What To Watch
15 Teen Movies Perfect for Coming-of-Age Streaming
Whether you’re young or young at heart, these movies never get old.
By Allie Baker
March 5, 2024
15 Best Movies For Teens That Perfectly Capture Teenage Years - Netflix Tudum
Teenage years are rife with electrifying early romance, the angst of growing up, the horrors of puberty, and so much drama. Nothing captures the emotional roller coaster of adolescence quite like a good teen movie. You get a front row seat as characters discover their identities, live through high school and their first heartbreaks, fight with their parents — and occasionally fight for their lives against vampires and ghosts. It’s truly the stuff of teen dreams (and nightmares).
We’ve rounded up 15 of our favorite teenage films — including comedies, rom-coms, and thrilling screams. Whether you’re in your teen years or reliving them vicariously through the screen, there’s something here you’ll want to stream.
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You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
This endearing comedy, directed by Sammi Cohen, invites you into a tale of growing pains, friendship woes, and some world-class teen kvetching. It’s a family affair, starring Adam Sandler and his wife, Jackie, as well as their daughters Sadie and Sunny. Sunny Sandler plays Stacy, the bat mitzvah girl who is planning an epic coming-of-age celebration with her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine). She’s got it all figured out — from the playlist to the dessert bar — until her crush (Dylan Hoffman) threatens to ruin her big moment. You’ll kvell over the family banter and heartwarming friendship story.
Do Revenge
Revenge is a dish best served with a side of snarky one-liners, killer outfits, and a pitch-perfect soundtrack. This dark comedy, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great), is loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and pays homage to ’90s teen classics like Heathers and Cruel Intentions. (The iconic queen bee herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, makes a cameo). Do Revenge stars Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke as high school frenemies who secretly team up to serve vengeance on their bullies. But who’s really playing who? The revenge plot thickens with lots of diabolical twists and turns.
Vampires vs. the Bronx
Teenage years can really suck — especially when a coven of vampires is trying to take over your neighborhood. In this comedy-horror flick from director Oz Rodriguez, best friends Miguel (Jaden Michael), Bobby (Gerald W. Jones III), and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV) are trying to save their beloved corner bodega from falling victim to gentrification. In the process, they discover an even more sinister plot, and almost become a meal for a bunch of bloodthirsty vamps. The trio decides to fight back and stake their claim to save their home. This one is filled with biting humor, but friendship and community are the beating heart of the movie.
Work It
In Laura Terruso’s toe-tapping comedy, Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) — a straight A student with two left feet — is trying to put her best foot forward to get into her dream college. But when the admissions counselors tell her she needs to step it up on her extracurriculars, Quinn hatches a plan to become a dance champion. She starts her own dance team with the help of her best friend Jasmine (Liza Koshy) and choreographer Jake (Jordan Fisher). The journey to center stage doesn’t go smoothly, of course, but you’ll be rooting for Quinn and her crew until the final curtain call.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
This trilogy, based on a series of young adult novels by Jenny Han, is a love letter to the joys of teen romance. In 2018, the first movie introduced us to Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor), a shy dreamer who writes secret love confessions to her crushes. Lara Jean is mortified when the letters get out — that is, until popular jock Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) steps up with a proposition. To All the Boys embodies the fake dating trope at its best, and the love story is sweetly swoon-worthy. The sequels, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, follow Lara Jean and Peter as they navigate love triangles, family dynamics, and college admissions.
#realityhigh
Teenage angst is amplified when it plays out all over social media. Directed by Fernando Lebrija, #Realityhigh follows the nerdy Dani (Nesta Cooper), who has no followers and few friends. She’s been harboring a longtime crush on popular guy Cameron (Keith Powers), and he’s finally starting to notice her. The only problem: His ex, Alexa (Alicia Sanz), is an “It” girl influencer, Dani’s former best friend, and current bully. When Dani ends up in Alexa’s crosshairs, her life becomes a viral disaster.
20th Century Girl
Meet cutes, mistaken identities, and star-crossed love — this heartwarming South Korean film has everything you want in a good romance. Written and directed by Bang Woo-ri in her feature film debut, 20th Century Girl revolves around Na Bo-Ra (Kim You-jung), a charismatic 17-year-old in 1999. When Bo-Ra’s best friend, Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo), falls in love at first sight right before leaving for the US to undergo heart surgery, Bo-Ra vows to follow her friend’s crush and report back. She ends up falling for the boy’s best friend, Poong Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok), but the love square becomes more complicated than anyone ever imagined.
Tall Girl
Directed by Nzingha Stewart, this rom-com isn’t short on heart. Tall Girl centers around 6-foot-1 teen Jodi (Ava Michelle), who’s always struggled with insecurity about her height. When strapping Swedish exchange student Stig (Luke Eisner) transfers to her school, Jodi is immediately smitten — but she has to rise above bullies and her own doubts to make her move. And what if she’s been overlooking her best friend, sweet short king Dunkleman (Griffin Gluck), all along? This charming love triangle and coming-of-age story reaches new heights. In the sequel, Tall Girl 2, Jodi lands the lead in the school musical and faces new fears.
The School for Good and Evil
Once upon a time, there was a school created to educate future fairy-tale heroes (aka Evers) and villains (aka Nevers). When best friends Agatha (Sofia Wylie) and Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) are dropped into the School for Good and Evil unexpectedly, they must figure out where they belong and if their friendship was meant to end in happily ever after. This fantasy flick — directed by Paul Feig and based on a 2013 novel of the same name — features an all-star supporting cast, including Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Michelle Yeoh, Laurence Fishburne, and Patti LuPone. You’re in for charming characters and wicked delights.
The Half Of It
This heartfelt tale, written and directed by Alice Wu, puts a modern spin on the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac. Smart loner Ellie (Leah Lewis) helps her family make ends meet by writing papers for her fellow students. When football player Paul (Daniel Diemer) asks her to ghost write love letters to his crush, Aster (Alexxis Lemire), the assignment becomes a lot more than Ellie bargained for. As she navigates her new friendship with Paul and growing feelings for Aster, Ellie finally discovers her own voice.
Fear Street Part 1: 1994
This chilling 2021 trio — based on R.L. Stine’s spine-tingling book series and directed by Leigh Janiak — gives new meaning to the horrors of high school. Each installment takes place in a different era (1994, 1978, and 1666, respectively) as a group of teens tries to break the evil curse that’s been haunting their hometown for centuries. The teens fight for their lives against ghostly serial killers, possessed spirits, and black magic. (As if surviving adolescence isn’t tough enough!)
Fear Street Part 2: 1978
Fear Street Part 3: 1666
See You Yesterday
If you could turn back time, what would you change? That’s the question at the heart of See You Yesterday, an impactful sci-fi thriller from director Stefon Bristol, based on his 2017 short film of the same name. Ambitious science prodigy C.J. (Eden Duncan-Smith) and her best friend, Sebastian (Danté Crichlow), create a time machine to try to save C.J.’s brother, Calvin (Brian “Stro” Bradley), who was killed tragically in a police shooting. But every time they travel back to the past, there are dangerous consequences for the present and future.
All The Bright Places
Fair warning: You’ll want tissues handy for this tearjerker. Based on the 2015 novel of the same name, All the Bright Places is the story of two teens finding brightness in each other, amidst the darkness of their lives. Violet (Elle Fanning) and Finch (Justice Smith) connect as they’re both struggling with personal tragedies and family woes. They fall in love while traveling around Indiana for a school project — learning about their home state, each other, and themselves. Brett Haley’s romantic drama will have you in your feels, but it’s worth every minute of it.
All Together Now
From All the Bright Places director Brett Haley, this inspiring drama will also tug on your heartstrings. It centers around Amber (Auliʻi Cravalho), a driven and talented teen who’s grappling with her father’s death, her mother’s substance abuse, and an unsafe home life. After even more tragedy strikes and Amber becomes homeless, her friends and community band together to help her. Despite Amber’s strength, she struggles to accept their love and support.
It Follows
After debuting at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, this scary good horror flick became a cult classic. Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows follows carefree high school student Jaime “Jay” (Maika Monroe). After having sex for the first time, Jay is haunted by an evil entity who seeks to kill the latest person in a chain of cursed sexual encounters. Jay must decide if she can live with the curse or live with herself if she knowingly passes it on. It Follows is now getting a sequel, They Follow, set to go into production in 2024.
Unforgettable Teen Movies to Stream Now
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