The teen movie genre has been dominated by young adult novel adaptations for over two decades and it shows no sign of slowing down. The latest teen adaptation comes from best-selling author Sarah Dessen's beloved romance novel Along for the Ride.
Along for the Ride follows Auden (Emma Pasarow), a recent high school graduate who plans to reinvent herself while visiting her estranged father in a small beach town. Like all coming-of-age teen movies, it's full of heart, romance, and amazing friendship. While it's possible for fans to stream the movie over and over again, there are also tons of movies that offer a similar vibe to Along for the Ride that should be checked out.
Aquamarine (2006)
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Loosley based on a novel of the same name, Aquamarine centered on childhood best friends Claire and Hailey who are trying to hang on to their final few days of summer before Hailey moves away. After a massive storm, the girls stumble across a lost mermaid and must help her fall in love on land to get out of an arranged marriage.
While it might not seem like a movie about mermaids would have a lot in common with Along for the Ride, it does. At its core, both movies are about the bittersweetness of summer and friendships. Aquamarine and Auden are both fishes out of water who find love and friendship in their new worlds.
Booksmart (2019)
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One of the best teen movies to come out of the 2010s decade was the female-led Booksmart. The raunchy comedy followed straight-A students and best friends Amy and Molly who are determined to cram four years' worth of high school partying into the night before graduation.
Just like Amy and Molly, Auden feels like she's missed out on quintessential high school moments. While she can't relive them, she and Eli set out on a "quest" to reclaim her childlike wonder, which is essentially the same thing Amy and Molly do in Booksmart.
Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
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Charlie St. Cloud is a supernatural drama film that's based on a Ben Sherwood novel of a similar name. The movie stars Zac Efron, in one of his best roles, as Charlie, a college-bound senior whose life is ruined when his younger brother dies in a car crash. However, Sam isn't truly gone because every day at sunset, Charlie gets to play catch with the ghost of his brother.
While more dramatic than Along for the Ride, both movies do deal with grief. Charlie and Eli have a lot in common since they both feel responsible for being the ones to survive car accidents. However, through the power of love, they learn to reclaim their lives while keeping the spirit of their loved ones alive.
Dumplin' (2018)
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Dumplin' is another coming-of-age teen movie that's based on a novel, this one written by Julie Murphy. The movie centers on Willowdean AKA Dumplin, a plus-size teen who feels her mother loves beauty pageants more than she loves her. After her plus-size Aunt dies, Will finds an old application for a beauty pageant and decides to enter one in her Aunt's memory and to protest the pageant world's archaic view on beauty.
Both Will and Auden have complex relationships with their mothers and their respective views on femininity. Through their fierce efforts, they end up teaching their stubborn moms a lesson of their own.
If I Stay (2014)
If I Stay was released in 2014 and continued the 2010s streak of tragic teen romance movies. It centers on Mia Hall, a talented cellist with Julliard dreams who ends up in a coma after a tragic car accident kills her entire family. Mia's life pre-accident is shown through memories as Mia struggles to decide if she wants to wake up from her coma or go with the rest of her family to the other side.
While more tragic than Along for the Ride, both movies feature an impactful teen relationship between a "playing it safe" character and a "reckless, free spirit" one.
Paper Towns (2015)
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John Green's novel Paper Towns was adapted into a movie in 2015 after the success of The Fault In Our Stars. The movie follows shy Quentin and his ragtag group of friends who embark on an adventure in the hopes of finding their mysterious classmate Margo, who has run away.
Quentin and Auden both have the same "keep your head down" personality that changes in the presence of their crushes. The movies also feature said characters having to get out of their comfort zones to go on epic and important adventures.
Sleepover (2004)
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Sleepover is one of the most underrated early-2000s teen movies of all time. It centers on four soon-to-be-freshman who embark on a wild scavenger hunt around their neighborhood in the hopes of winning the coveted lunch spot at their high school next year.
Like Along for the Ride, Sleepover features a ragtag group of young girls who are trying to figure out who they are while supporting each other. Auden's quest list is also similar to the scavenger hunt Julie and her friends go on which forces Julie out of her comfort zone.
The Last Song (2010)
Watch On Disney+
One of Nicholas Spark's best novel to screen adaptations is The Last Song. The movie follows Ronnie, a troubled teenager, who is forced to spend her summer with her estranged father at his beach house. Despite originally not wanting to go, Ronnie falls in love with the town thanks to the people who bring out the best in her.
Both of these movies obviously take place in quaint beach towns, giving them the same vibe. They also both center on young women who are attempting to mend their relationship with their fathers who walked out on them.
The Last Summer (2019)
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Netflix hoped to capitalize on its teen movie success with the release of The Last Summer, but unfortunately, the movie is often overlooked. The anthology rom-com followed various high school graduates as they grappled with love and the future while counting down the days until they leave their hometown behind.
One of the obvious similarities between The Last Summer and Along for the Ride is that both take place during the main characters' summer before college. Since this is such a pivotal time for young people, it's no surprise the movies hit on the same themes of dealing with love, parental expectations, and their own hopes to grow into individuals.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
To All The Boys I've Loved Before might be the most iconic Netflix teen movie of all time. The story centers on Lara Jean, who ends up fake dating Peter Kavinsky when a series of love letters she wrote to her previous crushes accidentally get sent to them.
Lara Jean and Auden have a lot in common in that they both feel like outsiders who just want to be included. They also both start dating boys who help them get out of their comfort zone. The connection between them makes sense too, since both movies were written by Sofia Alvarez.