Summary
- Iconic teen romances from the 90s and 00s still hold up today, offering unique and enduring coming-of-age stories.
- Female friendships take center stage in John Tucker Must Die, emphasizing the growth and bond between the characters.
- Bend It Like Beckham stands out with a focus on pursuing dreams over romance, offering a feel-good sports movie that inspires.
Rom-Coms have long been a staple of cinema, but the 90s and 2000s were a phenomenal time for the sub-genre, with some truly iconic characters hitting the big screen. While not every teen movie from this time period aged well, many of them remain watch-worthy for more than just nostalgia. Whether it is the beautifully executed tropes of friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, miscommunications, nerds and jocks falling in love, or just some classic teen coming-of-age stories, these remain absolute classics. And with hit movies like Anyone But You carrying on the tradition, there is a lot of debt still paid to teen rom-coms of the 90s and 00s.
Teen romance movies can be comedic high school adventures or dramas that tug at the heartstrings, but they always seem to play out like a modern fairy tale. It's not every day that a teenage outsider learns they're actually royalty or becomes embedded with the most popular kids in school, but teen rom-coms find a way to make the audience believe it. The 1990s and 2000s are two decades notorious for producing some of the most iconic teen romance movies. Many became instant classics and still hold up today.
25 John Tucker Must Die (2006)
Four Girls Team Up To Bring Down Their Ex
John Tucker Must Die (2006)
- Director
- Betty Thomas
- Release Date
- July 27, 2006
- Cast
- Jesse Metcalfe , Brittany Snow , Ashanti , Sophia Bush , Arielle Kebbel , Penn Badgley
- Runtime
- 87 minutes
Teen romance movies that involve revenge plots usually employ the fake dating trope to make another character (or more than one) jealous. That’s not the case with John Tucker Must Die. Instead, a group of teenage girls team up to break the heart of a teenage boy who dated them all at the same time without them knowing. When they discover his deception, they decide to get back at him with the help of the new girl in school who will serve as his latest girlfriend.
There are not too many rom-coms of the era that focus on female friendship which is part of the reasons John Tucker Must Die stands out. While the girls initially see each other as enemies, watching their bond gradually grow is entertaining and touching. While the ending is predictable, there is enough fun chemistry among the actors and a fun bit of dark humor to make it a solid coming-of-age movie aimed at millennials.
John Tucker Must Die is available on Primevideo
13 Coming-Of-Age Movies That Define Millennials
The 90s and 00s were the best eras for coming-of-age movies, and there are plenty of iconic movies that really captured growing up as a millennial.24 Angus (1995)
A Bullied Kid Gets A Chance To Impress His Crush
- Release Date: September 15, 1995 (USA)
- Director: Patrick Read Johnson
- Cast: George C. Scott, Chris Owen, Ariana Richards, Anna Thomson, Charlie Talbert, Kathy Bates
- Duration: 1h 30m
Bullies are a common theme in teen movies from this era and the titular character in Angus must contend with his share of cruel classmates. A freshman in high school, Angus (Charlie Talbert) has been bullied all his life. However, when his friend rigs the school votes for Class President so Angus wins, he has the opportunity to dance with his crush and must learn how before the big dance.
The '90s teen romance movie features a lot of the teen movie tropes that are prevalent today, but it’s still a sweet story that captures the adolescent experience of being an outsider. Angus makes for an endearing hero worth cheering for. It also features the first movie role for James Van der Beek who went from playing the bully in this movie to being a teen romance idol himself.