(Photo by Fox Film Corp/courtesy Everett Collect. LOVE, SIMON.)
50 Essential Teen Romance Movies
“I’ve never met anyone who could make me feel so alive.” (from The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
“You are the only one who makes me feel like I can do anything.” (from She’s All That)
“I’m not afraid to fall in love. I’m afraid of not falling in love with you.” (from 10 Things I Hate About You)
Depending on your relationship with romantic films, these quotes may have warmed your heart or triggered your gag reflex. Whether you cooed or cringed at these sweet’n sappy lines, at least we all understand that coming-of-age romance is an idyllic time: Youth’s first foray into the deeper relationships! Filled with puppy love and irreplaceable memories! What better time is there? You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone! Yeeeeah, any young person could tell you it is so much more complicated than that.
Teen romance films serve a more elegant function than one might give them credit for. Much like in our real lives, we recall the saccharine, lovey-dovey moments. That’s what romance movies are, right? Good old corny schmaltz, meant to illicit a serotonin response in the brain for an hour or two. It can go underappreciated how these movies capture the angsty, insecure, and downright nutty elements of teen life. These films serve as both a trip down memory lane for the initiated adult, and as parables for the young people embarking on their own hormone-fueled roller coaster ride through their formative years.
#1
Critics Consensus: One of the definitive Generation X movies, Say Anything... is equally funny and heartfelt -- and it established John Cusack as an icon for left-of-center types everywhere.
Synopsis: In a charming, critically acclaimed tale of first love, Lloyd (John Cusack), an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart
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#2
Critics Consensus: As beautifully animated as it is emotionally satisfying, Your Name adds another outstanding chapter to writer-director Makoto Shinkai's filmography.
Synopsis: A teenage boy and girl embark on a quest to meet each other for the first time after they magically
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#3
Critics Consensus: To All the Boys I've Loved Before plays by the teen rom-com rules, but relatable characters and a thoroughly charming cast more than make up for a lack of surprises.
Synopsis: A teenage girl's love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her life.
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#4
Critics Consensus: A dark teen comedy with an explosive twist, Spontaneous reaffirms Katherine Langford as a rising star -- and marks debuting director Brian Duffield as a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: When students in their high school inexplicably start to explode, seniors Mara and Dylan struggle to survive in a world
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#5
Critics Consensus: Love, Simon hits its coming-of-age beats more deftly than many entries in this well-traveled genre -- and represents an overdue, if not entirely successful, milestone of inclusion.
Synopsis: Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his
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#6
Critics Consensus: The Spectacular Now is an adroit, sensitive film that avoids typical coming-of-age story trappings.
Synopsis: An innocent, bookish teenager (Shailene Woodley) begins dating the charming, freewheeling high-school senior (Miles Teller) who awoke on her lawn
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#7
Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story presents a new look at the classic musical that lives up to its beloved forebear -- and in some respects might even surpass it.
Synopsis: Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City.
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#8
Critics Consensus: Ever After is a sweet, frothy twist on the ancient fable, led by a solid turn from star Barrymore.
Synopsis: This updated adaptation of the classic fairytale tells the story of Danielle (Drew Barrymore), a vibrant young woman who is
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#9
Critics Consensus: The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.
Synopsis: A scientist (Vincent Price) builds an animated human being -- the gentle Edward (Johnny Depp). The scientist dies before he
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#10
Critics Consensus: It owes a huge debt to older (and better) teen comedies, but Easy A proves a smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star, Emma Stone.
Synopsis: Prompted by her popular best friend to spill details of her boring weekend, Olive, a clean-cut teen, decides to spice
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It’s no wonder so often cinema turns to classic literature to frame the teen experience. It’s what they make us read in high school! English teachers everywhere rejoice! And yet, a filmmaker’s steady hand and a screenwriter’s clever words can turn some distant material into a modern-day love potions!
Easy A, which views Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter through a modern prism, follows high school student Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), who volunteers to lie about her virginity to save her classmates from social scorn. Why does “losing it” need to be such a socially important spotlight? Emma Stone addresses the age-old question with humor and 2010 style.
She’s The Man, featuring the comedic prowess of Amanda Bynes, is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Bynes madcap performance wit is on full display as prep student Viola, who disguises herself to infiltrate an all-male prep school soccer team. Expect a kick of zaniness for The Bard’s universal story of acceptance despite differences.
More on the classics: If you are looking for a take on Much Ado About Nothing, look no further than 10 Things I Hate About You. George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion? Check out She’s All That! Romeo & Juliet? Well, that one is easy: Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. It’s a bit more of a straight-forward take, by no means should you expect Luhrmann’s version to be a conventional take on the material!
#11
Critics Consensus: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that's bolstered by strong lead performances.
Synopsis: Socially awkward Charlie is a wallflower watching from the sidelines, until a pair of charismatic seniors take him under their
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#12
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
Synopsis: Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy,
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#13
Critics Consensus: Wise, funny, and heartbreaking without resorting to exploitation, The Fault In Our Stars does right by its bestselling source material.
Synopsis: Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley), a 16-year-old cancer patient, meets and falls in love with Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), a
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#14
Critics Consensus: Pitch Perfect's plot is formulaic, but the performances are excellent and the musical numbers are toe-tapping as well.
Synopsis: College student Beca (Anna Kendrick) knows she does not want to be part of a clique, but that's exactly where
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#15
Critics Consensus: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.
Synopsis: Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale.
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#16
Critics Consensus: While not François Ozon's best work, Summer of 85 serves as a beguiling, bittersweet ode to teen love and its lingering after-effects.
Synopsis: When Alexis capsizes off the coast of France, David comes to the rescue and opens his eyes to a new
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#17
Critics Consensus: Significantly more mature than the teen raunch comedies that defined the era, Sixteen Candles is shot with compassion and clear respect for its characters and their hang-ups.
Synopsis: With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha (Molly Ringwald) faces her 16th birthday with
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#18
Critics Consensus: Molly Ringwald gives an outstanding performance in this sweet, intelligent teen comedy that takes an ancient premise and injects it with insight and wit.
Synopsis: Andie (Molly Ringwald) is an outcast at her Chicago high school, hanging out either with her older boss (Annie Potts),
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#19
Critics Consensus: Some Kind of Wonderful is above-average '80s teen fare for people who need as much John Hughes in their lives as possible.
Synopsis: Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), an artsy high school outcast, tries to land a date with popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea
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#20
Critics Consensus: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist combines a pair of charming leads, a classic New York backdrop, and a sweet soundtrack.
Synopsis: Nick (Michael Cera) cannot stop obsessing over his ex-girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena), until Tris' friend Norah (Kat Dennings) suddenly shows
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Consider the eternal questions of teen romance. Who’s right for you? Do you go for The Jock? The Bad Girl? The Sweet Guy? Maybe after an up-all-night, drive-around-town adventure or a drama-filled school dance, they could all just go to hell! It’s about finding yourself just as finding the true sweetheart in films like Valley Girl, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, If I Stay, Beautiful Disaster, After, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and The DUFF!
And maybe you’re not all talk. Your bonds with people are music and dance. Turn up the speaks to stories cute, sexy, and sometimes both: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Grease, Dirty Dancing, Step Up, and Save the Last Dance.
#21
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on the manga with the same title, this animated film follows Shizuku, an inquisitive young girl and a voracious
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#22
Critics Consensus: With engaging performances from its two leads, Valley Girl is a goofy yet amiable film that both subverts and celebrates the cheerful superficiality of teen comedies.
Synopsis: Lovely teen Julie Richman (Deborah Foreman) is steeped in the excessive, pink-clad culture of the San Fernando Valley, complete with
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#23
Critics Consensus: Baz Luhrmann's visual aesthetic is as divisive as it is fresh and inventive.
Synopsis: Baz Luhrmann helped adapt this classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy for the screen, updating the setting to a post-modern city named
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#24
Critics Consensus: The DUFF doesn't achieve teen-movie greatness, but offers enough of a postmodern twist on the genre to recommend -- and boasts typically great work from star Mae Whitman.
Synopsis: Frumpy high-school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) has a rude awakening when she learns that her classmates secretly know her as
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#25
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
Synopsis: Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts,
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#26
Critics Consensus: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger add strong performances to an unexpectedly clever script, elevating 10 Things (slightly) above typical teen fare.
Synopsis: Kat Stratford is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn't attract many
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#27
Critics Consensus: Word is, Grease stars an electrifying John Travolta while serving up some '50s kitsch in a frenetic adaptation that isn't always the one that we want.
Synopsis: Experience the friendships, romances and adventures of a group of high school kids in the 1950s. Welcome to the singing
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#28
Critics Consensus: Although the plot leaves a lot to be desired, 13 Going on 30 will tug at your inner teenager's heartstrings thanks in large part to a dazzling performance from Jennifer Garner.
Synopsis: A girl who's sick of the social strictures of junior high is transformed into a grownup overnight. In this feel-good
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#29
Critics Consensus: This darkly comic drama and its attractive young cast are easy on the eyes, but uneven performances and an uninspired script conspire to foil Cruel Intentions.
Synopsis: Annette (Reese Witherspoon) unwittingly becomes a pawn in Sebastian's (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) deliciously diabolical wager of
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#30
Critics Consensus: This teen romance flick feels like a predictable rehashing of other movies.
Synopsis: Sara (Julia Stiles) is moved from a small Midwestern town to the south side of Chicago when her mother dies
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If you like something moody, campy, or unconventional, check out Cruel Intentions, But I’m a Cheerleader, Spontaneous, Your Name, The Spectacular Now, or Summer of 85.
Love in the face of mortality? Like The Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart, A Walk to Remember, and The Last Song? Oh yeah, they made the list too. I’m not crying… you’re crying!
#31
Critics Consensus: Elevated considerably by Haley Lu Richardson's performance but bogged down by clichés, Five Feet Apart doesn't tug at the heartstrings quite as deftly as it should.
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of
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#32
Critics Consensus: The Sun Is Also a Star has a pair of easy-to-love leads, but tests the audience's affection with a storyline that strains credulity past the breaking point.
Synopsis: College-bound romantic Daniel Bae and Jamaica-born pragmatist Natasha Kingsley meet -- and fall for each other -- over one magical
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#33
Critics Consensus: While Can't Buy Me Love gets some value out of its plucky leads, this romantic comedy struggles to find grace in a cynical conceit that belongs in the bargain bin.
Synopsis: Nerdy high schooler Ronald Miller (Patrick Dempsey) rescues cheerleader Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) from parental punishment after she accidentally destroys
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#34
Critics Consensus: Having lost much of its bite transitioning to the big screen, Twilight will please its devoted fans, but do little for the uninitiated.
Synopsis: High-school student Bella Swan, always a bit of a misfit, doesn't expect life to change much when she moves from
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#35
Critics Consensus: Everything, Everything should tug young adult heartstrings fairly effectively, but may not be quite engrossing enough to woo less melodramatically inclined viewers.
Synopsis: Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) is a smart, curious and imaginative 18-year-old who is unable to leave the protection of the hermetically-sealed
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#36
Critics Consensus: Shakespeare's wit gets lost in translation with She's the Man's broad slapstick, predictable jokes, and unconvincing plotline.
Synopsis: Romantic complications ensue when a student poses as her twin brother and replaces him at his boarding school.
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#37
Critics Consensus: Too broad to make any real statements, But I'm a Cheerleader isn't as sharp as it should be, but a charming cast and surprisingly emotional center may bring enough pep for viewers looking for a light social satire.
Synopsis: Megan (Natasha Lyonne) considers herself a typical American girl. She excels in school and cheerleading, and she has a handsome
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#38
Critics Consensus: Occasionally clever and moderately intelligent, Can't Hardly Wait also contains too many cheap laughs, recycled plotting, and flat characters.
Synopsis: School's out, and an entire graduating class -- from football stars and cool girls to complete nerds -- gathers at
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#39
Critics Consensus: Despite its charming young leads, She's All That can't overcome its predictable, inconsistently funny script.
Synopsis: High school hotshot Zach Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is the envy of his peers. But his popularity declines sharply when
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#40
Critics Consensus: Although Chloë Grace Moretz gives it her all and the story adds an intriguing supernatural twist to its melodramatic YA framework, If I Stay is ultimately more manipulative than moving.
Synopsis: Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz), a talented young cellist, thought the most difficult decision she would ever have to make
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“Enough! Not Another Teen Movie!” you demand? Then you won’t believe the teen romance movie we have for you. The Chris Evans-starring bawdy and irreverent parody, bursting at the seams with references to many of the classics mentioned in this list, will tickle your nostalgia bone for 2000s comedy AND fill your classic teen romance quota in one fell swoop.
#41
Critics Consensus: NATM has some funny moments, but the movie requires the audience to have familiarity with the movies being spoofed and a tolerance for toilet and sexual humor to be truly effective.
Synopsis: "Not Another Teen Movie" shows no mercy as it skewers the conventions and clichés of the genre you hate to
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#42
Critics Consensus: Though wholesome, the Mandy Moore vehicle A Walk to Remember is also bland and oppressively syrupy.
Synopsis: Set in North Carolina, "A Walk To Remember" follows the rite of passage of a jaded, aimless high school senior
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#43
Critics Consensus: A bland, fluffy, and predictable bit of wish fulfillment.
Synopsis: Paige Morgan (Julia Stiles) is a focused premed student who becomes intrigued by Eddie (Luke Mably), a wealthy Danish student.
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#44
Critics Consensus: This derivative teen comedy tries to go for cute when it could use more bite.
Synopsis: After discovering they are all dating the same same guy (Jesse Metcalfe), three popular students from different cliques band together
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#45
Critics Consensus: Its leads are likeable, but Remember Me suffers from an overly maudlin script and a borderline offensive final twist.
Synopsis: Tyler (Robert Pattinson) has had a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) since a family tragedy. Rebellious and troubled,
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#46
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In Beautiful Disaster, bad-boy Travis Maddox (Dylan Sprouse) is exactly what college freshman Abby Abernathy (Virginia Gardner) needs and wants--to
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#47
Critics Consensus: As shamelessly manipulative as any Nicholas Sparks production, The Last Song is done no favors by its miscast and overmatched star, Miley Cyrus.
Synopsis: Estranged from her father (Greg Kinnear) for a number of years, teenage Ronnie (Miley Cyrus) isn't pleased when her mother
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#48
Critics Consensus: This trite teen romance has too little plot and not enough dancing.
Synopsis: Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) has been in and out of trouble for most of his life and after finding himself
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#49
Critics Consensus: Tepid and tired, After's fun flourishes are let down by its generic story.
Synopsis: Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester
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#50
Critics Consensus: Blander than the original Endless Love and even less faithful to the source material, this remake is clichéd and unintentionally silly.
Synopsis: Following their high-school graduation, Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde), a sheltered but privileged teen, becomes enthralled with David Elliot (Alex Pettyfer),
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