teens The Best Teen Drama Movies, Ranked  

Ranker Film

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List Rules Vote up your favorite dramas that star teenage characters.

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The Breakfast Club Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes and starring Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, John ...more

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A Walk to Remember Mandy Moore, Marisa Miller, Daryl Hannah A Walk to Remember is a 2002 American coming-of-age teen romantic drama based on the 1999 romance novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Shane West and Mandy Moore, was ...more

3

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The Fault in Our Stars Shailene Woodley, Willem Dafoe, Laura Dern The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed by Josh Boone, based on the novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat ...more

4

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, Paul Rudd The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film, and an adaptation of the 1999 epistolary novel of the same name; it was written and directed by the novel's ...more

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If I Stay Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Stacy Keach If I Stay is an American romantic drama film directed by R. J. Cutler, based on the novel of the same name by Gayle Forman. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Jamie Blackley, ...more

6

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Dirty Dancing Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as ...more

7

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Everything, Everything Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose Everything, Everything is a 2017 American romantic drama film directed by Stella Meghie and written by J. Mills Goodloe, based on the 2015 young-adult novel by Nicola Yoon. It involves a romance ...more

8

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Before I Fall Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller Before I Fall is a 2017 American teen drama film directed by Ry Russo-Young, based on the novel by Lauren Oliver. Stuck reliving her last day over and over, Sam (Zoey Deutch) untangles the ...more

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The Last Song Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Kelly Preston The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age teen romantic drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks' novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature ...more

10

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The Outsiders Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Diane Lane The Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. The film was released on March 25, 1983. Jo Ellen ...more

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Remember the Titans Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling, Denzel Washington Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay, written by Gregory Allen Howard, is based on the true story of ...more

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The Karate Kid Elisabeth Shue, Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts romantic drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, who was 22 years old during principal ...more

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Pretty in Pink James Spader, Gina Gershon, Molly Ringwald Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of John Hughes' films starring Molly Ringwald, and is ...more

14

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Romeo + Juliet Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Rudd, Brian Dennehy Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 American romantic drama film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in ...more

15

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Stand by Me Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, John Cusack Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming of age comedy-drama adventure film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. Based on the novella ...more

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Cruel Intentions Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Tara Reid Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of Les Liaisons dangereuses, written ...more

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Save the Last Dance Kerry Washington, Julia Stiles, Bianca Lawson Save the Last Dance is a 2001 American film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick ...more

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Dead Poets Society Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Lara Flynn Boyle Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film written by Tom Schulman, directed by Peter Weir and starring Robin Williams. Set at the conservative and aristocratic Welton Academy in the ...more

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West Side Story Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, John Astin West Side Story is a 1961 American romantic musical drama film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn ...more

20

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Endless Love Alex Pettyfer, Gabriella Wilde, Emma Rigby Endless Love is a 2014 American romance film directed by Shana Feste and co-written by Feste with Joshua Safran. A remake of Franco Zeffirelli's 1981 film of the same name and the second ...more

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The Lovely Bones Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon The Lovely Bones is a 2009 supernatural drama film directed by Peter Jackson and stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, and Saoirse Ronan. A film ...more

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Paper Towns Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage Paper Towns is a 2015 American mystery, comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier, based on the novel by John Green. After an all night adventure, Quentin's life-long crush, Margo (Cara ...more

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The Spectacular Now Shailene Woodley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jennifer Jason Leigh The Spectacular Now is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The ...more

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Friday Night Lights Amber Heard, Connie Britton, Tim McGraw Friday Night Lights is a 2004 sports drama film, directed by Peter Berg, which documents the coach and players of a high school football team and the Texas city of Odessa that supports and is ...more

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Thirteen Vanessa Hudgens, Evan Rachel Wood, Holly Hunter Thirteen is a 2003 semi-autobiographical American drama film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and written by Hardwicke and Nikki Reed based on events in Reed's life at age twelve and thirteen. ...more

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Almost Famous Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Anna Paquin Almost Famous is a 2000 comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and starring Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the fictional story of a teenage journalist ...more

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The Fundamentals of Caring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez The Fundamentals of Caring is a 2016 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Rob Burnett, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Jonathan Evison and stars Paul Rudd, Craig ...more

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1523057205202 added Twilight Saga Franchise The Twilight Saga is a series of five romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four novels by American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert ...more

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Boyz n the Hood Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr. Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood drama written and directed by John Singleton in his directorial debut, and starring Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia ...more

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Rebel Without a Cause Natalie Wood, James Dean, Dennis Hopper Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. The film stars James Dean, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood. Directed by Nicholas Ray, ...more

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Varsity Blues Ali Larter, Paul Walker, Amy Smart Varsity Blues is a 1999 American coming-of-age sports comedy-drama film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a ...more

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Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke

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American Graffiti Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Suzanne Somers American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming of age comedy-drama film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin ...more

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Adventureland Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig Adventureland is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Mottola, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart and co-starring Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, and ...more

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The Virgin Suicides Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh ...more

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Some Kind of Wonderful Lea Thompson, Candace Cameron-Bure, Mary Stuart Masterson Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 American romance film starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Lea Thompson. It is one of the several successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in ...more

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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Kat Dennings, Michael Cera, Mimi Imfurst Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel ...more

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November Criminals Chloë Grace Moretz, Ansel Elgort, Catherine Keener November Criminals is a 2017 American crime drama film directed by Sacha Gervasi. College bound friends (Chloë Grace Moretz and Ansel Elgort) find themselves falling for one another, but ...more

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Love & Basketball Tyra Banks, Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan Love & Basketball is a 2000 American romantic drama film starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. The film tells the story of Quincy McCall and Monica Wright, two next-door neighbors in Los ...more

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The Basketball Diaries Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Juliette Lewis The Basketball Diaries is a 1995 American drama film directed by Scott Kalvert, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, James Madio, and Mark Wahlberg from the non-fiction work of the same ...more

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Kids Rosario Dawson, Chloë Sevigny, Harmony Korine Kids is a 1995 American drama film written by Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark. It features Chloë Sevigny, Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, and Rosario Dawson, all in their film ...more

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Stand and Deliver Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips Stand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film based on the true story of high school math teacher Jaime Escalante. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film and received a nomination ...more

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Samson and Delilah Marissa Gibson, Rowan McNamara, Roland Gallois Samson and Delilah is a 2009 Australian film and was directed by Warwick Thornton. It stars Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first time actors. It was filmed in and around Alice ...more

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Palo Alto James Franco, Emma Roberts, Val Kilmer Palo Alto is a 2013 American drama film directed by Gia Coppola and written by Coppola, based on James Franco's short story collection Palo Alto. Franco stars, along with Emma Roberts, Jack ...more

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Closet Monster Connor Jessup, Aaron Abrams, Isabella Rossellini

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Tanner Hall Rooney Mara, Brie Larson, Amy Sedaris Tanner Hall is a 2009 independent drama film about four girls having their coming-of-age in boarding school. It was written and directed by Tatiana von Fürstenberg and Francesca Gregorini. ...more

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Dirty Girl Milla Jovovich, Tim McGraw, William H. Macy Dirty Girl is a 2010 coming of age comedy-drama film written and directed by Abe Sylvia. It stars Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy. It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International ...more