The Best 80's Teen Movies
by Djmacman | created - 06 Apr 2014 | updated - 06 Apr 2014 | PublicThis is a list of some of my favourite teen movies from the 1980's. The list includes movies about teenage life or just starring teens in general. Some are obvious classics, and some are just a whole lot of fun! Hope you agree.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Heathers (1988)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime
At Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.
Director: Michael Lehmann | Stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk
Votes: 115,929 | Gross: $1.11M
Dark and funny. A flop at the box office when it was released but it's become a cult classic.
2. License to Drive (1988)
PG-13 | 88 min | Comedy
A teen decides to go for a night on the town with his friends despite flunking his driver's test.
Director: Greg Beeman | Stars: Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Carol Kane, Richard Masur
Votes: 22,633 | Gross: $22.43M
This movie is just a lot of fun to watch. The "Corey's" at their comedic best.
3. Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An outcast secretly pays the most popular girl in school one thousand dollars to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month.
Director: Steve Rash | Stars: Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, Courtney Gains, Tina Caspary
Votes: 42,031 | Gross: $31.62M
A cliche storyline today but still a memorable teen movie.
4. The Lost Boys (1987)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Horror
After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes
Votes: 161,261 | Gross: $32.22M
The Lost Boys - 'nuff said!
5. Summer School (1987)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Freddy the gym teacher has to teach remedial English in summer (high) school, if he wants tenure. As he can only teach gym and his students want fun, emphasis is on "field trips" - until he's fired unless all his students pass the test.
Director: Carl Reiner | Stars: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Patrick Labyorteaux
Votes: 22,151 | Gross: $35.66M
Another teen movie that is just so much fun to watch. You can't not have a smile on your face when watching this movie.
6. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
PG-13 | 102 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
A babysitter must battle her way through the big city after being stranded there with the kids she's looking after.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp
Votes: 49,145 | Gross: $34.37M
Crazy hijinks babysitting fun.
7. Trick or Treat (1986)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Horror, Music
A bullied teenage boy is devastated after the death of his heavy metal idol, Sammi Curr. But as Halloween night approaches, he discovers that he may be the only one who can stop Sammi from making a Satanic comeback from beyond the grave.
Director: Charles Martin Smith | Stars: Marc Price, Tony Fields, Lisa Orgolini, Doug Savant
Votes: 7,875 | Gross: $6.80M
A blast of a rock 'n roll horror movie. Turn it up!
8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy
A popular high school student, admired by his peers, decides to take a day off from school and goes to extreme lengths to pull it off, to the chagrin of his Dean, who'll do anything to stop him.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones
Votes: 386,650 | Gross: $70.14M
Bueller..... Bueller. Yup!
9. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,850 | Gross: $52.29M
Not technically a teen movie since, I believe, the main characters were "12 going on 13"? But I had to add this to the list. A great coming-of-age story.
10. Pretty in Pink (1986)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A poor girl must choose between the affections of dating her childhood sweetheart or a rich but sensitive playboy.
Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton, Annie Potts
Votes: 88,618 | Gross: $40.47M
One of many John Hughes movies in the list - for good reason!
11. One Crazy Summer (1986)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
An aspiring teenage cartoonist and his friends come to the aid of a singer trying to save her family property from developers.
Director: Savage Steve Holland | Stars: John Cusack, Demi Moore, Linda Warren, Joel Murray
Votes: 16,760 | Gross: $13.43M
Another crazy, fun flick.
12. Teen Wolf (1985)
PG | 91 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
An ordinary high school student discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree.
Director: Rod Daniel | Stars: Michael J. Fox, James Hampton, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine
Votes: 59,705 | Gross: $33.09M
Yeah okay, not a good movie, but still a guilty pleasure.
13. Better Off Dead (1985)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
After his girlfriend ditches him for a boorish ski jock, Lane decides that suicide is the only answer. However, his increasingly inept attempts bring him only more agony and embarrassment. Filled with the wildest teen nightmares.
Director: Savage Steve Holland | Stars: John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Demian Slade
Votes: 49,396 | Gross: $10.30M
Awesome teen comedy with some great laughs and crazy gags. Super-fun!
14. Weird Science (1985)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Two high-school nerds use a computer program to literally create the perfect woman, who promptly turns their lives upside-down.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Paxton
Votes: 97,463 | Gross: $23.83M
One more John Hughes flick.
15. The Heavenly Kid (1985)
PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
In order to earn his wings and get into heaven, a hip guardian angel is handed the task of watching over a lonely high school boy who needs guidance on how to fit in.
Director: Cary Medoway | Stars: Lewis Smith, Jason Gedrick, Jane Kaczmarek, Richard Mulligan
Votes: 5,641 | Gross: $3.85M
Not a great movie but another fun premise.
16. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,307,537 | Gross: $210.61M
Is there anything really to say here? Didn't think so. A must see.
17. Just One of the Guys (1985)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Romance
Terry feels discriminated against when the summer jobs at the Sun Tribune go to two guys. She decides to do something about it. She dresses like a guy and gets a haircut. Will students at the other high school notice? Girls notice "him".
Director: Lisa Gottlieb | Stars: Joyce Hyser, Clayton Rohner, Billy Jayne, Toni Hudson
Votes: 17,876 | Gross: $11.50M
Fun "girl-plays-guy" teen movie with some great laughs.
18. Mischief (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Guided by James Dean, the eternal symbol of youthful rebellion, a gawky high school student obsessed with the hottest girl in class takes a crash course in teenage coolness from his motorcycle-rebel neighbor.
Director: Mel Damski | Stars: Doug McKeon, Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelly Preston, Chris Nash
Votes: 7,035 | Gross: $8.69M
Great teen movie set in the 1950's. Kind of an 80's version of American Pie?
19. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,749 | Gross: $45.88M
Of course this is on the list.
20. Sixteen Candles (1984)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
A girl's "sweet" sixteenth birthday is anything but special: her family forgets about it, and she suffers from every embarrassment possible.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling
Votes: 126,426 | Gross: $23.69M
Add another John Hughes movie to this list.
21. Footloose (1984)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 92,388 | Gross: $80.04M
22. WarGames (1983)
PG | 114 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman
Votes: 110,814 | Gross: $79.57M
23. The Outsiders (1983)
PG | 91 min | Crime, Drama
In a small Oklahoma town in 1964, the rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, heats up when one gang member accidentally kills a member of the other.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze
Votes: 97,602 | Gross: $25.60M
24. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of Southern California high school students are enjoying their most important subjects: sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
Director: Amy Heckerling | Stars: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus
Votes: 115,815 | Gross: $27.09M
Great cast, great teen film. A classic.
25. Porky's (1981)
R | 94 min | Comedy
In 1954, a group of Florida high-school guys try to help their buddy lose his virginity, which leads them to seek revenge on a sleazy nightclub owner and his redneck sheriff brother for harassing them.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight, Roger Wilson
Votes: 45,762 | Gross: $111.29M
Porky's was probably the first teen movie to push the limits of good taste. But it tastes soooo good ;)
Tell Your Friends