The Best Intelligent Teen Movies of All Time

In everyday life, we don't always view teenagers as the most intelligent beings—and a lot of movies follow the same lines. While there are plenty of movies with smart teens, the movies themselves aren't always these clever masterpieces. More often than not, they focus on things like teen angst, those teenage romances, high school and so on, and at most teach fellow teens not to ditch class or disobey their parents. However, plenty of intelligent teen movies do exist. That is, films with clever plots, well-thought-out dialogue, and even deep insight into the lives and minds of teenagers.

In this sense, movies like Mean Girls are prime examples of intelligent teen movies. While it's certainly a goofy comedy, it also takes a close look at the effect of cliques, bullying, and other common issues post-pubescent kids. Of course, these smart teen films don't have to focus on high school, and you'll find plenty of great teen movies below that really make the viewer think. Whether that's a great coming-of-age flick or harrowing family film, you'll find the best of them right here.

Check out the list below and vote up the best intelligent teen movies, or those you feel are most clever, insightful, etc. You can also vote down any films you don't find as smart as the next, and add your own to the list. Then, check out our list of movies about smart people.