Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the lives of teenagers and young adults, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation and other topics / issues in the personal and professional lives of teenagers and young adults. Some of these films are targeted at adults as well as teenagers. Teen films have been a trope of the cinema industry that grew in popularity in the 1950s. At this time, the film industry saw a greater market for teens with more disposable income and therefore more money to spend on leisure activities, largely going to films. Because of the boom in teen viewers, drive-in movie theaters were also very popular. However, teen films have been produced since the dawn of the 20th century. Recently, online streaming services such as Netflix have created a resurgence in the "tween" and teenage-oriented film.Steel, E. "Netflix to Ad Films and TV Series for Teenagers." New York Times. August 24, 2015. Retrieved on October 4, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/business/netflix-to-add-films-and-tv-series-for-teenagers.html
Subgenres
Teen fantasy and science fiction
Franchises Star Wars (1977–present) The NeverEnding Story film series (1984–1994) The Karate Kid (1984-present) Back to the Future (1985–present) Bill & Ted (1989–present) Class of 1999 (1990) and Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990–present) Jumanji franchise (1995–present) Halloweentown (1998–2006) X-Men (2000–2020) Harry Potter film series (2001–2011) Shrek (2001–present) Spider-Man (2002–2007) The Chronicles of Narnia (2005–2010) Transformers (2007–present) The Twilight Saga (2008–2012) Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008–present) Kung Fu Panda (2008–present) Avatar film series (2009–present) Kick-Ass (2010) and Kick-Ass 2 (2013) Percy Jackson film series (2010–2013) How to Train Your Dragon (2010–2019) The Amazing Spider-Man (2012–2014) The Hunger Games film series (2012–present) The Divergent Series (2014–2016) Maze Runner film series (2014–2018) Fantastic Beasts (2016–2022) Sonic the Hedgehog film series (2020–present)
Stand-Alone The 5th Wave (2016) Aquamarine (2006) Bridge to Terabithia (2007) Casper (1995) Casper Meets Wendy (1998) Chronicle (2012) Clockstoppers (2002) Donnie Darko (2001) Don't Look Under the Bed (1999) Edward Scissorhands (1990) Ender's Game (2013) Ever After (1998) Ella Enchanted (2004) The Faculty (1998) Freaky Friday (2003) Girl vs. Monster (2012) The Giver (2014) Goosebumps (2015) Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018) Hackers (1995) Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) Hocus Pocus (1993) Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) The Host (2013) Love, Rosie (2014) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) Mamaboy (2017) The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) My Science Project (1985) Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) Pleasantville (1998) Power Rangers (2017) Project Almanac (2014) Race to Witch Mountain (2009) Ready Player One (2018) Ron's Gone Wrong (2021) Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) Small Soldiers (1998) Soul Snatcher (2020) Susie Q (1996) Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000) Tammy and the T-Rex (1994) Teen Witch (1989) Teen Wolf (1985) Teen Wolf Too (1987) Tomorrowland (2015) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000) Thunderbirds (2004) Voyagers (2021) WarGames (1983) WarGames: The Dead Code (2008) Weird Science (1985) Wish Upon a Star (1996) Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999) Zenon: The Zequel (2001) Zenon: Z3 (2004)
Teen animated films Bebe's Kids (1992) Toy Story (1995) Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) Toy Story 2 (1999) Titan A.E. (2000) Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) Treasure Planet (2002) 9 (2009) Toy Story 3 (2010) Epic (2013) Big Hero 6 (2014) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) Abominable (2019) Ne Zha (2019) Toy Story 4 (2019) The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) Luca (2021) Ron's Gone Wrong (2021) Turning Red (2022) Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe (2022) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Nimona (2023) Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Ne Zha 2 (2025) Goat (2026) Toy Story 5 (2026) Minions & Monsters (2026) Coyote vs. Acme (2026) Forgotten Island (2026) Wildwood (2026) Hexed (2026) The Angry Birds Movie 3 (2026)
Teen horror and horror-comedy
Franchises The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise (1974–2022) Black Christmas franchise (1974–2019) Carrie franchise (1976–2026) Halloween franchise (1978–2022) Piranha franchise (1978–2012) When a Stranger Calls franchise (1979–2006) Friday the 13th franchise (1980–2009) Prom Night franchise (1980–2008) The Slumber Party Massacre (1982), Slumber Party Massacre II (1987), Slumber Party Massacre III (1990) and Slumber Party Massacre (2021) The Sleepaway Camp franchise (1983–2012) A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise (1984–2010) Children of the Corn franchise (1984–2020) Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise (1984–2012) Fright Night (1985), Fright Night Part 2 (1988), Fright Night (2011), and Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013) Return of the Living Dead franchise (1985–2005) Teen Wolf franchise (1985–2023) The Lost Boys franchise (1987–2010) Night of the Demons (1988), Night of the Demons 2 (1994), Night of the Demons 3 (1997), & Night of the Demons (2009) Scream franchise (1996–present) I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise (1997–2025) Urban Legend franchise (1998–present) Final Destination franchise (2000–present) Scary Movie franchise (2000–present) Ginger Snaps (2000), Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004) Cabin Fever franchise (2002–2016) The Ring franchise (2002–2017) Wrong Turn franchise (2003–2021) Zombieland franchise (2009–2019) My Super Psycho Sweet 16 franchise (2009–2012) Fear Street franchise (2021–present)
Stand-Alone American Vampire (1997) All Cheerleaders Die (2013) All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) April Fools (2007) April Fool's Day (1986) April Fool's Day (2008) Babysitter Massacre (2013) Bad Reputation (2005) The Beast Within (1982) Bedeviled (2016) Black as Night (2021) The Blob (1958) The Blob (1988) Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2009) Bloody Murder (2000) Bloody Murder 2: Closing Camp (2003) Bodom (2016) Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) The Burning (1981) The Cabin in the Woods (2012) The Covenant (2006) The Craft (1996) The Craft: Legacy (2020) The Crush (1993) Evil Toons (1992) Campfire Tales (1997) Camp Slaughter (2005) Cannibal Campout (1988) Cherry Falls (2000) Cheerleader Massacre (2003) Christine (1983) Cry Wolf (2005) Dance of the Dead (2008) Deadgirl (2008) Deadly Friend (1986) Deathgasm (2015) Death Note (2017) Disturbing Behavior (1998) Disturbia (2007) Dr. Chopper (2005) Embrace of the Vampire (2013) Fear (1996) The Final Girls (2015) Forget Me Not (2009) Freaky (2020) Friend Request (2016) Flowers in the Attic (1987) The Girl Next Door (2007) Gossip (2000) Graduation Day (1981) The Gallows (2015) The Glass House (2001) Happy Birthday to Me (1981) Happy Death Day (2017) Happy Death Day 2U (2019) Haunting on Fraternity Row (2018) The Haunting of Sorority Row (2007) Hell's Highway (2002) Hell Night (1982) Horror (2015) The Hollow (2004) The Hook of Woodland Heights (1990) The House on Sorority Row (1983) House of Wax (2005) The Howling: Reborn (2011) Idle Hands (1999) I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) Initiation (2020) The Invisible (2007) It (2017) It Follows (2014) Jeepers Creepers (2001) Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) Jennifer's Body (2009) Lovers Lane (1999 film) (1999) The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008) The Last House on the Left (1972) The Last House on the Left (2009) Link (1986) The Loved Ones (2009) Ma (2019) Maniacal (2003) Memorial Day (1999) Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire (2000) Mother, May I Sleep With Danger? (1996) Mr. Jingles (2006) Mirror, Mirror (1990) The Mutilator (1985) My Best Friend's Exorcism (2022) My Soul to Take (2010) My Sucky Teen Romance (2011) The New Mutants (2020) The Night Brings Charlie (1990) Nobody Gets Out Alive (2012) The Open House (2018) Ouija (2014) The Doll Master (2022) Psycho Beach Party (2000) The Prowler (1981) The Roommate (2011) Remember the Daze (2007) Queen of the Damned (2002) Run (2020) Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) Scream for Help (1984) See No Evil (2006) See No Evil 2 (2014) Shrunken Heads (1994) The Skulls (2000) Sledgehammer (1983) Slender Man (2018) The Sleeper (2012) There's Someone Inside Your House (2021) Sorority House Massacre (1986) Sorority Row (2009) Student Bodies (1981) Swimfan (2002) Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) Terror Toons (2002) Terror Train (1980) ThanksKilling (2008) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014) Trailer Park of Terror (2008) Treehouse (2014) Trick or Treat (1986) Trick 'r Treat (2007) Truth or Dare (2018) Unfriended (2014) Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) Until Dawn (2025) Vamp (1986) Vampire Academy (2014) We Summon the Darkness (2019) Y2K (2024)
Teen musicals
Franchises A Cinderella Story film series (2004–2021) Camp Rock (2008), Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010) and Camp Rock 3 (2026) Center Stage (2000), Center Stage: Turn It Up (2008) and Center Stage: On Pointe (2016) The Cheetah Girls (2003), The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) and The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008) Descendants (2015), Descendants 2 (2017) and Descendants 3 (2019) Dirty Dancing (1987), Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) and Dirty Dancing (2017) Fame (1980) and Fame (2009) Footloose (1984) and Footloose (2011) Grease (1978) and Grease 2 (1982) Hairspray (1988) and Hairspray (2007) High School Musical (2006), High School Musical 2 (2007) and High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) Pitch Perfect (2012), Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) Teen Beach Movie (2013) and Teen Beach 2 (2015) Zombies (2018) and Zombies 2 (2020) West Side Story (1961) and West Side Story (2021) Valley Girl (1983) and Valley Girl (2020)
Stand-Alone Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) Coyote Ugly (2000) Cry-Baby (1990) Flashdance (1983) Freaky Friday (2018) Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011) Sing Street (2016) Spin (2021) Summer Forever (2015) The Prom (2020) Teen Spirit (2018) Downfalls High (2021) Dear Evan Hansen (2021) A Week Away (2021) Metal Lords (2022) Mean Girls (2024)
Teen comedy and teen drama
1910s Hearts Adrift (1914) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917)
1920s The Flapper (1920) My Best Girl (1927) Coquette (1929)
1930s Wild Boys of the Road (1933) Finishing School (1934) Reefer Madness (1936) A Family Affair (1937) You're Only Young Once (1937) Girls' School (1938) Judge Hardy's Children (1938) Out West with the Hardys (1938) Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938) Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever (1939) Boys' Reformatory (1939) The Hardys Ride High (1939) Judge Hardy and Son (1939) The Wizard of Oz (1939)
1940s Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940) Strike Up the Band (1940) Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941) Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941) Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942) The Courtship of Andy Hardy (1942) Miss Annie Rooney (1942) Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book (1942) Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944) Love Laughs at Andy Hardy (1946) The Blue Lagoon (1949)
1950s
Glen or Glenda (1953) The Wild One (1953) Blackboard Jungle (1955) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) The Girl Can't Help It (1956)