Wednesday 8 March 2017

10 Modern Greats That Teenagers Can Enjoy

Not every teenager wants to watch brain-numbing superhero movies with the same, recycled plot, or films about vampires kissing wolves in a dystopian future.  
If you're looking for something with a bit more substance, here are a few of my PG-13-rated suggestions...

The Way Way Back (2013)
An absolutely fantastic coming-of-age story.  Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Sing Street (2016)
Funny and charming in huge doses.  A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.

Captain Phillips (2013)
A tense, nervy, phenomenal thriller.  The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of an American cargo ship, the first to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Big Eyes (2014)
A brilliant real-life drama about painter Margaret Keane and her phenomenal success in the 1950s and 1960s when her husband claimed credit for her works.

The Imitation Game (2014)
An intense, interesting story set during World War II when mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the Nazi's enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

Eddie the Eagle (2016) 
The story of Eddie Edwards, the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

The Help (2011)
An emotionally charged movie about an aspiring author who, during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

... and let's not forget; even teenagers like a good cartoon.  Here are three of the best...

Zootopia (2016)
A funny, exciting mystery movie with a great message at its heart.  In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.

Inside Out (2015)
Groundbreaking film-making.  Possibly the greatest animated movie ever made.  
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

Wreck It Ralph (2012)
One of Disney's hidden gems.  A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.