Carrie (1976)
Brian De Palma's 1976 King adaptation. Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, John Travolta supporting.
Genre: Teen
High schools, proms, and growing up on an eighty-minute deadline. Teen movie reviews covering the comedies and dramas of adolescence across the decades.
coming-of-ageStand by Me (1986)
Rob Reiner's 1986 Stephen King novella adaptation. Phoenix, Wheaton, Feldman, O'Connell.
DramaDead Poets Society (1989)
Peter Weir's 1989 prep school drama. Robin Williams as the unorthodox English teacher.
Comedy
ComedyClueless (1995)
Amy Heckerling's 1995 Beverly Hills Emma adaptation. Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd debut.
coming-of-ageLady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig's 2017 directorial debut. Saoirse Ronan as Sacramento teenager.
ComedyDazed and Confused (1993)
Richard Linklater's 1993 last-day-of-school 1976 ensemble. Affleck, McConaughey, Adam Goldberg breakthroughs.
AmericanaAmerican Graffiti (1973)
George Lucas's 1973 1962 California teen ensemble. Soundtrack establishes nostalgia template.
DramaRebel Without a Cause (1955)
Nicholas Ray's 1955 James Dean defining role. Chickie run, planetarium, foundation of every teen film since.
coming-of-ageThe Outsiders (1983)
Howell, Lowe, Macchio, Dillon, Cruise, Estevez, Swayze. After Johnny kills a Soc during a confrontation in defense of Ponyboy, the boys flee to an abandoned country church where they hide until Johnny suffers fatal injuries rescuing children from the burning…
CheerleaderHeathers (1988)
Michael Lehmann's 1988 dark teen comedy. Winona Ryder, Christian Slater murder high school cliques.
TeenCruel Intentions (1999)
Cruel Intentions is the best classical adaptation American teen cinema has produced. The 10 rating is honest evaluation.