Teens are one of the most integral aspects of the horror genre’s audience and there’s certainly no shortage of the best teen horror movies made for them or about them. The horror genre branches out into many different sub-genres, with one of the most popular being teen horror. Teen horror movies tend to feature young protagonists in the fight for their lives against a menacing serial killer, monster, ghost, or any other typical horror-movie fiend. Many are targeted specifically to a teen audience while still having universal appeal.
This is an important genre, as adults are usually equipped to deal with pressures in life, but teens are not and when their regular school and social lives are upended by a slasher killer or zombie outbreak, they are the last people anyone would expect to handle it. Of course, horror movies based on teens are not always highly regarded by critics, but the best teen horror movies tend to hold a special place in the hearts of mainstream audiences – young and old, as they draw upon the insecurities faced by most people in those formative years of their lives. Some teen horrors even went on to redefine horror cinema, cementing their place in movie history.
Warm Bodies (2013)
A fun spin on the Romeo and Juliet story, Jonathan Levine’s adaptation of Isaac Marion’s novel of the same name garnered an impressive fanbase thanks to its comedic take on the revitalized zombie movie craze. Nicholas Hoult stars as R, a zombie in a post-apocalyptic world whose inner monologue reveals his loneliness and longing. Amanda Palmer is Julie, a living girl with whom he falls in love. Their unlikely romance of two warring worlds may lean more heavily towards the ‘Rom’ and ‘Com’ parts of the ‘Rom-Zom-Com’ format begun by Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, but it’s a crowdpleaser that introduced zombie horror fiction to a wider audience.
Christine (1983)
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Horror icons John Carpenter and Stephen King collided with this adaptation of the author’s successful cursed car story and, though it’s rarely lumped in with the director’s classics in the genre, Christine remains one of the best teen horror movies spun from King’s numerous works. The titular vehicle becomes the object of a loner teen’s obsession and his burgeoning libido grows darker and darker as his attachment to the menacing Plymouth Fury grows stronger and stronger. The movie has become a cult classic since its release.
Summer Of 84 (2018)
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A teenage boy convinces some of his neighborhood friends that a friendly local police officer could be a serial killer, and they all embark on a summer of adventure and investigation to unravel the mystery of several missing boys. As clearly inspired as Summer of 84 is by relatively lighthearted detective fiction from the era and as heavily as it plays into the stereotypes of the ‘Kids on Bikes’ subgenre utilized by movies and TV shows like Stranger Things, this coming-of-age story is far darker than most and has left a palpable impact on the teen horror niche in a short amount of time.
Final Destination (2000)
Final Destination was a strange addition to the best teen horror movies in the genre, as the killer here wasn’t a masked slasher or a demonic monster. The killer here was simply death, as it sought to end the lives of people who might have snuck their way out of their fates due to a twist of luck. However, no one escapes death, and what made the original fresh was that it was all about the natural everyday incidents that could end a teen’s life once they escaped their seeming fate. While it received negative critical reviews, it was popular with the mainstream and spawned several sequels that expanded on the mythology.
Fright Night (1985)
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One of the best teen horror movies that blends horror with humor is the highly acclaimed 1985 cult classic vampire movie, Fright Night. It follows a teenager who discovers his new neighbor is a vampire, and he enlists a washed-up actor from a horror television series to help him hunt the vampire down. Fright Night is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is one of its biggest strengths. While there’s no shortage of horror in the film, it’s of the type that’s tongue-in-cheek, making for a fun horror movie viewing experience. Fright Night’s cult popularity saw it get a remake in 2011 with Colin Farrell, though it couldn’t match the original film’s charm.
The Lost Boys (1987)
A vampire cult classic in the teen horror movie landscape, The Lost Boys follows a single mother who arrives in a new town with her two young sons, who soon discover that the town is home to a deadly vampire presence. The younger son makes friends with a pair of self-proclaimed vampire hunters, while the older teenage son gets mixed up with a local gang with a love for motorbikes, partying, and draining the blood from unsuspecting victims. The Lost Boys is known as much for its aesthetic as its horror, with director Joel Schumacher capturing the essence of a late 80s Californian beach town lifestyle perfectly.
It Follows (2014)
David Robert Mitchell used the fear of the unknown to instill a sense of dread in his audience with the 2014 film, It Follows. In it, a teenager discovers she’s become cursed after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, by which an invisible presence with sinister intentions begins following her. The teen and her friends must then try and stay alive while avoiding passing on the curse through further physical contact. It’s a film with themes that allude to the consequences that can come with one’s actions, which is especially prevalent in the teenage years. The movie was a huge box office success that received high critical acclaim.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
A group of teenagers heads to a remote cabin in the woods for a holiday when they discover that the cabin is housing some horrific things. Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woods uses one of the oldest setups in the book for its premise but with a refreshing twist. One of the best teen horror movies, it satirizes horror movie tropes and is full of clichés without being tacky. It also features a unique ending that’s hard to see coming. The Cabin in the Woods takes all the best aspects from past horror movies and neatly packages them up in a single feature film. The movie picked up awards from Fangoria and also won the Bram Stoker Award.
The Craft (1996)
One movie that picked up a huge legacy over the years was the 1998 teen horror movie, The Craft. The movie was about four teenage girls who practiced witchcraft and used it to get revenge against the people who bullied them in high school. However, when three of them go too far in their violent behavior, it results in the group breaking and a deadly rivalry occurs. The movie not only gained a large cult following, but when released, it earned Fairuza Balk recognition at both the Saturn Awards and MTV Movie Awards. 24 years after its release, the movie received a sequel.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
There are not many great werewolf movies compared to other horror subgenres, but one of the best teen horror movies is actually based solidly in the werewolf mythology. Ginger Snaps features teenage sisters Brigitte and Ginger, two girls fascinated with death and who came up with a plan to die together when they turned 16. However, when Ginger starts the first period of her adolescent years, a werewolf smells the blood and attacks, turning her into a werewolf. Ginger Snaps plays out as a metaphor for girls reaching adolescence and the struggles that they have to overcome. The movie received high critical praise and two sequels.
Scream (1996)
Wes Craven’s 1996 classic horror film Scream introduced the iconic Ghostface serial killer to the world, in a slasher film that’s become synonymous with the best teen horror movies. It follows a group of teenagers who are stalked and murdered by a masked killer that likes to play mind games revolving around horror movie trivia. Scream once again proved why Wes Craven is considered one of the masters of horror, terrifying audiences around the world upon its release. The movie won several awards and features on more than one AFI list. It also picked up sequels that have stretched out over 25 years.
Carrie (1976)
Esteemed director Brian De Palma took to directing an adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel Carrie in 1976, to high acclaim. One of the best teen horror movies, it follows a sheltered and bullied teenager who has telekinetic powers, as she seeks revenge on those that wronged her. Four decades on and Carrie still holds up, serving as one of the better Stephen King adaptations to come out of Hollywood. It features a story focusing on themes about facing adversity during adolescence; a period of a person’s life where everything is uncertain. Sissy Spacek’s performance and the film’s iconic ending remain iconic years later.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
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Tobe Hooper’s horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was unlike anything audiences had seen before when it was released in 1974. One of cinema’s best teen horror movies, it sees a group of young friends on a road trip until their journey takes them into the house of a cannibalistic family, and they’re soon hunted and disposed of by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. Forty-plus years since its release and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is still as brutal and disturbing to watch as ever. Not many movies since have been able to capture the raw horror that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre delivered as it helped popularize the slasher movie genre.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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After making a name for himself on the horror circuit in the 70s, director Wes Craven hit the big-time with A Nightmare on Elm Street. It tells the story of a group of teenagers who are being visited in their dreams by the spirit of a child murderer known as Freddy Krueger. Kreuger begins to murder the teens in their dreams, which ultimately results in their deaths in the real world. A Nightmare on Elm Street made Freddy Krueger one of the most recognizable movie monsters to ever grace the silver screen and its popularity resulted in nine total films and a spot in the Library of Congress.
Halloween (1978)
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One of the best teen horror movies of all time arrived in 1978, with the murderous Michael Myers making his debut in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Myers returns to his small hometown with a thirst for killing after spending fifteen years in a mental hospital. He targets the town’s teenagers. Myers’ creepy white mask, his supernatural presence, and his unkillable nature make him one of the most terrifying horror movie icons. The film became an instant classic, spawning ten sequels and a spot in the Library of Congress, and popularized the “Final Girl” horror movie trope.
