You know all the biggest teen movies of your formative years and still keep them on a pedestal; you’ve got a monthly Clueless ritual and you haven’t stopped quoting Cruel Intentions since it came out in 1999. As anyone who grew up in the ‘90s knows, it was an extremely fertile period for movies for and about teenagers, and the canon extends well beyond the best-known films. There are plenty of hidden gems just waiting to be rediscovered, not least these 25 ‘90s teen movies, which should have been way more popular than they were. It’s time to give them the attention and love that they deserve.
Because here’s the deal: While the ‘80s had the Brat Pack and the ‘60s had Frankie and Annette, no decade can match the ‘90s for star power (think Keanu Reeves, Christian Bale, Kate Winslet, and Kenan Thompson, just to name a few then-up-and-comers). And because teens were — and still are, for that matter — a desirable audience, studios built all kinds of movies around adolescent characters, from psychological thrillers to historical musicals to pitch-black comedies, all with a distinctive mix of wacky plot-lines, inexplicable hair accessories, and Generation Y cockiness. And even if you didn’t see them when they first came out, I bet these movies will make you feel a twinge of nostalgia for the days of Y-necklaces and Tiger Beat centerfolds.
Without further ado, check out thees 25 underrated teen movies from the ‘90s.
