In the economic prosperity of the 1980s, when the Western world enjoyed the introduction of malls and major chains onto their local main streets, youth culture flourished and progressively dominated popular media.
This led to the true golden age of teen movies both in and outside of America. Here, the themes of the genre that persist in the present all begin to emerge: love, nostalgia, friendships, and underdogs. The film buffs on Letterboxd have spoken, and through their ratings have created this must-see canon of coming-of-age films of the '80s.
Christiane F. (1981) - 3.78/5 - Not Currently Available To Stream
This German biographical film about a Berlin teenager who falls in love with a drug dealer features music and an onscreen appearance from musical legend, David Bowie.
The film is an adaptation of the real-life protagonist's autobiographical book and is notable for its visceral and gritty portrayal of hard drug use and sex trafficking. Those who are particularly sensitive to these topics might need to skip this film, but others should strap themselves in for a gripping cinematic experience with a legendary soundtrack.
Heathers (1989) - 3.82/5 - Stream On Pluto TV
This '80s classic centers around a teenage girl (Winona Ryder) who, with the help of her brooding boyfriend (Christian Slater), brings about a string of deaths in their high school's popular clique.
The film has seen a number of resurgences in popularity through trends on social media like Tumblr and TikTok. It has since inspired an award-winning rock musical that has been performed internationally. Between the suspense and the cutting quotes in Heathers, the only thing missing from the original film is a musical number or two.
The Breakfast Club (1985) - 3.82/5 - Stream On FuboTV & Amazon Prime
Another staple of the teen movie canon, this film worked dually to forever cement and break down high school archetypes in pop culture. These are, of course, the Jock, the Princess, the Nerd, and the Rebel.
the more unpredictable enemies-to-lovers arcs ever shown onscreen.
À Nos Amours (To Our Loves) (1983) - 3.85/5 - Stream On Kanopy
This French film from internationally acclaimed director Maurice Pialat tells the story of a teen girl who has sex with many partners to avoid her troubled home life but is unable to experience love.
Richard Brody of the New York Times says the film "depicts the world of teenagers as a painful microcosm of the adult world, where sophisticated and ruthless gamesmanship is met by a yet immature and utterly flayed vulnerability." It is interesting to watch through a contemporary lens the culture around sex that first emerged in the years following the sexual revolution of the late '60s but has only grown progressively more mainstream since.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - 3.94/5 - Stream On Hulu & Roku
Set in the economic prosperity and joyful normalcy of '80s suburbia, this film persists as one of the most entertaining teen movies to date. In it, charismatic high schooler, Ferris (Matthew Brodrick), decides to skip school and enlist his best friend and girlfriend in a day of adventures.
The film features a breakout performance from Succession star, Alan Ruck. And nearly everything about Ferris Bueller's Day Off still holds up today— a rarity for popular movies of yesteryear when viewed through a contemporary lens. This joyful and timeless classic has an undeniable charm that stands the test of time.
The Time To Live And The Time to Die (1985) - 3.98/5 - Stream On Amazon Prime
This hidden gem from renowned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien is a semi-biographical film about the filmmaker's adolescence in turbulent '60s Taiwan.
This film has the perfect balance of heart-warming young romance, touching family drama, and political intrigue. It might be a slow burn, but some of the best films are. The humid setting and poignant stillness are sure to put viewers in a trance. The Time To Live is part of the first wave of films of the Taiwanese New Wave, a cinematic movement that spanned from the early 1980s into the early 2000s.
Boyfriends And Girlfriends (1987) - 3.99/5 - Stream On Metrograph
Boyfriends and Girlfriends is a touching tale of intertwining teen romances from the mind of Eric Rohmer, a prominent director of the French New Wave film movement.
For fans of romantic drama and couple swaps like Gossip Girl, this film is a must-see. It combines the light-hearted tone and sweeping romanticism of French comedy with the crisscrossing plotlines of American teen dramas. It is also known by the original French title, L'Ami de Mon Amie, which can be roughly translated to My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, an alternate title for the film.
Stand By Me (1986) - 4.12/5 - Stream On Netflix
This iconic staple of the American coming-of-age canon centers around a group of young boys who discover a body when playing in the woods. Aptly, the movie is based on a Stephen King novella titled "The Body."
This is one of the few films on the list that centers around younger children growing into early adolescence as opposed to teenagers in high school. Consequently, a major strength of the movie is the stellar performances given by the set of child actors playing the main characters, including Wil Wheaton of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame and the late River Phoenix.
Dead Poets Society (1989) - 4.18/5 - Stream On Amazon Prime
In this modern classic, the late comedic actor Robin Williams demonstrates his versatility in the dramatic role of John Keating, a new English teacher at a strict all-boys prep school that engages and enlivens his students through his ion for literature and outside-the-box teaching style.
The brotherly camaraderie on display in Dead Poets Society is known for causing the most stoic of men to break down into tears. For fans of English literature, Robin Williams, and male coming of age stories, it cannot be beaten. It is a staple of '80s cinema that reflects the era's desire to breathe new and youthful life into American traditions, which had become relatively stable in the upwardly mobile class of the upwardly mobile country.
Back To The Future (1985) - 4.20/5 - Stream On Hulu
This sci-fi masterpiece centers around an average teen with a mad scientist best friend who accidentally sends him back to the '50s, where he must make sure his parents fall in love in order to save the future existence of himself and his siblings.
It should come as no surprise that Back to the Future ranks at the top of the list. It is an absolute '80s staple, integrating the science fiction hype surrounding the Star Wars trilogy with the sentimental streak and quippy humor of John Hughes teen movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club. Anyone who still hasn't seen it is missing a key touchstone of American media and culture.
