High school is a confusing but wondrous time. Raging hormones, developing social skills, and new romances are all part of the high school experience, and teen movies are a great way to relive the wonder years. Over time, cinema has captured the magic of first love, heartbreak, and first times in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Twilight.
Luckily, high school romances have diversified, and there is a teenage rom-com for everyone. Inclusive love stories and even supernatural ones have refreshed the high school romance movie genre, and these coming-of-age stories are better than ever today. These titles shine exceptionally bright for their romance and other subplots.
Updated on December 25th, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: High school romance is an adorable film genre that usually explores characters’ first contact with love and sexuality. High school is a formative period of transition for everyone, and usually when one experiences what falling in love feels like for the first time. This list was updated to include more movie recommendations and to reflect CBR’s current formatting standards.
25 Submarine is a Celebration of Teenage Awkwardness
The Tribulations of Growing Up
Submarine is centered around Oliver, an unpopular 15-year-old Welsh schoolboy deeply infatuated with Jordana, a charming but intractable girl in his class. Jordana initially uses Oliver to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, but the two end up developing a powerful bond. However, growing up isn’t easy, and high school is never as exciting as most movies make it out to be — the two find comfort in their mutual problems, but their different views on love drive them apart.
With a fantastic original soundtrack by Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner, Submarine celebrates teenage awkwardness with a stylish, yet unromanticized perspective of high school. It captures the intoxicating force of falling in love but acknowledges how proximity can be a double-edged sword at this age. The soundtrack offers a nice touch to the loneliness and confusion that envelop the characters, and the growing sense of freedom and rebellion that define them.
24 She’s All That Proves That Opposites Attract
An Old Cliche Used in a High School Setting
She’s All That follows Zack, whose popular status goes downhill once his peers discover his cheerleader girlfriend has cheated on him with a reality TV star. To save his reputation, Zack accepts the seemingly impossible task of turning a socially clumsy nerd, Laney, into the next high school prom queen.
She’s All That is a product of its time — the premise hasn’t aged so well and the movie follows a somewhat predictable path. However, the chemistry between Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook offers so many adorable moments that it’s difficult not to fall in love with the awkwardness that unites them. The movie has great late-90s vibes, combining sweet high school cliches with a star-studded cast that includes Matthew Lillard, Anna Paquin, and Kieran Culkin.
23 Heathers is an Explosive High School Romance
Outrageously Funny and Provocative
Winona Ryder is one of the most iconic actresses of the late ’80s and ’90s. While she’s most commonly associated with other darkly funny movies like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, she delivers a brilliant femme fatale performance as Veronica Sawyer in Heathers. In the film, Veronica falls in love with a rebel student and joins him in his wicked plans to destroy the ongoing high school dynamics, murdering notorious students and making it look like suicide.
Heathers challenges all the conventions of the high school romance genre, taking a surprisingly dark turn while remaining faithful to its caustic sense of humor. The romance that develops between Veronica and her dangerously glamorous crush is the catalyst for a range of absurd situations, culminating in an unexpectedly explosive ending. There are dozens of one-liners in Heathers that continue to be referenced to this day, making it a delightful cult classic.
22 The Girl Next Door is a Slapstick Comedy With Hints of Romance
Desire Always Wins
In The Girl Next Door, Matthew is the top student in his class: a bright-minded young man with ambitious professional aspirations. The promising future that awaits him is threatened by Danielle, a gorgeous ex-porn actress who has just moved in next door. The two get closer and Matthew falls in love, but it doesn’t take long before Danielle’s chaotic past catches up with her.
Not a conventional high school romance, The Girl Next Door is driven by hilarious teenage boy fantasies. However, its commitment to the characters results in a genuinely authentic story that leaves space for the relationship between Matthew and Danielle to grow beyond sexual delusions. The comedy is absurd and the romance funny and nonchalant. It’s easy to get carried away by the movie and stands out as a satisfying high school romance film.
21 The Fallout is a Love Story Set Against the Backdrop of a Tragedy
Coming to Terms With Your True Self
The Fallout delivers Jenna Ortega’s first major lead role in a film, telling the story of three students who develop a connection after experiencing a high school tragedy together. As they struggle to overcome their traumas, they help each other navigate their disorienting realities and come to terms with an ever-changing world. The movie tackles America’s problem with gun violence, considering with a delicate approach its effects on victims who struggle to move on.
The Fallout is a very subtle movie that moves between drama and romance at ease. Ortega and Maddie Ziegler are the film’s highlights as the movie explores sexual awakening. Despite the heavy subject matter, The Fallout keeps things light in a way that will resonate with younger audiences, crafting a moving story of self-discovery in the wake of overwhelming changes.
20 All The Bright Places Is a Standout High School Romance
This Story Sees Two Tragic Pasts Collide
Unlike most other teen movies, All The Bright Places does not patronize its audience. With somewhat somber beginnings, Finch and Violet have dark, tragic pasts that they need to get over when they meet. Violet deals with survivor’s guilt after her sister dies in a car crash, and Finch has an abusive father.
Finch and Violet are not treated like kids in the screenplay. Their feelings have real weight and are given the importance they should be. Their romance is touching and poignant, and it is an intense one. Even with a semi-tragic ending, it is a teen movie worth watching, as it touches upon some relevant and resonating themes.
19 The Kissing Booth Is What Fanfiction Dreams Are Made Of
It's a Sweet if Unrealistic Romance Movie
The Kissing Booth can be unrealistic and odd sometimes, but that’s what makes it great. Borrowing heavily from fanfiction, the high school in The Kissing Booth is quite improbable. Everyone gets into Ivy League universities, and they have school fairs where kissing booths are the norm. This little kiosk leads to a budding romance between young Elle and her best friend’s brother, Noah.
In this universe, dating Lee’s brother is strictly not cool, which leads to some tension between Elle and Lee, and Lee and Noah. However, with some suspension of disbelief, The Kissing Booth has one of the cheesiest, most enjoyable high school romances out there. It is a great escapist piece of cinema with the nostalgia of high school love.
18 A Cinderella Story Is a Fairytale Come to Life
Cinderella Goes to School
While not a critical success, A Cinderella Story updated the age-old fairytale in a relevant new way. Hilary Duff’s Sam is an orphan who lives with her stepmother (an inimitable Jennifer Coolidge) and sisters, working as a waitress at their diner. However, Sam finds joy and companionship in her online friend, Nomad, who is actually the school cheerleader’s unhappy boyfriend, Austin.
The cat-and-mouse chase between the teens is exciting to watch and executed largely well. The emotions between Sam and Austin are genuine in A Cinderella Story, which leaks into their interactions. Seeing the fairytale come to life in a new context is seriously fun in A Cinderella Story.
17 The Map of Tiny Perfect Things Is a Sweet Teen Romance With a Groundhog Day Twist
A High School Time Loop
Mark may seem like an ordinary teen boy in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, but he is stuck in a time loop. Every day, he lives the same day over and over, perfecting his mistakes and errors by preparing for them in advance. As Mark prepares to save his crush on one such day, he is surprised when a new girl interrupts his flow. Margaret is loving, fun, and most importantly, aware of the time loop, just like Mark.
They share instant chemistry and some meaningful moments, but many things haunt Margaret, who may be ultimately responsible for the time loop. Refreshing, optimistic, yet sensitive, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a new romantic spin on a classic sci-fi trope. Mark and Margaret’s love for each other is not frivolous, thus proving that teen love is not just superficial.
16 The Lizzie McGuire Movie Manifests the Friends-to-Lovers Trope
It Acts as the Finale of the Disney Channel's Show
Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire already had a dedicated fan base when The Lizzie McGuire Movie was released. Gordo, Lizzie, and the rest of their class head on an exciting class trip to Rome, but Lizzie has no idea about the wild ride in store. When she’s mistaken for an Italian pop star named Isabella on the trip, she embarks on a rollercoaster ride with dreamy singer Paolo Valisari, who struggles to look for a singing partner after Isabella has left him.
At first, Lizzie thinks that Paolo could be her soulmate, but there are greater revelations in store for the teen. True love has been in front of her eyes all along, and her equation with Gordo turns into something beautiful on their trip. Lighthearted and full of adventure, this high school romance takes place on a class trip, which is one of the most exciting tropes in the teen genre.
15 Twilight Delved into a Forbidden, Fantastical Love
The Romance Between a Quiet Teenager and a Charming Vampire
Twilight took the world by storm with a supernatural love triangle like no other. Bella Swan unwillingly came to Forks to attend high school but found herself captivated by the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen. Murderous, wild vampires, vampiric authority figures, and werewolves proved significant hurdles to Edward and Bella’s romance. Still, it was his bloodlust for her that was the biggest obstacle.
Angsty, passionate, fantastical, and full of longing, Twilight renewed the vampire genre and melded it with teenage love in the best way. Edward and Bella went to high school with everyone but had their own magical world to tackle away from their regular human friends. Even though Twilight initiated a whole generation of vampiric romances, it still doesn’t reach the level of movies like Clueless or The Princess Diaries.
14 Juno Tells the Story of a Teenage Pregnancy
When You Are Forced to Mature Too Fast
Juno is a fascinating indie film. The eponymous character accidentally gets pregnant when she has sex with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker. She opts to give up the baby for adoption, trying to find a perfect family, unlike the one she had growing up. Soon, she’ll realize that family and love are complicated, and they don’t always appear as they seem.
Juno tackles an area of high school romance rarely seen in movies. Most high school romances focus on the popular boy falling for the unpopular girl. Juno brings a refreshing approach that many people might find more relatable. Not only do two regular teenagers fall in love, but they also have to deal with something bigger than themselves.
13 Five Feet Apart Is a Bittersweet Romance
High School is a Vague Memory in the Film
While Five Feet Apart doesn’t take place in a high school environment, it does follow two teenagers. However, in this case, they are dealing with a life-or-death situation. Stella and Will are two teenagers with cystic fibrosis who meet each other in the hospital. They become friends and eventually fall in love. But they can’t get closer than five feet, or they could get very sick.
Five Feet Apart showcases the type of teenager who can’t even attend high school. But this doesn’t mean they won’t experience friendship and love. While the movie does have a sad undertone, Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse’s chemistry in Five Feet Apart is off the charts and people will truly root for these two characters.
12 The Edge of Seventeen Depicts an Edgy Love Story
The Flawed Main Character is Painfully Relatable
The Edge of Seventeen follows Nadine Franklin, a 17-year-old girl struggling with her personal life. She doesn’t get along with her mom or her brother, Darian. What’s worse, her best friend starts dating Darian, which shatters her worldview and leaves her more alone than ever.
The Edge of Seventeen is a realistic film about growing up. Nadine discovers love sometimes comes from the most unexpected of places, romantically and platonically. This movie truly captures the essence of maturing in your late teens and getting to a better place in all areas of life.
11 The Fault in Our Stars Is an Emotional Journey
Teenage Romance With a Touch of Sadness
In The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel Grace, and Augustus take viewers on an emotional journey as they witness the fated love story. Based on John Green’s eponymous book, The Fault in Our Stars sets itself apart by detailing a romance between two terminally ill teenagers: Hazel struggles with thyroid cancer, while Gus has already lost a leg to bone cancer.
Together, they embark on an epic journey to Amsterdam to meet their favorite author, but when that goes awry, they find warmth and happiness in each other instead. The Fault in Our Stars introduced viewers to a new, unconventional teen romance, where the main couple battled life-threatening illness but accepted love when it came knocking. The ending still hits hard, bringing about a wave of indie romance movies with a similar tear-jerking twist.
10 High School Musical Depicts the Jock Falling For the Singer
Great Songs and a Lighthearted Romance
Disney’s High School Musical revolves around Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, two high schoolers from diametrically opposed cliques who find common ground while trying out for the school musical. With a deep passion for singing, only Troy and Gabriella understand each other, while their friends and family try to put them in boxes.
Somewhere in their quests to find their identities, these teens find love. They bring out the best in each other and listen to their hearts even when social labels and high school cliques try to stop them from following their dreams. High School Musical is a certified cult movie for the soaring original songs and Troy and Gabriella’s star-crossed love. As iconic as these movies are, they lack the depth of some of the best high school romances.
9 Love, Simon Is an Endearing LGBTQ+ Love Story
The Comfort of Anonymity vs. The Weight of Self-Acceptance
Simon Spier has led a comfortable enough life as a closeted gay teen in high school, but all that came crashing down in Love, Simon. When he reads an anonymous confession by a fellow closeted classmate, Simon starts speaking to him, despite not knowing who he truly is. Between emails and IMs, the two fall in love.
The young teen is left to grapple with his family, friends, and school life, and eventually finds the identity of the sweet boy whom he forms a connection with. A tender story of coming out and coming-of-age, Love, Simon offers a great romance while constantly piquing the audience’s curiosity. Simon’s transformation in the movie is delightful and addresses important elements of LGBTQ+ culture.
8 The Perks of Being a Wallflower Is an Iconic Modern Coming-of-Age Story
Grasping the Freedom of Youth
Based on the book of the same name written by Stephen Chbosky (who is also the director of the movie), The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an outstanding high school drama and romance. It revolves around a high school freshman, Charlie, who struggles with everyday life and making friends, especially after the death of his best friend by suicide. However, he meets Patrick and Sam, who welcome him into their friend group.
Soon enough, Charlie develops a crush on Sam, but things become complicated when he starts dating Mary and Sam also gets a boyfriend. The Perks of Being a Wallflower truly shows the intricacies of growing up, especially when it comes to trauma, making it an amazing coming-of-age story and a realistic teenage romance. The trio dynamics deliver many adorable moments as the characters learn to trust and rely on each other, showing that underneath a beautiful romance, there’s a powerful friendship.
7 Tall Girl Explored an Unconventional Relationship
Every Teenage Struggle Deserves the Same Attention
Tall Girl revolves around 16-year-old Jodi Kreyman, who is unusually tall and thus has been the butt of the joke since she was a child. Unable to see past how her height singles her out, she can’t appreciate Dunkleman, her best friend, who cares for her. When a Swedish foreign exchange student comes to her high school, Jodi sees him as the ideal match because of his towering stature.
Lighthearted and fun, Tall Girl explores a rarely covered insecurity that many people face. After much heartbreak, Jodi learns that height really isn’t everything, especially when love is just a few inches shorter. It’s a realistic and intimate high school romance movie that deserves a shot.
6 17 Again Mixes Surrealism with Sweetness
An Adult in the Skin of a Teenager
Starring Zac Efron and Matthew Perry, 17 Again continues to be an underrated high school romance movie. It mixes surrealism with good old-fashioned school dynamics when a middle-aged Mike, almost divorced and unhappy with his life, gets a second chance to be a teenager. While reliving some of the grosser parts of high school was traumatic, Mike also gets the opportunity to find love again.
17 Again looks like a riot on the outside, but the movie is undeniably sweet at its core. Mike is always dedicated to his estranged wife Scarlet, and helps her rediscover the joys of their relationship. It captures the second-chance romance trope perfectly.
