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Best Teenage/High School Drama Movies Ever Made

by d_smojver • Created 11 years ago • Modified 3 weeks ago
There are some great movies about teenagers and their problems that can teach us important things about life, growing up, sexuality, love, friendship and society.

I put here movies with teenagers (youth between 13 and 19 years old) in the main roles or included in the main storyline, but not movies where they are parts of a ''less important'' storyline (American Beauty and American History X, for example). So, here we have crime dramas, thriller dramas, dramas about teenager - mother/father relationship, romantic dramas, comedy dramas, dramas with bullying, gay dramas, dramas about teenager - teacher relationship, mind-twisting dramas, horror dramas, dramas with a high school fighting, jail dramas and sport dramas.

My favorite movies from here are: Whiplash, Love Exposure, The Wounds, Confessions, Flipped, House of Hummingbird, Keith, ...ing, Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door, The Invisible (2007) and Moving On.

I hope you'll enjoy the list and give me some suggestions, if I missed any notable titles.

P.S. Thanks to Sandra Lukić, who helped me with several titles listed here.

My other lists:

100+ Best Mind-Twisting Movies Ever Made


Best Movies with Grade BELOW 7 on IMDb

Melissa George's Movies - from Best to Worst

Movies with Best Child Performances

Movies That I Own on Original DVD's

My Favorite Directors
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  • 486 titles
  • Inhabitants of Belo Vale Boa Morte and Cidade de Congonhas and Paige Ellens in City of God (2002)

    1. City of God

    20022h 10mR79Metascore
    8.6 (837K)
    In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
    DirectorsFernando MeirellesKátia LundStarsAlexandre RodriguesLeandro FirminoMatheus Nachtergaele
  • Miles Teller in Whiplash (2014)

    2. Whiplash

    20141h 46mR89Metascore
    8.5 (1.1M)
    A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
    DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa Benoist
  • The Young and the Damned (1950)

    3. The Young and the Damned

    19501h 20mNot Rated
    8.2 (23K)
    A group of juvenile delinquents live a violent and crime-filled life in the festering slums of Mexico City, as the morals of young Pedro are gradually corrupted and destroyed by the others.
    DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsAlfonso MejíaRoberto CoboEstela Inda
  • Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Mary McDonnell, Noah Wyle, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and Stuart Stone in Donnie Darko (2001)

    4. Donnie Darko

    20011h 53mR88Metascore
    8.0 (882K)
    After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
    DirectorRichard KellyStarsJake GyllenhaalJena MaloneMary McDonnell
  • François Truffaut and Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

    5. The 400 Blows

    19591h 39mNot Rated
    8.0 (131K)
    A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
    DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsJean-Pierre LéaudAlbert RémyClaire Maurier
  • Mommy (2014)

    6. Mommy

    20142h 19mR74Metascore
    8.0 (64K)
    A widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household.
    DirectorXavier DolanStarsAnne DorvalAntoine Olivier PilonSuzanne Clément
  • Sigourney Weaver, Ryan Kelley, and Austin Nichols in Prayers for Bobby (2009)

    7. Prayers for Bobby

    20091h 30mTV-14TV Movie
    8.0 (19K)
    True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons.
    DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsSigourney WeaverHenry CzernyRyan Kelley
  • Hikari Mitsushima, Takahiro Nishijima, and Sakura Andô in Love Exposure (2008)

    8. Love Exposure

    20083h 57mUnrated78Metascore
    8.0 (17K)
    A bizarre love triangle forms between a young Catholic upskirt photographer, a misandric girl and a manipulative cultist.
    DirectorSion SonoStarsTakahiro NishijimaHikari MitsushimaSakura Andô
  • The Wounds (1998)

    9. The Wounds

    19981h 43m
    8.0 (12K)
    This film follows two Belgrade youths on their rise to gangster legends in a decaying society.
    DirectorSrdjan DragojevicStarsDusan PekicMilan MaricDragan Bjelogrlic
  • Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Mia Drake, Shruti Seth, Faezeh Jalali, Dev Patel, and Freida Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

    10. Slumdog Millionaire

    20082hR84Metascore
    8.0 (895K)
    When a teenager from the slums of Mumbai is interrogated about his suspicious performance on a quiz show, he revisits various events from his past to explain how he knew all the answers.
    DirectorsDanny BoyleLoveleen TandanStarsDev PatelFreida PintoSaurabh Shukla
  • Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

    11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    20121h 43mPG-1367Metascore
    7.9 (571K)
    Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
    DirectorStephen ChboskyStarsLogan LermanEmma WatsonEzra Miller
  • Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood (2014)

    12. Boyhood

    20142h 45mR100Metascore
    7.9 (375K)
    The life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.
    DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan Hawke
  • Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name (2017)

    13. Call Me by Your Name

    20172h 12mR94Metascore
    7.8 (340K)
    It's the summer of 1983, and 17-year-old Elio is spending the days with his family at their villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, who's working as an intern for Elio's father. They discover the heady beauty of awakening desire.
    DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTimothée ChalametArmie HammerMichael Stuhlbarg
  • John Gallagher Jr., Brie Larson, Rami Malek, and Alex Calloway in Short Term 12 (2013)

    14. Short Term 12

    20131h 36mR82Metascore
    7.9 (94K)
    A 20-something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend.
    DirectorDestin Daniel CrettonStarsBrie LarsonFrantz TurnerJohn Gallagher Jr.
  • Lucy Boynton and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo in Sing Street (2016)

    15. Sing Street

    20161h 46mPG-1379Metascore
    7.9 (105K)
    A young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
    DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle Kennedy
  • The Return (2003)

    16. The Return

    20031h 50mNot Rated82Metascore
    7.9 (49K)
    In the Russian wilderness, two brothers face a range of new, conflicting emotions when their father - a man they know only through a single photograph - resurfaces.
    DirectorAndrey ZvyagintsevStarsVladimir GarinIvan DobronravovKonstantin Lavronenko
  • Raphael Fejtö and Gaspard Manesse in Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

    17. Au Revoir les Enfants

    19871h 44mPG88Metascore
    8.0 (37K)
    A French boarding school run by priests seems to be a haven from World War II until a new student arrives. Occupying the next bed in the dormitory to the top student in his class, the two young boys begin to form a bond.
    DirectorLouis MalleStarsGaspard ManesseRaphael FejtöFrancine Racette
  • Fabio Audi and Ghilherme Lobo in The Way He Looks (2014)

    18. The Way He Looks

    20141h 36mNot Rated71Metascore
    7.9 (29K)
    Leonardo is a blind teenager searching for independence. His everyday life, the relationship with his best friend Giovana, and the way he sees the world change completely with the arrival of Gabriel.
    DirectorDaniel RibeiroStarsGhilherme LoboFabio AudiTess Amorim
  • The Class (2007)

    19. The Class

    20071h 39m
    7.9 (16K)
    An average Estonian high-schooler decides to defend his bullied classmate. This starts war between him and the informal leader of the class. As teenagers' honour is a touchy thing, everything ends in bloodshed.
    DirectorIlmar RaagStarsVallo KirsPärt UusbergLauri Pedaja
  • Yoshimi Ashikawa in 1 Litre of Tears (2005)

    20. 1 Litre of Tears

    20051h 38m
    7.8 (1.4K)
    '1 Litre of Tears' is a Japanese movie mainly based on a published version of Diary.
    DirectorRiki OkamuraStarsAsae ÔnishiKazuko KatôKaori Torii
  • Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall in The Breakfast Club (1985)

    21. The Breakfast Club

    19851h 37mR66Metascore
    7.8 (457K)
    Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
    DirectorJohn HughesStarsEmilio EstevezJudd NelsonMolly Ringwald
  • Kate Hudson in Almost Famous (2000)

    22. Almost Famous

    20002h 2mR90Metascore
    7.9 (304K)
    A high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
    DirectorCameron CroweStarsBilly CrudupPatrick FugitKate Hudson
  • Badlands (1973)

    23. Badlands

    19731h 34mPG94Metascore
    7.7 (81K)
    An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town, and her older greaser boyfriend, embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota Badlands.
    DirectorTerrence MalickStarsMartin SheenSissy SpacekWarren Oates
  • Oksana Akinshina in Lilya 4-Ever (2002)

    24. Lilya 4-Ever

    20021h 49mR83Metascore
    7.8 (53K)
    Sixteen-year-old Lilja and her only friend, the young boy Volodja, live in Russia, fantasizing about a better life. One day, Lilja falls in love with Andrej, who is going to Sweden, and invites Lilja to come along and start a new life.
    DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsOksana AkinshinaArtyom BogucharskiyPavel Ponomaryov
  • The Wave (2008)

    25. The Wave

    20081h 47mNot Rated
    7.6 (119K)
    A high school teacher's experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.
    DirectorDennis GanselStarsJürgen VogelFrederick LauMax Riemelt

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