Killer Film's Top 20 Teen Movies
Written
on 23/7/08
Teen movies are a staple of American cinema, but haven't been all that prominent since the 1990s'. All through the 80s' and 90s' there were tons of teen movies hitting the screen everyday, but for some reason towards the end of the 1990s' the teen movie became an endangered species. Oh, people were still making them, but good ones were few and far between. Teen movies are extremely formulaic in structure, but aren't we as human beings also formulaic? I think that's what makes teen movies so memorable, because there's always something people can relate to in them. You'll notice that many of the movies I've listed below have many of the same actors, directors, writers, etc. attached to them, and that's not really a bad thing. Directors like John Hughes and Amy Heckerling helped to define a generation of teens, and the actors that they choose were the poster children for that generation. So I've compiled a list of teen movies that rocked my world and hopefully they'll rock yours too. Here we go!
20. Charlie Bartlett (2007)
Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is a rich kid that keeps getting himself kicked out of private schools, but when his mother sends him to public school he decides to become the student body psychiatrist, running his new business out of the boys bathroom. This flick surprised me and in my opinion is this generation's Ferris Bueller. Robert Downey Jr. hits a home run as the principle with a drinking problem, and Hope Davis shines as Charlie’s mom.
19. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
This is the quintessential teen movie for watching with your girl or guy (or doll if your into that kind of thing). Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a cute tomboy who happens to be in love with her best friend Keith (Eric Stoltz). Only Keith is in love with Amanda (Lea Thompson) and asking Watts for advice pertaining to his relationship with Amanda. This flick is kinda sappy, but still a great teen movie with lots of heart.
18. The Wild Life (1984)
Cameron Crowe directed this ensemble flick that sort of follows the same format as “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” Only this time instead of Sean, this one stars Chris Penn as the obnoxious Tom Drake. Tom and Bill (Eric Stoltz) move in together, Anita (Lea Thompson) is dating an older man, and Jim (IIan Mitchell-Smith) acts like a tough guy. This flick is a little more grounded than most of the films on this list, but has stood the test of time and still holds up today, and has a killer soundtrack. “It’s casual.”
17. Pretty in Pink (1986)
Andie (Molly Ringwald) is a poor girl that makes her own clothes and is in love with Blane (Andrew McCarthy), poster boy for the rich and popular. Duckie (Jon Cryer) is Andie’s best friend and is also head over heals in love with her, even though she doesn’t have feelings for him. Add James Spader to the mix as the wicked Steff and you’ve got a dramatic teen movie that’s hard to forget. This one has a killer soundtrack as well (must be something in the water).
16. American Pie (1999)
The plot for this awesome teen romp is simple, Four guys make a pact stating that they will loose their virginity by their senior prom. Along the way they figure out who they really are, what’s really important, some of them do get laid, one gets a mouth full (gross but funny), one finds out that musical instruments can be used for more than making music, and pie isn’t just for eating either. I was blown away at how funny and vulgar this flick was. “American Pie” brought back the teen movie, even though most that followed in its footsteps never quite measured up.
15. Weird Science (1985)
Two teenage boys figure out how to do the one thing that every man (and some women) on Earth would like to do. They create a super hot woman that lives to serve them and also grants wishes. This flick was a breath of fresh air for the teen movie genre when it came out in 1985. It brought elements of science fiction and comedy together perfectly. Also, Kelly LeBrock is stupid fine as Lisa. A television series based on this movie also lived for a short time, but it never quite captured the magic of its source material.
14. Porky’s (1982)
A group of horny teens decide to visit “Porky’s” a strip club on the edge of town, but after Porky dumps them in the river they decide to get revenge on him. There are characters named Pee Wee and Meat, and peep holes in the shower. This is the precursor to flicks like “American Pie,” a T&A classic!
13. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
Ronald (Patrick Dempsey) is a nerd in the purest sense of the word. He enjoys looking at the stars and is saving up for a telescope, and he sits at the nerd table for lunch. But instead of buying the telescope he decides to pay the most popular girl in school to act like his girlfriend in order for him to become popular. He alienates his friends and becomes the guy he’s pretending to be, until he realizes what’s really important. This is one of my favorite teen movies, it has everything that makes teem movies so much fun. So checks it out and you get to see Dempsey before he was known as McDreamy.
12. My Science Project (1985)
Mike Harlan (John Stockwell) is a gear-head in love with his car. He’s not into school, so when he has to come up with a science project he breaks into a military junkyard to find something to pass off as his project. Turns out the junk he decided to use as a science project actually opens portals and blends together different time periods. This flick is awesome! It has a strong cast, a cool plot, and still holds up today.
11. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
High school senior Ferris Bueller decides that he needs a day off from the the daily grind and decides to play hooky with his two best friends. Ferris is a care free guy living his life to the fullest and getting away with it. Matthew Broderick was perfectly cast as the over-the-top Ferris and Jeffrey Jones rocks as Principal Rooney.
10. Teen Wolf (1985)
Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) is a werewolf, but not the kind that kills people during the full moon. He’s a van surfing, beer drinking, basketball playing, stud muffin teen wolf. Like most teen flicks he’s the guy that’s not really popular and he’s after the most popular girl in school when his best friend Boof (Susan Ursitti) is in love with him. I loved this movie when I was a kid (I had a huge crush on Boof) and surprisingly after watching it recently, it still kicked ass. Fun teen cheese worth checking out.
9. Better Off Dead (1985)
This is another classic teen movie. John Cusack stars as Lane Meyer a guy so in love with his girlfriend that after she breaks up with him he keeps trying (and failing) to kill himself. So he decides to try and win her love back by skiing a dangerous mountain slope, only while he’s training for his dangerous decent down the mountain he meets a hot foreign exchange student named Monique (Diane Franklin) that steals his heart. Big laughs, great music, and a stellar cast make this one of the most memorable teen flicks ever made.
8. Superbad (2007)
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are two high school seniors that spend all their time together terrified of being separated when they graduate and go off to different colleges. They agree to purchase booze for a party being thrown by a hot girl and in their quest to retain the alcoholic beverages they are confronted with obstacle after obstacle. This flick is funny, vulgar, and heartwarming. A stellar teen movie for a new generation of slacker.
7. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Fast Times was the flick that introduced me to actor Sean Penn and gave the world a glimpse of Phoebe Cates’s wonderful breasts. It follows a group of teens all on different paths yet connected through the confinement of high school. The characters seem real and the writing and directing are phenomenal. Also, the soundtrack kicks major ass.
6. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Molly Ringwald is Samantha, a sixteen-year-old in love with the school’s most popular boy. Not a big deal if your the school’s most popular girl, but in Sam’s case not only is she not popular, she barley even exists. Add to the mix a nerd named Farmer Ted who is trying to get into her pants, a guy named Long Duk Dong, and the fact that her entire family forgot her birthday and you’ve got a killer teen movie on your hands.
5. Say Anything (1989)
Lloyd Dobler is an 18-year-old kickboxer in love with his high school valedictorian Diane Court, a girl that has nothing in common with him. But somehow he convinces her to go out with him and the rest is history. John Cusack is perfect in this flick and the famous scene with him holding the Jambox outside Diane’s window is priceless. The sound track to this one is awesome as well.
4. Footloose (1984)
“Footloose” is more than just a teen movie, it’s an example of classic american cinema. Kevin Bacon is Ren McCormack, a city boy that moves into a backwoods town that has outlawed dancing. So along with his friends Ren decides to hold a senior prom on the border of the town. This movie made it okay for guys to dance, and it has an awesome soundtrack. This flick is a great example of teens beating the odds and finding love in the process and it is a killer film.
3. Back to the Future (1985)
If you haven’t heard of this flick then shame on you, the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) traveling through time in a Delorean are legendary. Marty’s life isn’t going as well as he hoped it would, but after Dr. Brown sends him back in time he gets the chance to fix the future. Hell yeah, this flick kicks much ass! It has a great soundtrack, an awesome car, a hot babe (Lea Thompson), and even a little skateboarding. This is a true teen classic.
2. Risky Business (1983)
The flick that made Tom Cruise a household name, and had people everywhere lip-syncing to their favorite tunes in their underwear. Cruise plays Joel a high school senior that decides to have the time of his life while his parents are away, but is forced to open a whore house instead, after he destroys his father’s Porsche. Because he needs money to pay for the repairs on his dad’s car he teems up with working girl Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) and throws a huge party. This is a top notch teen movie with quality acting and directing. If you haven’t seen it, then rent or buy it right away.
1. The Breakfast Club (1985)
A flick about a group of high school students with absolutely nothing in common are forced to spend a Saturday in detention together. While there, they are given the task of writing an essay describing who they think they are, and by the end of the flick they realize that sometimes they live up to the stereotypes that people place on them. This is my all-time-favorite teen movie. It’s got members of the Brat Pack, a killer soundtrack, characters that everyone can relate to. Molly Ringwald is hot, Judd Nelson is cool, and “The Breakfast Club” is a killer film.
Honorable Mentions:
Valley Girl (1983), High School U.S.A. (1983), Private School (1983), She’s All That (1999), Just One of the Guys (1985), If Looks Could Kill (1991), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
20. Charlie Bartlett (2007)
Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is a rich kid that keeps getting himself kicked out of private schools, but when his mother sends him to public school he decides to become the student body psychiatrist, running his new business out of the boys bathroom. This flick surprised me and in my opinion is this generation's Ferris Bueller. Robert Downey Jr. hits a home run as the principle with a drinking problem, and Hope Davis shines as Charlie’s mom.
19. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
This is the quintessential teen movie for watching with your girl or guy (or doll if your into that kind of thing). Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a cute tomboy who happens to be in love with her best friend Keith (Eric Stoltz). Only Keith is in love with Amanda (Lea Thompson) and asking Watts for advice pertaining to his relationship with Amanda. This flick is kinda sappy, but still a great teen movie with lots of heart.
18. The Wild Life (1984)
Cameron Crowe directed this ensemble flick that sort of follows the same format as “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” Only this time instead of Sean, this one stars Chris Penn as the obnoxious Tom Drake. Tom and Bill (Eric Stoltz) move in together, Anita (Lea Thompson) is dating an older man, and Jim (IIan Mitchell-Smith) acts like a tough guy. This flick is a little more grounded than most of the films on this list, but has stood the test of time and still holds up today, and has a killer soundtrack. “It’s casual.”
17. Pretty in Pink (1986)
Andie (Molly Ringwald) is a poor girl that makes her own clothes and is in love with Blane (Andrew McCarthy), poster boy for the rich and popular. Duckie (Jon Cryer) is Andie’s best friend and is also head over heals in love with her, even though she doesn’t have feelings for him. Add James Spader to the mix as the wicked Steff and you’ve got a dramatic teen movie that’s hard to forget. This one has a killer soundtrack as well (must be something in the water).
16. American Pie (1999)
The plot for this awesome teen romp is simple, Four guys make a pact stating that they will loose their virginity by their senior prom. Along the way they figure out who they really are, what’s really important, some of them do get laid, one gets a mouth full (gross but funny), one finds out that musical instruments can be used for more than making music, and pie isn’t just for eating either. I was blown away at how funny and vulgar this flick was. “American Pie” brought back the teen movie, even though most that followed in its footsteps never quite measured up.
15. Weird Science (1985)
Two teenage boys figure out how to do the one thing that every man (and some women) on Earth would like to do. They create a super hot woman that lives to serve them and also grants wishes. This flick was a breath of fresh air for the teen movie genre when it came out in 1985. It brought elements of science fiction and comedy together perfectly. Also, Kelly LeBrock is stupid fine as Lisa. A television series based on this movie also lived for a short time, but it never quite captured the magic of its source material.
14. Porky’s (1982)
A group of horny teens decide to visit “Porky’s” a strip club on the edge of town, but after Porky dumps them in the river they decide to get revenge on him. There are characters named Pee Wee and Meat, and peep holes in the shower. This is the precursor to flicks like “American Pie,” a T&A classic!
13. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
Ronald (Patrick Dempsey) is a nerd in the purest sense of the word. He enjoys looking at the stars and is saving up for a telescope, and he sits at the nerd table for lunch. But instead of buying the telescope he decides to pay the most popular girl in school to act like his girlfriend in order for him to become popular. He alienates his friends and becomes the guy he’s pretending to be, until he realizes what’s really important. This is one of my favorite teen movies, it has everything that makes teem movies so much fun. So checks it out and you get to see Dempsey before he was known as McDreamy.
12. My Science Project (1985)
Mike Harlan (John Stockwell) is a gear-head in love with his car. He’s not into school, so when he has to come up with a science project he breaks into a military junkyard to find something to pass off as his project. Turns out the junk he decided to use as a science project actually opens portals and blends together different time periods. This flick is awesome! It has a strong cast, a cool plot, and still holds up today.
11. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
High school senior Ferris Bueller decides that he needs a day off from the the daily grind and decides to play hooky with his two best friends. Ferris is a care free guy living his life to the fullest and getting away with it. Matthew Broderick was perfectly cast as the over-the-top Ferris and Jeffrey Jones rocks as Principal Rooney.
10. Teen Wolf (1985)
Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) is a werewolf, but not the kind that kills people during the full moon. He’s a van surfing, beer drinking, basketball playing, stud muffin teen wolf. Like most teen flicks he’s the guy that’s not really popular and he’s after the most popular girl in school when his best friend Boof (Susan Ursitti) is in love with him. I loved this movie when I was a kid (I had a huge crush on Boof) and surprisingly after watching it recently, it still kicked ass. Fun teen cheese worth checking out.
9. Better Off Dead (1985)
This is another classic teen movie. John Cusack stars as Lane Meyer a guy so in love with his girlfriend that after she breaks up with him he keeps trying (and failing) to kill himself. So he decides to try and win her love back by skiing a dangerous mountain slope, only while he’s training for his dangerous decent down the mountain he meets a hot foreign exchange student named Monique (Diane Franklin) that steals his heart. Big laughs, great music, and a stellar cast make this one of the most memorable teen flicks ever made.
8. Superbad (2007)
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are two high school seniors that spend all their time together terrified of being separated when they graduate and go off to different colleges. They agree to purchase booze for a party being thrown by a hot girl and in their quest to retain the alcoholic beverages they are confronted with obstacle after obstacle. This flick is funny, vulgar, and heartwarming. A stellar teen movie for a new generation of slacker.
7. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Fast Times was the flick that introduced me to actor Sean Penn and gave the world a glimpse of Phoebe Cates’s wonderful breasts. It follows a group of teens all on different paths yet connected through the confinement of high school. The characters seem real and the writing and directing are phenomenal. Also, the soundtrack kicks major ass.
6. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Molly Ringwald is Samantha, a sixteen-year-old in love with the school’s most popular boy. Not a big deal if your the school’s most popular girl, but in Sam’s case not only is she not popular, she barley even exists. Add to the mix a nerd named Farmer Ted who is trying to get into her pants, a guy named Long Duk Dong, and the fact that her entire family forgot her birthday and you’ve got a killer teen movie on your hands.
5. Say Anything (1989)
Lloyd Dobler is an 18-year-old kickboxer in love with his high school valedictorian Diane Court, a girl that has nothing in common with him. But somehow he convinces her to go out with him and the rest is history. John Cusack is perfect in this flick and the famous scene with him holding the Jambox outside Diane’s window is priceless. The sound track to this one is awesome as well.
4. Footloose (1984)
“Footloose” is more than just a teen movie, it’s an example of classic american cinema. Kevin Bacon is Ren McCormack, a city boy that moves into a backwoods town that has outlawed dancing. So along with his friends Ren decides to hold a senior prom on the border of the town. This movie made it okay for guys to dance, and it has an awesome soundtrack. This flick is a great example of teens beating the odds and finding love in the process and it is a killer film.
3. Back to the Future (1985)
If you haven’t heard of this flick then shame on you, the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) traveling through time in a Delorean are legendary. Marty’s life isn’t going as well as he hoped it would, but after Dr. Brown sends him back in time he gets the chance to fix the future. Hell yeah, this flick kicks much ass! It has a great soundtrack, an awesome car, a hot babe (Lea Thompson), and even a little skateboarding. This is a true teen classic.
2. Risky Business (1983)
The flick that made Tom Cruise a household name, and had people everywhere lip-syncing to their favorite tunes in their underwear. Cruise plays Joel a high school senior that decides to have the time of his life while his parents are away, but is forced to open a whore house instead, after he destroys his father’s Porsche. Because he needs money to pay for the repairs on his dad’s car he teems up with working girl Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) and throws a huge party. This is a top notch teen movie with quality acting and directing. If you haven’t seen it, then rent or buy it right away.
1. The Breakfast Club (1985)
A flick about a group of high school students with absolutely nothing in common are forced to spend a Saturday in detention together. While there, they are given the task of writing an essay describing who they think they are, and by the end of the flick they realize that sometimes they live up to the stereotypes that people place on them. This is my all-time-favorite teen movie. It’s got members of the Brat Pack, a killer soundtrack, characters that everyone can relate to. Molly Ringwald is hot, Judd Nelson is cool, and “The Breakfast Club” is a killer film.
Honorable Mentions:
Valley Girl (1983), High School U.S.A. (1983), Private School (1983), She’s All That (1999), Just One of the Guys (1985), If Looks Could Kill (1991), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
