Teen romance movies are so beloved by audiences of all ages because they contain the perfect recipe for guilty pleasure material. If you’re a teenager looking for something familiar and immersive, you’ll find relatable characters and charming, uplifting stories that will take your mind off your busy schedule. And if you’re older, teen rom-coms will give you plenty of nostalgia, taking you back to a time and place where everything seemed easier, and dreams still seemed achievable. Whether you’re looking for a break from your demanding school assignments – in which case, you might also want to look for essay writing service reviews – or you’re simply looking to find your next guilty pleasure, we have you covered!
We made a list of 5 great teen romance movies, not including titles like The Kissing Booth, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Clueless, which tend to appear in all the lists (but check them out if you haven’t yet!). Find the list below, with all the films in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
1. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” where Heath Ledger sings “Can’t Take My Eyes Of You” to Julia Stiles during a soccer game. Need we say more? Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About You is a 1990s classic, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a real treat.
Just like Shakespeare’s play, the movie revolves around two sisters, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and Kat (Stiles), who couldn’t be more different. So different, in fact, that their father’s strict rules about dating and education only apply to one of them. While the rebellious and strong-minded Kat, who isn’t even interested in relationships, can pretty much do whatever she wants, the studious Bianca can’t even date until Kat starts seeing someone too. With that scenario looking more unlikely every day, Bianca takes matters into her own hands: she starts paying a mysterious handsome boy with a dark past, who has just arrived to the school, to get Kat to fall in love with him.
Naturally, things don’t really go according to plan – or rather, they work out a little too well. Because Kat and Patrick (Heath Ledger) actually have much more in common than Bianca thought they would, which makes everything so much more complicated. Stiles and Ledger excel in a fantastic teen rom-com that will have you grinning from ear to ear throughout, and that will absolutely become one of your go-to feel good movies. If you’re already seen it or you’re looking for something to watch next, don’t miss Do Revenge, on Netflix, which references this film multiple times!
2. A Cinderella Story (2004)
Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray star in your soon-to-be favorite “Cinderella” adaptation. This time, our protagonist is a Californian girl, Samantha “Sam” Montgomery (Duff) who lost her entire world when she was a child and her father died. Back then, her “wicked stepmother” Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge) took over, turning her idyllic life into a nightmare in which her whole existence had to revolve around the new matriarch and her two daughters.
When we meet Sam, years later, she’s a high school student, but not much has changed. Whenever she’s not at school, our protagonist spends her life catering to Fiona and her stepsisters Brianna (Madeline Zima) and Gabriella’s (Andrea Avery Ray) needs, which includes anything from mopping floors to working at Fiona’s diner in her time off.
But Sam has a secret. One day, a mysterious boy started texting her, and this sparked a written correspondence that has been giving Sam’s life meaning for quite some time. Sam doesn’t know who the boy is, but we do: it’s Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the most popular boy at school, who also has some secrets of his own. When the two decide to meet at the school dance, things look promising for Sam and her “Prince Charming”. But will Sam make it to the ball, despite Fiona’s interfering? And if she does, will she be able to look the part?
Duff and Murray shine A Cinderella Story, but so does the rest of the cast, including a wonderfully unhinged Jennifer Coolidge who’s clearly having a blast, and a fantastic Regina King as Sam’s “Fairy Godmother” Rhonda. On top of this, you have a screenplay that flows incredibly well, an infectious soundtrack, and not one but five sequels to watch when the credits roll!
3. Love, Simon (2018)
Nick Robinson stars in this staple 2018 queer rom-com about a boy who hasn’t told anyone he’s gay yet. Love, Simon has something in common with A Cinderella Story, as our protagonist is also been writing to a stranger for quite some time, and might have even fallen for him. The stranger in question is a classmate, but Simon doesn’t know who he is. One day, our hero’s life is turned inside down when both secrets are threatened, and he has to do something about it and ultimately find out who he is.
The plot isn’t exactly revolutionary, especially seven years later, as since its release we now have a much wider catalogue of queer rom-coms to choose from that tackle the same tropes in more innovative ways. But Love, Simon still retains its charm due not only to how important it was for the genre upon release, but to the strength of its performances. Don’t forget to stream its spin-off series, Love, Victor, too!
4. Spontaneous (2020)
One of the lesser-known entries on this list is the 2020 teen rom-com that surprised everyone upon release by just how good it was. Katherine Langford stars as Mara Carlyle, a teenage girl whose ordinary life and world is turned inside out when a classmate (wait for it) explodes. Spontaneous starts from an irresistibly original premise: high school students are suddenly exploding, which means that everyone’s lives might be about to end. So what’s left to do for our protagonist, her best friend Tess (Hayley Law), and everyone she knows, if not living the moment for as long as they can?
For Mara, this also involves a a secret admirer (Charlie Plummer’s Dylan) who decides to reveal his identity, given the circumstances, and a relationship that starts to develop. We’ll leave it at that as you need to find out everything else by yourself, but you’re in for a hell of a ride. Spontaneous is funny, entertaining, and surprisingly insightful; your only regret will be not having discovered it sooner.
5. Your Name (2017)
You probably didn’t expect Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. to be on this list, given how different it is from all the other movies, but it’s a true animated gem and one of the best movies of the century. It’s also a body swap movie with a twist, because our protagonists have never met one another. One day, Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi) simply wake up in each other’s bodies, and soon find out that they’re somehow able to communicate.
Your Name. is mainly about a friendship, and there is a compelling mystery at its center that keeps your eyes glued throughout as you try to figure out how exactly Taki and Mitsuha are connected – and trust us, you won’t see it coming. But there is also an element of romance in the movie that should not be overlooked, and we’ll let you make up your mind on your own. Don’t miss it!
The 5 films on this list are all great teen romance movies that will make for fantastic watches, and that all stand out for different reasons. Enjoy watching them all, and if you need another title, check out 2024 Best Picture Oscar winner Anora!
