4. Animal House
The John Belushi-led Animal House is certainly far from the most nuanced movie on the list, but sometimes teen comedies need to forgo the attempts at intellectualism and just aim for the gut. It's non-stop raunch and vulgarity, tenuously held together at the seams by a thin plot - the Deltas, a reckless and hard-partying fraternity, are expelled and exact their slapstick brand of revenge on the university's dean - and a barrage of juvenile jokes. So, basically, it's exactly like most people's first year of college. Really though, the through-line of the movie is secondary to the countless number of iconic Belushi sight gags, from his "zit popping" moment, to the ensuing food fight, to his ladder-tipping erection. There are no life-altering, morally-conscionable lessons to be learned here. Not unless you count "reefer will give you the uncontrollable giggles" as an important life lesson. It's just a bunch of mostly harmless fun. And there's something to be said for a teen comedy that goes all-in with that hand.