13 Must-Watch Young Adult and Teen Movies to Stream Right Now (September 2025)

Amy Poehler makes her directorial debut in this underrated teen comedy about a teenage girl who fights back against sexism at her high school. Vivian (Hadley Robinson) has a hard time connecting with her mother (played by Poehler) and her peers — until she discovers her mom’s rebellious past. Inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, she anonymously launches a zine called Moxie! at her school that speaks up against not only the behavior of the boys, but the way the school’s administration protects abusers. (Especially if they’re athletes like Mitchell Wilson, played by Patrick Schwarzenegger.)

As the zine takes off, it sparks a cultural movement among the other girls at Vivian’s school. This movie’s timely themes of empowerment and activism blend with charming humor and a killer soundtrack. 

A refreshing take on the teen comedy, The Half of It is loosely inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac. While it is a rom-com, it’s more of a friendship love story than a romantic one. The story centers around Ellie Chu, played by Leah Lewis, a shy and intelligent Chinese-American high school student who lives in the small town of Squahamish. To earn some extra cash, Ellie sells essays to her classmates — but things take a much more personal turn when Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) hires her to write letters to his crush, Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). One hitch in this plan: Ellie has a crush on Aster, too.

As Ellie and Paul get to know each other better, they form an unexpectedly deep and poignant friendship — one that’s tested by issues of identity, sexuality, self-acceptance and small-town life. The Half of It is full of surprises that transcend the typical high school rom-com.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan star in this excellent teen comedy that got a sequel more than 20 years later. Anna (Lohan) and her mother Tess (Curtis) really don’t understand each other — until a magic spell causes them to switch bodies. When they’re forced to spend some time in each other’s shoes, Anna and Tess each realize that the other’s life is not nearly as easy as she thought. 

With a rockin’ soundtrack (anyone else wish Anna’s band from this movie were real?), hilarious dialogue and a swoon-worthy Chad Michael Murray, Freaky Friday is a killer teen movie that still holds up today.

Loosely inspired by The Scarlet Letter (and we mean very loosely), Easy A is a story about the destructive power of gossip and how quick we are to cast judgment. Emma Stone plays Olive, a straight-laced teenager who tells a white lie about losing her virginity that quickly spreads like wildfire — or perhaps chlamidia. The script in Easy A movie is hilarious, with particularly memorable lines from Olive’s parents (played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson), and snarky narration by Olive herself.

Easy A is surprisingly moving at times, and its heightened humor does an excellent job of portraying the woes of high school. Don’t miss this gem on Hulu.

Who’s ready to start their princess lessons? This beloved YA movie launched Anne Hathaway‘s career — she plays Mia Thermopolis, an awkward and shy teen who learns that she’s actually the princess of a small European country. Her grandmother, Queen Clarisse (an always-elegant Julie Andrews), begins preparing her to be introduced to her new subjects with etiquette, diplomacy and — of course — a makeover. Mia undergoes a transformational journey to embrace her royal identity and find her voice. Helmed by director Garry Marshall, it’s a relatable depiction of teen life, even for those of us who aren’t royalty.

The supporting cast — which includes Héctor Elizondo, Sandra Oh and Mandy Moore — makes the world of The Princess Diaries feel full and textured, and Hathaway’s performance is simply magnetic.

This new movie from Netflix has become an overnight viral sensation, and it’s no surprise to us. The story of Rumi (Arden Cho), Zoe (Ji-young Yoo) and Mira (May Hong) — three pop stars who use the power of their voices to protect the world from demons — is funny and relatable even if you’re not a KPop sensation. When a demon boyband (led by Ahn Hyo-seop as the devious and gorgeous Jinu) threatens their fans, the girls must literally face their demons and come together to defeat them. But Rumi is hiding a secret that threatens to tear the girls apart…

With incredible music, unique animation and immediately lovable characters, KPop Demon Hunters is an instant classic and a must-see for YA fans. 

On Wednesdays, we wear pink — and we watch Mean Girls. This 2004 classic is available to watch for free, so don’t miss the opportunity to join Cady (Lindsay Lohan) as she ventures from the plains of Africa where she’s been homeschooled in “girl world.” Enrolled for the first time at an American high school, Cady navigates a complex social hierarchy led by “The Plastics,” a popular clique. Rachel McAdams is iconically devilish as the hypnotic Regina George, while Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried back her up as Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith. 

Can Cady stay true to herself and her newfound friends Janis (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese) and resist the allure of Plastic popularity?

Possibly one of the most quotable movies of all time, the Mean Girls script from Tina Fey is funny from start to finish, with every line meticulously crafted to point out the absurdity of teenage cliques.

Puberty is always a minefield, but it’s a little tougher when it makes you turn into a giant fluffy animal. Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is an ordinary Chinese-Canadian teenager who dreams of seeing her favorite boy band in concert. She is a “perfect” daughter to her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) — until this transformation makes her start to rebel.

Turning Red is a remarkably realistic story of growing up and finding your place in the world — and amongst your family. As Mei learns to express herself, she also comes to see her mother in a new light. 

This movie is stuffed full of laughs with an intense emotional core at its center. Don’t miss it!

If you haven’t seen this movie, you’re so totally buggin’. If you have seen it, you’re probably “butt-crazy in love” with this ultra-90s adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Emma. Either way, you should watch it. Clueless is the story of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), a wealthy Beverly Hills teen who loves meddling in other people’s lives.

Whether it’s setting up two of her teachers (Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan) or making over new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy), Cher is certain she has the answers to everyone’s problems. But when several of her schemes blow up in her face, she has to wonder if she has as much of the 411 as she believes she does. 

Clueless has everything — iconic costumes, memorable dialogue and a young (and adorable) Paul Rudd. Don’t miss this classic film available to stream on Paramount+.

Another ’90s romantic comedy based on a beloved literary work, 10 Things I Hate About You is based on Shakespeare‘s The Taming of the Shrew. This quirky comedy stars a host of future stars, notably Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron, a transfer student who instantly falls head over heels for Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), a popular girl at his new high school.

Unfortunately for Cameron, Bianca’s strict dad has a rule regarding his daughters — Bianca cannot date until her rebellious and anti-social older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does. Ever determined, Cameron hires local bad boy Patrick Verona (a dreamy Heath Ledger) to date Kat so that he can pursue Bianca. Predictably, Patrick and Kat begin falling for each other for real — but there’s nothing predictable about the bizarre scenarios that get them there.

Jam-packed with memorable lines and hilarious visual gags — for some reason, Padua High School has cliques like the “cowboy kids” and “white Rastas” that make every shot entertaining — this movie is also one of the most romantic high school love stories you’ll ever see. “I burn, I pine, I perish,” indeed.

10 Things I Hate About You is streaming on Disney+.

Without Ferris Bueller, teen comedies as we know them would not exist. This John Hughes movie starring Matthew Broderick has it all — ridiculously witty dialogue, angst, romance and a musical number. Ferris Bueller (Broderick) enlists his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) to have the greatest day of playing hooky any teen can imagine.

Ferris’ sister (Jennifer Grey) and school dean (Jeffrey Jones) are determined to catch Ferris in the act, but the “righteous dude” is too quick-witted and clever to be cornered by either of them. While Sloane and Ferris are mostly focused on having a good time, Alan Ruck’s Cameron is dealing with some heavy issues with his father that bring just the right amount of drama to this light, hilarious film. 

This Netflix rom-com, based on a novel by Jenny Han, was such a huge hit that it spawned two sequels and a spinoff series. It stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, a painfully shy high school girl who has written love letters to all her biggest crushes over the years. 

When the letters somehow get mailed, Lara Jean finds herself entering a fake relationship with the adorable Peter Kavinsky. This was the movie that put The Recruit star Noah Centineo on the map as well as in many of our hearts. Come for the laughs, stay for THAT hot tub scene.

Stream To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, as well as its sequels and spinoff, on Netflix.

Are you sick of the whiplash between Marvel and DC when it comes to superhero storytelling? Looking for some lighter fare? If so, Sky High is the flick for you. This slapstick comedy follows Will Armstrong, the son of two legendary heroes, who goes to his parents’ alma mater of Sky High, the school for superheroes. Only one problem – he doesn’t have any superpowers.

Michael Anganaro (This is Us) leads the charming cast of wannabe superheroes. The cast features several actors who would go on to star in bigger superhero properties like Danielle Panabaker (The Flash) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey). 

You can stream Sky High on Disney+.