The 20 most realistic teen movies

Directed by Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade is an unflinching look at the anxiety and confidence issues that come with being a young person. Kayla is an introverted eighth-grader who makes videos about self-confidence and posts them online. However, she pretends to be someone she’s not to fit in with her peers. Burnham perfectly captures the discomfort and awkwardness of these formative years, making the film a difficult but highly effective watch. 

Set in the summer of 2008, Dìdi follows Chris, a thirteen-year-old Taiwanese-American boy. Getting ready to start high school, Chris is highly impressionable and navigates cultural identity, first love, family, and friendships. The film is a highly effective portrait of teen angst and rebellion, as Chris tries his hardest to grow up quickly and become accepted. The 2000s setting of the Myspace era also adds innocence and authenticity to the film's world and its characters.

The Edge of Seventeen stars Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine, a moody teenager who doesn’t get along with her mother and popular older brother. Things become even more difficult when her best friend starts dating her brother. Feeling more alone than ever, Nadine finds allies in a boy at school and her teacher, played by Woody Harrelson. Steinfeld’s sharp, confident performance helps convey the many emotions and complexities of navigating teen life. 

From director Olivia Wilde, Booksmart is a chaotic and hilarious high school romp. It follows Amy and Molly, two top students who realise they could have worked less and played more. On the eve of their high school graduation, they set out to cram four years of partying they had missed out on into one night. The characters are incredibly well developed and feel like people you actually might have met during your high school years. It feels modern yet timeless.

Greta Gerwig’s  Lady Bird is often hailed as the quintessential coming-of-age film released in the 2010s.  Saoirse Ronan plays Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson, a strong-willed teen who clashes heads with her equally strong-willed mother, played by Laurie Metcalf. While developing romantic relationships and trying to get into college, Lady Bird dreams of leaving her hometown of Sacramento. Her fierce independence and desire to break free are highly relatable for teenagers.

The Spectacular Now is a 2013 romantic drama starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. Teller plays Sutter, a popular party animal who meets and falls in love with the studious Amy, played by Woodley. She changes his perspective on life, but circumstances come between the two. The film offers a much darker approach towards teen drinking, which is usually glorified in high school movies, as Sutter suffers from alcoholism. It avoids clichés by taking this route instead.

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2022, CODA is a beautiful and heartwarming crowd-pleaser that won’t leave a dry eye in the house. The story follows Ruby, who is the only hearing member of her deaf family. She becomes torn between pursuing her passion for music and supporting her family and their fishing business. Ruby’s struggle is very real and something many teens face, especially when trying to find their own independence without hurting those around them. 

One of Richard Linklater’s most iconic movies is the 1993 indie comedy Dazed and Confused. The film is set in 1970s Texas, and follows a group of teens celebrating their last day of high school with plenty of drugs, alcohol, and other shenanigans. It paints an effective portrait of youthful rebellion and excess, but feels so realistic because of how mundane it is. This is a slice-of-life observation of teen culture and the feeling that comes with being young.

The Way, Way Back  is a comedic drama featuring an all-star cast, including Sam Rockwell, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, and more.  It follows shy teen Duncan, who is forced to spend the summer at his mother’s cruel boyfriend’s beach house. He lands a job at a water park owned by Owen, who helps him come out of his shell. For many teens, it takes a long time to find their people and finally feel like they fit in, which is what eventually happens to Duncan. 

Directed by Jonah Hill, Mid90s is a nostalgic, grungy portrait of its time and Los Angeles setting. The film follows thirteen-year-old Stevie, who spends his summer navigating his turbulent home life and the new older friends he has made at a skateboard shop. Mid90s takes an observant approach and captures the aimless, carefree nature of many teens. Stevie is also highly impressionable, as he begins to experiment and is taken under the wing of his new friends. 

Rocks is a British coming-of-age drama about the power of friendship and sisterhood. It follows Rocks, a teenage girl who is abandoned by her mother and forced to take care of herself and her younger brother. Living on the streets, she finds solace in her close-knit friend group. The characters in the film are incredibly realistic, as are the acting and the filmmaking style. Rocks offers a gritty and believable take on teen life and the challenges people from different socio-economic backgrounds face. 

From Céline Sciamma, director of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Girlhood is a unique coming-of-age film that explores the experiences of young Black girls in Paris. Sixteen-year-old Marieme joins an all-girl gang in the projects after feeling suffocated by her family. She gains more confidence and her persona changes, but it doesn’t necessarily make her happier. Girlhood does an excellent job of examining how young people feel the need to break free from what is familiar to them.

Sing Street is a musically-charged romantic comedy from John Carney, director of Once and Begin Again. Set in 1980s Dublin, the story follows Conor, who forms a band to impress the girl he likes. Through his music, he finds escape from the poverty and harsh family life he faces. Featuring catchy tunes, memorable misfit characters, and a whole lot of heart, Sing Street is an absolute delight that explores all the highs and lows teen life has to offer. 

Suncoast follows Doris, a teenage girl with a strong-willed mother and brother who has a serious illness. When she takes her brother to live at a specialized facility, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with an activist protesting a medical case. Teenagers need support from their parents as they go through so many changes and firsts, but Doris’s mother largely overlooks her because she has to focus on her brother. It’s a point of view rarely seen in film.

Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler star in The Fallout, where Ortega plays a teenager dealing with the trauma and aftermath of a school shooting. The event changes her outlook on life and her relationships with others forever. Vada and her friends feel like genuine people as they deal with one of the most devastating threats facing young people in the United States. The Fallout is a film that isn’t afraid to explore and shine a light on a very real issue. 

From Kelly Fremon Craig, who also directed The Edge of Seventeen, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is based on the seminal novel by Judy Blume. It follows eleven-year-old Margaret, who moves from the city to the suburbs and is on the cusp of adolescence. She navigates new feelings, friends, family, and the many changes happening in her life. Utterly wholesome and relatable, the film is one of the sweeter coming-of-age stories adapted for the big screen. 

Produced by Josh and Benny Safdie, Funny Pages is a strange and quirky entry into the teen movie catalog. The story follows Robert, a teenage cartoonist who leaves home and is taken under the unwilling wing of Wallace, a former comic artist. With its grimy aesthetic and low production values, the film is rooted in realism thanks to the mundane, unglamorous world it creates. It is a peculiar story with strange characters, but it does have some charm to it. 

Boyz n the Hood follows Darrin, Tre, and Ricky, three young men growing up in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles. They deal with issues such as race, violence, relationships, and more. The film avoids common stereotypes in the portrayal of African-American life and is based on director John Singleton’s personal experiences. It is also not afraid to shy away from reality, and as a result, it is quite devastating. Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Morris Chestnut star. 

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl tells the story of Greg, a socially awkward teen who spends his time making short films with his friend Earl. He is forced by his mother to befriend Rachel, a girl at school with leukemia, which opens his world and changes his life forever. Cancer is usually glamorized in Hollywood movies, but this film offers a more authentic portrayal, balancing the highs and lows and the power of friendship during difficult times. 

Directed by Richard Linklater, Boyhood is a groundbreaking cinematic experiment. Filmed over twelve years with the same actors, the film follows Mason from his early childhood to his arrival at college as a young man. By using the same actors, the characters feel like a real family and real people, and they grow throughout the film (both literally and figuratively). Boyhood also benefits from its slice-of-life narrative, which adds to the movie's realism.