Films and TV shows that feel like Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
A sunny, danceable surface hides the chilling interior of an alienated, disturbed teenager heading toward violence.
- We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011): A chilling portrait of a disturbed teen building toward violence beneath ordinary surfaces.
- The Elephant Man (1980): Drifting, sunlit high school hallways with quiet dread leading up to a shooting.
- Heathers (1989): Candy-colored teen satire where bullying and murder collide with a wry smile.
- The Virgin Suicides (2000): Dreamy suburban sunshine masking deep sadness and doom.
- Donnie Darko (2001): A troubled suburban teenager hears voices and drifts toward catastrophe.
- 13 Reasons Why (2017): Pop-soaked high school drama about bullying, isolation and the damage unseen by adults.
- Dear White People (2014): Contemporary campus tension, with a stylish indie sensibility and a looming violent threat.
- Euphoria (2019): Glossy, music-driven teenage world where beauty and darkness sit side by side.