A Defence of Teen Movies: Why I love them and Why You Should Too!!

As a connoisseur of bad and cheesy movies, I seek to one day discover the ultimate teen movie. I think that teen movies are the perfect kind of movie when it comes to cheesy, yet sincere movies that are endearing and feel timeless. There are very few teen movies with stories that feel out of date, and they always feel relatable in some capacity despite the often outlandish stories that they have. These are things that I often look for in movies, especially ones that I can watch over and over again.

Chapter One: Genre, what is it?

When discussing teen movies, I want to look at teen movies through the lens of a genre, rather than a targeted demographic (although this does come into play later in this essay). I think the idea of genres is already a declarative construct as genres are mutually agreed upon by the people of the day and therefore are up for debate and constant change. I do think, however, that some aspects remain and are presented as the “Bread and Butter” of the genre. Whether this be themes, aspects, or tropes, these are designed to create and instill a vibe that people can point at and say, “This is a teen movie.” I think because of this, genres have become this weird grey area where they are well-defined yet also subjective.