the impulsive decision to quit mid-shift, because I was tired of my boss’s ego trips.
Earlier this year, they tore down that mall to make way for luxury apartments. But right before, I walked through its empty halls one last time. All that was left was the fake graffitied brick walls of Spencer’s Gifts, a sun-faded children’s playground, one single Zoltar machine, and, somehow, the lingering scent of Hollister cologne.
Everyone and their mother is talking about the loss of third places, and although malls are often remembered as temples of consumption, communities formed there. Mall goths, mall walkers, valley girls, mall santas, shoplifters—even zombies—could find a home.
In 1986, there were 25,000 malls across the nation, and by 2028 that number is expected to drop to 900. This means that one day, all we’ll have to remember the mall phenomenon (besides my ancient retainer) will be the movies. So, get in loser. Let’s go shopping for the 20 definitive mall movies.