Teen rom-coms are enjoying a modern renaissance right now and a lot of that popularity can be traced back to the success of the To All the Boys film series. The third and final movie in the franchise, which hit Netflix on Feb. 12, finishes telling the love story between Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky. If you’re already missing the high school sweethearts after seeing them off to college, don’t worry. There are plenty more rom-coms like the To All The Boys movies to fall in love with.
There are tons of reasons why all three To All The Boys films instantly became teen romance royalty from the moment they premiered on Netflix. The story told across all three films is romantic and sweet, while containing relatable themes about growing up and learning to let your walls down in relationships. Or perhaps you were sucked into the fake-dating trope and enjoyed seeing Lara Jean and Peter’s made-up relationship grow into something real. Or maybe still, you find yourself searching for more swoon-worthy coming-of-age content after watching these characters grow up before your very eyes. Whatever draws you to rom-coms like To All the Boys, you’re sure to find something that appeals to you in the list below:
1. ‘Candy Jar’
In Candy Jar, rival debate club champs Lona (Sami Gayle) and Bennett (Jacob Latimore) are forced to act as co-presidents of their high school team. But just like Lara Jean and Peter after they’re forced to enter into a fake relationship, the two teens find themselves unexpectedly falling in love. It’s a sweet, witty look at two high achievers letting down their guard and bringing out the best in each other.
Candy Jar is streaming on Netflix.
2. ‘Set It Up’
While TATB revitalized the teen rom-com, Set It Up successfully harkens back to the golden days of feel-good New York rom-coms. Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell star as two overworked assistants attempting to set their bosses up and end up with an endearing, slow-burn relationship reminiscent of Lara Jean and Peter’s.
Set It Up is streaming on Netflix.
3. ‘The Kissing Booth’
You can’t recommend movies based on a teen romance without touching on The Kissing Booth, which follows awkward teenager Elle (Joey King) as unlikely sparks fly between her and bad-boy Noah (Jacob Elordi) at the school carnival. While this Netflix original hasn’t been as universally well-received as TATB, it still makes for an entertaining movie night. And since the third and final Kissing Booth movie is coming to the streamer later this year, now’s your chance to catch up with the series.
The Kissing Booth is streaming on Netflix.
4. ‘The Perfect Date’
If you’re still swooning over Noah Centineo’s performance as Peter, why not indulge your fascination by streaming some of the actor’s other Netflix rom-coms? The Perfect Date, in which he plays a high schooler who sells romantic yet fake dates in order to pay for college, is a great place to start.
The Perfect Date is streaming on Netflix.
5. ‘Sierra Burgess Is A Loser’
TATB isn’t the only Netflix rom-com in which a popular Centineo character finds love with the shy girl at school. Stranger Things breakout Shannon Purser stars in this movie as Sierra Burgess, an awkward high schooler who accidentally winds up dating a quarterback after a case of mistaken identity.
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser is streaming on Netflix.
6. ‘Easy A’
Remember how Lara Jean realized she’d taken her fake relationship too far and had real feelings for Peter? A similar thing happens to Easy A protagonist Olive (Emma Stone), a high schooler who begins to reinvent herself by playing into rumors that she’s promiscuous. The comedy is based on the classic novel The Scarlet Letter.
Easy A is streaming on Netflix.
7. ’10 Things I Hate About You’
TATB isn’t the only rom-com with an unforgettable scene on a high school sports field; just watch 10 Things I Hate About You for proof. Julia Stiles plays fiercely independent teenager Kat, who unexpectedly falls for Patrick (Heath Ledger), the school’s resident hunk. Although Patrick is initially being paid to date Kat, the real connection between them eventually becomes undeniable.
10 Things I Hate About You is streaming on Disney+.
8. ‘Sixteen Candles’
This classic film is Lara Jean’s favorite rom-com, which is why it made this list. But as she pointed out herself in the first TATB movie, it hasn’t aged well (particularly in regard to its racism, homophobia, and dubious understanding of consent). But if you want to understand some of the throwback romantic comedies that shaped Lara Jean’s worldview, this is one place to start.
Sixteen Candles is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, and more.
9. ‘The Half Of It’
In The Half of It, lonely high schooler Ellie (Leah Lewis) makes a business out of doing people’s homework while secretly crushing on popular girl Aster (Alexxis Lemire). When sweet but clueless football player Paul (Daniel Diemer) asks her to forge love letters to Aster (a parallel to Lara Jean’s own letters), the two strike up an unexpected friendship. The movie doubles as a refreshing story of platonic love and is a much-needed addition to the growing number of LGBTQ+ rom-coms out there.
The Half of It is streaming on Netflix.
10. ‘Clueless’
Clueless offers a ’90s update of the Jane Austen classic Emma, as Beverly Hills teen Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) schemes to help those around her find romance (while just starting to understand it herself). Although Cher is much more bubbly and outgoing than Lara Jean, both characters have big ideas about love that grow and change for the better (all while they banter with dreamy guys).
Clueless is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, and more.
11. ‘Saving Face’
Just like Lara Jean and Peter were childhood friends before they were a couple, Saving Face‘s Vivian (Lynn Chen) and Wil (Michelle Krusiec) date as adults after a fateful childhood encounter. Wil then goes through a series of misadventures as she struggles to come out as a lesbian to her traditional Chinese family and openly pursue her relationship. The movie is at once a universal story of balancing love and family as well as an important example of an early LGBTQ+ rom-com.
Saving Face is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
12. ’13 Going On 30′
While Lara Jean and Peter shared their first kiss during a game of spin-the-bottle, the main characters of 13 Going on 30‘s future romance have major ties to another teen party game: seven minutes in heaven. When unpopular middle schooler Jenna (Jennifer Garner) wishes to become 30 after the game goes awry, she’s unexpectedly transformed into an adult overnight. But growing up isn’t all it’s cut out to be and she soon finds love where she least expected it.
13 Going on 30 is streaming on HBO Max.
13. ‘The Incredible Jessica James’
In this Netflix movie, heartbroken New York teacher and playwright Jessica (Jessica Williams) finds unexpected romance with a divorcée named Boone (Chris O’Dowd). Although Jessica is much older than Lara Jean, both main characters learn to let down their walls and reexamine love through a series of hilarious misadventures.
The Incredible Jessica James is streaming on Netflix.
14. ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
Although TATB and Crazy Rich Asians have been hugely successful rom-coms in recent years, Hollywood initially tried to whitewash each movie’s main characters. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and both were able to bring important Asian representation to the genre. Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu as Rachel, who struggles to fit in with her fiancé’s super-rich mother at a Singaporean wedding.
Crazy Rich Asians is streaming on HBO Max.
15. ‘Alex Strangelove’
In Alex Strangelove, high school student Alex Truelove’s (Daniel Doheny) plans to lose his virginity to his girlfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein) are thrown into disarray when he develops a crush on a boy and questions everything. The movie manages to hit all the classic beats of a good teen rom-com while making progressive, relatable points about modern dating and sexuality.
Alex Strangelove is streaming on Netflix.
16. ‘Someone Great’
Peter and Lara Jean are great, but the TATB movies wouldn’t be nearly as special without the memorable relationships between LJ and her best friends. The Netflix movie Someone Great is a testament to how your besties can help you process heartbreak and move on to better things. Gina Rodriguez stars as Jenny, a young woman dealing with a breakup and enjoying one last NYC night with her friends before moving across the country.
Someone Great is streaming on Netflix.
17. ‘Love, Simon’
Like TATB, the 2018 film Love, Simon is also based on a beloved YA book of the same name. It follows Simon (Nick Robinson), a closeted gay high schooler who begins to fall in love with an anonymous classmate he’s been emailing. The movie made history as one of the first mainstream teen LGBTQ+ romantic comedies, giving more people the chance to see themselves in the classic genre.
Love, Simon is streaming on Hulu.
18. ‘Friends With Benefits’
Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake star in Friends With Benefits, playing fast friends whose laid-back relationship becomes complicated once they start having sex with each other. Although these characters are much older than Lara Jean and Peter, both duos are tested when their friendship becomes something more.
Friends With Benefits is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, and more.
19. ‘Lady Bird’
Greta Gerwig’s beloved Lady Bird centers on its titular teen (Saoirse Ronan), who deals with balancing first loves, family, and dreams of attending college in New York City. Like Lady Bird, Lara Jean’s ideas about the future are also forever changed when she begins to imagine going to school in the Big Apple.
Lady Bird is streaming on Netflix.
20. ‘Dumplin’
All the best teen rom-coms are about the main character not only falling for their love interest, but learning to love themselves too. That’s definitely the case in the Netflix movie Dumplin’, in which Texas teen Willowdean Dickson (Danielle Macdonald) revolutionizes the narrow-minded, small-town pageant her mom (Jennifer Aniston) won when she was younger. In doing so, it also tells a different kind of love story about a mother and daughter.
Dumplin’ is streaming on Netflix.
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