Netflix's All The Bright Places is just one of the streaming giant's romantic dramas from this year alone, and it's based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer Niven. Starring teen icons Elle Fanning (Maleficent) and Justice Smith (Pokémon Detective Pikachu), the film is a moving portrayal of two people struggling with their past emotional traumas. While Smith’s Theodore Finch struggles with his anxieties of graduating, Fanning’s Violet Markey is recovering from the death of her sister. The film was praised for its way of handling complex issues while showing two teenagers in love.
All The Bright Places turned out to be a far cry from Netflix’s usual cheesy romances and joined a long line of recent teen romantic dramas that attempt at detailing introspective themes from the perspective of younger characters.
The Spectacular Now (2013)
One of the earliest dramas by indie titan A24 Studios, The Spectacular Now stars Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. While the latter plays a simple, optimistic girl seeking romance, Teller portrays a high-headed teen who often indulges in partying and alcoholism to escape from his issues. He believes in living in the moment and not thinking about the future, which clashes with that of his new girlfriend's, who’s trying her best to map out her future.
In an age of clichéd teen flicks, The Spectacular Now is a serious well-written teen drama that focuses on the various anxieties that teenagers can have as they transition to adults.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
The film that made Timothee Chalamet a mainstream icon is also bolstered by iconic performances by Armie Hammer as his lover plus Michael Stuhlbarg as his caring father. Director Luca Guadagnino leaves no stone unturned in displaying the beauty of the Italian town of Lombardy making Call Me By Your Name an increasingly aesthetic summer film.
It also functions as a coming-of-age drama as 17-year-old Elio finds love with Oliver, a charming doctoral student who interns for his father. Their romance blossoms in the sultry Italian summer in this fresh tale of experiencing first love.
The Way, Way Back (2013)
Just like the standard teen protagonist, The Way, Way Back’s Duncan (Liam James) is going through a tough time adjusting with his mother (Toni Collette) and abusive stepfather (Steve Carell). In a lazy summer vacation, the boy plans to find solace in an aging water park where the park manager (Sam Rockwell) unwillingly becomes the father figure he desperately needed.
The comedy-drama is equally moving and wholesome, becoming a good addition to the offbeat slice-of-life films that are emerging since the 2010s.
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story (2010)
While It’s Kind Of A Funny Story might not have got the best of reviews, it's still a recent favorite amongst fans of the teen drama genre. Starring Atypical’s Keir Gilchrist, the film focuses on a suicidal teen who ends up in a psychiatric ward. While his mentally ill peers initially put him off, he eventually opens up to them with his stay bringing changes in his personality that he never expected.
The film is increasingly empathetic towards its subject matter, which is further cemented with several moments that are heartwarming enough for viewers to ignore the genre trappings this drama falls victim too. Zach Galifianakis’ turn as a disillusioned and depressed middle-aged man is also a welcome change in character for him that boasts his dramatic prowess.
The Half Of It (2020)
Another recent Netflix romantic drama, The Half Of It deals with a typical introverted girl (Leah Lewis) helping out a typical school jock (Paul Munsky) to impress the ‘hot girl’ in their school. It later turns out that both the protagonists share the same romantic feelings for the girl, leading to an amusing love triangle.
Written and directed by Alice Wu, The Half Of It adds a different spin to the classic high-school romance formula while also focusing on the lead character’s journey as the daughter of Chinese immigrants living in America as well as her self-journey in exploring her sexual identity.
Me, Earl, & The Dying Girl (2015)
A sleeper hit, Me, Earl And The Dying Girl has the makings of a classic teen romantic comedy-drama but it turns out to be the perfect anti-romance. Greg (Thomas Mann) is an introverted teenager who likes hanging out and making amateur films with his best friend, the free-spirited Earl (RJ Cyler). When his neighbor and classmate Rachel (Olivia Cooke) suffers from cancer, the two boys try to offer her some sympathy. However, this forced friendship turns into a memorable bond for the three teens as they rediscover the simpler aspects of life.
A perfect pick for hipsters, the film features some quirky remakes of classic films by Greg and Earl while relying on an interesting soundtrack with names like Lou Reed and Brian Eno.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Bo Burnham’s directorial debut deals with the trials and tribulations of an everyday eighth-grader's life, played to perfection by debutant Elsie Fisher. There’s hardly anything scripted about the film as it attempts to paint a realistic picture of a girl entering maturity in an age fueled by social media.
Fisher’s Kayla tries to build a viral social media following, pursues a crush on a boy, and deals with teens older to her only to face a haunting experience. Eighth Grade, much like A24’s other coming-of-age films Lady Bird and Mid 90s, captures the nuances of maturing while humanizing its characters.
Stuck In Love (2012)
Before The Fault In Our Stars, Josh Boone helmed the direction of a celebration of love aptly titled Stuck In Love. The film focuses on a divorced writer (Greg Kinnear), his daughter (Lilly Collins), and son (Nat Wolff) as they all try to find love in their own ways. Stuck in Love is no sugarcoated romance as it often takes dark, dramatic turns with some personal tragedies on the way.
The film doesn’t shy away from its clichés too while also adding to the fact that life is no rom-com. Adding three different perspectives from the same family makes the narrative more diverse in understanding the complexities of both young and old love.
Love, Simon (2018)
Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) is a gay teenager hiding his sexual identity from the rest of the world. But when a blackmailer tries to reveal his secret, Simon is forced to confront his own identity and his relationships with his caring friends and equally caring family.
Balancing the right amount of emotional drama and high-school comedy, Love, Simon was well-received by audiences and critics alike for the manner in which it normalizes the story of its gay protagonist without any tokenistic sympathy and simplicity. The film established Robinson as a young actor to watch out for and it even spawned a TV series titled Love, Victor.
The Hate U Give (2018)
The Hate U Give is engaging and highly relevant in the current times. The film focuses on high-schooler Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) who witnesses her best friend Khalil (Algee Smith) die in a police shooting. As the shooting becomes a national issue, it’s up to Starr to take a stand and get her friend the justice he deserves.
Unflinchingly real in its portrayal of an extremely believable case that's sadly all too familiar today, this film depicts how a teenager is affected by the aftermath of a trauma that her community has to face on a regular basis. For this very reason, The Hate U Give makes for essential viewing, especially for those who wish to watch a meaningful teen story.