Since The Earth started spinning, teenagers have been falling in love. That sweet, sweet puppy love that's nectarous as divine mana and absurdly scary at the same time. The dreary thing that shakes you up to your very core and elevates you to heights beyond comprehension. Something that's unbelievably serious at the time you are experiencing it, yet so silly once you remember it all. However, there's no arguing that the memories of your first love—however sweet or sour—will be forever lodged into your brain like a tiny golden splinter. And it's completely irrelevant if you are succumbing to the syrupy dreams of love right now or have experienced it decades earlier; it is always nice to either relate to the experience or reminisce on your own infatuation from years ago. And the easiest way to do that is by watching one of these glorious teen romance movies that we've rounded up in here!
From such extraordinary stories like the ones in The Notebook and in The Fault In Our Stars to something that's as light and airy yet absolutely iconic as Clueless, everyone will find a match to their experiences in these romantic movies. And, you know, love has no age, so even if they are labeled as teen romance movies, the love itself will be as deep and as all-consuming as that shared by anyone. So, grab yourself a box of chocolates, scroll on down to pick the most beautiful love story, and press play! As usual, do not forget to give the best romantic movie your vote and share this article with anyone that pops into your mind.
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#1 10 Things I Hate About You
1999 | 1 hour 37 minutes | Directed by Gil Junger
Starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
A modernization of Shakespeare's late-16th-century comedy The Taming Of The Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You blessed us with breakthrough roles for Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Together with Julia Stiles, it makes for a very naturally charming cast that elevates this movie to new heights—centered, of course, around a high school setting, this movie's full of teenage drama and love.
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64points
#2 To All The Boys I've Loved Before
2018 | 1 hour 39 minutes | Directed by Susan Johnson
Starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish
To All The Boys I've Loved Before is a teen romantic comedy film based on Jenny Han's 2014 novel of the same name. Our main girl here is Lara Jean Covey. She has a habit of writing a letter to each of the love interests that she has. The letters, of course, are meant for her eyes only, but they nevertheless find their way to the addressees. Now Lara's life is turned upside down, and there's a lot of dealing to be done! Although To All The Boys I've Loved Before plays heavily on the teen rom-com tropes, the relatable characters and loveable cast elevate it to new heights.
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57points
#3 The Fault In Our Stars
2014 | 2 hours 6 minutes | Directed by Josh Boone
Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff
The Fault In Our Stars is a coming-of-age romance film based on John Green's 2012 novel of the same name. The story centers around Hazel and Augustus—two teens with a shared passion for the unconventional, exceptional wit and a love that sweeps them away. Their romance is truly a miraculous one given that Hazel's constant companion is an oxygen tank, and Augustus keeps on joking about his prosthetic leg, and they meet each other at a cancer support group. The Fault In Our Stars is a witty movie that's both heartfelt without being too soapy—a good addition to anyone's list.
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53points
#4 Clueless
1995 | 1 hour 37 minutes | Directed by Amy Heckerling
Starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash
Classical novels seem to be an excellent inspiration for iconic teen movies. This time it's Jane Austen's Emma that has gotten a chance to broaden its appeal to the teens of the '90s (and the decades to come). Starring such sweethearts as Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, and the late Brittany Murphy, this movie instantly gained a cult-like following for its fashion, catchphrases, and relatability. A thoroughly entertaining film even almost thirty years after its release!
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53points
#5 The Princess Diaries
2001 | 1 hour 55 minutes | Directed by Garry Marshall
Starring Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo
How do you amp up a regular Ugly Duckling story? Why, by making said duckling an heiress to a European kingdom! And that's precisely what we get to see in The Princess Diaries - a regular, clumsy, and unkempt American teenager transforming into a beautiful princess, fit to rule a country. Besides having the most iconic makeover sequence (which Anne Hathaway later repeated in several other movies), The Princess Diaries also gave us love, enjoyable humor, and awesomely played characters.
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52points
#6 A Walk To Remember
2002 | 1 hour 41 minutes | Directed by Adam Shankman
Starring Mandy Moore, Shane West, Peter Coyote
A Walk To Remember is a coming-of-age romantic drama film based on Nicholas Sparks' 1999 novel of the same name. Here, two North Carolina teens are thrown in together due to unexpected circumstances. Being from absolutely different families, they find it hard to get along at first, but lo and behold, Cupid's arrow is already in motion. However, once a deep secret is revealed, their relationship learns the real meaning of love and fate. While at times A Walk To Remember might verge on the side of soapy, it is still one heck of a heartbreaking and heartwarming story!
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50points
#7 Me Before You
2016 | 1 hour 46 minutes | Directed by Thea Sharrock
Starring Emilia "Always The Khaleesi" Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer
Me Before You is a romantic drama film based on Jojo Moyes's 2012 novel of the same name. The whole story centers around two people, and the first that we meet is Lou Clark. She's a small-town girl who's perfectly happy in her small world, even if she knows that she might not love her boyfriend or that her job is truly a meaningless one. The second party is Will Traynor—a man who suffered an accident and is now paralyzed. Fate brings them together, and both of their worlds burst into never-before-seen or felt colors.
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48points
#8 A Cinderella Story
2004 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Mark Rosman
Starring Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge
As the name dictates, A Cinderella Story is a modernized version of the ancient fable. This time, it follows Samantha—a teenager with big aspirations, stuck under the tyrannic rule of her stepmother. There's most definitely the Prince line, too—now, he's a pen pal, hoping to meet our protagonist at a high school Halloween dance. Just like in a fairy tale, Sam's dreams come true, the awful stepmother is put in her place, and love conquers all. A sweet movie for a cozy evening!
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47points
#9 Mean Girls
2004 | 1 hour 37 minutes | Directed by Mark Waters
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams
A staple movie of the naughties, Mean Girls gave us the Plastics, the Burn Book, and trying to make fetch happen. Not to mention wearing pink on Wednesdays and making us understand that the limit does not exist. And though you've probably already watched it, here are some facts about Mean Girls. This legendary teen movie was based on a book called Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman. It depicts the lives of high school teenagers so well that it is basically like watching a reality show (just so much better). The funnies in this movie are also not accidental, as the dynamic duo—Tina Fey and Amy Poehler—are playing vital parts both on- and behind the screen. And what these two touch always turns into comedy gold!
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47points
#10 She's The Man
2006 | 1 hour 45 minutes | Directed by Andy Fickman
Starring Amanda Bynes, Laura Ramsey, Channing Tatum
She's The Man, a movie inspired by Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (see a pattern here?), follows Viola Hastings as she enters a boarding school in her brother's place. Of course, she has to pretend to be a boy to study there and play on the school's soccer team, so a "Sebastian" is born. She's The Man perfectly depicts the baffling experience of teenage love and the drama that comes with it; even with a girl in a boy's disguise, it's still very relatable.
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46points
#11 Legally Blonde
2001 | 1 hour 36 minutes | Directed by Robert Luketic
Starring Reese Whitherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair
There's probably no other romantic comedy as iconic as Legally Blonde, and all because of the charms of Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. Here's a movie that shows us all the blonde girl stereotypes and triumphantly crushes them, all the while keeping a sunshine-y and witty atmosphere. And if you've missed Elle, Legally Blonde 3 is scheduled for a release this year!
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45points
#12 The Duff
2015 | 1 hour 41 minutes | Directed by Are Sandel
Starring Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Robbie Amell
The DUFF is a high school teen comedy film based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Kody Keplinger. Here, the DUFF means "Designated Ugly Fat Friend," and in this case, it's the unsuspecting-of-her-title Bianca. Despite being named as such, Bianca puts away the distractions and tries to reinvent herself to attract her crush's—Toby’s—attention. Full of charm and wit, The DUFF is a good addition to any teen movie buff's roster.
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44points
#13 The Notebook
2004 | 2 hours 3 minutes | Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands
The Notebook is a romantic drama film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. And boy, if this isn't a tearjerking adaptation! To put it in just one sentence would be a crime, but here's the basis of the story—a poor young lad falls in love with a rich, passionate lass. Their love is as strong as can be, but their social differences keep on trying to pull them apart. Where's the tearjerker in that, you ask? Well, rent this movie and try watching it up until the end dry-eyed. It's impossible.
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42points
#14 Easy A
2010 | 1 hour 32 minutes | Directed by Will Gluck
Starring Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley
Easy A follows the demise of a very quirky-yet-charming and reputable (also way smarter than her years) Olive Penderghast, played by the very quirky-yet-charming Emma Stone. The movie involves a hugely inflated, not really real coitus scandal that unravels some of the darker secrets in Olive's high school. But, of course, it all ends up better than expected and not without the help of our protagonist's dance-and-song number. Witty, funny, and quite unique, Easy A is one of our all-time favorites.
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42points
#15 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
2012 | 1 hour 43 minutes | Directed by Stephen Chbosky
Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a coming-of-age story that follows a teenager Charlie through his freshman year of high school. Unfortunately, his triumphs are set back, unbeknownst to him, by post-traumatic stress disorder, and his mental health rapidly deteriorates. However, with the help of his friends, Sam and Patrick, he gets his life back on track and even learns to love. A truly heartfelt story elevated by excellent performances of a star-studded cast.
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41points
#16 The First Time
2012 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Jonathan Kasdan
Starring Dylan O'Brien, Britt Robertson, Victoria Justice
The First Time is a teen romantic comedy film that follows the story of a shy senior and a down-to-earth junior as they fall in love over the course of a weekend. Although their love blossomed quickly, the real hardships still await—one of them is changing cities for college, the other one is staying in high school. Will their love prevail over a long-distance relationship? Well, check out The First Time and see how the story goes!
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38points
#17 She's All That
1999 | 1 hour 35 minutes | Directed by Robert Iscove
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard
She's All That is a teen romantic comedy that has its roots in the most classic works—George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and George Cukor's 1964 film My Fair Lady. With that information, you can be pretty sure of how it all goes in She's All That, right? Yes, there's a handsome jock, and of course, there's the shy mousey girl. And yup, you are right—the jock bets that he can turn her into the prom queen! A story as old as the Ugly Duckling, but nonetheless entertaining! Also, the on-screen charms of the leading pair are so strong they are almost palpable, and that's a huge plus for any romantic movie.
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38points
#18 Dirty Dancing
1987 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Emile Ardolino
Starring Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach
Dirty Dancing, a romantic dance film based on its writer Eleanor Bergstein’s childhood, waltzed straight into the movie hall of fame upon its release. A love story between an uptown girl on vacation at a Catskills resort and a lower-class dance instructor will raise the temperature of any room and will have you spraining an ankle in trying to copy the legendary dance moves. The chemistry between leading actors Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze is so strong you can almost touch it, and it definitely adds up to the charm of Dirty Dancing.
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37points
#19 The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
2004 | 1 hour 53 minutes | Directed by Gary Marshall
Starring Anne Hathaway, Callum Blue, Julie Andrews
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is a romantic comedy and a sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries. Unlike the first film, this one isn't based on Meg Cabot's books and is an original story. Now, our princess Mia is settled in her home country of Genovia—life seems pretty perfect! However, she soon finds out that she's being primed for an arranged marriage with an English suitor. Sadly, this second The Princess Diaries installment did not turn out to be as amazing as its predecessor, but it is still a nice choice for a light entertainment session!
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35points
