The 18 best teenage romance movies on Netflix (October 2025)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

The 20th century ended on a high, at least as far as rom-coms are concerned. Starring some of the hottest young talent of the late-‘90s, 10 Things I Hate About You reimagines William Shakespeare’s beloved play The Taming of the Shrew as a high school love story. Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), but learns she isn’t allowed to date until her older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), does. After Cameron manages to convince resident bad boy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to woo Kat, Padua High School finds itself overrun with hormones and hijinks.

A classic rom-com with a killer soundtrack, 10 Things I Hate About You is the only film to answer the question of what would happen if Shakespeare went to high school in Seattle. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch 10 Things I Hate About You: Netflix

Director: Gil Junger

Cast: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik

20th Century Girl (2022)

20th Century Girl features many of the teen romance movie tropes you grew up with, but this Korean film energizes even the most tired clichés. The story is familiar: A young girl (Kim Yoo-jung) plays matchmaker for her ill friend (Roh Yoon-seo) by learning everything about her crush (Park Jung-woo). It doesn’t take long, of course, for her to fall in love with the boy she’s investigating. Between the charms of first love and the nuances of friendship, this teen movie is a winner. —Chris Snellgrove

Where to watch 20th Century Girl: Netflix

Director: Bang Woo-ri

Cast: Kim Yoo-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo, Roh Yoon-seo

After (2019)

Many teen romance movies involve a girl trying to answer that eternal (if not archetypal) question: Does she want a safe boyfriend or a sexy bad boy? That’s the basic plot of After, a film where Tessa (Josephine Langford) has a solid relationship with her high school sweetheart Noah (Dylan Arnold), but things quickly get complicated when she goes to college and meets brooding rebel Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) who transforms her views on life, love, and learning. Solid chemistry between our leads elevates this tale, and it’s hard not to cheer (and swoon) alongside our protagonist. —C.S.

Where to watch After: Netflix

Director: Jenny Gage

Cast: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Selma Blair, Inanna Sarkis, Dylan Arnold

Candy Jar (2018)

What’s the dividing line between ideology and socioeconomic status? That’s the underlying question of Candy Jar, a movie where a shy, working-class girl (Sami Gayle) discovers that the wealthy, preppy debate team co-captain she’s been butting heads with (Jacob Latimore) is actually someone she’d rather be locking lips with. The movie succeeds largely because it transforms subtext into text, and our debate devotees soon discover that the key to any successful relationship is working together.

Candy Jar is likely to please anyone looking for a good teen romance, but its messages will particularly hit the introverts watching at home. —C.S.

Where to watch Candy Jar: Netflix

Director: Ben Shelton

Cast: Sami Gayle, Jacob Latimore, Uzo Aduba, Helen Hunt

Clueless (1995)

Nineties teen fashion, music, and vernacular are on full display in Amy Heckerling’s Clueless. A time capsule preservation of the decade’s pop-cultural attitudes — at least as far as the Beverly Hills set is concerned — Clueless asks what would happen if Jane Austen’s Emma was set in a Los Angeles high school during the height of mall culture.

The film’s critical reception was mid, but three decades later, Clueless has aged as gracefully as Paul Rudd’s face, which is to say shockingly well. Alicia Silverstone gives a career-best performance as Cher Horowitz, a spoiled teenager whose worldview and popularity are disrupted by the arrival of a new girl in school (Brittany Murphy, also operating at the top of her game). Whether you’re lusting after Cher’s wardrobe and digital closet or enjoying Heckerling’s virtuosic presentation of ‘90s teen slang, watching Clueless always feels like a return to simpler times. —I.G.

Where to watch Clueless: Netflix

Director: Amy Heckerling

Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Get ready for the time of your life with Dirty Dancing, an ‘80s movie about a summer spent growing up and falling in love. Set in 1963, Frances „Baby“ Houseman (Jennifer Grey) joins her parents and older sister at a resort in the Catskills for a vacation, where she finds herself drawn to Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a working-class dance instructor. But as Baby grows closer to Johnny, she begins to shed her upper-middle-class, sheltered upbringing and find her place in the world — and on the dance floor.

Swayze and Grey famously didn’t get along during production, but their chemistry and dance moves onscreen are so iridescent that they remain relevant almost 40 years later. The plot wades into dramatic waters, but the film’s love story, soundtrack, and dance moves make it the feel-good movie we need right now. —I.G.

Where to watch Dirty Dancing: Netflix

Director: Emile Ardolino

Cast: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

Dumplin’ (2018)

A coming-of-age Southern charmer imbued with the soul of Dolly Parton, Dumplin’ is the story of Willowdean Dickson (Danielle Macdonald), a teenager who enters a local pageant overseen by her mom as an act of protest. When Willowdean’s rebellion spurs other misfits to sign up for the pageant, too, Willowdean struggles to manage the relationships in her personal life, especially with her semi-estranged mother Rosie (Jennifer Aniston).

Parton wrote 12 new songs for the movie, filled with mantras, melodies, and the motivation to just be yourself. EW’s critic promises, “Like a pillow cross-stitched with sassy aphorisms, Dumplin’ is kitschy and squishy and, if you let yourself, pretty sweet to sink into.” —I.G.

Where to watch Dumplin’: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Danielle Macdonald, Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush, Maddie Baillio, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Luke Benward, Dove Cameron

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Call in sick because today we’re turning on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The ultimate in ‘80s comfort cinema, John Hughes’ ode to Chicago and teenage truancy remains one of the best films of the decade. High school senior Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) decides to play hooky at school and recruits his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) to join him. But the trio’s absence doesn’t go unnoticed by the school’s Dean of Students (Jeffrey Jones), who makes it his personal mission to catch Ferris in the act and expel him.

The film offers too many treasures to list here (among them: Charlie Sheen’s introduction to the world as a sex symbol in a small but pivotal role opposite Jennifer Grey), so it’s best to do as Ferris Bueller would do and treat yourself to a viewing of this clutch film. —I.G.

Where to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Netflix through Oct. 31

Director: John Hughes

Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones, Charlie Sheen

The Half of It (2020)

The Half of It is about a Chinese American ace student (Leah Lewis) who overcomes her shyness enough to help a tongue-tied jock (Daniel Diemer) win over the girl of his dreams (Alexxis Lemire). There’s just one problem: She’s fallen in love with her, too! The result is both refreshing and bittersweet; as EW’s critic notes in their review, the movie’s “examination of first love, and how our messy, well-intentioned attempts to do right by our own hearts can both wound and help us fumble toward the people we’re meant to be, lands nicely.” —C.S.

Where to watch The Half of It: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Alice Wu

Cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Enrique Murciano, Wolfgang Novogratz

He’s All That (2021)

He’s All That really shouldn’t work; after all, this is an adaptation of She’s All That (1999), which was an adaptation of My Fair Lady (1964), which was an adaptation of Pygmalion, so you’d think there is little left to say. But this film feels original by casting the makeover maven Addison Rae to help a geeky guy (Tanner Buchanan) shine as a TikTok influencer. Just like that, we have an answer to why a popular kid would devote so much time and energy to a nobody outside of their social circle: It’s all about the online clout and follower counts, baby! —C.S.

Where to watch He’s All That: Netflix

Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Addison Rae, Tanner Buchanan, Madison Pettis, Rachael Leigh Cook, Peyton Meyer

The Kissing Booth (2018)

The later films in this successful franchise feel more phoned in, but this first tale involving a teenage girl (Joey King) whose desire for the local bad boy (Jacob Elordi) threatens her friendship with his younger brother (Joel Courtney) still feels fun and fresh. When she ends up running the titular fundraiser, she must face her feelings far sooner than she was expecting. It’s cheesy and over-the-top, but the characters are quite charismatic, and the idea that love can be very, very messy remains evergreen. —C.S.

Where to watch The Kissing Booth: Netflix

Director: Vince Marcello

Cast: Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Meganne Young, Molly Ringwald, Taylor Zakhar Perez

Love at First Sight (2023)

People can endlessly debate whether love at first sight exists, but this film asks what would happen if two teens (Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy) fell head over heels on a plane and then lost touch immediately afterward. The answer is simple: They move heaven and earth to find one another again. Everything about the plot is saccharine-sweet, of course, but there is something strangely motivational about watching these lovebirds refuse to let life get in the way of their inevitably sappy reunion. —C.S.  

Where to watch Love at First Sight: Netflix

Director: Vanessa Caswill

Cast: Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy, Jameela Jamil, Rob Delaney, Sally Phillips, Dexter Fletcher

Metal Lords (2022)

First and foremost, this is a film about two social outcasts (Adrian Greensmith and Jaeden Martell) who want nothing more than to earn respect by winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands. But when a girl (Isis Hainsworth) enters the picture, it’s an open question as to whether she’ll complete this rock ensemble or tear it apart. This R-rated comedy is filled with raucous laughs and rocking jams, and it’s a cut above your standard teenybopper romantic films. —C.S.

Where to watch Metal Lords: Netflix

Director: Peter Sollett

Cast: Jaeden Martell, Isis Hainsworth, Adrian Greensmith, Brett Gelman, Noah Urrea, Joe Manganiello

Moxie (2021)

Netflix channels the rebellious spirit of ’90s magazines like Sassy with Moxie, their adaptation of Jennifer Mathieu’s YA novel. Vivian Carter (Hadley Robinson) is a 16-year-old who befriends Lucy (Alycia Pascual-Peña), a new student who awakens her to all the harassment and abuse the girls at their school face. Inspired to make a change, Vivian starts an anonymous feminist zine, which helps her discover her voice as she contends with a new relationship and familial challenges.

Amy Poehler appears in a supporting role as Vivian’s mother, but it’s her directorial work that lends this project its progressive and feisty backbone. EW’s writer says, „With a killer riot grrrl soundtrack and earnest message of inclusivity, Moxie is a sweet, rebellious adventure that’s both earnest and uplifting.“ —I.G.

Where to watch Moxie: Netflix

Director: Amy Poehler

Cast: Hadley Robinson, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Lauren Tsai, Nico Hiraga, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Amy Poehler

She’s All That (1999)

Nineties teen romantic comedies love to look to classic literature and cinema for inspiration, and She’s All That is no exception. A high school take on Pygmalion, the film follows popular boy Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr.) as he seeks to win a bet by proving he can turn any girl in school into the prom queen in six weeks. But when Zack starts falling in love with the girl he’s supposed to be transforming, the stakes of his bet get a lot higher.

The film’s ensemble cast features some of the decade’s best up-and-coming talent, and Rachael Leigh Cook makes history as Laney Boggs, the original nerdy rom-com girl who takes off her glasses to reveal how attractive she is. Didn’t see that twist coming? It might be because M. Night Shyamalan ghostwrote the film. —I.G.

Where to watch She’s All That: Netflix through Oct. 31

Director: Robert Iscove

Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Kevin Pollak, Usher Raymond, Kimberly „Lil’ Kim“ Jones, Anna Paquin

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has a nightmare premise: A young teen (Lana Condor) writes intense love letters to five boys she fancies (including Noah Centineo) but never sends them. That changes when her little sister (Anna Cathcart) mails each confession and unleashes chaos as each crush confronts her about their unrequited love. Even with its fluffy plot, the film still has much to say about dating, friendship, and the line between them.

EW’s critic admits this is “strictly Disney Channel stuff, but it’s got more substance than you expect. And Condor as Lara Jean has a winning, be-true-to-yourself sense of independence that’s infectious.” —C.S.

Where to watch To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Susan Johnson

Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

Generation X — the generation whose parents had to be asked, “Do you know where your children are?” — goes to camp in Wet Hot American Summer, a satirical comedy about the sleepaway experience. The movie is set on the last day of camp at idyllic Camp Firewood, where the campers and staff are rehearsing for the annual talent show and preparing to say goodbye for another year.

The camp offers the classic New England summer experience, including negligent, hormonally-powered counselors, rabid musical theater instructors, mysterious neighbors, and scenic roadsides where one can dump kids who have seen too much. The film was ahead of its time when it was released in 2001, but almost a quarter of a century later, the world has come to appreciate the comedic gift that is Wet Hot American Summer. —I.G.

Where to watch Wet Hot American Summer: Netflix through Oct. 31

Director: David Wain

Cast: Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, Zak Orth, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)

Producing and starring in this full-blooded Sandler soirée, Adam Sandler steps aside for his daughter Sunny to shine in her debut starring role as Stacy Friedman: a seventh grader experiencing a world of firsts — from trading Converses for heels to planning the ultimate bat mitzvah, complete with a private yacht on the Hudson River and Olivia Rodrigo cruising by on a jet-ski. However, when Stacy’s parents (Sandler and Idina Menzel) disapprove of her grand plans, and her BFF Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) defects to the middle school’s popular clique — dating Stacy’s longtime crush (Dylan Hoffman) in the process — the soon-to-be woman won’t let anything prevent her from hosting a „kick-ass party.“

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah presents a charming yet cringe-worthy peek into pre-teen shenanigans through fierce Gen-Z wit while also providing insights on Jewish culture. Not to mention, the praiseworthy performances of Sandler’s daughters prove how, sometimes, nepotism works wonders. —James Mercadante

Where to watch You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Netflix

Director: Sammi Cohen

Cast: Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler