Film nights with a 12 year old.

[TheNameIsDickDarlington]

I'm looking for some recommendations for films to watch with a 12 year old.

We have started a weekly film night with my eldest to get some "grown up time" with her as she has much younger siblings so we are aware she doesn't get as much attention (and deserves some TV time that doesn't include Mickey Mouse or his mates)

So far she has enjoyed:
Dodgeball,
Rat race,
The Sixth Sense,
Get Out,

We've watched others but those were her favourites.

The worst part of film night is finding a bloody film so I'm hoping to compile a list of possibilities, any recommendations will be very welcome as my brain is totally stuck.

Twilight
titanic
armageddon
13 going on 30
mean girls

Ah yes Twilight seems so obvious now! I've actually never seen it but well remember the hype.

Definitely think it's time to introduce her to a young Leo in the titanic as well! (She liked shutter island but told me he wasn't heartthrob material. She will learn)

All very gold suggestions thank you.

Napoleon Dynamite
Zoolander
The Truman show
Forrest Gump
the Hunger Games

I loved Pretty Woman at 12 and Ghost.

Beetlejuice

Heathers? (My niece has just been to see the musical and loved it!)
Clueless (not my thing but might work)
See You Yesterday

Lost Boys?

Could you do classics?
Goonies
Back to the Future
Karate Kid etc?

Are you there God? It's me Margaret!
Harry Potter ( if she hasn't already seen these)
The early Star Wars trilogy if she likes Sci-fi
Classics like The Secret Garden, The Railway Children, Goodnight Mr Tom, Swallows and Amazons, ( both the 1970s original and the newer version).

I've also just watched The Good Girl's Guide to Murder ( TV series) which is part crime thriller and part coming of age which might be suitable but it does have some adult themes so you would want to watch it first.

I am loving a new era of not having to watch animation!

We watched The Martian with my two recently (10 and 12) and they were rapt.

We're also trying to watch some older films - they loved Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (creepy but not too scary or violent).

My 12yo wasn't impressed by Clueless or Mean Girls (original) but did like Legally Blonde. Also likes the Hunger Games.

She likes the Jumanji films, and all the Jurassic Whatevers, and has recently started on Schitt's Creek (only half an hour each, funny, but naughty enough to make her feel like she's watching grown up tv).

I keep trying to get her to watch Goonies / Gremlins / Indiana Jones, but she won't have it.

Cool Runnings
Dumb and Dumber
Caddy Shack
The Great Outdoors
The 3 Amigos

What about Sister Act?

Sixth Sense is a 15 I think?

And Heathers in a PP is maybe an 18.

Road to Talibithia (might be journey... can't remember but we all loved it)
Jumanji
Apollo

My 12 yo has recently enjoyed

The Devil Wears Prada
Sweet Home Alabama
Wonder

Echoing the hunger games and twilight movies

She's also into musicals through her drama club so we've done the sound of music, high school musical and Dear Evan Hansen.

Looking back on 80s and 90s films, some are well integrated racially, most are surprisingly sexist and some are outrageous.
Top Gun (both versions, start with the newer one so she can see why the original is best)
Sound of Music
These are my DD2's favourite films.
Preview any films. I am surprised how many 'classics' from my day are outrageously sexist. I loved Pretty Woman back in the day but I'm not going to show my DD14 that. Times have changed.
The Breakfast Club - DD2 totally got it but DD1 would have deemed it too much talking.
Ferris Bueler's Day Off?
Ghostbusters (again, check for sexism)
A Few Good Men is full of positive racial integration and takes a fair swipe at white privilege but dire for sexism so offers a chance to discuss.

Pitch Perfect
Ferris Bueller
Parent Trap
Friends
wont be too old for fun films like the Cat in the Hat. No need to push too hard too soon for “grown up” films

Sister act 1 and 2.

Labyrinth- I loved it at this age.
Easy A- Emma Stone is very funny.
Freaky Friday- Lindsay Lohan equally fun in this.
Anne of Green Gables- the Kevin Sullivan 1985 one. So sweet and I was obsessed with this story as a young teen.

And then general classics- Matrix, Independence Day, Day after tomorrow etc.

Jaws
Star Trek
flight of the navigator
the princess bride
contact
Indiana Jones
Sharknado

Mrs Doubtfire
Bank of Dave
Queen of Katwe
Matilda

Stand By Me
Little Women
Pay It Forward

Also second Wonder as pp suggested. Brilliant film.

At that age and a bit older I really liked
things like

Cruel intentions
The hand that rocks the cradle
Beaches
Stepford Wives
The river Wild
Shawshank Redemption
The fugitive
The horse Whisperer
Overboard

Beetle juice, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Mean Girls, Clueless, Drop Dead Fred

Some really good ideas here thank you!

We have done the hunger games films and really enjoyed those. Harry Potter has been done to death, she was absolutely OBSESSED for years.

The Murder TV Series someone suggested is a very good idea as she has read and enjoyed the book series.

The focus is on more grown up films than "Cat in the Hat" etc because she wants to watch films her younger siblings can't as a break from more "family" based films. Her autistic brother loves the Jurrasic park films so those are on a lot in our house, a great suggestion in general but I think she would rather rip her teeth out than hear "Hold on to your butts" or "Clever Girl" again 😄

I will be adding a lot to my list tonight, thank you all so much for the ideas.