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- Clueless (1995) Could anything else really be at the #1 spot? Ugh, as if! There's not a hair, nor a needle-drop, nor a yellow plaid skirt-suit out of place in Amy Heckerling's genius teen flick – still the best movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma out there.
- The Breakfast Club (1985) Right from its opening image of a lyric from David Bowie's 'Changes' shattering into fragments, the quintessential John Hughes movie sets about breaking down barriers.
- Back To The Future (1985) It's easy to think of Back To The Future as anything but a teen movie. It's a time travel movie. A sci-fi adventure. A fish out of water story.
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) "There's a difference between like and love. Because I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack." If Shakespeare himself wrote teen comedies, he couldn't come up with lines this good – but screenwriters Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith managed it in their '90s redo of The Taming Of The Shrew.
- Sarene Leeds
- Clueless. Released: 1995. Rated: PG-13. Memorable quote: “As if!” — Cher Horowitz. Believe it or not, critics didn’t love this modern take on Jane Austen’s Emma when it first came out … though audiences strongly disagreed.
- The Breakfast Club. Released: 1985. Rated: R. Memorable quote: “I hate it. I hate having to go along with everything my friends say.” — Claire Standish. Five strangers—”a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal”—spend a Saturday detention together in this John Hughes–directed classic.
- Pretty in Pink. Released: 1986. Rated: PG-13. Memorable quote: “I just wanna let them know that they didn’t break me.” — Andie Walsh. High school is a minefield for wrong-side-of-the-tracks student Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald), who is regularly ridiculed by her wealthy peers because she’s poor.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Released: 1986. Rated: PG-13. Memorable quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
15 Best Movies For Teens That Perfectly Capture Teenage Years - Netflix Tudum. Whether you’re young or young at heart, teen movies like You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Do Revenge, and the To All the Boys trilogy never get old.
- 2 min
- 15 'The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants'
- 14 'Love, Simon'
- 13 'To All The Boys I've Loved Before'
- 12 'The Spectacular Now'
- 11 'Napoleon Dynamite'
- 10 'Booksmart'
- 9 'Thoroughbreds'
- 8 'The Hate U Give'
- 7 'The Edge of Seventeen'
- 6 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower'
Director: Ken Kwapis
America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, and Blake Lively star in the 2005 teen dramedy The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Based on the eponymous YA novel, the film follows four friends who encounter a pair of pants that mysteriously fit them all despite their different figures. As they spend their first summer apart, they share the pants, maintaining their bond while stepping out on their own. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a sweet and thoughtful exploration of friendship...
Director: Greg Berlanti
Love, Simon stars Nick Robinsonas Simon Spier, a closeted gay teen who develops an online relationship with an anonymous classmate. As he attempts to discover the other person's identity, Simon struggles to keep his secret from family and friends. Fear and doubt soon make things overly complicated, leading Simon to hide who he really is. Although far one of the all-time best LGBTQ+ movies, Love, Simon is a gentle and sweet teen rom-com with charm to spare. Robinson is compelling in the title...
Director: Susan Johnson
Netflix's teen rom-com To All the Boys I've Loved Before is among the streamer's best and most successful originals. Lana Condorstars as Lara Jean Covey, a teenage girl who writes intimate and passionate letters to her five crushes. When they are unexpectedly released, Lara Jea struggles to control her increasingly chaotic life. Powered by Condor's outstanding lead performance and strong chemistry with co-star and Netflix breakout star Noah Centineo, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a sup...
Director: James Ponsoldt
Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller star in the teen romantic drama The Spectacular Now. Based on the eponymous 2008 novel, the film chronicles the unexpected and unlikely romance between Sutter, a teenager struggling with alcohol, and Amy, a straight-A student with dreams of college. The Spectacular Now opts for a more somber look at adolescence from the perspective of a teenager with substance issues. The result is a thought-provoking and sensitive depiction of adolescence that avoids the wel...
Director: Jared Hess
The independent teen comedy Napoleon Dynamite was a cultural phenomenon when it premiered in the summer of 2004. Jon Hederplays the titular character, an awkward teenager navigating high school and the classic situations of the average adolescent, including friendship, romance, and family life. Napoleon Dynamite was an overwhelming success, becoming one of the biggest box office surprises of the 21st century. The film was Heder's breakthrough, although he never managed to fully capitalize on...
Director: Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde's feature film debut, Booksmart, starred Kaitlin Dever and Beanie Feldstein. The film follows two seniors on the last day of school, looking to break the rules and get the high school experience they missed. The supporting cast includes Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, and Jason Sudeikis. Booksmart is clever and refreshing, a considerable feat considering the relative commonality of teen movies in the modern cinematic landscape. However, the film offers an insightful and intelligent appr...
Director: Cory Finley
Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke star in the dark comedy teen thriller Thoroughbreds. The plot follows two childhood friends who reconnect in adolescence and hatch a plan to improve their lives by going to extreme lengths. The late Anton Yelchinco-stars in a major supporting role. Wickedly clever, witty, and ruthless, Thoroughbreds is among the best comedy thrillers of the 21st century. Subverting audiences' expectations with a twisty and unforgiving screenplay, Thoroughbredsprovides the absu...
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Based on the 2017 eponymous novel, The Hate U Give is a hidden gem book adaptation that deserves a bigger audience. It centers on a Black student reconciling her beliefs and place within a private school after witnessing a school shooting. The film stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, KJ Apa, and Common. The Hate U Give deftly handles thorny subjects to craft a nuanced and deeply affecting portrayal of identity. Dealing with issues like race relations and police brutality with...
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Academy Award nominee Hailee Steinfeld stars in the 2016 coming-of-age dramedy The Edge of Seventeen. The plot follows Nadine, an awkward teenager whose life changes after Krista, her best friend, starts dating Darian, her popular older brother. Just when it seems things are worse than ever, a surprising friendship with an unexpected someone will give Nadine some much-needed hope. The Edge of Seventeen is a triumph and a gripping depiction of the highs and lows involved in growing up. Remarka...
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky directs the film adaptation of his acclaimed eponymous 1999 novel. The Perks of Being a Wallflower stars Logan Lerman as Charlie, a teenager struggling with depression and PTSD, who strikes a friendship with two free-spirited students during his freshman year of high school. Warm but surprisingly raw in its honest depiction of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a one-of-a-kind entry into the crowded teen genre. The film...
- Lead List Editor & Writer
- Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Drag races, forbidden love, and the universal search for understanding are all expertly handled by the formidable trio of James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo (with an able assist from Dennis Hopper) in this classic of teen angst.
- Gidget (1959) The original surfer girl winningly portrayed with loads of sunny charm by Sandra Dee herself (the one the song in Grease is about) remains a perfect cinematic escape.
- Splendor in the Grass (1961) While the concept of repressed desire and guilt leading to a suicide attempt (and institutionalization) seems gothic in its intensity, Natalie Wood's powerful performance makes Splendor in the Grass a teen angst classic ('50s Repressed Female Edition).
- Bye Bye Birdie (1963) Ann-Margaret shines in Bye Bye Birdie — a gloriously silly, wildly energetic parody of '50s fandom, a heart-shaped giant candy box of a movie that throws everything into the mix to create an unabashedly over-the-top entertainment package.
Nov 22, 2022 · From ultra-relatable high school movies and offbeat cult classics to powerful dramas and teen romance movies that perfect the genre, you’re bound to find something you’ll want to stream, stat...
Aug 22, 2023 · Mean Girls (2004) Netflix. This endlessly quotable classic is the quintessential teen movie: There's high school social drama, parental interference, a talent show and of course, a crush....
