Watchworthy

30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents 

Ranker Film
Updated June 14, 2019 1.6k votes 258 voters 17.1k views 36 items

The hijinx of troubled teens are rough to deal with, unless you are watching them unfold on the big screen. The top juvenile delinquent movies feature characters dealing with drug use, crime and rebelling against authority. This is a list of rebellious teen movies featuring everything from Heathers to Less Than Zero to City of God.

What movies will you find on this list of the best movies about juvenile delinquency? Fans of the classics might rank Rebel Without a Cause at the very top. James Dean became the iconic misunderstood teen in this 1955 classic. A Clockwork Orange, with its unforgettable portrayals of juvenile "ultra-violence" and teen rebellion, also appears on this trouble teen movies list. Kids shocked movie-goers with its content when it was released in 1995. Other films that appear on this roundup of the best juvenile delinquent movies include Bully, The Outsiders, and Boyz n the Hood.

Which teenage rebellion movies deserve the top spot on this list? Decide by giving your favorites a thumbs up and get in on the conversation in the comments section.

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1
The Outsiders is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Diane Lane

Released: 1983

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

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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2
Kids is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Rosario Dawson, Chloë Sevigny, Harmony Korine

Released: 1995

Directed by: Larry Clark

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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3
Rebel Without a Cause is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Natalie Wood, James Dean, Dennis Hopper

Released: 1955

Directed by: Nicholas Ray

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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4
Boyz n the Hood is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Released: 1991

Directed by: John Singleton

Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood drama film directed by John Singleton. Three young men weave in and out of violence, relationships, and racial issues in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los

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5
A Clockwork Orange is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Malcolm McDowell, Warren Clarke, Steven Berkoff

Released: 1971

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 dystopian crime film adapted, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange. It employs disturbing, violent ...more

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6
Heathers is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, Christian Slater

Released: 1988

Directed by: Michael Lehmann

Heathers is a 1988 comedy, drama film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann.

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7
Thirteen is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Vanessa Hudgens, Evan Rachel Wood, Holly Hunter

Released: 2003

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

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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8
Rumble Fish is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Nicolas Cage, Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane

Released: 1983

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Rumble Fish is an American 1983 drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the novel Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film centers on the ...more

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9
West Side Story is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, John Astin

Released: 1961

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

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

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10
Over the Edge is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano, Harry Northup

Released: 1979

Directed by: Jonathan Kaplan

Over the Edge is a coming-of-age drama film directed by Jonathan Kaplan released in May 1979. Due to the negative publicity surrounding a wave of recent youth gang films such as The Warriors and ...more

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11
Menace II Society is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
bigcraig added Samuel L. Jackson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Charles S. Dutton

Released: 1993

Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

Menace II Society is a 1993 drama/hood film and the directorial debut of twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film follows the life of a hoodlum named ...more

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12
Mid90s is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Katherine Waterston

Released: 2018

Directed by: Jonah Hill

Mid90s is a 2018 American comedy drama film directed by Jonah Hill. A thirteen-year-old (Sunny Suljic) in 90s-era LA spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of ...more
13
Blackboard Jungle is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Sidney Poitier, Glenn Ford, Anne Francis

Released: 1955

Directed by: Richard Brooks

Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. It is based on the novel of the same name by Evan Hunter.

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14
Sleepers is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman

Released: 1996

Directed by: Barry Levinson

Sleepers is a 1996 American legal drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 novel of the same name.

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15
Alpha Dog is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Amber Heard

Released: 2006

Directed by: Nick Cassavetes

Alpha Dog is a 2006 American crime drama film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes, first screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2006, with a wide release the following year on ...more

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16
Less Than Zero is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader

Released: 1987

Directed by: Marek Kanievska

Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film very loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for ...more

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17
Heavenly Creatures is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Kate Winslet, Peter Jackson, Melanie Lynskey

Released: 1994

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Heavenly Creatures is a 1994 New Zealand drama film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his partner, Fran Walsh, about the notorious 1954 Parker–Hulme case in ...more

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18
Lolita is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Christopher Lee, Peter Sellers, Shelley Winters

Released: 1962

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Lolita is a 1962 comedy-drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel of the same title by Vladimir Nabokov, about a middle-aged man who becomes obsessed with a teenage girl. The ...more

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19
Reefer Madness is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Dave O'Brien, Carleton Young, Harry Harvey Jr.

Released: 1936

Directed by: Louis J. Gasnier

Reefer Madness is a 1936–1939 American propaganda exploitation drama film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try marijuana—from ...more

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20
Pump Up the Volume is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
ptwntz added Christian Slater, Seth Green, Juliet Landau

Released: 1990

Directed by: Allan Moyle

Pump Up the Volume is a 1990 comedy-drama film written and directed by Allan Moyle and starring Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis.

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21
The Good Son is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, David Morse

Released: 1993

Directed by: Joseph Ruben

The Good Son is a 1993 American psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and written by English novelist Ian McEwan. The film stars Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood.

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22
According to Greta is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Hilary Duff, Ellen Burstyn, Melissa Leo

Released: 2009

Directed by: Nancy Bardawil

According to Greta is a 2009 American independent drama film directed by Nancy Bardawil.
23
City of God is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Alice Braga, Seu Jorge, Matheus Nachtergaele

Released: 2002

Directed by: Fernando Meirelles

City of God is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. The story was ...more

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24
The Bad Seed is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Shelley Fabares, Patty McCormack, Eileen Heckart

Released: 1956

Directed by: Mervyn LeRoy

The Bad Seed is a 1956 American horror-thriller film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones, and Eileen Heckart The film is based upon a play by Maxwell ...more

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25
Poison Ivy is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Barrymore, Cheryl Ladd

Released: 1992

Directed by: Katt Shea

This film is a 1992 American drama-thriller film and directed by Katt Shea. Andy Ruben transformed Melissa Goddard's story into the screenplay. It stars Drew Barrymore, Sara Gilbert, Tom ...more

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