(Photo by Fox Film Corp/courtesy Everett Collect. LOVE, SIMON.)
“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.
#2
Critics Consensus: As beautifully animated as it is emotionally satisfying, Your Name adds another outstanding chapter to writer-director Makoto Shinkai’s filmography.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#6
Critics Consensus: The Spectacular Now is an adroit, sensitive film that avoids typical coming-of-age story trappings.
#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.
#8
Critics Consensus: Ever After is a sweet, frothy twist on the ancient fable, led by a solid turn from star Barrymore.
#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.
#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.
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.
#12
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
#13
Critics Consensus: Wise, funny, and heartbreaking without resorting to exploitation, The Fault In Our Stars does right by its bestselling source material.
#14
Critics Consensus: Pitch Perfect’s plot is formulaic, but the performances are excellent and the musical numbers are toe-tapping as well.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#20
Critics Consensus: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist combines a pair of charming leads, a classic New York backdrop, and a sweet soundtrack.
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.
#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.
#23
Critics Consensus: Baz Luhrmann’s visual aesthetic is as divisive as it is fresh and inventive.
#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.
#25
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
#26
Critics Consensus: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger add strong performances to an unexpectedly clever script, elevating 10 Things (slightly) above typical teen fare.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#30
Critics Consensus: This teen romance flick feels like a predictable rehashing of other movies.
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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#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.
#36
Critics Consensus: Shakespeare’s wit gets lost in translation with She’s the Man‘s broad slapstick, predictable jokes, and unconvincing plotline.
#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.
#38
Critics Consensus: Occasionally clever and moderately intelligent, Can’t Hardly Wait also contains too many cheap laughs, recycled plotting, and flat characters.
#39
Critics Consensus: Despite its charming young leads, She’s All That can’t overcome its predictable, inconsistently funny script.
#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.
“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.
#42
Critics Consensus: Though wholesome, the Mandy Moore vehicle A Walk to Remember is also bland and oppressively syrupy.
#43
Critics Consensus: A bland, fluffy, and predictable bit of wish fulfillment.
#44
Critics Consensus: This derivative teen comedy tries to go for cute when it could use more bite.
#45
Critics Consensus: Its leads are likeable, but Remember Me suffers from an overly maudlin script and a borderline offensive final twist.
#46
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#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.
#48
Critics Consensus: This trite teen romance has too little plot and not enough dancing.
#49
Critics Consensus: Tepid and tired, After‘s fun flourishes are let down by its generic story.
#50
Critics Consensus: Blander than the original Endless Love and even less faithful to the source material, this remake is clichéd and unintentionally silly.