Undeniably, it is no doubt that teenage dramas have attracted viewers for their unpredictable storylines. It features complex realities teens face and complicated relationships with friends and family.
Thirteen is a classic drama that explores the dark phases of teenagers’ lives. Overall, the drama blends suspense, thrill, and action. Have you already watched Thirteen but are still hooked up about it?
If you’re up for more teen exploration, here are the 14 best movies like Thirteen that you should add to your stream bucket list at any cost!
Thirteen (2003)
Released on September 19, 2003, Thirteen is a film that explores beyond teenage stories and sweet romance. It is an inconvenient truth that features the complicated life of the adolescent years.
On a much darker side, Thirteen explores drugs, sex, and confusion in teenagers. Intense and rebellious, this film showcases a 13-year-old girl Tracy. Like usual, Tracy enters high school. But her world suddenly changes when she meets Evie, a popular, reckless, and free-spirited girl.
Evie’s evil influence took a dark toll on Tracy. More and more, it becomes evident and dominant. She welcomes Tracy into the world of crimes, random sex, and, worst, drugs.
Learning about what’s happening, Tracy’s mother seeks to stop her at the cost of everything. Their relationship was put to the test. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Thirteen indeed moves its viewers to another level.
We are sure that you like the premise of Thirteen. But enough of the introduction. Let’s dive into similar movies like Thirteen, making you ready for another round of binge-watching.
So, here are the 14 best movies like Thirteen that you should keep in mind.
1. White Oleander (2002)
English 1h 49m IMDb
Director: Peter Kosminsky
Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger, Robin Wright
Exploring the teenage life of ups and downs, White Oleander tells the tale of a young girl who’s gone through a series of foster homes.
With a parade of excellent movie scenes, stellar performances, and teenage angst, White Movies portrays the complicated reality of the world for a teenager.
Like Thirteen, this film is about a mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her daughter (Alison Lohman) who’ve parted ways. Ingrid goes to jail for committing a crime for passion because of revenge. Left alone to fend for herself, Astrid, a 15-year-old teen, goes from one foster home to another.
A tale of survival and love, White Oleander reveals that teenage dramas are more than mushy romance. So, if you can’t get over Thirteen, watch White Oleander!
2. Girl, Interrupted (1999)
English 2h 7m IMDb
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall
Another masterpiece like Thirteen, Girl, Interrupted is based on Susanna Kaysen’s story (Winona Ryder) of her stay at a mental hospital for 18 months during the 1960s.
Discussing complicated issues like abuse, self-harm, suicide, and mental health abuse, Girl, Interrupted showcases the problems one has to face while young.
Girl, Interrupted earned praises for being authentic. If you’re on the go for something emotional, thoughtful, and profound film about teenage life, you’ve arrived at the right page.
Loving and cruel at the same time, Girl, Interrupted takes you into a movie about battling and fighting life’s issues. A Columbia Pictures Production directed by James Mangold, Girl, Interrupted, was released on January 14, 2000, in the United States.
3. The Virgin Suicides (1999)
English 1h 37m IMDb
Director: Sofia Coppola
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods
Provocative and disturbing, The Virgin Suicides is a movie that will surely hook your eyes on the TV screen. It follows the story of the Lisbon Sisters, who died young and with little love. Like Thirteen, The Virgin Suicides highlights the struggles of teenage life.
The movie successfully captures sensitive topics such as mental health, suicide, and parenting issues. In this movie, the girls could no longer deal with the strict standards of their parents. As the movie name gives us a clue, the Lisbon sisters took their lives.
Because of the excellent storyline that pictures the harsh reality of teenagers, Sofia Coppola wins as the Best New Filmmaker in MTV Movie Award. Overall, with their remarkable performance, the entire cast steals the spotlight in this movie.
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
English 1h 43m IMDb
Director: Stephen Chbosky
Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Based on the famous novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows the story of a naive 15-year-old teenager Charlie (starring Logan Lerman).
He faces harsh realities: coping with his mental illness, the suicide of his friend, and meeting his first love (Emma Watson).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the movies like Thirteen about navigating a teenager’s life and curiosity. In this movie, Charlie is taken under the wings of his two seniors, Patrick and Sam.
This movie is not like your average teenage movie out there. It puts into reality the battles teenagers have to deal with, one after another, in their high school journey.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was produced by Summit Entertainment, which garnered over 19 wins and 50 nominations, with an 8.0/10 IMDB Score.
5. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
English 1h 44m IMDb
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner
The Edge of Seventeen would take you into another emotional rollercoaster ride of high school life. Some would relate to the character of Nadine (played by Hailee Steinfeld), who is pessimistic, awkward, and defensive.
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen shows that life is not easy, even for a high school student. A high school junior, Nadine feels her life gets unbearable and complicated when her older brother dates her best friend, Krista.
Nadine navigates a high school journey of unhappiness, misfortune, loneliness, and the struggle to fit in. All in all, the movie is terrific, proving that one can be the hero of her own life story.
Like Thirteen, The Edge of Seventeen is an honest and genuine teen drama. It looks beyond the surface of every teenager’s life.
6. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
English 1h 47m IMDb
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk
If you’re searching for similar movie recommendations like thirteen, Lord of Dogtown will make it to the list. Lords of Dogtown centers the spotlight on sports spirit and survival among harsh and brutal people. It revolves around a group of talented friends in skateboarding.
Despite the struggles of living in the poverty-stricken street, Dogtown, the friends managed to survive. They gained popularity and a reputation for being excellent skateboarders.
However, the bright futures of the skateboarders have gone down the drain. Prejudice of the higher class. Corporate politics. They have limited resources and opportunities. It seems like the world stands in its way.
Like Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown showcases teenagers’ messy lives and aggression. Released on June 3, 2005, this movie explores the genre of teenage drama with a run time of 1 hour & 47 minutes.
7. Kids (1995)
English 1h 31m IMDb
Director: Larry Clark
Stars: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloë Sevigny
Here’s another excellent movie that shows the dark phases in a teenager’s journey to life. While this film may be a decade old, Kids will bring you thrilling experience and goosebumps for its excellent plot and characters.
Kids center the stage around a corrupted and notorious teenager, Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick). All along, Telly has suffered from HIV, but still, he plans to have sexual intercourse with girls to spread it.
When Jennie (Chloe Sevigny) comes to know about the evil planes of Telly, she owes herself to reveal his dark intentions and protect innocent girls. However, because of sudden twists and turns, things go wrong. But Telly remains unbothered.
Horrific but realistic, Kids have the best dialogue, exciting plot, and natural finale. Despite several critics, Kids prove to be a genuine portrayal of urban life.
8. Havoc (2005)
English 1h 25m IMDb
Director: Barbara Kopple
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Shiri Appleby
Havoc revolves around naïve, curious young girls who want to explore life outside their suburbs. Pretty teenagers Allison, and Emily (starring Anne Hathaway & Bijou Philips), plans to go to East Los Angeles to experience the gangster culture and lifestyle.
These young girls meet a ruthless Mexican drug dealer Hector. While it may be fun and exciting, these young girls realize that they have gone too far in their element. Everything seems to be a blur. Is it too late for them to turn back now?
Havoc is another movie like Thirteen revealing that a teenager’s wicked choices and decisions have lasting consequences. And most of the time, some lines should not be crossed.
Produced by Media 8 Entertainment, Havoc was filmed in Santa Monica, California, and was released on October 16, 2005.
9. Fish Tank (2009)
English 2h 3m IMDb
Director: Andrea Arnold
Stars: Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbende, rKierston Wareing
An award-winning film with over 1 BAFTA Award, 21 wins, and 29 nominations, Fish Tank follows the story of a 15-year-old girl, Mia. Her life turns upside down when her mom brings home her new boyfriend.
Overall, Fish Tank is a movie portraying an isolated, angry, and hurting teenager navigating a lifetime of misery.
Highlighting the mother and daughter relationship like Thirteen, Fish Tank is about a daughter who struggles to be with a mother who barely sees her.
In a powerful film, the protagonist in the movie strives to rise above her sad and oppressive life. The setting of the movie centers on a British public housing estate.
Starring Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender, Fish Tank has a run time of 2 hours & 3 minutes, a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.3/10 IMDB score.
10. Twilight (2008)
English 2h 2m IMDb
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke
Twilight makes into our top ten list of best movies like Thirteen exploring teenage life, along with twists, thrillers, and mysteries. This popular film perfectly captures adolescent romance and emotions with fantasy.
It all starts when the main protagonist, Bella Swan (starring Kristen Steward), moves to another town with her father when her mom remarries another man. At first, it may look like typical high school life.
But everything changes when Bella gets attracted to her charming and mysterious classmate Edward Cullen (starring Robert Pattinson). And this guy happens to be a vampire.
Twilight is set apart from other teenage dramas like Thirteen because it explores complicated relationships and feelings among teens and their families. We have a lot to offer if you’re interested in seeing more movies like Twilight. Start by clicking the link.
11. Speak (2004)
English 1h 29m IMDb
Director: Jessica Sharzer
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Hagerman
Another movie played by Kristen Stewart, Speak, is a thought-provoking and good film exploring the story of sexual abuse and its effect on victims. A freshman high school student named Melinda (Kristen Stewart) enters high school being a selective mute.
She refuses to speak after calling the police at a popular summer party. With her friends betraying her and her parents too busy to watch over her, she found herself lonely, nursing her wounds.
But behind her sadness, there’s a story that she’s been hiding and keeping. The star senior raped Melinda at the party. In a touching and heartfelt movie, Melinda finds peace and refuge when expressing her emotions to her art teacher.
A harsh and complex reality of teen rape, Speaks is a compelling teen movie with excellent performance. It was released on January 20, 2004, in the United States.
12. Pretty Persuasion (2005)
English 1h 50m IMDb
Director: Marcos Siega
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Ron Livingston, James Woods
Featuring high school politics, manipulation, and teenage drama, Pretty Persuasion is a film where teenagers aim for fame, power, and the limelight. Notorious and odd, Kimberly and her friends Brittany and Randa have wicked plans.
They wanted to frame up their English Professor and falsely accuse him of taking sexual advantage of his students. With the ambitious goal of being sensational, Kimberly likes to use the shocking news to be broadcast by a reporter.
When real news media get involved, things get awry, leading to ugly situations and complicated compromises. We guarantee you that Pretty Persuasion is one of the most thrilling and entertaining movies like Thirteen that you should not miss.
13. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
English 1h 42m IMDb
Director: Marielle Heller
Stars: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is about a teen artist who enters into a wicked love affair with her mother’s boyfriend. This classic film’s setting was San Francisco, California, produced by Caviar Films and Cold Iron Pictures.
Fifteen-year-old Minnie (played by bel Powley) embarks on an enthusiastic sexual journey. She starts with her mother’s lover. Based on a semi-autobiography by Phoebe Gloeckner, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is about a girl who expresses her sexuality.
And once it happens, endless troubles and disaster is born. Are you on the hype for a more revealing and complicated thriller? Be sure to add this to your movie bucket list.
14. Mid-90s (2018)
Director: Jonah Hill
Stars: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges
Come along and follow Stevie, a thirteen-year-old boy, as he spends his summer vacation navigating his troubled life. Growing up in Los Angeles, Stevie struggles with his family, involving his single mom and abusive older brother.
With his launching debut directing and writing a film, Jonah Hill takes home the award for Best Director in the 2019 Art Film Festival for this movie. Highly acclaimed, the Mid 90s honestly portrays the struggles of teenagers who barely hang on.
If you don’t know where to jump next after watching Thirteen, catch up on the race by watching the Mid-90s.
Final Words
We are now over the list of 14 best movies like Thirteen. You might be wondering that the list we have made may be prolonged. But we care about you and do not want you to miss the good stuff.
Are you ready for another emotional roller coaster ride? Beyond teenage romance is a story of action, thriller, drama, and suspense. Go ahead and watch these 14 best movies like Thirteen.
But if you’re up for exploring the world of raunchy teenage comedy, there’s a lot that we can suggest for you.
