- 1After receiving a frantic phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body has been found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth places him before some of the school's roughest characters, leading to a confrontation with a drug dealer known as "the Pin (Lukas Haas)."
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Rian Johnson
- 2Veronica (Winona Ryder) is part of the most popular clique at her high school, but she disapproves of the other girls' cruel behavior. When Veronica and her new boyfriend, J.D. (Christian Slater), confront clique leader Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) and accidentally poison her, they make it appear a suicide. Soon Veronica realizes that J.D. is intentionally killing students he does not like. She races to stop J.D. while also clashing with the clique's new leader, Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty).
- Released: 1989
- Directed by: Michael Lehmann
- 3In a funny, moving and distinctly mind-bending journey through suburban America, one extraordinary but disenchanted teenager is about to take Time's Arrow for a ride. After surviving a freak accident, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to explore what it means to be alive, and in short order to be in love, he uncovers secrets of the universe that give him a tempting power to alter time and destiny.
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Richard Kelly
- 4As Bobby Kent lay bleeding on July 14, 1993, he called out for help, and then mercy from his friends. Their response was quick and deliberate. Larry Clark's "Bully" chronicles the incident that would leave a community stunned, parents nonplussed and heartbroken and a group of defendants convicted of a brutal crime for which they never repented.
- Released: 2001
- Directed by: Larry Clark
- 5In The Virgin Suicides, an enigmatic tale unfolds in a quiet suburban neighborhood. The Lisbon sisters, Lux (Kirsten Dunst), Mary (A.J. Cook), Therese (Leslie Hayman), Bonnie (Chelse Swain), and Cecilia (Hanna Hall) are the focus of fascination for a group of neighborhood boys. Guided by the strict hand of their mother (Kathleen Turner) and passive presence of their father (James Woods), these girls navigate adolescence under a heavy shroud of repression and mystery. As the film meanders through this labyrinth of teenage turmoil, it subtly explores themes of isolation, longing, and the tragic consequences of suffocating innocence. This dramatic piece is directed by Sofia Coppola, who won Best First Feature at Independent Spirit Awards for this haunting debut.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Sofia Coppola
- 6Amoral teen Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick) has made it his goal to sleep with as many virgin girls as possible -- but he doesn't tell them that he's HIV positive. While on the hunt for his latest conquest, Telly and his best friend, Casper (Justin Pierce), smoke pot and steal from shops around New York. Meanwhile, Jenny (Chloë Sevigny), one of Telly's early victims, makes it her mission to save other girls from him. But before she has a chance to confront him at a party, everything goes horribly wrong.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Larry Clark
- 7Teenage dealer Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) and his friends kidnap the impressionable younger brother (Anton Yelchin) of a junkie (Ben Foster) who refuses to pay his drug debt. Things change unexpectedly when Frankie (Justin Timberlake), one of Johnny's pals, befriends the youth.
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Nick Cassavetes
- 8Jim Carroll (Leonardo DiCaprio) is consumed by his life as a high school basketball star. Pressured by a wicked coach (Bruno Kirby) and a concerned mother (Lorraine Bracco), Jim develops an appetite for heroin. Soon, the mean streets of New York City have replaced the basketball court as his main destination. Jim and his friends scrounge, steal and prostitute themselves to score drugs. Jim's only chance to escape addiction may be Reggie (Ernie Hudson), a neighborhood friend and hoops companion.
- Released: 1995
- Directed by: Scott Kalvert
- 9Hayley is a precocious teenager who goes to a coffee shop to meet Jeff, the photographer she met on the internet. Jeff thinks he is in for a real treat, but Hayley plays a trick on him. After drugging Jeff and tying him down, Hayley reveals that she knows Jeff preys on teenage girls, and she has a plan to wring a confession from him.
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: David Slade
- 10
Everlasting
Valentina de Angelis, Adam Perez, Elisabeth RohmEverlasting is a 2015 suspense film written and directed by Anthony Stabley. High School Senior Matt Ortega (Adam David) investigates the mystery surrounding the passing of his girlfriend and decides to confront the responsible party himself without going to the police.- Released: 2016
- Directed by: Anthony Stabley
- 11In the gritty drama Thirteen, Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood) is a promising student whose life spirals out of control after befriending the rebellious Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed). As Tracy plunges headfirst into a world of petty crime and substance abuse, her mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter), struggles to save her from self-destruction. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, this stark portrayal of adolescence earned Holly Hunter an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Thirteen is a riveting exploration of teenage turmoil, peer pressure, and parental desperation.
- Released: 2003
- Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
- 12In the dark comedy Jawbreaker, a high school clique of popular girls, led by Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowan), accidentally murder their friend, Elizabeth Purr (Charlotte Ayanna), in a prank gone wrong. Marcie Fox (Julie Benz) and Julie Freeman (Rebecca Gayheart) are caught in the aftermath, while Fern Mayo (Judy Greer), an unnoticed classmate, becomes tangled in their web of secrets. As the shockwaves ripple through Reagan High School, power dynamics shift, alliances falter and true colors are revealed. This film is a mix of teenage angst, black humor and suspense that examines the underbelly of high school popularity contests.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Darren Stein
- 13Dejected about her relationship with her father, Darryl (Tom Skerritt), a teen girl, Sylvie Cooper (Sara Gilbert), grows closer to a fiery fellow student named Ivy (Drew Barrymore). But as much as Sylvie craves Ivy's wildness, Ivy, in turn, is attracted to Sylvie's comfortable home life. Ivy seduces Darryl in an attempt to have that life for herself, and also takes steps to kill Sylvie's mother, Georgie (Cheryl Ladd), who is seriously ill, making it look like Sylvie is the guilty one.
- Released: 1992
- Directed by: Andy Ruben, Katt Shea
- 14Vying for victory, the movie Election unfurls a darkly comedic tale of high school politics. Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), an ambitious and overachieving student, is determined to win the student council elections at all costs. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a popular teacher, perceives her relentless ambition as dangerous and plots to derail her campaign. This satirical drama, directed by Alexander Payne, captures the quirks of suburban life and teenage ambition with sharp wit. A critical darling, Election earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's a riveting exploration of ethics, ambition, and the lengths some will go to win.
- Released: 1999
- Directed by: Alexander Payne
- 15Forced to move to a boring backwater town, a teenager (Kat Dennings) embarks on affairs with a teacher (Josh Lucas) and a stoner classmate (Reece Thompson).
- Released: 2010
- Directed by: Michael Goldbach
- 16The Informers is a 2008 American ensemble hollywood drama film written by Bret Easton Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki and directed by Gregor Jordan. The film is based on Ellis' 1994 collection of short stories of the same name. The film, which is set amidst the decadence of the early 1980s, depicts an assortment of socially alienated, mainly well-off characters who numb their sense of emptiness with casual sex, alcohol, and drugs. Filming took place in Los Angeles, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires in 2007. It was the last film for actor Brad Renfro before his death on January 15, 2008, at the age of 25. The film was dedicated to his memory. An article published by Reuters described the story as "seven stories taking course during a week in the life of movie executives, rock stars, a vampire and other morally challenged characters", set in 1980s Los Angeles. The supernatural content was not to be included in the final film, however.
- Released: 2008
- Directed by: Gregor Jordan
- 17After the theft of copies of SAT exams from a principal's office, teenage reporter Bobby Funke (Reece Thompson) sets out to unmask the thief. Bobby prints an article fingering Class President Paul Moore as the thief, shredding the youth's reputation. But as Bobby gets to know Paul's girlfriend, Francesca (Mischa Barton), he comes to realize he was wrong about Paul, so he sets out to unmask the true culprit.
- Released: 2008
- Directed by: Brett Simon
- 18Star (Sasha Lane), an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away with a traveling sales crew that drives across the American Midwest selling subscriptions door-to-door. Finding her feet in this gang of teenagers, one of whom is Jake (Shia LaBeouf), she soon gets into the group's lifestyle of hard-partying nights, law-bending days and young love.
- Released: 2016
- Directed by: Andrea Arnold
- 19Pretty Persuasion is a 2005 American black comedy/satirical film about a 15-year-old schoolgirl who makes an allegation of sexual harassment against her drama teacher. The film's tagline is: "Revenge knows no mercy." It was written by Skander Halim and directed by Marcos Siega. It stars Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods and Ron Livingston and was released in the US on August 12, 2005 in select theaters.
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Marcos Siega
- 20A young woman named Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan) falls victim to a sadistic kidnapper. When her ordeal is finally over, Aubrey has a shocking surprise for her family: She claims to be someone else. Some wonder whether Aubrey is mentally ill, intentionally lying, or if there is some bizarre truth to her claim.
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Chris Sivertson
- 21After a friend who sells prescription medication is killed, Dean (Jamie Bell) is confronted by Billy (Justin Chatwin), the high-school drug dealer, who demands he hand over the remaining stash. Dean refuses, causing Billy and his partner to plot to kidnap his younger brother, Charlie (Rory Culkin). However, unaware of what Charlie looks like, they accidentally abduct another boy. When neither parents nor law enforcement believes his story, Dean is forced to go on a rescue mission.
- Released: 2005
- Directed by: Arie Posin
- 22Awkward teenager Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) has trouble fitting in at a new high school. Charlie needs some friends fast, and decides that the best way to find them is to appoint himself the resident psychiatrist. He becomes one of the most popular guys in school by doling out advice and, occasionally, medication, to the student body.
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Jon Poll
- 23Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, "Rules" centers around Partrick Bateman's younger brother and his college friends bizarre mating rituals that mix sex, drugs, music and mayhem in a kaleidoscopic story about three students entangled in a curiously surreal romantic triangle...
- Released: 2002
- Directed by: Roger Avary
COLLECTION23 LISTS
Rated T for TeenLooking for movies and TV shows rated T for Teen? Rank these movies about teenagers and high schoolers, enjoyed by people of all ages.
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Rated T for Teen
Looking for movies and TV shows rated T for Teen? Rank these movies about teenagers and high schoolers, enjoyed by people of all ages.
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