The new horror thriller It Follows sets up a devastating situation: a teenage girl (Maika Monroe) enjoys an intimate encounter but soon finds that extreme terror has been visited upon her as a result. The movie reexamines what it means to be a teeanger in a horror movie in the modern day.
But let's face it: it's never been easy to be a teenager in a horror movie! Back in 1978's Halloween, John Carpenter showed how unwary young women could fall victim to a relentless serial killer. Six years later, in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven suggested that teenagers put their lives in mortal danger if they dared to sleep -- ever! -- and then painted an even more dire picture for teens in 1996's Scream. On the bright side, some teenagers have displayed a courageous spirit in more recent fright flicks, even if they occasionally go too far.
Carrie (2013)
Poor Carrie! As essayed by Chloë Grace Moretz, she's an awkward, extremely shy teenager who lives under the oppressive spell of her somewhat demented mother (Julianne Moore) and is bullied harshly by her classmates. Finally, her tormentors take things one step too far, and Carrie becomes the one who metes out terror.
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)
Made in 2006 but not released until 2013, this atypical horror movie proved it was worth the wait. Texas teen Mandy (Amber Heard) shakes up her classmates with her sudden transformation into a gorgeous and sexually desirable young woman. Then a party at a remote cattle ranch turns into a night of terror as Mandy and the other teens struggle to survive -- and figure out who is truly responsible for the unexpected bloodshed.
Fright Night (2011)
Las Vegas teenager Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is not entirely exemplary: he shunned his geeky best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) to gain favor with the popular crowd, and is now in a relationship with young beauty Amy (Imogen Poots). But when Ed goes missing, Charley goes looking, even though he's frightened of what he might discover.
Friday the 13th (2009)
The first 20-25 minutes are intense and gruesome, before settling into a more expected groove for a modern horror movie. Still, Aaron Yoo and Arlen Escapeta contribute welcome comic relief -- before the blood starts flowing in torrents -- and Danielle Panabaker generates the most empathy as a good soul who is willing to interrupt her weekend to help a stranger search for his sister.
My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)
Filled with rampant nudity, excessive violence, and gratuitous 3D shots, it's easy to poke fun at this remake, but that would be missing the point. At its bloody heart, the movie more than honors the spirit of the slasher films that dominated the 1980s horror scene, complete with an extended early sequence featuring three teens who are terrorized by a manical miner, most notably good guy Tom (Jensen Ackles). They survive, but as the movie picks up 10 years later, are they all the same?
