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  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

50 Most Troubled Teens

Features
By Simon Kinnear published 25 November 2013

Agitated adolescents with growing pains

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Chronicle (2012)

The Teen: Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan).

The Trouble: Along with school friends Matt and Steve, Andrew develops super powers after investigating a mysterious hole in the ground. Trouble is, he's a bit of an outcast, and the last person you'd want to have super powers.

How Is It Resolved? Andrew grows increasingly aggressive and power-mad, until Matt has no choice but to kill him.

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Sample Quote: "A lion does not feel guilty when it kills a gazelle, right? You do not feel guilty when you squash a fly…"

Spring Breakers (2012)

The Teens: Candy (Vanessa Hudgens) and Brit (Ashley Benson).

The Trouble: Desperate to go to Spring Break in Florida, these gals don ski masks to rob a restaurant, before spending the week getting high on the proceeds.

How Is It Resolved? While pals Faith and Cotty fall by their wayside, Candy and Brit take things to the illogical extreme, becoming hired guns for local pimp Alien and carrying out an execution of his biggest rival.

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Sample Quote: "Just pretend it's a video game. Like you're in a fucking movie."

Back To The Future (1985)

The Teen: Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox).

The Trouble: Bad enough Marty has been whisked back in time 30 years in a DeLorean he can't get started again, but now he's accidentally seduced his future mom, thus threatening his entire existence.

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How Is It Resolved? Marty turns his doormat of a dad into a bully-beating hero so that he can win back mom, ON THE SAME NIGHT as the lightning storm that can power him back to the future.

Sample Quote: "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

Spider-man (2002)

The Teen: Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire).

The Trouble: Getting bit by a genetically engineering spider that gives him superpowers. Suddenly, he's leaking fluid everywhere and sprouting hairs where he didn't have hairs before.

How Is It Resolved? Through spandex and hype, although it sadly takes the death of his Uncle Ben to clock that with great power comes great responsibility.

Sample Quote: "This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man."

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

The Teen: Jim Stark (James Dean).

The Trouble: Misfit Jim can't communicate with his parents and finds solace with fellow outcasts Plato and Judy, until the tragic death of school bully Buzz threatens to burst their bubble.

How Is It Resolved? Plato freaks out and is killed by police, which shocks Jim into reconciliation with his parents.

Sample Quote: "You're tearing me apart!"

Heathers (1989)

The Teens: Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) and J.D. (Christian Slater).

The Trouble: Disenfranchised by the dominance of the 'Heathers' in their high school, sociopathic J.D. convinces Veronica to join him in a killing spree, carefully disguised by making it look like the victims have committed suicide.

How Is It Resolved? Veronica gets over her killing period and prevents J.D. from blowing up the school… although not from J.D. blowing himself up.

Sample Quote: "Dear Diary: My teen angst bullshit now has a body count."

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The Teen: Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton).

The Trouble: Muggle-hating son of Death Eaters who starts out merely as a bully at Hogwarts and then is tasked by Voldemort with killing Albus Dumbledore.

How Is It Resolved? Draco can't go through with it, beginning a sort-of redemption that eventually will see him on civil, if not necessarily friendly, terms with Harry Potter as adults.

Sample Quote: "I have to do this! I have to kill you... or he's gonna kill me!"

Donnie Darko (2001)

The Teen: Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal).

The Trouble: Saved from a falling jet engine by a man in a Halloween bunny costume, Donnie is given 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds to save the world.

How Is It Resolved? Donnie sacrifices himself by helping to send the jet engine a month back in time, where it crashes through his roof and kills him.

Sample Quote: "I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to."

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)

The Teen: Kevin Katchadourian (Ezra Miller).

The Trouble: Creepy kid whose emotional disconnect from mother Eva eventually leads him into homicide.

How Is It Resolved? Kevin kills his father and sister, before committing a massacre at his high school; he is caught and sent to prison.

Sample Quote: "You know, you can be kind of harsh sometimes."

Carrie (1976)

The Teen: Carrie White (Sissy Spacek).

The Trouble: As if it wasn't bad enough that she's dealing with a religious nutcase mom who has never explained about puberty, and high-school bullies who have made her their prom night target, Carrie also has telekinetic powers she can barely control.

How Is It Resolved? Bloodily. We don't want to say more for fear of spoiling the remake, released this month.

Sample Quote: "It has nothing to do with Satan, Mama. It's me. Me. If I concentrate hard enough, I can move things."

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Simon Kinnear
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