Top 20 Best Netflix Teen Movies
Netflix has been owning the teen movie genre. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the greatest Netflix teen flicks around.
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00:00 "First things first, we need to have a contract so we're on the same page about the rules."
00:03 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest Netflix teen
00:09 flicks around. Certain plot points will be discussed, so beware of spoilers.
00:14 "He really didn't use enough emojis in his texts."
00:17 "I don't know what they mean!"
00:19 Number 20. Along for the Ride
00:23 Saradesan novels have been enjoyed by teens for decades,
00:27 and this was the first film adaptation of one of her works to be released since the early 2000s.
00:33 So the anticipation was high.
00:35 "I don't know, but I'm willing to bet the summer on it to find out."
00:43 Along for the Ride tells the story of shy, introverted Auden as she summers with her
00:48 father in the town of Colby. There, she makes friends and finds an unlikely companion in the
00:53 cryptic Eli, who, like her, is always up all night.
00:57 "Thinking about what you said, and I think you should do it."
01:00 "Do what?"
01:02 "Think of a bunch of stuff you haven't done, and just start doing them. It could be, uh,
01:09 like a quest."
01:11 The pair fulfill dreams together and notably end up celebrating their love at a makeshift prom.
01:16 The whole thing is a feel-good rom-com that teenagers everywhere can enjoy.
01:21 "Is this for real?"
01:22 "Do you hate it?"
01:24 "I so don't hate it."
01:28 Number 19. All Together Now.
01:31 This film tells the tale of Amber, and the audience gets to see her triumphs
01:36 and downfalls as she personifies resilience.
01:39 "You're suffering. You're suffering, and you won't admit it. You expect the rest of us to sit by
01:45 and watch you go down the drain, and that is not fair."
01:47 "Not fair? I'm sorry, that must really suck, life not being fair."
01:52 She's a good Samaritan and friend who struggles in her home life,
01:57 where she deals with being unhoused and her mom's abusive relationship.
02:02 She navigates all of this while trying to forge a future in the arts,
02:05 and the film offers important lessons in the process.
02:08 "Take me, I'm ready. Go slow but go steady. To a place that we can call our own.
02:21 I wanna know what feels like home."
02:25 Her story teaches viewers not just about the power of positive thinking,
02:28 but about the value of community and getting back up after you fall.
02:32 There's something for everyone to take away from it.
02:35 "Oh god, no, no more waterworks. I only wanted to see it the one time."
02:40 "Well I can't help that."
02:42 Number 18. Dude.
02:44 Like many great films about adolescence, this one largely focuses on the emotions
02:49 surrounding the lead up to high school graduation.
02:51 "Alright ladies, let's throw on some slutty dresses."
02:55 We see four best friends, Lily, Rebecca, Amelia, and Chloe, party, consume illicit substances,
03:01 attend their proms, and help each other through tough times, like heartaches and death.
03:07 The love they have for one another is palpable,
03:10 but they also have to deal with big rifts that begin to form between them,
03:13 as well as looming, life-altering change.
03:16 "It's like when you know things are ending, you freak out and you try to hold on,
03:19 and then it gets weird waiting it out."
03:21 "When did you get so wise?"
03:26 "Surrounded by brilliant women."
03:29 This is surely familiar for anyone with a tight-knit friend group
03:33 that had to part when high school ended, and the feelings explored ring painfully true
03:38 and are approached thoughtfully. It's not always an easy watch, but it is a worthwhile one.
03:44 "The process whereby the pain of the past and its pastness
03:47 may be converted into the future tense of joy."
03:50 Number 17. The Kissing Booth.
03:52 "But Lee and I developed a list of friendship rules.
03:56 Lee was responsible for rule number nine, which specifically states
04:00 relatives of your best friend are totally off limits."
04:03 This movie may have as many detractors as it has fans,
04:07 but if you're looking for a very light-hearted pick that isn't too challenging,
04:10 this might be a great choice for you.
04:12 "I told you before, stop messing around."
04:14 "I'll leave when I want to. You're not the boss of me, Noah."
04:22 The Kissing Booth stars Joey King as a teen who finds herself falling for her best friend's
04:27 bad-boy older brother, who is totally off-limits, creating a classic love triangle of sorts.
04:33 "This isn't so bad. Not so bad at all."
04:38 The couple end up hooking up at a fundraiser kissing booth,
04:40 and the drama ramps up from there.
04:42 "But you're not afraid to call me out on things."
04:49 "Here I was thinking I was just your brother's annoying best friend."
04:53 It's fun and frothy and features plenty of memorable moments,
04:56 just don't listen too much to what the critics have to say about it.
04:59 There's even a second and third movie to check out if you feel so inclined.
05:03 "All right, everybody, The Kissing Booth is now open for business!
05:09 All right, let's do this thing again!"
05:15 Number 16. Tall Girl.
05:17 "Would you maybe wanna..."
05:19 "What do I maybe wanna what?"
05:24 This movie has a loyal fan base, despite the fact that it doesn't seem to have the
05:28 widespread recognition of some of the other movies on our list.
05:32 "How's the weather up there?"
05:33 "Hey, what'd you say to my best friend?"
05:35 "Farida, please, quick! You think you got jokes? Say some more funny stuff. Dazzle us."
05:40 The protagonist of Tall Girl is Jodie Cramon, who is 16 and struggles with the fact that she's
05:45 taller than nearly everyone else at school, measuring in at exactly six feet one and a
05:49 half inches tall.
05:51 "Really smart, fun, unique, and beautiful girl."
05:59 Throughout the story, she deals with the insecurities that this fact has always brought
06:02 her and works to figure out her dating life, which is difficult because she doesn't want
06:07 to be taller than a boyfriend.
06:08 "I'm just making some mental revisions to my perfect boyfriend checklist."
06:13 "Well, did I make it over 50%?"
06:16 "Way over."
06:19 Of course, there's plenty of growth from there.
06:22 Number 15.
06:24 Deidre and Laney Rob a Train
06:26 We bet you never thought you'd see a modern-day train robbery film,
06:30 especially one wrapped in a Netflix tale about siblings in need of fast money.
06:35 "Overnight, this operation has gone from erratic to the most sophisticated I've seen
06:40 in my career. So our investigation has to evolve. I'm gonna start interviewing students."
06:45 To support their family through tough times, sisters Deidre and Laney decide to steal money
06:50 from trains passing through town. Of course, they uncover a lot about themselves along the way.
06:55 "I knew it was a dumb idea, but we did this together, we stick together,
06:59 and you don't get to make all the rules."
07:00 "You're right, but right now I need you to get in that box."
07:03 "No!"
07:03 The unconventional plot makes this an especially memorable watch.
07:07 Meanwhile, Ashley Murray and Rachel Crowe's performances as the sisters who couldn't be
07:12 more opposite are both iconic and relatable. There's also a perfect mixture of funny
07:18 and sentimental moments, so we can't get enough of this unique flick.
07:22 "Are you sure about this?"
07:23 "Sure about what? Oh, you mean the robbery that we've been planning all week? Yeah,
07:28 I'm sure about it."
07:29 Number 14.
07:30 Work It
07:31 "What kind of dance do you do?"
07:33 "Hmm, I'm an illuminator."
07:37 "Sorry?"
07:37 "An illuminator."
07:39 "Ooh, illuminator, I've never heard of that before. That must be really something.
07:43 What do you do?"
07:44 "I keep it lit, you know?"
07:47 A teen film with stars including Sabrina Carpenter and Jordan Fisher is a rhythmic,
07:52 Gen Z dream. And indeed, Work It is fun from start to finish. It explores the world of dance
07:59 with a focus on a group of teens who are finishing high school and pondering their futures. In many
08:04 ways, it's like a mix of step-up and high school musical vibes, in the best way possible.
08:10 "Our terrible dancing just killed a man, all right? The sooner we face that fact,
08:13 the sooner we can ask for forgiveness and move on with our lives."
08:16 "Well, then we need to work harder. Come on, let's go."
08:19 Watching Carpenter's protagonist Quinn assemble a group of performers to train for a competition
08:24 is super entertaining, and the determination on display is admirable.
08:29 "I got skills, they rumble like the thunder in my soul, and there ain't nobody stealing it,
08:34 'cause I'm feeling it."
08:36 The dance comedy also has one of the catchiest soundtracks of any Netflix teen film,
08:42 so we dare you not to sing and groove along.
08:45 "Get on your feet, the weight is off your shoulders."
08:54 Number 13. The Babysitter.
08:56 Some teen movies are lighthearted and fun, while others take a more serious and realistic route.
09:02 This one, however, takes a turn for the disturbing with a splash of humor.
09:06 "All righty, babes, let's get started before we head upstairs and get the blood of the innocent."
09:10 The horror movie centers around Cole's discovery that his babysitter is a Satanist,
09:15 and he's on deck to be the sacrifice. The ensuing night is chaotically fun to watch,
09:21 while leaving us on the edge of our seats.
09:23 "Ah, you missed! Ha ha ha!
09:25 [Screaming]
09:27 "My nails!
09:28 Cole!"
09:29 Everything from Cole and Bea battling it out to the self-aware humor and gore
09:34 make it an orchestra for the senses. A sequel was released in 2020,
09:39 giving us a look at Cole's next chapter, and we're hoping this film series isn't over yet.
09:44 "I watch you die, I watch you all die!"
09:46 "We are dead. Duh."
09:49 "We finish this by sunrise,
09:50 we have to go back down to limbo for another two years before we can try again."
09:54 Number 12. Moxie.
09:56 Pretty much everything Amy Poehler touches turns to gold.
09:59 Unsurprisingly, this film, which she directed, co-produced, and appears in, is no exception.
10:05 "You know, we made a ton of mistakes. We argued with each other,
10:08 we weren't intersectional enough, we called our meetings powwows."
10:12 "But you're glad you did it all, right?"
10:17 "Of course. What are you gonna do, nothing?"
10:19 Moxie is filled with an uplifting feminist message that invites positive change,
10:24 and leaves us confident that the next generation will be filled with fighters,
10:28 leaders, and advocates. Vivian is a high schooler who finds herself inspired to launch a publication
10:34 after noticing that the boys in her school exhibit sexist behaviors.
10:38 And what a fantastic stir she creates in the process.
10:41 "Come on, get out here!"
10:44 [Cheering]
10:49 "Don't be no fool, that's where we are!"
10:52 Considering how relevant a topic gender equality is,
10:56 this dramedy feels particularly pertinent.
10:58 Though it's not perfect, there's a lot to gain by screening it.
11:02 "Thanks for inspiring me."
11:03 "Same."
11:06 Number 11. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.
11:10 When it's a Sandler family affair, you pretty much know that laughs and tears will be flowing.
11:15 "Everybody in this house needs a shrink."
11:17 "Yeah, you need two."
11:18 "Ten."
11:19 "That's nice. Everyone be normal, we're going to temple."
11:23 Adam Sandler plays the dad of Stacy and Ronnie,
11:26 portrayed by his real-life daughters, Sunny and Sadie.
11:30 Throughout the story, Stacy and her best friend Lydia are preparing for their
11:34 respective bat mitzvahs while navigating an increasingly tense dynamic.
11:38 "Oh my god, stop, you didn't have my back, just admit it."
11:41 "You stop, I told you not to jump, I didn't even want to be here."
11:43 "Only because you already got them to come to your party."
11:45 "You're being so dramatic right now."
11:47 "You're such a wannabe right now."
11:48 The girls find their mutual feelings for a boy named Andy causing a rift between them,
11:53 while dealing with big emotions that surround the transition to womanhood.
11:57 It's a quintessential coming-of-age film about friendship and growing up
12:01 that all teens can relate to, and it keeps us in stitches as a bonus.
12:06 "I at least have a virgin mojito bar."
12:08 "You can have a ball pit."
12:09 "Oh my god dad, that's for kids, I've had my period for seven months now!"
12:13 "Please Stacy."
12:15 "That's a long period, sweetheart."
12:17 Number 10. Enola Holmes
12:19 "Now I've finally got some peace and quiet to think, it's time for phase five of my plan."
12:23 "Or possibly phase four."
12:28 "Or possibly phase six, I've entirely lost count."
12:33 We love a Victorian-era flick, and when it stars beloved actress Millie Bobby Brown
12:38 as Sherlock Holmes' titular sister, it's guaranteed to be a good time.
12:42 True to form, there's a mystery wrapped in a journey of self-discovery,
12:46 and all the exciting layers and characters have us gripped.
12:50 "Who is that? He was trying to kill me!"
12:52 "I'm not ready to die on a train."
12:53 "I'm not ready to die at all, and I wasn't going to before I met you!"
12:56 Enola Holmes can be enjoyed by teens who relate to the protagonist,
13:00 fans who have read the books, and/or adults who grew up with Enola's older brother Sherlock.
13:05 What's more, Brown's work in the lead role is fantastic,
13:08 showing just how valuable female detectives are in both the original flick and its sequel.
13:14 We couldn't think of a better way to blend the teen and mystery genres.
13:18 "The Tewksbury case?"
13:19 "Well that was Sherlock Holmes."
13:20 "That was Sherlock."
13:21 "Sherlock."
13:22 "Sherlock Holmes, wasn't it?"
13:23 "I assure you, it was mine."
13:25 Number 9. Do Revenge
13:27 "We have to do."
13:28 "Please don't say anything."
13:30 "A makeover."
13:30 "Yay!"
13:32 "I'm so proud of that."
13:33 "It is, but it's fun!"
13:35 This is the teen movie that helped re-energize the genre by honoring it,
13:39 and we are so here for it.
13:41 It spotlights Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke as Drea and Eleanor,
13:45 an unlikely duo who team up to get revenge for each other.
13:49 "Ah, we could get caught. We could not graduate. We could get expelled."
13:52 "We won't get caught, that's the whole point.
13:54 No one knows we know each other, right? So no one will connect us.
13:59 To them, to each other. It's literally perfect."
14:03 Eleanor seeks revenge against Drea's ex,
14:06 while Drea sets out to make the person who spread a lie about Eleanor pay.
14:10 Not everything is as it first seems, though,
14:13 and pandemonium ensues in the most thrilling way possible.
14:17 Everyone gets what they deserve in the end,
14:19 and we can't help but obsess over this colorful tale
14:22 complete with hilarious and meaningful storytelling.
14:25 [Music]
14:34 Number 8. The Perfect Date
14:36 Noah Centineo has essentially become the quintessential Netflix hottie
14:40 in the past few years, and for good reason.
14:43 "I could provide a testimonial for your website.
14:45 Celia Lieberman says 'Brooks Radigan stepped on my ankle.'
14:50 But, you got me ice."
14:54 In The Perfect Date, he plays Brooks,
14:56 a high schooler who dreams of going to Yale, but needs the funds to make it happen.
15:00 "Think Grubhub, but instead of ordering pad thai, they'll be ordering you."
15:06 To make some extra cash, he develops an app where he offers up his service as a date for hire.
15:10 "You wanna push me away? Go ahead, 'cause we're through, baby. We are done. We are-"
15:15 "How's that for a defense mechanism?"
15:20 Of course, though, things don't always go smoothly,
15:23 and he finds himself behaving badly before developing real feelings for someone he'd
15:27 roped into his schemes. It's a treat from start to finish, and you'll find yourself giggling and
15:33 swooning. "I wanna dance." "Oh, you- you think you can keep up with me?" "I'd like to try."
15:40 Number 7. All the Bright Places
15:43 "What are you doing?" "I asked you first."
15:46 Netflix has released a lot of teen movies which follow a similar bright and sunny formula
15:52 that is reminiscent of classic rom-coms from the 80s and 90s.
15:55 But All the Bright Places is not actually one of them.
15:58 "It's just a little much, you know?" "How much longer are you gonna act like this?"
16:05 "It's been months."
16:08 Based on the novel of the same name, which was popular in the YA genre,
16:12 this deeply moving, well-crafted story looks at teen mental health issues revolving around
16:17 a variety of themes. "Where do you go when you disappear?" "Tell me something real about you."
16:31 There is a love story at the center of it, between troubled teens Violet and Finch,
16:35 and the plot takes some powerfully unexpected twists along the way.
16:39 "Just- you have no idea who he really is, do you? He's a freak! Call me a freak one more time."
16:46 Number six Candy Jar. "No!" "Well you should because research connection is the gold standard."
16:51 "You can't even do a date-specific search on that site, and it's a hundred dollars more."
16:54 "It's fifty dollars." "Yeah, easy for you to say."
16:56 Despite receiving largely positive reviews and plenty of praise from critics,
17:00 this movie still seemed to fly under the radar after being released in 2018.
17:05 "We wouldn't qualify." "Yes, we would." "No, you have extremely bad habits."
17:09 "You disrespect your opponents." "You disrespect your judges." "You have bad breath."
17:13 Candy Jar has a classic rom-com premise, where two sworn enemies from different
17:17 socioeconomic worlds find themselves having strong feelings for one another,
17:22 in ways that they did not expect. "I was too busy with- with homework, test, and debate."
17:30 "Yeah, that's high school." "Okay, if it is, how come you don't have tons of friends?"
17:36 Lana initially hates her debate teammate Bennett because the two are competing to be captain.
17:41 In order to get the credit they need to get into Ivy League schools.
17:45 "You should take these." "I'll take it."
17:51 But things change when they realize that they're actually more similar than they'd believe.
18:07 Pass the popcorn.
18:09 Number five, Let It Snow. It doesn't need to be December for us to enjoy a good old fashioned
18:14 Snowdin holiday movie. "Maybe the universe isn't a guest thing. Maybe it's telling me to
18:21 to have my party here." "The universe always has the answer, Keon." Let It Snow was released in
18:26 2019 and feels a bit like Love Actually with a younger cast of characters. "Anything can happen.
18:34 Good, bad, anything." The interweaving storylines feature several different love stories, all of a
18:44 different variety. While there are instances of high school romantic love and longing,
18:48 it also looks at friendships and relationships with family. "Ha, that's right. Ha, Jagger.
18:54 He could dance. Oh, Jagger was the master." It's honestly hard to choose which plot line
19:01 is the most charming, and it helps that the cast is so talented. "I want to be with you for the
19:05 rest of my life, Angie. Wow." Let It Snow has all the makings of a teen Christmas classic.
19:16 Number four, Dumplin'. Based on the popular YA novel by Julie Murphy,
19:21 Dumplin' is set in small town Texas and takes a look at the beauty pageant scene.
19:26 "I am the guest of honor, so will you please go upstairs and put on that floral dress that I got
19:31 you for Mimi's wedding? And can we run a brush through that hair? A well-styled head of hair."
19:37 "He's a head above the rest, I know." Rosie, played by Jennifer Aniston, is a former beauty queen,
19:43 but her daughter Willowdean, whom she affectionately calls Dumplin', couldn't be less
19:48 interested in pageantry. To prove a point, though, she decides to enter the Miss Teen Bluebonnet
19:53 pageant. "Willowdean Dixon, I think you're beautiful. To hell with anyone else who's ever
20:02 made you feel less than that." Willowdean is obsessed with Dolly Parton, so the movie's
20:07 soundtrack is definitely on point. And it's a great movie if you're looking for something
20:11 layered and complex, yet fundamentally inspirational. "Hey, did you win?" "No.
20:19 I got disqualified." "That's my girl."
20:24 Number three, The Half of It. Both written and directed by Alice Wu, The Half of It takes a
20:37 familiar premise and then turns it on its head. "I just need a few words, good ones." "I'm not
20:42 writing to Astor, to some girl. It'd be wrong. A letter is personal, it's supposed to be authentic."
20:47 "That'd be awesome." "No, I can't be you being authentic." High school jock Paul is in love
20:52 with Astor, but he's not exactly eloquent, so he hires top student Ellie to write her love
20:57 letters on his behalf. "I know what you said, that's what you say when you love someone."
21:01 "No, I was just talking. I would never, ever actually." "No, it is. And you don't even care.
21:06 I mean, I love her and I can't even." The problem is, though, that Ellie has complicated feelings
21:12 for Astor in her own right. "And your laughter, it's like an ocean of thoughts, like five oceans
21:18 of thoughts, like five voices. No, I like you." We won't tell you how this one unfolds, but it's a
21:24 fresh story that feels perfect for the modern times, and is another film that deals with big
21:29 themes with respect and humor. "How does that happen?" "What?" "The kiss." "I kissed her."
21:42 "How do you know she wants to be kissed?" Number two, Alex Strangelove. "Can't we just get past
21:48 this whole horny teenage boy archetype? Quite frankly, the idea that it's gay to think of sex
21:53 as something that's meaningful and special is offensive." "That's like the gayest sentence
21:58 anyone's ever said, dude." Another modern teen rom-com that deals with sexuality is Alex Strangelove,
22:04 which has become something of a cult favorite in the years since it was released. "I'm not sexy
22:08 like a gorilla with sexist fuzzy furry gorilla life mate." "No, you should workshop that." "Yeah,
22:18 it's not as good." The plot line initially seems to follow some standard teen movie tropes when two
22:23 best friends, Alex and Claire, make the decision to lose their virginities to each other. "I want
22:28 to have sex with you." "You could have fooled me." "Okay, fine. I'm gay. I'm a big gay homo because
22:33 I'm smart and I'm a little neurotic." After Alex meets Elliot, however, who is out and proud,
22:39 he starts to be unsure whether or not he should proceed with the original plan. "Right, but how
22:43 did you, how did you like know you were gay and not bi or something like that?" "How do you know
22:48 you're straight?" The story follows Alex as he discovers who he really is and includes many
22:53 bumps along the way. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to
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23:10 Number one to all the boys I've loved before. It doesn't get better than this all-time charmer.
23:17 "Here's the thing. I don't actually like you. I just had to make it look like I liked you so
23:22 somebody else wouldn't think that I like them." "Oh, okay. Okay, who?" "What?" To all the boys
23:29 I've loved before gives us pretty much everything we could want from a high school flick and brings
23:33 us back to a simpler time when it seemed like all great movies were like this. "All right,
23:38 you need to make this your new background." "So what's your new background?" "Girl, come on,
23:44 you know I already got it." Lara Jean writes love letters to her crushes that she never intends to
23:50 send but one day they somehow make their way to the boys in question. "I just know that homeboy
23:55 likes you. I mean, I can tell by the way he looks at you." "Okay, how does he look at me?" "Not like
23:59 your sexy little Rubik's Cube. He can't really figure you out but you know, he's having a lot
24:03 of fun trying." In order to hide her true crush, Lara Jean ends up convincing one of her old
24:08 crushies, Peter Kavinsky, to pretend to be her boyfriend. "Hi." "There's no one like you, Covey."
24:17 "Shining bright."
24:27 The first flick sets a gold standard but make no mistake, the two sequels are fantastic in their
24:34 own right. Which of these Netflix teen flicks is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
24:39 "Hellmare." "Yes?" Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo and
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24:50 [Music]