High school can be a daunting time — you're trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be, all while trying to pass geometry. Yet, the scariest part of your teenage years is often your fellow adolescents. Classic teen flicks have captured every scary pubescent on the spectrum, from the basic bully to the budding sociopath. Sometimes, there's hope for the kid to become a not-so-frightening adult. There are times, however, when the scary teen doesn't seem to be going through a phase, but coming into their own.
The thing that unites all of these films' unsettling high schoolers is the power they have over their peers. They don't just leave destruction in their wake — they recruit more destructors. From the girls of The Craft to the queen bee in Jawbreaker, these people are creating truly terrifying cliques.
Let these clips remind you to go easy on your younger cousins. They really do have a lot to deal with.
J.D. (Christian Slater)
Heathers (1988)
The little devil on Veronica's (Winona Ryder) shoulder, J.D.'s presence and influence over her is what really raises the body count at their high school.
Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick)
Kids (1995)
When parents worry their children might make friends that are a "bad influence," they're thinking of charming individuals like Telly, a teen who's fine with practically beating a man to death and spends most of the movie (albeit unwittingly) exposing girls to HIV.
Nancy (Fairuza Balk)
The Craft (1996)
You really shouldn't mess with a teen witch, even if you're one yourself. Teen angst can turn really ugly when black magic is involved.
Courtney (Rose McGowan)
Jawbreaker (1999)
Courtney isn't just a murderer — she's someone who doubles down on murder by destroying the reputation of the deceased.
Hugo Goulding (Josh Hartnett)
O (2001)
The Iago in this teen adaptation of Othello, Hugo is more than willing to engage in psychological warfare, no matter what the outcome.
Madison Bell (Erika Christensen)
Swimfan (2002)
A high school take on Fatal Attraction, Madison's obsession with swim team member Ben (Jesse Bradford) leads to fraud, murder, and giving a very sinister connotation to the words "you've got mail."
Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore)
Saved! (2004)
Hilary Faye does eventually mellow with the help of the school outcasts, but for most of the film, she's willing to do anything to hold on to her (in her mind, quite literally) god-given popularity.
Jennifer (Megan Fox)
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Technically, Jennifer isn't really a teen so much as a demon possessing the body of a teen. But as her classmate points out, she was kind of evil before the forces of darkness got involved.
Basically every single contestant in The Hunger Games (2012) besides Rue (Amandla Stenberg) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson)
These teens needed to fight to the death to save their own lives — but that didn't make their deadly skills any less terrifying.
Carrie (Chloë Grace Moretz)
Carrie (2013)
The larger question is, who is the scarier teen: the one who's pushed too far after years of trying to live her life in the face of abuse or the one who tormented someone for the fun of it?
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