20 Best Teen Movies to Watch

Teenage years mark a dynamic phase in life's journey, centered on first love, friendship, conflict, self-discovery, and adventure. It is no surprise that many movies have captured this essence beautifully and become iconic in the movie industry.

In this article, Showpoiler will take you on a journey through the decades, revisiting some of the best teen movies that have captivated audiences across generations.

These movies not only portray relatable teenage experiences, but also offer captivating, touching, and highly entertaining stories. Are you ready to reminisce and add to your watch list? Let's explore the best teen movies below!

1. Barbie

Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in Barbieland with other Barbies, holding important positions, while her boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling) enjoys recreational activities. One day, sensing an existential crisis, Barbie and Ken come up with a wild plan to venture into the real world.

In search of answers, Barbie visits her owner, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt), only to hear about her unrealistic beauty standards from Sasha's mother, Gloria (America Ferrera), who is the Mattel employee responsible for creating Barbie.

2. The School of Good and Evil

Twin brothers Rhian & Rafal (Kit Young) establish the School of Good and Evil, dedicated to training fairytale heroes and villains. Among the students are best friends Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie).

While Agatha attends the School of Goodness and excels in her studies, Sophie is made into a powerful villain with Rafal's guidance. Determined to get back her true love, Sophie not only embraces her villain identity but also strives to use her newfound powers.

3. True Spirit

Jessica (Teagan Croft), a determined 16-year-old, dreams of becoming the youngest person to sail non-stop and unassisted around the world in 2009. Although her dreams were shattered by a crash during a test run, Jessica remained unfazed.

Starting her journey from Sydney, she faced many challenges, including fierce storms, loneliness and a sense of failure. After a 210-day journey around the world, Jessica returned safely and was named Young Australian of the Year 2011.

4. Are You There God? It's Me Margaret

Eleven-year-old Margareth (Abby Ryder) moves with her family, including her mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and father Herb (Benny Safdie), from New York to suburban New Jersey, leaving her feeling very sad and disconnected from her former life.

Struggling to adjust to her new surroundings, she reluctantly attends school and gets involved in a research project on religion, which leads her to explore her family's religious background and discover her own identity along the way.

5. Chang Can Dunk

Xiao Ming Chang (Bloom Li), an unpopular high school student, is still searching for his true self. Basketball is his passion, and he has a rivalry with Matt (Chase Liefeld), his elementary school friend.

In a match against each other, Matt bets that if Chang manages to dunk after school, he will give him his favorite jersey and shave his hair. Chang trains hard, but when faced with the fear of losing, he is forced to cheat and face the consequences.

6. Prom Pact

High school student Mandy Yang (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her friends are preparing for prom season. However, her main focus is securing a place at Harvard, her ultimate goal.

When she learns that she is on the waitlist, Mandy is determined to do whatever it takes to get in, even seeking help from Graham (Blake Draper), the school athlete whom she doesn't like, due to his influential background.

7. Senior Year

Stephanie Conway (Rebel Wilson) dreams of becoming the most popular girl in her senior year. After a complete makeover, she gains popularity and is determined to win the title of prom queen in 2002. However, things went horribly wrong when a sabotage incident left her in a coma for twelve years.

When she woke up in 2022, Stephanie's mental and emotional state was still stuck at 17 years old. Undaunted, she tries her hardest to keep her title, especially as she faces the challenges of aging.

8. Do Revenge

At Rosehill Country Day High School, popular student Drea (Camila Mendes) faces a sudden downfall when her intimate video goes viral. Becoming an outcast, she befriends Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who has also had a similar experience.

Drea and Eleanor form a close bond and decide to join forces to take revenge on those who have wronged them. As they carry out their plan during a school event, chaos ensues, but their determination remains firm until they finally catch the culprit.

9. Black as Night

Struggling with self-esteem, young Shawna (Asjha Cooper) faces her crisis in an unusual way. Over the summer, she confronts vampires who prey on innocent victims in New Orleans.

Teaming up with the man of her dreams, Pedro (Fabrizio Guidio), along with Granya (Abbie Gayle), a rich and eccentric girl, and Chris (Mason Beauchamp), Shawna begins her journey to fight these vicious vampires.

10. The Magic Flute

Dreaming of attending the prestigious Mozart All Boys Music School, Tim Walker (Jack Wolfe) wants to become a singer. Once his dream is realized, a new problem arises that makes it a bit overwhelming for Tim to survive at the school.

However, his journey becomes challenging as he has to face the scrutiny of the headmaster, Dr. Longbow (F. Murray Abraham), and grapple with his first love dilemma, Sophie (Niamh McCormack). Doubting his abilities, Tim's life changes when he discovers a magical gate that holds the key to transforming him.

11. Confessions of An Invisible Girl

Sixteen-year-old Tetê (Klara Castanho) feels like a stranger, both at school and at home. Her situation worsens when her parents experience unemployment, forcing her to move from Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, to her grandparents' house in Copacabana.

Starting a new school only added to Tetê's discomfort. All she wants is to study quietly and make good friends, but that proves difficult.

12. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Mark (Kyle Allen), a teenage boy, is stuck in a time loop, reliving the same moments over and over again. In this difficult state, he meets Margareth (Kathryn Newton), who also experiences a similar phenomenon. They form a close bond and work together to find a way out of the time loop.

However, Margareth reveals that she created the loop to prevent her mother's death, thus complicating their mission.

13. Enola Holmes

Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), a member of the Holmes family, has the intelligence and independence instilled by her mother. Her happy life turns sad when her mother disappears. To find her, Enola follows the hidden messages left behind.

During her search, she meets Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), and they help each other in dangerous situations. Enola uncovers her mother's involvement in a voting rights group, which sparks her interest in detective work, ultimately leading her to become a detective.

14. Work It

Quinn Ackerman (Sabrina Carpenter), a popular high school student, faces disappointment when she is removed from her position as head of the Thunderbirds dance team due to an incident. Determined to prove herself, Quinn decides to form her own dance team.

Teaming up with her friend Jasmine (Liza Koshy), they recruit a diverse group of dancers and hire Jake (Jordan Fisher) as their choreographer, all in pursuit of their goal to get into Duke University.

15. Feel the Beat

Young dancer April Dibrina (Sofia Carson) is on her way to audition for a Broadway dance show when an unexpected encounter with an elderly woman leads to an unfortunate series of events. As a result, she is rejected by the show's sponsor, Ruth Zimmer (Pamela MacDonald), and the embarrassing moment goes viral online.

Feeling cornered, April returns to her hometown and works hard to prepare for a dance competition, hoping for a chance to make amends.

16. The Breakfast Club

Considered one of the best teen movies of the 1980s, "The Breakfast Club" is about five high school students who find themselves in detention together. Despite their different personalities and backgrounds, they form an unexpected bond and friendship during the morning detention session.

The popularity of the movie earned the cast the nickname "The Brat Pack," although only Emilio Estevez went on to have a career in the movie industry, unlike the other actors in the group.

17. Love, Simon

Based on Becky Albertalli's novel "Simon vs Homo Sapiens Agenda," "Love, Simon" is an engaging teen movie centered around a young man who struggles with his sexual orientation.

Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) has a big secret, hiding his homosexuality from his family and friends. When his secret is accidentally revealed, Simon must confront those closest to him and bravely admit the truth he has been guarding.

18. To All the Men I've Loved Before

This Netflix Original movie has received a lot of praise, thanks to its youthful cast and unique storyline, making it an enjoyable watch.

Lara Jean (Lana Condor) writes love letters to men she has loved in the past, but never intended to send. Unexpectedly, her sister sends the letters to the respective recipients, leaving Lara Jean to deal with various responses and even begin a romantic journey with Peter (Noah Centineo), one of the recipients.

19. American Pie

A group of five friends set a common goal: to lose their virginity before graduating high school. The film explores the theme of sexual exploration during the hormonal upheaval of adolescence, capturing humor throughout the film, nicely directed by Chris and Paul Weitz in their directorial debut.

The film's success led to three sequels, namely "American Pie 2" (2001), "American Wedding" (2003), and "American Reunion" (2012), as well as several direct-to-video films that expanded the franchise.

20. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Considered one of the best teen movies, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was directed by Amy Heckerling and adapted from Cameron Crowe's book, with Crowe also serving as the scriptwriter.

Featuring talented teen actors such as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, and Sean Penn, the movie skyrocketed their names into well-known stars in Hollywood. Phoebe Cates, in particular, became a teen idol due to her striking beauty in the movie.

The movie also introduced aspiring teen actors as extras, including Nicolas Cage and Forest Whitaker, who went on to achieve fame in Hollywood.

These 20 incredible teen movies capture the essence of teen culture from the 1980s to today. Each movie had its own unique moments and trends, making the cast iconic figures whose styles were imitated by teenagers of the time.

As well as appealing to teens, these movies are also useful for parents to consider as they navigate and guide their own teenage children, growing positivity and achievement in all aspects of life.