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]