Tied to the 20th anniversary of Bring It On, we hereby dub the next five days Teen Movie Week. Dig up your varsity jacket, pull up to your cafeteria table, and relive your adolescence as we celebrate the best coming-of-age movies ever made.
The one where the teen skips school. The one where the teen goes from homeschooled outcast to queen bee. The one where the teen ruins prom. The one where the teens fall in love and die together. (Shakespeare was hella dramatic, man.)
From Rebel Without a Cause, to the genre’s first heyday in the ’80s, to the late ’90s resurgence, to today’s Netflix-led charge, there have been a lot of teen movies. Perhaps it’s because the genre is so malleable—the teen experience can be welded into a number of other genres. Perhaps it’s because the teen movie audience is a continually replenishing resource—to steal the idea of a wise man: Time goes on, they stay the same age. Or perhaps it’s because the people who make these movies—and the people who watch them—want nothing more than to remember the days of innocence, self-discovery, and freedom. Adolescence, in all its wonder and terror, is something we all go through in one way or another.
But as The Ringer has been wont to do in this moment when we’ve all been stuck at home, with ample time for spirited debate and friendly argument, we now pose a question: With the 20th anniversary of Bring It On approaching on Tuesday, we ask: What is the best teen movie? Welcome to the Teen Movie Bracket.
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Isn’t it absolutely fetch?
Before we get to the voting, here’s how the field of 64 was assembled. First, there were some ground rules:
- As you’ll see (and surely tweet at us about), we used a fairly loose definition of “teen movie.” It was more of a Justice Potter Stewart approach: You know it when you see it. But generally, the movies included had to feature teenage protagonists and deal at least a little bit with the adolescent experience.
- The parodies—namely, Scary Movie and Not Another Teen Movie—were not included. There are too many actual teen movies to consider the movies that exist solely to make fun of them.
For the selection process, members of the Ringer staff were asked to compile their own personal character rankings. From those results, seeding was calculated from 1 to 64. Characters were then sorted into four regions: High School Drama, Teens Are Terrifying, Next Stop: Adulthood, and What’s Your Damage? If you’ve seen more than one teen movie in your life, the regions ought to be fairly self-explanatory. Sorting the movies into each region was done as literally as possible, though in the cases in which movies arguably fit into multiple regions, they were placed so as to ensure the most parity across the categories. Difficult decisions had to be made—I would like to personally apologize to 2000s-era Mandy Moore—but expanding the field would have been an insult to our Top 64. These are your finalists—surely, the Best Teen Movie is within this group.
But that’s up to you to decide. For each round, you can vote here on the website, on Twitter, and on Instagram every day till 6 p.m. ET, through Friday. Voting will go as follows:
Monday: Round of 64
Tuesday: Round of 32
Wednesday: Sweet 16
Thursday: Elite Eight
Friday a.m.: Final Four
Friday p.m.: Championship
Saturday: Winner revealed
Now let’s get to the best of each region.
High School Drama
Most Intriguing Matchup: (5) Varsity Blues vs. (12) Rebel Without a Cause
It’s the Beek versus the Dean. It’s the tale of a Texas kid who hates his parents versus the tale of an L.A. kid who hates his parents. It’s “I don’t want your life!” versus “You’re tearing me apart!”
It’s interesting to think about: Should you choose the movie that partially defined the late-’90s boom, or should you choose the movie that’s partially responsible for laying out the parameters of the entire genre? West Canaan, Texas, or Griffith Observatory? Whipped-cream bikinis or hot rods? These are questions I leave to you.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 64%
(5) ‘Varsity Blues’
(2346 votes) - 35%
(12) ‘Rebel Without a Cause’
(1268 votes)
Movie That Got Screwed: (9) Say Anything …
The movie that gave us Lloyd Dobler—an apex teen movie protagonist—and the boombox scene has a tough road, to say the least. First up is George Lucas’s seminal classic American Graffiti, and from there things just get harder: a potential date with 1-seed Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Fast Times at Ridgemont High lingers as well. Say Anything ... is a tremendous teen movie, but it might not even see the second round.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 38%
(8) ‘American Graffiti’
(1301 votes) - 61%
(9) ‘Say Anything ...’
(2094 votes)
The Long Shot: (11) Spider-Man: Homecoming
For anyone interested in arguing that Homecoming is not a teen movie (why would you do this?), may I just say that it may be responsible for the best “teen boy meets his girlfriend’s parents” scene in teen movie history. That reveal alone makes it worthy of its appearance here. As for why it could disrupt this entire bracket, well, a couple of things. First, have you heard of the MCU? It has quite the following. Second, let’s just say that the teens who identify with Homecoming are A LOT more online than the people who identify with, say, The Breakfast Club.
Also, in Round 1 it’s going up against Back to the Future, a movie that many may not even consider to be a teen movie. Truly, it is many other things: a sci-fi movie, a time-travel movie, an incest movie. The fact that Back to the Future slots into so many genres—coupled with Homecoming’s aforementioned fan base—could easily hamper its chances.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 81%
(6) ‘Back to the Future’
(3267 votes) - 18%
(11) ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’
(728 votes)
Upset Special: (14) She’s All That vs. (3) 10 Things I Hate About You
This matchup is just straight-up unfair. For the record, She’s All That fell so far in seeding because it’s a problematic, misogynistic mess that somehow aged worse than Cruel Intentions. But I concede that that sort of thing may not have much bearing in national elections. And it’s hard to argue that She’s All That isn’t one of the most notable teen movies ever made: Freddie Prinze Jr., Paul Walker, the Real World subplot, the whole “everyone realizes girl is pretty after she takes off her glasses” trope, Usher as a high school DJ—I could go on.
That said, 10 Things I Hate About You is a perfect movie and you would be wrong to vote for She’s All That over it. But I know this one is a toss-up, seeding be damned.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 81%
(3) ‘10 Things I Hate About You’
(3031 votes) - 18%
(14) ‘She’s All That’
(697 votes)
The Rest of the Matchups
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 83%
(1) ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’
(3376 votes) - 16%
(16) ‘Napoleon Dynamite’
(670 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 69%
(4) ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’
(2671 votes) - 30%
(13) ‘Friday Night Lights’
(1165 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 24%
(7) ‘House Party’
(910 votes) - 75%
(10) ‘The Karate Kid’
(2794 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 94%
(2) ‘The Breakfast Club’
(3671 votes) - 5%
(15) ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’
(227 votes)
Teens Are Terrifying
Most Intriguing Matchup: (7) It Follows vs. (10) The Craft
One is a fascinating allegory for sexually transmitted disease; one is about a coven of budding witches. Both are terrific movies that capture the pains and horror of teen life, particularly female teen life. You can’t go wrong with voting on this one.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 45%
(7) ‘It Follows’
(1339 votes) - 54%
(10) ‘The Craft’
(1622 votes)
Movie That Got Screwed: (3) Election
As an employee of the company behind Binge Mode, I’ve been able to see the sort of fanaticism that Harry Potter inspires. Its fans are certainly more active online than the [checks notes] Election fans. I haven’t fact-checked this, but I’m pretty sure there are no Election-themed websites where you can run for high school office (among other things). Getting matched up with Goblet of Fire is a major blow for Election, an expertly crafted teen dark comedy. I know it’s the better teen movie. I also know how online polls work.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 57%
(3) ‘Election’
(2139 votes) - 42%
(14) ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
(1584 votes)
The Long Shot: (14) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
See above. But also, for anyone who has beef with our including Goblet of Fire, let me stop you—it is definitely a teen movie. There is a high school dance, there are heartthrobs, everyone is going through puberty, everyone is extremely angsty, and everyone has bad haircuts.
Upset Special: (16) Twilight vs. (1) Scream
Maybe I’m just traumatized by The Ringer’s previous brackets—in which wild shit happened like Cartman almost winning and Gob Bluth bots hacking the polls—but I could see this happening. Please prove me wrong. Please prove that democracy works.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 89%
(1) ‘Scream’
(3280 votes) - 10%
(16) ‘Twilight’
(378 votes)
The Rest of the Matchups
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 53%
(8) ‘Kids’
(1623 votes) - 46%
(9) ‘Eighth Grade’
(1406 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 72%
(5) ‘Carrie’
(2337 votes) - 27%
(12) ‘Spring Breakers’
(886 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 85%
(4) ‘Cruel Intentions’
(2799 votes) - 14%
(13) ‘The Faculty’
(484 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 84%
(6) ‘Rushmore’
(2642 votes) - 15%
(11) ‘Chronicle’
(484 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 76%
(2) ‘Heathers’
(2387 votes) - 23%
(15) ‘Blockers’
(724 votes)
Next Stop: Adulthood
Most Intriguing Matchup: (6) Grease vs. (11) Risky Business
All right, so first of all, maybe Grease doesn’t seem like a movie about teenagers—because all of the actors look 40—but I promise it is. It tells a great love story about a girl who can’t inhale and a guy who somehow has never heard of basketball; it’s a story in which the moral is that dudes love leather and changing yourself is the key to finding happiness.
Anyway, this is a great matchup because it pairs two classics of yore that feature iconic actors at their most Teen. John Travolta in the leather jacket versus Tom Cruise in the tighty-whities. Let’s do this.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 49%
(6) ‘Grease’
(1743 votes) - 50%
(11) ‘Risky Business’
(1767 votes)
Movie That Got Screwed: (4) Can’t Hardly Wait
There’s no real way around this. This is just a stacked region, from Superbad to Dazed and Confused to even double-digit seeds like The Outsiders and Romeo + Juliet. Can’t Hardly Wait is an excellent teen movie that has a final four spot in my heart, but unfortunately I don’t see it wading through all of these heavy hitters.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 55%
(4) ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’
(1947 votes) - 44%
(13) ‘21 Jump Street’
(1571 votes)
The Long Shot: (5) American Pie
Can a 5-seed be a long shot? Perhaps not. But considering the quality of the top seeds in this region, I think it’s fair to say that American Pie making it out of this thing would be an upset. That said, I can see it happening. The movie was highly successful and is highly memorable, the peak and logical conclusion of the teen movie’s sexual acceleration in the late ’90s. It featured an iconic teen movie character in Stifler. It turned Jason Biggs—Jason Biggs—into a star. It made “One time at band camp …” a common phrase. And it’s also one of the only teen movies to prominently feature lacrosse. More teen movies should do this. It’s a very teen movie-ish sport.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 78%
(5) ‘American Pie’
(2868 votes) - 21%
(12) ‘The Outsiders’
(771 votes)
Upset Special: (15) The Perks of Being a Wallflower vs. (2) Dazed and Confused
LOL, just kidding.
Quite honestly, this bracket looks pretty chalk to me. (Famous last words before everything descends into chaos.)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 87%
(2) ‘Dazed and Confused’
(3090 votes) - 12%
(15) ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’
(446 votes)
The Rest of the Matchups
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 96%
(1) ‘Superbad’
(3503 votes) - 3%
(16) ‘Dope’
(133 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 64%
(8) ‘Adventureland’
(2023 votes) - 35%
(9) ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
(1096 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 86%
(3) ‘Boyz n the Hood’
(2706 votes) - 13%
(14) ‘Brick’
(431 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 35%
(7) ‘Juice’
(1075 votes) - 64%
(10) ‘Romeo + Juliet’
(1915 votes)
What’s Your Damage?
Most Intriguing Matchup: (6) Easy A vs. (11) The Virgin Suicides
Both great movies that approach the trials and injustices that young women face in very different ways. Which one you prefer probably says more about you than the movies themselves.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 79%
(6) ‘Easy A’
(2541 votes) - 20%
(11) ‘The Virgin Suicides’
(663 votes)
Movie That Got Screwed: (2) Clueless
First of all, Clueless getting bumped off the one-line by Mean Girls is a tough beat. I can’t argue with anyone complaining that those movies should be switched. But beyond that, Clueless’s road to the final four could potentially include a Molly Ringwald classic, a movie that was up for Best Picture just a few years ago, and then absolute hits like Bring It On and the aforementioned Mean Girls. It’s hard out here for a Valley Girl.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 98%
(2) ‘Clueless’
(3376 votes) - 1%
(15) ‘The Kissing Booth’
(51 votes)
The Long Shot: (9) Booksmart
One of the sleeper hits of 2019, a movie whose excellence just recently propelled Olivia Wilde into the director’s chair for a new Spider-Woman movie. It’ll be interesting to see how far recency bias might take this one. It has the potential to be a disruptor in this region.
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 67%
(8) ‘Juno’
(2296 votes) - 32%
(9) ‘Booksmart’
(1095 votes)
Upset Special: (12) She’s the Man vs. (5) Dirty Dancing
She’s the Man has Amanda Bynes at the peak of her powers, a young Channing Tatum, and a plot adapted from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (and everyone knows that the best teen movies come from classic British works). Couple that with the fact that Dirty Dancing is another teen movie that doesn’t quite seem like a teen movie because of the age of its actors, and you’ve got a real shot at an upset. (Which I’d be fine with, by the way—She’s the Man is an underrated gem.)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 67%
(5) ‘Dirty Dancing’
(2182 votes) - 32%
(12) ‘She’s the Man’
(1045 votes)
The Rest of the Matchups
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 93%
(1) ‘Mean Girls’
(3216 votes) - 6%
(16) ‘Ghost World’
(238 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 91%
(4) ‘Bring It On’
(2838 votes) - 8%
(13) ‘An Education’
(261 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 61%
(3) ‘Lady Bird’
(1958 votes) - 38%
(14) ‘The Princess Diaries’
(1208 votes)
Poll
Which teen movie should advance?
- 77%
(7) ‘Pretty in Pink’
(2342 votes) - 22%
(10) ‘The Edge of Seventeen’
(664 votes)
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August 24, 2020 at 05:00PM
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The Teen Movie Bracket - The Ringer
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