The Best Teen Movies Of All Time

Over 72.1K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Teen Movies Of All Time
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Need great teen movies to watch? Here's a list of the best teen movies and films about teenagers, adolescence, and high school. What are the best teen movies of all time? Teenagers and young people have long been an ideal target market for film producers. They have more free time than adults, but can get themselves around and choose their own entertainment more easily than children. As well, they have disposable income, and typically spend more of their money on entertainment than their adult counterparts. What's the best teen movie ever? As this has steadily been true for several decades, it has led to a glut of films designed with teenagers in mind during that time.

Though there is no set definition on what makes a film a "teen movie," other than featuring teenagers (or at the very least, teenaged character) in significant roles, the genre has developed some defining features and common motifs over the years. Often, popular teen movies will explore high school as an environment, and specifically the high school community and the social cliques that form therein is a constant source of interest and observation. Much of the time, this is done with a snarky or cynical worldview, attempting to reflect the way that jaded teens often see the world of adults. Overwhelmingly popular recent entries in the high school movie sub-genre include Easy A and Mean Girls, while cult films such as Donnie Darko and Pump Up the Volume explore the same issues with an even darker or more subversive outlook. Some of these movies can even be considered teen adventure movies. With that being said, it's easy to see that this is far more that just a top 10 teenage movies list but all of them can be considered a must watch  teen movie.

Teens are also frequently cast as the leads in horror films, particularly the sub-genre known as "slasher films." In these films, attractive young people are typically placed in precarious situations with serial murderers, and audiences can then delight in seeing them ripped apart. 

The top teen movies on this list span all of these sub-genres and more, including genre mash-ups combining several different storytelling modes into one film (such as the horror-comedy Scream franchise.) It's an open list, so after you're done voting, if you see any good teen movies that aren't on here, add them at the bottom of the page.

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  • Mean Girls
    1
    Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey
    25,448 votes
    • Released: 2004
    • Directed by: Mark Waters
    In the teen comedy Mean Girls, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is a naive newcomer to public school, having been homeschooled in Africa. She finds herself in the whirlwind of high school politics and cliques, especially when she crosses paths with Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the queen bee of North Shore High School's most popular clique, The Plastics. As Cady navigates this new terrain, she becomes entangled in The Plastics' manipulative games. Tina Fey, who also wrote the screenplay, stars as Ms. Norbury, a teacher who provides guidance for Cady. Mean Girls was nominated for multiple awards and won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Comedy.

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  • 10 Things I Hate About You
    2
    Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    17,519 votes
    • Released: 1999
    • Directed by: Gil Junger
    Welcome to 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern-day Shakespearean twist that dances on the line of teen romance and biting comedy. Set in an American high school, this late-90s gem revolves around two Stratford sisters: the rebellious Kat (Julia Stiles) and her popular younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). When Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a new student smitten by Bianca, learns of their father's strict dating rule, he hatches a plan involving bad boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat. Amidst clever banter and unexpected romances, the characters navigate the labyrinth of teenage angst, love, and self-discovery. Noted for its memorable performances and sharp wit, this film is a charming exploration of young love and personal transformation.

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  • The Breakfast Club
    3
    Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson
    21,957 votes
    • Released: 1985
    • Directed by: John Hughes
    In the film The Breakfast Club, five high school students, each representing a different stereotype, meet in detention. There's the brainy Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), the athletic Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez), the rebel John Bender (Judd Nelson), the princess Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), and the outcast Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy). As they spend a Saturday together under supervision of the strict assistant principal Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason), they gradually open up to one another, revealing their deeper selves beneath their public personas. This 1985 coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by John Hughes explores themes of identity, peer pressure, and adolescence within its 97-minute runtime. To this day, it remains a classic in teen cinema.

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  • Clueless
    4
    Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
    16,042 votes
    • Released: 1995
    • Directed by: Amy Heckerling
    In the heart of Beverly Hills, high schooler Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) reigns as a self-proclaimed fashionista and matchmaker. Clueless, a comedy-drama flick directed by Amy Heckerling, sees Cher navigating the tricky waters of adolescence while attempting to handle love interests and maintain her social status. Alongside Cher is her best friend Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash), who aids in her various escapades. The film, an amusing modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, cleverly taps into teenage angst and the complexities of young love. Despite its light-hearted tone, it subtly addresses pertinent social issues, making it a timeless classic.

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  • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    5
    Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
    19,271 votes
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: John Hughes
    In the classic comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is a high school senior who decides to play hooky for a day. He cleverly manipulates his parents, outwits his sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), and convinces his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) to join him. They embark on an unforgettable adventure in Chicago, involving a vintage Ferrari, the Sears Tower, and a local parade. Meanwhile, their suspicious principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) is determined to catch Ferris in the act. This film explores themes of friendship and rebellion against societal norms without resorting to heavy drama or violence.

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  • Easy A
    6
    Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes
    17,792 votes
    • Released: 2010
    • Directed by: Will Gluck
    In the cleverly comedic film Easy A, Emma Stone stars as Olive Penderghast, a high school student who finds herself tangled in a web of rumors and half-truths. After a small lie about losing her virginity gets out, she sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's from The Scarlet Letter, which she is studying in school -- until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing. Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, and Thomas Haden Church co-star in this engaging tale that takes a humorous look at the serious subject of reputation and the rapid spread of gossip in a digital era.

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