Remember the first time you fell in love? Whether it ended well or not, reminiscing about first loves is a treat, isn’t it? To help you remember the feeling, here’s a list of the top 10 best teenage romance movies of Hollywood and what makes each special.
Top 10 Best Teenage Romance Movies of All Time
10. Clueless (1995)
Before anything else, although Cher and Josh were once step-siblings they aren’t blood-related, alright? So their love story is totally not incest.
Anyway, as young girls, we all had a crush like Josh. Not necessarily a stepbrother but maybe our best friend’s older brother or a neighbor. There’s just something about mature guys that are very attractive. We can’t really blame Cher for falling for Josh.
And I’m sure some of the can also relate to the other side of the love triangle. Why do gay guys have to be so dang cute and stylish?
9. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Heath Ledger playfully dancing down a set of bleachers while he croons Can’t Take My Eyes Off You on a megaphone to an unsuspecting Julia Stiles is probably one of the most romantic scenes in a teenage movie ever. It’s simply just too good to be true, right?
No wonder 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) remains one of the most popular 90s teenage romance movies among young teens today. Despite it being based on a 16th-century play, the film aged well over time.
8. A Walk to Remember (2002)
Before The Fault in Our Stars was even a thing, there was A Walk to Remember (2002). It is one of the best teenage romance movies of all time.
Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, the film tells the tragically romantic story of Jamie, who is literally the preacher’s daughter, and Langdon, the school’s resident bad boy.
By now, the film has garnered a reputation for being a tearjerker film. We’re pretty sure that people who are completely unaffected by this film are secret psychopaths (just kidding!).
If you’re one of the few who hasn’t watched this film yet, be sure to prepare your sanity and a box of tissues before going in. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
7. Never Let Me Go (2010)
Never Let Me Go (2010) is another tearjerker teenage romance film based on a novel. But Never Let Me Go takes its romance to darker places.
Starring pre-Spiderman Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, and Carey Mulligan as a trio of friends turned love triangle, the film is set in what appears to be a boarding school in the English countryside. But unbeknownst to them, they are actually on a human farm where they, cloned from ‘real people’ in the real world, are raised to be eventually harvested for their body organs.
We told you this film is dark. Just know that there’s some glimmer of happiness when you stay in the characters’ blissful ignorance for a while.
6. Juno (2007)
Juno (2007) may seem like your typical teenage romance movie but it’s something more than that.
It’s a poignant and quirky tale about the trials and triumphs of teenage life and love centering on the unplanned pregnancy of Ellen Page’s fast-talking character, Juno. Knocked up by her best friend, Bleeker, Juno navigates life as a teenager with the added burden of her pregnancy.
Although not marketed as a romantic story, the side plot of Juno and Bleeker’s unusual love story will definitely tug on your heartstrings.
5. Sixteen Candles (1984)
Any list of the best teen Romance Movies won’t be complete without a John Hughes film.
Sixteen Candles (1984) is a film that follows the story of Sam (Molly Ringwald)’s disastrous 16th birthday which is overshadowed by her older sister’s upcoming wedding and the arrival of a foreign student who’s hosted by her family.
But don’t you worry, as, with other Hughes film, Sam will eventually get her happy ending. It’s just that it’ll take some time for her to get there. The film ends with Sam finally getting to blow her sixteen candles to celebrate her birthday with her ultimate crush Jake Ryan.
4. Say Anything (1989)
We love Say Anything (1989) because it tackles both the wondrous limbo of young love and the eventual threat of adulthood. The story although romantic, also feels real perhaps because its characters are believable.
The film stars John Cusack and Diane Court as polar opposites. Court’s character is an achiever who’s set to head off to England before summer ends while Cusack plays an easy-going student with no concrete plans for the future.
But as fate would have it, they fall in love despite these differences over a summer together. Will their love survive their inevitable separation? Only time will tell.
3. Cruel Intentions (1999)
Before Gossip Girl, there was Cruel Intentions (1999).
The film, based on a French novel, tells the story of a rich playboy wooing a virgin girl because of a bet. However, as stories like this go, the boy accidentally falls in love for real.
Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon (who would become a real-life couple and have a daughter together) star as Sebastian and Annette, two teenage lovers with initially irreconcilable differences who are caught in the schemes of Sebastian’s step-sister played by Sarah Michelle Gellar.
2. High School Musical (2006)
You know how the story goes. Gabriella and Troy serendipitously meet at a New Year’s Eve party over the holidays and meet again to discover that they go to the same high school. Problem is, Gabriella’s a nerd and Troy’s a jock.
And you know what that means in teen movie universe: they can’t be together.
But they would be brought closer together by being cast in a (wait for it) high school musical which would also put an end to their high school’s obsession with cliques and stereotypes. Now, that’s a wall-busting high school romance.
1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) doesn’t feature a love story we’re used to seeing in most teen romance movies. And this is what makes the film one of the best teen romance movies of all time.
The story primarily focuses on Charlie and his inner thoughts and struggles with overcoming trauma and well as he put it ‘not participating’. So the love plot kind of took the sideline.
Charlie’s main love interest is Sam, who’s also one of his best friends. And although we don’t see them end up together, that scene where Sam volunteers herself to be Charlie’s first kiss because she wanted his first to be with someone who truly loves him (even just as friends) will forever be in our hearts and memory as the most romantic gesture in a teenage romance film.
Also Read :
Top 10 Best Comedy Movies of All Time
Top 10 Best Dance Movies of All Time
Top 10 Best Action Movies of All Time
Have films in mind you think should’ve made our top 10 best teenage romance movies list? Tell us in the comments section down below.
