Five Iconic Teen Movies, to watch ASAP.
Teen movies have a special place in my heart.
They are equal parts amazing and absurd and it doesn’t seem to matter how many times I have seen them, I will watch them over and over and enjoy them as much as I did the first time.
As I write this I realise that very few of you would have been born when these films were released - I mean I was barely around for Clueless which proves that these movies stand the test of time.
These are also movies your mum, aunty or older sister would have watched and loved and will likely be movies we continue to watch well into the future.
So invite over some of your besties, grab the popcorn and get comfy with these awesome teen movies!
Mean Girls - 2004
For me, this is the pinnacle. You don’t get better than Mean Girls.
The story follows 16-year-old Cady who is entering the jungle of high school after spending most of her life being home-schooled in Africa. There she navigates the complicated world of being a teenager and obviously the Mean Girls, Regina, Gretchen and Karen.
This movie has an all star cast, including Lindsay Lohan when she was still in her acting prime. It is just one laugh-out-loud moment after another, as well as a crap-tonne of ICONIC lines I still regularly quote to people.
If you watch anything on this list, make sure it’s this one - It’s so fetch.
Clueless - 1995
The 1990’s are making a huge style comeback so if plaid mini skirts and little Calvin Klein dressed are your vibe then you need to watch Clueless immediately.
The movie centers around Beverly Hills teenager Cher Horowitz and her friends Dionne and Tai as they navigate love, life and school. Of course this movie is about as light and fluffy as they come but the true star is the fashion, especially Cher’s INCREDIBLE closet computer set up.
Oh did I mention the movie stars the age-less Paul Rudd as Cher’s step-brother Josh? How does this man still look the same age 26 years later….
Grease - 1978
Okay I admit this film could also fit into the most iconic musicals of all time but at the end of the day it’s about a bunch of teenagers at Rydell High and I deem it to be an iconic teen film.
The story follows cool-guy Danny and Aussie gal Sandy who have the ultimate summer romance in 1958, that ends with them thinking they will never see each other again. Of course that would be a super boring narrative so Sandy ends up staying in the USA and enrols at Danny’s high school no less! Shock! I won’t tell you any more other than there is high school drama, fast cars, singing and LOTS of hair gel.
If you don’t like musicals then this probably isn’t the film for you. In saying that it is DAMN iconic and one of those movies that is considered culturally significant. I recommend watching it at least once, if just to say you have seen it.
Oh and do me a favour, don’t bother with Grease 2. It was a film that never needed to be made.
The Breakfast Club - 1985
As far as teen films go, The Breakfast Club (made by legendary teen comedy filmmaker John Hughes) is considered one of the most significant ones out there. I mean Entertainment Weekly gave it the top spot on their Best High School Movies list.
The film follows five very different teenagers who are at high school on a Saturday for all-day detention. Claire the popular girl (who also plays Archie Andrews mum in Riverdale), Andrew the jock, Brian the nerd, Allison the weirdo and John the bad boy are each assigned a 1000 word essay by the Vice Principal Vernon, detailing ‘who they think they are’. Essentially, the five come to realise they have more in common than they realise.
Although it’s based in 1984 America, the problems each one of them face are still issues that teenagers battle with today.
It’s an oldie but a goodie, so give it a go.
10 Things I Hate About You - 1999
For some reason or another, the film industry went through this phase of remaking Shakespeare plays into modern films and one of said films was 10 Things I Hate About You. It was a super random time and although I wouldn’t recommend that anything go out and read The Taming of the Shrew (like ever), I would recommend watching 10 Things I Hate About You.
In a nutshell, a new kid Cameron moves to town and develops a huge crush on 15 year-old popular girl, Bianca. Unfortunately Bianca’s dad has a rule that she is only allowed to start dating when her antisocial older sister Kat does. Cameron convinces bad boy Patrick, (played by the beautiful Heath Ledger RIP) to win over Kat, so that he and Bianca can get together. I’ll stop there so I don’t ruin anything else!
I’ll admit I was quite old myself when I first watched this and I kicked myself for not having watched it sooner. It’s a true classic and just a super enjoyable watch. Trust me, this is the best Shakespeare gets.
