10 Classic Teen Movies That Aged Pretty Terribly, And 11 That Aged Surprisingly Well

Warning: This post mentions sexual assault.

Here are 11 classic teen movies people say aged well:

1. "As I type this response, I’m watching the OG Footloose with Kevin Bacon. This film and the music — along with Bacon himself — have aged well, like a fine wine and my vintage Gucci bag."

2. "Holds up great? Dirty Dancing. Super ahead of its time with the abortion plot. The relationship is flirty yet grounded, and the story is way more about the father/daughter dynamic than the Swayze love story."

3. "The Color of Friendship holds up well for a DCOM, and the message is still relevant today."

4. "But I'm a Cheerleader stands the test of time, I think."

5. "A movie that aged incredibly well: Jennifer's Body. People just weren't ready for this movie when it came out."

6. "The Breakfast Club aged well. Still deals with same issues we have today, like different clique stereotypes and the 'roles' they have to play."

7. "Tuff Turf (1985) with a young James Spader, Robert Downey Jr., and Kim Richards. The plot involves new student Morgan (Spader), who foils a gang robbery and later falls for the leader’s girlfriend (Richards). I could watch this over and over."

8. "Not Another Teen Movie is like Airplane! for generic teen movies. There are a lot of references, but there are also enough genuinely funny bits that you don't have to have seen them all to think it's funny."

9. "Spider-Man 2 is still gorgeous, expertly scripted and directed, and the effects hold up incredibly well."

10. "Real Genius. Everything about that movie is still funny and relevant. It treats its characters far better than almost any other teen/college movie, and they come across as real people."

11. "Recently, I watched Rebel Without a Cause, and I was surprised at how well it held up. Partly because of James Dean’s acting but also because the portrayal of privileged young people just left to their own devices feels more timely than ever."

And here are 10 classic teen movies people say aged poorly:

12. "Big, where it's implied that a 30-year-old sleeps with a 12-year-old."

13. "Back To The Future is creepy, watching the sexual assault scene…"

14. "Just Friends! That movie aged BEYOND poorly! The anti-fatness and anti-gayness used in that movie are wild!"

15. "I remember rewatching Heathers recently, and when I saw J.D. pull a gun and fire blanks in the cafeteria, I thought, 'That kid is getting expelled and put in jail for this.'"

16. "I wish Bring It On had aged better. It has so much anti-gayness, fat jokes, and a yucky joke about sexual assault."

17. "After watching the new Brat Pack doc, I watched St. Elmo's Fire. It probably aged the worst compared to other Brat Pack movies, as all of the male characters were misogynistic and sexist."

18. "Animal House (aside from a few isolated one-liners)."

19. Loved Jake Ryan and 16 Candles, but I hate the scene where he ‘gives’ his drunk, blacked-out girlfriend to the nerd to have his way with her. I can’t even stomach that movie anymore."

20. "Revenge of the Nerds. I loved that movie as a kid. For its time, it really was an inclusive movie. A 'nerd' wasn't just someone who was smart. It was anyone who didn't fit in. One of the characters is gay, and the other nerds aren't bothered by it. It's even listed as a positive when they apply for their fraternity. I, at the age of 10, was affected by this in a good way. But, wow, does it really fail any modern standard for how it treats the gay character."

21. And finally: "I know that Mean Girls was such a hit, and I watched it for the first time when I was about 12 years old in the late 2010s. I recently rewatched it, and then I opened my eyes to how many anti-fat, racist, pedophile, and anti-gay jokes were made."

Which rom-coms do you think aged either surprisingly well or super terribly? Why? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length/clarity.