This 2012 adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's novel is the gold standard for teen films that don't talk down to their audience. It follows Charlie, a freshman struggling with mental health issues, as he navigates friendship, first love, and trauma.

What parents should know: This film deals with sexual abuse, mental health crises, and LGBTQ+ identity. It's heavy, but it's also gentle and ultimately hopeful. The depictions are age-appropriate for mature 13-year-olds, but you know your kid—if they're not ready for conversations about trauma and therapy, wait a year or two.

Conversation starter: "What did you think about how Charlie's friends helped him through his struggles?"

Yes, it's technically a superhero movie, but it's really a film about a teen trying to figure out who he is when everyone has expectations for him. Miles Morales is dealing with a new school, family pressure, and suddenly, spider powers.

What parents should know: This is one of the rare films that works for the whole family—your 10-year-old will love the action, your 15-year-old will connect with Miles's identity struggles, and you'll appreciate the stunning animation and genuine emotional depth.

Hailee Steinfeld is perfection as Nadine, a junior whose best friend starts dating her older brother. It's funny, painful, and captures the specific hell of feeling like you don't fit anywhere.

What parents should know: Strong language throughout, sexual content, and teen drinking. But it also shows a teen forming a genuine connection with a teacher (Woody Harrelson, excellent) that's mentorship, not anything weird—a good model for healthy adult-teen relationships.

The Netflix trilogy that launched a thousand copycats, but the original still holds up. Lara Jean's secret love letters get mailed out, chaos ensues, fake dating becomes real dating.

What parents should know: This is genuinely sweet without being saccharine. The Covey family is one of the best-depicted families in teen cinema—a widowed dad raising three daughters with love and structure. Minimal content concerns beyond kissing.

The first major studio teen rom-com with a gay protagonist, and it's a delight. Simon is being blackmailed by someone who knows he's gay before he's ready to come out.

What parents should know: This is the movie to watch if you want to understand what coming out feels like in 2026. It's not a "very special episode"—it's a regular teen rom-com that happens to have a gay lead. Some parents worry about the blackmail plot being too intense, but it's handled well and leads to good conversations about digital privacy and authenticity.

A smart, quiet Netflix film that reimagines Cyrano de Bergerac. Ellie, a shy Chinese-American student, helps a jock write love letters to a girl—whom Ellie also has feelings for.

What parents should know: This is a more mature, contemplative film than typical rom-coms. It explores sexuality, identity, and what love actually means. Best for 14+, and honestly, a lot of adults would benefit from watching it too.

Greta Gerwig's masterpiece about a high school senior in Sacramento who desperately wants to leave for the East Coast. But really, it's about the complicated, messy love between mothers and daughters.

What parents should know: Sexual content (including a teen's first time), underage drinking, and a lot of f-bombs. But it's also one of the most accurate depictions of the mother-daughter relationship during the senior year of high school ever put to film. Watch it with your teen if you can handle seeing yourself reflected back.

For parents of daughters specifically: You will cry. Just accept it now.

Bo Burnham's directorial debut is almost painful to watch because it's so accurate. Kayla is finishing eighth grade, trying to project confidence on social media while drowning in anxiety in real life.

What parents should know: This is rated R, but not for the reasons you'd expect—it's R because of the intensity and some language. The most uncomfortable scene involves an older high school boy making Kayla uncomfortable in a car (nothing happens, but it's tense). This is actually a great film to watch with your middle schooler to talk about social media, anxiety, and uncomfortable situations with older kids.

The Best Picture winner follows Chiron through three stages of life—childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—as a Black gay man in Miami. The middle section is the teen years.

What parents should know: This is art-house cinema, not a typical teen movie. It's quiet, beautiful, and devastating. Drug use, violence, and sexuality are all present but not gratuitous. Best for mature 16+ who are ready for serious cinema.

Two overachieving best friends realize on the eve of graduation that they should have partied more in high school. They attempt to cram four years of fun into one night.

What parents should know: Raunchy humor, drug use, and sexual content throughout—but it's also whip-smart and features one of the best depictions of female friendship in recent cinema. The two leads are going to be stars. Best for 15+, despite what your teen tells you about how "everyone has seen it."

The 2007 classic still holds up as the definitive "one crazy night before everything changes" teen comedy. Two best friends trying to get alcohol for a party before they leave for different colleges.

What parents should know: This is raunchy, crude, and full of teenage boy humor. It's also genuinely sweet about friendship and growing up. The ending will make you misty-eyed about your teen leaving for college. Definitely 16+ territory due to pervasive crude sexual content and language.

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley star in this adaptation of Tim Tharp's novel about a charming alcoholic senior who starts dating a shy classmate. It doesn't go where you expect.

What parents should know: This film doesn't glamorize teen drinking—it shows it as the problem it is. The ending is ambiguous and might frustrate teens who want everything tied up neatly. That's kind of the point. Heavy themes of alcoholism and family dysfunction make this best for mature 15+.

A 14-year-old spending the summer at his mom's boyfriend's beach house finds refuge working at a water park. Sam Rockwell is perfect as the slacker water park manager who becomes an unlikely mentor.

What parents should know: This is a gentler coming-of-age story that deals with divorce, difficult stepparents, and finding your people. Some adult situations and language, but appropriate for most 13+. Great for kids dealing with blended family situations.

The 2007 indie darling about a pregnant 16-year-old choosing adoption. Ellen Page (now Elliot Page) is iconic as the wise-cracking Juno.

What parents should know: Obviously deals with teen pregnancy and sex, but the film itself is surprisingly wholesome in how it handles these topics. The dialogue is extremely stylized (no teen actually talks like this), which either charms you or drives you crazy. Good for mature 13+ and an excellent conversation starter about sex, consequences, and choices.

Two teens with cancer fall in love. Yes, you will cry. No, it's not emotionally manipulative—it's earned.

What parents should know: This film takes teen emotions seriously and doesn't minimize their relationship just because they're young. It deals with death, grief, and what it means to live a meaningful life. Bring tissues. Appropriate for 12+, though be prepared for big conversations about mortality.

Based on Angie Thomas's novel, Starr witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed friend and must decide whether to speak up. It's about code-switching, activism, and finding your voice.

What parents should know: This is essential viewing for teens (and parents) to understand the Black experience in America. It depicts police violence and has some intense scenes. Best for 14+. If your teen hasn't read the book, they should—it's even better than the film.

A teen in 1980s Dublin starts a band to impress a girl. The music is fantastic, the story is sweet, and it captures that feeling of art saving your life.

What parents should know: Some language and brief violence, but this is mostly a joyful film about creativity and first love. The family dynamics (difficult father, struggling mother) are realistic and might resonate with teens in tough home situations. Great for 12+.

College a cappella groups compete while a freshman finds her people. Yes, it's technically college, not high school, but the themes are pure teen movie.

What parents should know: Raunchy humor and sexual content make this better for 14+, but it's also genuinely funny and has great music. The friendship between the Bellas is the real love story.

Not every popular teen movie is worth your time. Here's what you can safely skip or delay:

13 Reasons Why (the show, not a movie, but worth mentioning): Mental health experts have raised serious concerns about how this depicts suicide. There are better ways to talk about mental health with your teen.

Most Netflix teen rom-coms: For every To All the Boys I've Loved Before, there are five The Kissing Booth movies that depict unhealthy relationships as romantic. Not every piece of content is worth your teen's time.

Kids and Thirteen: These 90s/early 2000s "gritty" teen films are often cited as classics, but they're more exploitative than insightful. If your teen wants to watch something edgy, there are better options on this list.

Here's a rough guide, but you know your kid:

Ages 12-13: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Way Way Back, Sing Street

Ages 14-15: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Edge of Seventeen, Love, Simon, The Hate U Give, Juno

Ages 16+: Lady Bird, Booksmart, Moonlight, The Spectacular Now, Superbad

These are guidelines, not rules. A mature 14-year-old might be ready for Lady Bird, while a sheltered 16-year-old might need to wait on Moonlight. Consider your teen's maturity, what they've been exposed to, and what you're ready to discuss.

The best thing about teen movies is they give you a low-stakes way to talk about high-stakes topics. After watching, try:

Teen movies at their best do something remarkable: they validate the teenage experience while also providing perspective on it. They say "your feelings are real and important" while also hinting at "and you will survive this and look back on it with complicated nostalgia."

The films on this list aren't perfect—some have dated elements, some make choices you'll disagree with, and some will make you deeply uncomfortable (which might be the point). But they're all worth watching and discussing with your teen.

And here's the secret: watching teen movies with your teen is one of the few remaining activities where they might actually want to hang out with you. They get to see themselves reflected on screen, you get to peek into their world, and for 90-120 minutes, you're both just watching a story together.

That's worth way more than a perfect WISE score.