Let’s go back in time to the 1990s with these popular 90s teen movies for a hard hit of nostalgia!
If you grew up as a teen in the 1990s, than you will definitely remember these awesome teen movies with a sense of nostalgia that hits hard.
All the baby faces of the now all grown up celebs of the era are hard to resist!
So, forget all the newest offerings on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Checkout these 90s teen movies and get whisked away to your teen years!
Share these movies with your own teens for movie night!
If you’re a teen or preteen, than checkout these favorites as they will be sure to spark lots of questions, about technology especially! Get together with friends for a sleepover, 1990s style!!
She’s All That is a modern adaptation of Pygmalion, in which a popular jock bets that he can turn an unpopular art student into the prom queen. Along the way, he falls in love with her and learns that appearances are not everything.
2. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Director: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Actors: Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Can’t Hardly Wait is a hilarious ensemble comedy that follows the lives of various high school seniors during a graduation party. The main plot revolves around a shy guy who tries to confess his feelings to his longtime crush, while other characters deal with their own romantic and personal issues.
3. Cruel Intentions (1999)
Director: Roger Kumble
Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair
Cruel Intentions is a dark and seductive tale of manipulation and betrayal, based on the classic novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. It centers on two wealthy and wicked step-siblings who make a bet to ruin the lives of two innocent people: a virtuous girl who vows to stay a virgin until marriage, and a naive girl who is in love with her music teacher.
4. The Craft (1996)
Director: Andrew Fleming
Actors: Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
The Craft is a cult classic that follows four outcast teenage girls at a Los Angeles high school who pursue witchcraft for their own gain and subsequently experience negative repercussions.
5. Wild Things (1998)
Director: John McNaughton
Actors: Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards
Wild Things is a dark and seductive film that centers on a high school guidance counselor who is accused of rape by two female students and a series of subsequent revelations after a police officer begins investigating the alleged crimes. The film is known for its twists, turns, and steamy scenes.
6. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Director: Jim Gillespie
Actors: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a slasher film that revolves around four young friends who are stalked by a hook-wielding killer one year after covering up a car accident in which they supposedly killed a man. The film is loosely based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Lois Duncan and is credited with revitalizing the slasher genre in the 1990s.
7. Scream (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Actors: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Drew Barrymore
Scream is a teen scream film that follows a group of high school students who are targeted by a masked killer who tests their knowledge of horror movie clichés. The film is a satire of the genre and a tribute to its conventions, while also being a suspenseful and clever whodunit.
8. Clueless (1995)
Director: Amy Heckerling
Actors: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd
Clueless is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, set in Beverly Hills. It follows the life of Cher, a wealthy and popular girl who enjoys playing matchmaker for her friends and teachers. Along the way, she learns some lessons about love, friendship, and herself.
9. Pump Up the Volume (1990)
Director: Allan Moyle
Actors: Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Scott Paulin, Ellen Greene
Pump Up the Volume is a film about a shy teenager who runs a pirate radio station from his basement under the alias of Hard Harry. He uses his platform to express his opinions on various issues and inspire his fellow students to rebel against the oppressive system. However, he also attracts the attention of the authorities who want to shut him down.
10. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Director: Richard Linklater
Actors: Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey
Dazed and Confused is a cult classic that follows the lives of various high school students on the last day of school in 1976. The film is a tribute to the 1970s culture and music, and features an ensemble cast of future stars.
11. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Director: Gil Junger
Actors: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik
10 Things I Hate About You is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, set in a high school in Seattle. It follows the romance between a rebellious girl and a bad boy who is paid to date her by another boy who wants to date her popular sister.
12. Varsity Blues (1999)
Director: Brian Robbins
Actors: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker, Ali Larter
Varsity Blues is a film about a small town high school football team and the pressures they face from their coach and community. It explores the themes of friendship, family, and identity, and features a memorable whipped cream scene.
13. American Pie (1999)
Director: Paul Weitz
Actors: Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy
American Pie is a raunchy comedy that follows four high school seniors who make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. The film features various hilarious and embarrassing situations involving sex, romance, and friendship, as well as the infamous pie scene.
14. Never Been Kissed (1999)
Director: Raja Gosnell
Actors: Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon
Never Been Kissed is a film about a 25 year old newspaper reporter who goes undercover as a high school student for a story. She relives the horrors of being unpopular and falls in love with her English teacher, while trying to keep her true identity a secret.
15. Jawbreaker (1999)
Director: Darren Stein
Actors: Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, Judy Greer
Jawbreaker is a film about three popular girls who accidentally kill their best friend with a jawbreaker candy during a birthday prank. They try to cover up the crime and make over a nerdy girl into a new friend, but their plan backfires when the truth comes out.
16. Hackers (1995)
Director: Iain Softley
Actors: Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, Matthew Lillard
Hackers is a film about a group of young computer hackers who discover a sinister plot by a corporate villain to unleash a computer virus and extort money from millions of victims. The film is known for its depiction of hacker culture and cyberpunk aesthetics.
17. Empire Records (1995)
Director: Allan Moyle
Actors: Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane
Empire Records is a film about a day in the life of the employees of an independent record store that is threatened by a corporate takeover. The film follows their personal and professional struggles, as well as their love for music and each other.
18. Wish Upon a Star (1996)
Director: Blair Treu
Actors: Katherine Heigl, Danielle Harris, Donnie Jeffcoat, Scott Wilkinson
Wish Upon a Star is a film about two teenage sisters who magically swap bodies after wishing on a shooting star. The film explores the challenges and benefits of living each other’s lives, as well as the importance of sisterhood.
19. Fear (1996)
Director: James Foley
Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Alyssa Milano
Fear is a film about a teenage girl who falls in love with a charming but dangerous young man who becomes obsessed with her and terrorizes her and her family. The film is known for its intense roller coaster scene and its climactic home invasion sequence.
20. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau
Romeo + Juliet is a modernized adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name, while still utilizing Shakespearean English. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title roles of two teenagers who fall in love, despite their being members of feuding families. The film is set in a stylized version of Verona Beach and features a vibrant soundtrack and visual style.
21. Go (1999)
Director: Doug Liman
Actors: Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, Taye Diggs
Go is a film that tells three interlocking stories of young people involved in a drug deal gone wrong. The film follows Ronna, a supermarket cashier who tries to sell fake ecstasy; Simon, a drug dealer who goes to Las Vegas and gets into trouble; and Adam and Zack, two actors who are forced to work for a cop.
22. The Faculty (1998)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Actors: Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett
The Faculty is a film about a group of high school students who suspect their teachers are aliens who have taken over their bodies. They must find a way to stop the invasion before it’s too late. The film is a homage to the classic sci-fi and horror films of the 1950s and 1980s.
23. Election (1999)
Director: Alexander Payne
Actors: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell
Election is a film about a high school teacher who tries to sabotage the student council election of an ambitious and overachieving student. The film is a satire of American politics and high school life.
24. Urban Legend (1998)
Director: Jamie Blanks
Actors: Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Tara Reid
Urban Legend is a film about a series of murders on a college campus that are inspired by various urban legends. The film follows a group of students who try to uncover the identity and motive of the killer.
25. Disturbing Behavior (1998)
Director: David Nutter
Actors: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Bruce Greenwood
Disturbing Behavior is a film about a group of outsiders who discover that the popular clique at their high school is being brainwashed by a sinister force. They have to fight for their lives and their sanity as they uncover the dark secret behind the perfect facade of the Blue Ribbons. The film is a homage to the classic sci-fi and horror films of the 1950s and 1980s.
Thanks for reading this article for 1990s teen movie inspiration!
Tiffany is a female entrepreneur who has been in the movie business since 2005.
She loves all things horror! Movies, Books, Magazines, Podcasts and Film Festivals. *****
Fav Author: Richard Laymon — Fav Director: Dario Argento — Fav Magazine: Cemetery Dance — Fav Podcast: Final Girls Horrorcast *****
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