From rom-com favorites to smash-hit originals, these love stories are certainly swoon-worthy.

The 17 best teenage romance movies on Netflix

From rom-com favorites to smash-hit originals, these love stories are certainly swoon-worthy.

By Chris Snellgrove,

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

EW's editorial guidelines

and James Mercadante

on November 4, 2025 6:59 a.m. ET

Lana Condor as Laura Jean Song-Covey in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'; Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'; Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick in 'Election'. Credit:

Masha Weisberg/Netflix; John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty; CBS via Getty

Eager to return to a simpler time? Hitch a ride on the nostalgia express, where every kiss feels like the first one, and every goodbye is emotional enough to bring you to your knees. The films on this list run the gamut from fantastical love stories and wholesome comedies to coming-of-age gems like *You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah *and cultural classics like *Fast Times at Ridgemont High*.

Read on for the 17 best teenage romance movies on Netflix right now.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona and Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford in '10 Things I Hate About You'.

Richard Cartwright/Touchstone Pictures

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)

Park Jung-woo as Baek Hyun-Jin and Kim Yoo-jung as Na Bo-Ra in '20th Century Girl'.

*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)

Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Hardin Scott and Josephine Langford as Tessa Young in 'After'.

Quantrell D. Colbert/Aviron Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

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)

Jacob Latimore as Bennett and Sami Gayle as Lona in 'Candy Jar'.

Curtis Baker/Netflix

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)

Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport and Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz in 'Clueless'.

Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

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 through Nov. 30

**Director: **Amy Heckerling

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

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle and Jennifer Grey as Frances 'Baby' Houseman in 'Dirty Dancing'.

Vestron Pictures/Courtesy Everett

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)

Jennifer Aniston as Rosie Dickson in 'Dumplin''. Netflix

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

Election (1999)

Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick and Chris Klein as Paul Metzler in 'Election'. Everett Collection

Tracy Flick walked so *Gilmore Girls*' Paris Geller could run. In the satirical 1999 romantic comedy *Election*, Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick star as an overachieving high school student and a popular history teacher, whose relationship becomes increasingly combative as Tracy (Witherspoon) attempts to run for president of her school's student body. Determined to prevent Tracy from emerging victorious in an unopposed race, Jim McAllister (Broderick) recruits a sidelined football player (Chris Klein) as an opposition candidate, but finds that his commitment to teaching Tracy a lesson comes at the expense of his personal and professional life, as well as his sanity.

Adapted from a novel by Tom Perrotta and directed by Alexander Payne (*The Holdovers*), *Election* was incredibly well-received by critics, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and the top slot on our list of Reese Witherspoon's best movies. The film may have faltered at the box office, but it remains one of the most enduring and funniest high school films of all time. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Election*: Netflix on Nov. 5

**Director:** Alexander Payne

**Cast:** Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'.

Courtesy Everett

From the woman who bought us *Clueless* comes a romantic comedy about the perils and pleasures of attending high school in the Valley during the 1980s. Amy Heckerling’s feature directorial debut, *Fast Times at Ridgemont High* is based on journalist Cameron Crowe’s (*Almost Famous*) year of undercover reporting, conducted from inside a public high school.

The film follows four students — two sophomores and two seniors — as they spend their school year learning about sex, drugs, and (occasionally) life. Starring an ensemble cast of up-and-comers, and full of Heckerling’s singular ability to create full characters and capture generational quirks and slang, the film was received as a raunchy, teen comedy in the style of *Animal House*. But with time has come recognition, and the film is now considered a classic, appreciated for its then progressive portrayals of abortion and female sexuality. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Fast Times at Ridgemont High*: Netflix

**Director: **Amy Heckerling

**Cast: **Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston

The Half of It (2020)

Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu and Daniel Diemer as Paul Munsky in 'The Half of It'. KC Bailey/Netflix/Everett

*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)

Tanner Buchanan as Cameron Kweller and Addison Rae as Padgett Sawyer in 'He's All That'.

*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)

Jacob Elordi as Noah Flynn and Joey King as Shelly 'Elle' Evans in 'The Kissing Booth'.

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)

Haley Lu Richardson as Hadley Sullivan and Ben Hardy as Oliver Jones in 'Love at First Sight'.

Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

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)

Jaeden Martell as Kevin and Adrian Greensmith as Hunter in 'Metal Lords'.

Scott Patrick Green/Netflix

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)

Hadley Robinson as Vivian Carter in 'Moxie'.

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

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

Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky and Lana Candor as Lara Jean Song-Covey in 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before'. Netflix

*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

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

Adam Sandler as Danny Friedman (center) and Sunny Sandler as Stacy Friedman (right) in 'You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah'. Courtesy of Netflix

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

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Movies”