10 Things I Hate About You was released back in 1999, and is arguably one of the best High School movies of all time. A modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the comedy (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is still endlessly quotable and a beloved rom-com. And the movie's director recently explained why late actor Heath Ledger landed the role of Patrick Verona back in the day.

I grew up watching 10 Things I Hate About You over and over again on syndication, and I think it's one of the best '90s movies of all time. Director Gil Junger recently spoke to EW about the casting process, which include seeing hundreds of men for Patrick. As he put it:

That's show business, folks. Casting is a unique process, and sometimes people are seen thanks to personal favors. That's what happened with Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You, although the Oscar-winning actor was able to deliver in the role and land the part. Truly it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

10 Things I Hate About You isn't a big blockbuster, so it might be surprising that so many actors were brought in by the casting director. Later in that same interview, Junger went on to share how Heath Ledger ended up dazzling them during this long and grueling process. As he shared:

This is just one story that shows what kind of actor Heath Ledger was. Despite his young age, he had the charisma and star power to land the leading role in 10 Things I Hate About You. This rom-com was just the tip of the ice berg, and he's go on to give acclaimed performances in a number of other projects. That includes Brokeback Mountain, and his Oscar-winning role as Joker in The Dark Knight Rises.

10 Things I Hate About You is streaming now on Disney+. We'll just have to wait and see if any of the titles on the 2025 movie release list ends up being quite as iconic.

From "You had me at hello" to "I'm also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her," the best romantic comedies are full of swoon-worthy quotes and memorable one-liners. However, while popular rom-coms like all the best Julia Roberts movies, Meg Ryan classics and Reese Witherspoon favorites are generally packed with feel-good moments, sometimes they feature scenes of heartbreak, conflict, bad attitudes and poor behavior, which can often mean people saying quite hurtful things to each other. Here are 32 of the meanest things said to someone in a rom-com.

"Why Should I Listen To You, Anyway? You're A Virgin Who Can't Drive" - Clueless

Written by Amy Heckerling, the script for the '90s classic Clueless is full of iconic quotes and youthful slang. But one of the most brutal adolescent takedowns comes surprisingly from sweet transfer student-turned-cool girl Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy), who manages to insult our leading lady Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) for not only the status of her virginity but also for failing her driver's test. Way harsh, Tai!

"That Was Yesterday. Today You're Just Some Girl Who Broke My Heart And Cut Up My Mother's Wedding Dress." - 27 Dresses

Katherine Heigl's Jane might be always a bridesmaid, never a bride, for much of the 2008 comedy 27 Dresses, but she's largely supportive of all of the newlyweds around her, even deeming to don some truly awful gowns as part of their bridal parties. However, when her own sister Tess (Malin Åkerman) manipulates her way into a proposal from the man Jane loves—all while wearing a chopped-up version of their mother's wedding dress—Jane rightfully lets her rage out.

"Waiting For You Is Like Waiting For Rain In This Drought. Useless And Disappointing." - A Cinderella Story

Like Cinderella meets You've Got Mail, the 2004 teen rom-com A Cinderella Story revolves around two internet pen pals from opposite ends of their high school's social scene: she, a lowly diner worker named Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) and he, the popular quarterback Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray). When their identities are unmasked and Sam is left humiliated, she marches into the football locker room and gives him a talking-to.

"Harry, You're Gonna Have To Move Back To New Jersey Because You've Slept With Everybody In New York And I Don't See That Turning Helen Into A Faint Memory For You." - When Harry Met Sally...

Some of the funniest quotes from the classic Meg Ryan rom-com When Harry Met Sally... feature hilariously charged banter between our titular friends-turned-lovers Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan). But some of the memorable lines from the Rob Reiner-directed, Nora Ephron-penned flick come more from a place of hurt than humor, such as this alfresco argument where they trade some brutally honest feedback about each other's love lives.

"Don't, For One Minute, Think That You Had Any Effect Whatsoever On My Panties." - 10 Things I Hate About You

Julia Stiles's prickly 10 Things I Hate About You protagonist Kat Stratford may protest too much that she's not totally charmed by the persistent interest of bad guy Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). She may declare that the only effect he has is on her "upchuck reflex," but her reaction to that swoon-worthy soccer-field performance of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" certainly says otherwise.

"Sweetie, Your Skin Is So Dry It's Hurting My Face." - Crazy Rich Asians

To impress the wealthy and judgmental mother (Michelle Yeoh) of her beau, Nick Young (Henry Golding), while attending the lavish Singapore-set wedding of his best friend, Rachel Chu (Costance Wu) gets a much-welcome makeover from Nick's sassy second cousin Oliver T’sien (Nico Santos). Oliver's constructive criticism may have been admittedly harsh, but the reaction to Rachel's stunning wedding look was more than worth it.

"Where's The Cool, Fun, Smart, Beautiful Andie That I Knew? The One That Wanted To Be A Serious Journalist? You're Up, You're Down, You're Here, You're There, You're Like A Frickin' One-Woman Circus." - How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

To make Matthew McConaughey's Benjamin Barry fall out of love with her, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days heroine Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) begins behaving outrageously: we're talking weeping over a love fern, ruining boys' night, nicknaming his manhood "Princess Sophia," the works. It's unsurprising, then, that Benjamin loudly laments that Andie has chaotically turned into a "one-woman circus" during a fight between the couple.

"Lower. [You're] The Pus That Infects The Mucus... That Cruds Up The Fungus... That Feeds On The Pond Scum. On The Other Hand, Thank You... For Loving Me That Much." - My Best Friend's Wedding

Julia Roberts's Jules Potter exhibits some seriously poor judgment in the 1997 romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding, kicking off a campaign to break up the nuptials of her lifelong friend Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney) and his bubbly young bride Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz). When Jules eventually confesses to Michael all of the sabotage she's been up to, he rightly and imaginatively tells her off but then, kindly, forgives his friend immediately.

"You Know What? You Are Rude And Mean And Sloppy And Frizzy. I Don't Like You At All!" - 13 Going on 30

Before leading the rest of the 13 Going on 30 cast into that iconic "Thriller" dance sequence to liven up her company party, Jennifer Garner's Jenna Rink and her co-editor-slash-best friend Lucy Wyman (Judy Greer) get into some words with rival magazine editrix Trish Sackett (Kiersten Warren) of Sparkle magazine. When Trish trashes Poise and tells them to change the publication's name to "Poison or Pitiful, whatever's more pathetic," Jenna partakes in some hilariously innocent smack talk.

"I Love This Man, And There Is No Way I'm Gonna Give Him Up To Some Two-Faced, Big-Haired Food Critic!" - My Best Friend's Wedding

If anyone—even a veritable America's Sweetheart like Julia Roberts—tried to ruin our wedding by smooching the groom, we'd react pretty much exactly like Cameron Diaz does in My Best Friend's Wedding. Her character confronts Roberts's scheming Jules Potter in the women's bathroom of a baseball stadium, and with onlookers cheering her on, Diaz knocks her tirade out of the park.

"I Do Not Need A Blind Date. Particularly Not With Some Verbally Incontinent Spinster Who Drinks Like A Fish, Smokes Like A Chimney, And Dresses Like Her Mother." - Bridget Jones's Diary

Taking inspiration from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sharon Maguire's beloved 2001 title Bridget Jones's Diary features a similar enemies-to-lovers trajectory for our leading lady Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) and her eventual beau Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). However, after hearing Mark's harsh and haughty words about Bridget upon their first meeting at the Turkey Curry Buffet, we can't totally blame Bridge for initially writing him off as a wanker.

"Get Married, Make Babies! You Look So... Old! - My Big Fat Greek Wedding

A parent's criticism usually comes from a place of love, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt! In 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 30-year-old Toula Portokalos (actress-screenwriter Nia Vardalos) is living out her spinster days working at her parents' restaurant, with her dad Gus (Michael Constantine) giving her a hard time about settling down with a nice Greek man and making nice Greek babies. Instead, he gets John Corbett!

"If Staying Here Means Working Within 10 Yards Of You, Frankly, I'd Rather Have A Job Wiping Saddam Hussein's Arse." - Bridget Jones's Diary

Since he cheated on her and broke her heart—all while she was humiliatingly dressed as a Playboy Bunny—Bridget Jones' caddish boss-turned-boyfriend Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) deserved every bit of this verbal takedown from our eponymous heroine (Renée Zellweger).

"Do You Prefer 'Fashion Victim' Or 'Ensembly Challenged'? - Clueless

Beloved '90s movie Clueless is as much about the clothes as it is the comedy, with characters like Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash) and Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy) decked out in some majorly iconic outfits throughout the funny flick. However, style, or lack thereof, is also the subject of many insults in the movie, especially aimed at Cher's frenemy Amber Mariens (Elisa Donovan).

"Are You The Billionaire Owner Of Apple Computers? No? In That Case, You've Got No Right To Wear New Balance Sneakers, Ever." - Crazy, Stupid, Love.

At the center of the star-studded 2011 ensemble comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love is Cal Weaver (played by Steve Carell), a middle-aged dad and recently separated man who learns how to be more stylish and romantic to attract women. At his side is the debonair womanizer Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), who is fantastically funny and, yes, a little mean with his constructive criticism of Cal's dorky wardrobe.

"I Cannot Believe I Wasted My Prime Reproductive Years On You! I Hope You Have Terrible Karma And Come Back In The Next Life As A Nasty Little Lizard And Get Stepped On By Someone On A Hike! You Are Getting The Finger So Hard Right Now!" - Always Be My Maybe

In the 2019 friends-to-lovers flick Always Be My Maybe, comedienne Ali Wong plays Sasha Tran, a celebrity chef who is engaged to successful restaurateur Brandon Choi (Daniel Dae Kim). However, when Brandon delays their wedding yet again, Sasha brutally breaks up with him over the phone with increasingly colorful language.

"When Was The Last Time You Tweezed?...Ever Watch Sesame Street? You Know Bert?" - She's All That

One of the best makeover scenes in the rom-com genre can be found in the 1999 fan-favorite She's All That, where big-man-on-campus Zack Siler (played by Freddie Prinze Jr.) makes a bet to turn artsy nerd Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen. That requires ridding Laney of her paint-splattered overalls and thick-rimmed glasses, so Zack enlists his stylish sister Mack (Anna Paquin) to offer some mercilessly worded assistance.

"I Thought You Said She Was Thin?" - Bridget Jones's Diary

It's one thing to have your partner commit infidelity—with the leggy, young coworker from the New York office, no less—but it's another thing entirely when you find out that the leggy, young coworker not only knows about you but also insults you straight to your face. Such is the romantic horror that happens to Bridget Jones, made even worse by the fact that the Brit regularly displays insecurity about her weight throughout the 2001 comedy.

"You With Your Theme Park, Multi-Level, Homogenize-The-World Mochaccino Land. You've Deluded Yourself Into Thinking That You're Some Sort Of Benefactor, Bringing Books To The Masses. But No One Will Ever Remember You, Joe Fox...You Are Nothing But A Suit!" - You've Got Mail

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are two rom-com partners we think are overdue for an onscreen reunion, but in You've Got Mail, their characters couldn't want to spend less time with each other. Ryan plays Kathleen Kelly, who runs the quaint neighborhood bookseller The Shop Around the Corner; Hanks portrays Joe Fox, the head of major bookstore chain Fox Books. Their rivalry cuts deep, as evidenced by Kathleen's harsh words to Joe—but that rivalry soon turns to romance.

"Snap Out Of It!" - Moonstruck

Arguably, the worst reply to you telling someone that you love them is for them to smack you across the face and yell, "Snap out of it!" Though not the most romantic response to a declaration of love, the scene did cement Moonstruck as one of Cher's best movies, with the music icon winning an Oscar for playing a widowed Italian American woman who falls in love with her fiancé's estranged younger brother (played by Nicolas Cage).

"I Love Your Sweater. Does That Come In A V-Neck?" - The 40-Year-Old Virgin

The infamous waxing scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin is the stuff of comedy legend, with Paul Rudd previously revealing that all of the actors' reactions were genuine as they watched star Steve Carell get his chest hair ripped off IRL. Making things even funnier is the savage, on-the-spot jokes that the cast came up with while watching the body-wax horror before them, including Rudd declaring that Carell's exceptionally hairy torso resembled a pullover sweater.

"Yeah, You Just Take Soupy-Sales To Prom I Can Think Of So Many Cooler Things To Do That Night. Like, You Know What, Bleek? I Might Pumice My Feet, Uh, I Might Go To Bren's Unitarian Church, Maybe Get Hit By A Truck Full Of Hot Garbage Juice, You Know? Cause All Those Things, Would Be Exponentially Cooler Than Going To Prom With You!" - Juno

The quirky love story between 16-year-old high-schooler Juno MacGuff (played by Elliot Page) and her track-team BFF Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) is certainly an unconventional one, seeing as how the teen girl falls pregnant with his baby before they've even begun dating. But just because they weren't technically together doesn't mean that Juno didn't clearly harbor romantic feelings for her longtime pal, as she gets plenty jealous when Paulie asks another girl to prom.

"I've Never Met Anyone So Manipulative, So Deceitful, And I'm in Politics!" - Sweet Home Alabama

They say you never forget your first love and that's certainly true for Melanie Smooter (Reese Witherspoon), the small-town girl turned big-city fashion designer who left her Alabama hometown as well as her estranged husband Jake Perry (played by Josh Lucas and not Matthew McConaughey, despite popular belief) behind. However, years later, at her wedding to the wealthy Andrew Hennings (Patrick Demsey), she not only comes clean about her rural roots but also her lingering feelings for Jake. It goes without saying that Andrew's powerful mother, New York City mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen), is not pleased to hear about Melanie's deception.

"You Didn't Think You Became Popular For Real, Did You? Oh, You Did? That's So Sweet." - She's All That

A late-'90s retelling of Pygmalion, She's All That centers on Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a popular jock who boasts he could make any girl at his high school popular. His buddy Deah (Paul Walker) suggests artsy outsider Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) and, using his own popularity as well as a strategic makeover as a status boost, Zack manages to get Laney nominated for prom queen. However, when the bet is revealed to Laney, Zack's ex-girlfriend Taylor (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) digs the knife in even further with her cruel words.

"You Are Afraid To Be Alive. You Are Afraid To Live. You're A Hypocrite. You're A Conformist. You're A Liar. I Opened Up To You And You Judged Me." - Silver Linings Playbook

Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar-winning performance as widow Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook is an unflinchingly alive and bracingly funny one. Equal parts volatile and vulnerable, Tiffany is not one to back down from a fight, and that's certainly the case in this scene-causing blowup between her and Bradley Cooper's Pat Solitano Jr.

"I've Never Treated You Like A Prostitute." - Pretty Woman

With all of its Roy Orbison-soundtracked shopping montages and flower-filled grand gestures, it's easy to forget at times that Pretty Women is very much about a street worker, a fact that Richard Gere's Edward Lewis unkindly reminds street walker Vivian Ward (a dazzling Julia Roberts) of after offering her an apartment, a car and money with which to take care of herself—everything but his heart.

"It's Sentimental Tacky Crap! Do We Look Like The Kind Of Store That Sells 'I Just Called to Say I Love You'? Go To The Mall." - High Fidelity

The Jon Cusack-led rom-com High Fidelity centers on the romantic antics of record-store manager Rob Gordon, and along with offering up a fittingly fantastic soundtrack, the 2000 title is filled with memorable music-related moments. Several of them revolve around Rob's Championship Vinyl cohorts Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black), the latter of whom does not hold back when it comes to rudely judging their customers' musical tastes.

"You Old, She Pregnant. Can't Have A Bunch Of Old Pregnant Women Running Around!" - Knocked Up

This interaction from Judd Apatow's Knocked Up is actually doubly mean, as it kicks off with Leslie Mann's mom-of-two Debbie hilariously rages against a nightclub bouncer (Craig Robinson) who went let her and her pregnant sister Alison (Katherine Heigl) through the venue's velvet ropes. ("You know what, you may have power now, but you are not God. You're a DOORMAN!") But said bouncer makes things even more hilarious when he plainly lays out exactly why he's denying the women entry.

"I Don't Think We Have Anything For You. You're Obviously In The Wrong Place. Please Leave!" - Pretty Woman

The scene birthed one of the greatest clapbacks in cinema history: "You work on commission, right? Big mistake! Big, huge!" But before Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) could get that delicious revenge against the snooty shopkeepers who slighted her in Pretty Woman, the sex worker was sadly on the receiving end of the boutique employees' mean condescension.

"I Don't Think You're Supposed To Wear White Jeans After 1983." - Never Been Kissed

Never Been Kissed may be one of Drew Barrymore's best movies, but admittedly, if undercover reporter Josie Gellar really wanted to blend into the crowd while posing as a high-school student, an all-white outfit complete with a feather boa might not have been the most inconspicuous ensemble for her first day. Still, Josie did not deserve the mean-girl comments of South Glen South High's resident popular clique Kirsten (Jessica Alba), Gibby (Jordan Ladd) and Kristin (Marley Shelton).

"I'm Going To Help You Rediscover Your Manhood. Do You Have Any Idea Where You Could Have Lost It?" - Crazy, Stupid, Love.

In Crazy, Stupid, Love., sleek Casanova Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) gives newly separated dad of three Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) some much-needed pointers on how to dress well, how to talk to women, and so on. And though his intentions are charitable and kind, the way he offers up criticism to Cal could be a bit kinder.

"Thank You Josh. I SO Need Lessons From You On How To Be Cool. Tell Me The Part About Kenny G Again?" - Clueless

The back-and-forth banter between Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz and Paul Rudd's Josh Lucas are some of the best parts of that mid-'90s favorite, Clueless. And though Cher certainly gives him a hard time about his clothes. his classes and his Nietzsche-reading ways, it's not long until she realizes that she's "majorly, totally, butt crazy in love with Josh!"

There are so many types of films and TV shows out there where one of the main focuses is romance, whether it's the best rom-com movie out there or it's a dramatic, neverending tale of love. But today, we'll be focusing on films and TV shows that focus on young love – teenagers and the like, obviously. Let's get into it.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy (2018 – 2021)

This To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy defined a generation of young women like me who dream of having someone like Peter Kavinsky sweep them off their feet. We all agreed that Noah Centineo was the internet's boyfriend for years after this—indeed, a culture shift.

Teen Wolf (2011 – 2017)

While Teen Wolf certainly ranks high on our list of supernatural teen dramas because that is the basis of this show, a lot of people focus on love. And I mean a lot. The romances that happen are mainly what drives this series about a high schooler turning into a werewolf. You can't really get much better than that.

Grease (1978)

Okay, while literally, not a single person in the Grease cast was of high school age, the movie itself is about young romance. While I sometimes think Grease can be overrated, the movie musical does a good job of showing how young romance can affect a teenager – in an enjoyable musical form.

One Tree Hill (2003 – 2012)

When literally anyone thinks of teen romance, they think of One Tree Hill. Running for a total of nine seasons, the series tells the story of two half-brothers who compete for the same position on their school's basketball team, but of course, their love lives get entwined and tangled as well. This is drama to the max.

Easy A (2010)

When I think of Emma Stone's best movies, Easy A is always up there. While she's excellent in her dramatic roles, there is just something about seeing her in this comedic romance movie, which takes the cake every time. It takes young romance and makes it a joke, and honestly, it makes the relationship that her character forms with someone else even better.

Gilmore Girls (2000 – 2007)

Yes, I know I'll have some people say that Gilmore Girls isn't really based on young romance because it's more about the relationship between mother and daughter, but you tell me that you haven't spent time wondering who Rory was going to end up with in this series. Before there was Team Edward and Team Jacob, there was Team Dean and Team Jess (and Jess was the better option, BTW).

X.O. Kitty (2023 – Present)

A spinoff of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, this series, X.O. Kitty, is all about Lara Jean's younger sister, Kitty, and her adventures across the world in South Korea and honestly, I love it. While romance is a main aspect of the series, it's also a fun little coming-of-age comedy that anyone can get behind.

Dawson's Creek (1998 – 2003)

Running for six seasons, Dawson's Creek is another essential teen romance TV series that has been talked about for years. The series is like most teen romances out there, where it follows a close group of friends in high school and their lives together, as well as the relationships that follow, but man, it was huge and shot the stars to fame.

She's All That (1999)

Nah, we are not talking about He's All That. We are bringing up the original She's All That. The movie, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook, is all about a high schooler who says he can make any girl popular and takes a bet to turn a random woman into a prom queen in six weeks. Romance ensues, and it's just a fun teen rom-com from there on.

Twilight (2008)

They are about romance when you think about it. The Twilight films are primarily all about the romance between Bella and Edward. And Bella is a teenager – and Edward is trapped in a young person's body, so technically, it is a teen romance…even if he is hundreds of years old, but THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT, OKAY? It's a teen romance.

Glee (2009 – 2015)

When I was coming up with ideas for this article, Glee was one of the first I knew I had to include here. Sure, we all love the Glee covers, but man, we ate up these romances when the show was out. Blaine and Kurt, Santana and Brittany, Rachel and Finn – it was endless, y'all. This may be about a Glee club, but we are all here for the love.

Gossip Girl (2007 – 2012)

The Gossip Girl cast undoubtedly reached a point while filming this show when they were no longer teenagers, but we all loved this series for its romances—no matter how absolutely messy they got. And they got messsssssy.

My So-Called Life (1994 – 1995)

While My So-Called Life only ran for one season, it certainly cemented itself into pop history. It was very realistic in its portrayal of teenagers and took a natural examination of romance in young love. Sure, it wasn't as dramatic as the others, but it's still a great show – and now a cult classic.

She's The Man (2006)

For a time, it felt like Amanda Bynes was the queen of teen romance comedies, and She's The Man was undoubtedly her best. Telling the story of a female soccer player who goes undercover as a man to join the men's soccer team in order to play, the movie is hysterical and creates a comedic young romance that is just too good.

Never Have I Ever (2020 – 2023)

Running for four seasons, Never Have I Ever is a great teen romance show. It's reportedly loosely based on Mindy Kaling's (the co-creator) life and her life in Boston. It follows the story of a teenager in high school and how she deals with her personal and school life in the aftermath of her father's passing. The romance is just as great as everything else.

Ginny & Georgia (2021 – Present)

While you could make the same argument for Ginny & Georgia as you could with Gilmore Girls – where it's essentially about a mother and a daughter – the Netflix series takes a hard stance on romance and really makes it a primary part of the story. Sometimes, you'll love these relationships. Other times, you'll want to pull your hair out. But hey, it's a fun time.

The O.C. (2003 – 2007)

Taking place over four seasons, The O.C. is another excellent teen drama that puts romance at its front most of the time. The series follows the life of a teenager who is adopted into a wealthy home, how he deals with his new life, and the relationships around him. It's one of the best teen series out there, so you should check it out if you haven't.

Crush (2022)

Starring Rowan Blanchard, this Hulu original film is a fun one. Crush is all about a high schooler who joins the track team in order to get close to her crush – but, in a plot twist, she ends up falling for her crush's twin sister instead and causes a whole mess of problems.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 – 2017)

Don't even get me started on this show. The Vampire Diaries may be about mythical creatures, but the romance is the plot. The show is all about a normal girl falling for a vampire that she thinks is a human, but then his brother ends up falling for her too, and she does as well as it's this whole love triangle – god, it was everywhere at the time. It's a young romance show despite the vampires being hundreds of years old.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the best adaptations of a William Shakespeare piece because it is so fun. The movie is about a student who wants to date someone, so he enlists the help of the local bad boy to date the sister of the person he wishes to date—I mean, it's a recipe for success.

Dash & Lily (2020)

It's a shame because Dash & Lily came out during a time when it wasn't properly appreciated. The Netflix series stars Austin Abrams and Midori Francis and tells the story of two teenagers who fall in love while trading messages and dares in a notebook across various locations in NYC. I mean, that's adorable. Please watch it if you haven't.

Warm Bodies (2013)

I had to get one fun pick on here. Warm Bodies is one of Nicholas Hoult's best movies, and it's so funny. It's literally about a zombie teenager and a human teenager falling in love. Like, come on. That's freaking adorable.

The Secret Life Of The American Teenager (2008 – 2013)

With five seasons, The Secret Life of the American Teenager was a massive hit for ABC Family when it was released. The central premise of the first season is about a teenager who gets pregnant after her time at band camp and a one-night stand, but of course, the series takes plenty of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, especially with the romance.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022 – Present)

Now, this is a tremendous young romance pick. The Summer I Turned Pretty is based on the novels of the same name and tells the story of a teenager and the love triangle that she develops between two brothers. Yes, it is about as dramatic as you can expect it to be, and I eat it up each time.

Euphoria (2019 – Present)

Is Euphoria a lot more mature than any other picks on this list? You betcha, but that's what you get when you do a young romance show on HBO. The series mainly follows Rue and her time with drugs, but the romance aspect is a massive part of the show, mainly between other characters, but also between Rue and Jules.

Love, Victor (2020 – 2022)

A spinoff of the movie Love, Simon, this series is honestly a great one, and I wish it had more seasons. Love, Victor is all about the titular character, Victor, who comes to terms with his sexuality and learns to love himself and others over the course of its three seasons. It's a great LGBTQ+ TV show that I personally love.

The Kissing Booth (2018)

Okay, so The Kissing Booth in itself is a meme because there are so many moments that make you scratch your head and wonder how these relationships even work. But that doesn't change the fact that the first movie is entertaining as heck and certainly makes for a fun young romance.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

There are so many adaptations of Cinderella out there, but personally, A Cinderella Story is one of my favorites. It's about two teenagers who are online penpals who plan to meet up for the first time at a school's Halloween event. It's so sweet and adorable—ugh, I love it.

Sex Education (2019 – 2023)

I mean, this show is all about romance, love, and sex, thrown into a pretty bow. The series mainly follows a teenager and his experiences at school when everyone finds out that his mother is a sex therapist, but there are some excellent portrayals of young love on this show that really take the cake – ones I genuinely adore.

Love, Simon (2018)

This teen romance movie is one of the best out there. The film, starring Nick Robinson, follows the story of a closeted high schooler who is being blackmailed by someone at school while also trying to find out who the person is that he has fallen in love with online and dealing with his personal life as well. The movie does a great job of showing young love, and I love it.

Heartstopper (2022 – Present)

Based on the graphic novels of the same name, Heartstopper has three seasons and mainly follows the love story between Charlie and his feelings for Nick, a schoolboy with whom he shares a class. But as the series progresses, you get more and more relationships that make it so much more fun.

Literally, Any Romeo & Juliet Adaptation

Do I have to explain why? Whether you're talking about the one from the 1960s, Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo + Juliet, or any of the others, it's all about teen romance and what it does to us.

These are just some of the great picks I can think of, but there are so many others. I think these will be perfect for a little date night or a long weekend binge.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since one of the best Shakespeare-adapted movies, 10 Things I Hate About You, graced us with its theatrical presence. But, of course, it’s hard to think about that rom-com without the stellar performance of late actor Heath Ledger. The film’s female lead, Julia Stiles, hasn't forgotten either as she reflects on what it was like when she worked with the beloved performer.

In 10 Things I Hate About You, popular sophomore student Bianca isn’t allowed to date until her outcast older sister, Kat (played by Julia Stiles), does. This leads to “bad boy” Patrick (played by Heath Ledger) getting paid to date Kat. Years after the Save the Last Dance actress worked with Ledger, she spoke kind words about the late actor on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Prepare to be touched by her heartwarming tribute to him:

I can imagine how heartbreaking it must have been when she heard about Heath Ledger’s passing. Considering the lovable chemistry the two shared in one of the best enemies-turned-lovers films, it’s clear their connection left a lasting impact on her. After his fatal accidental drug overdose in 2008, Ledger was an example of a beloved actor who, unfortunately, never made it to 40. It was an incredible loss in the entertainment industry as this actor could have been on the verge of a career surge after his Dark Knight performance.

However, the Brokeback Mountain star was remembered as a phenomenal actor with many stories to prove what a talent he was. For instance, Heath Ledger took a career hiatus for a year after 10 Things I Hate About You to avoid being typecast with similar characters to Patrick. Instead, he wanted to play more diverse roles. It was certainly a bold choice for the talented actor to make as his career took him across various roles like Bob Dylan, 14th-century peasant William Thatcher, and his transformative portrayal of The Joker where he won a posthumous Oscar for The Dark Knight. If Ledger were still alive today, I’d like to believe he’d continue impressing audiences with more groundbreaking roles that showcased his incredible range.

Julia Stiles isn’t the only cast member from 10 Things I Hate About You to remember The Patriot actor. A few years ago, Joseph Gordon-Levitt shared a cast throwback photo as the box-office hit approached its 20th anniversary. Director of the teen comedy flick, Gil Junger, reflected on what “an old soul” Ledger was and how “crushed” he felt when he found out he died. It’s proof that the Lords of Dogtown actor will be missed by all of those who were lucky enough to know and work with him.

Hearing Julia Stiles talk about Heath Ledger bringing “energy and passion” when he came into a room is a true reminder of what made him so unforgettable. The Oscar winner truly gave it his all in every performance and I’m sure his former co-stars will continue to keep his memory alive. You can relive the sweet chemistry between Stiles and Ledger with 10 Things I Hate About You available on your Peacock subscription.

While fans of musicals know where to go when they want to see characters breaking out in song left and right, there's something joyous about a random music number finding its way into movies across any genre. It has happened far more than you might think. Watch out for these awesome jump scares of song-and-dance numbers in comedies, science fiction, dramas and so forth. They've made iconic movies even more so! 

“Johnny B. Goode” - Back To The Future (1985) 

Even though the crux of Back To Future is as a time travel comedy, it also has one of the greatest music numbers in a movie. During the Enchantment Under The Sea dance, where Marty McFly’s parents are supposed to fall in love, Michael J. Fox performs an electric rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” It’s no wonder the movie has since inspired a Broadway musical. 

“Come and Get Your Love” - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

There’s been a few notable Marvel music moments over the years, but few compare to Guardians of the Galaxy opening with Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill singing and dancing in the middle of an alien planet to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” alongside extra-terrestrial creatures. It’s the perfect way to start the trilogy and introduce Star-Lord. 

"Thriller" - 13 Going On 30 (2004) 

In the super fun romantic comedy, 13 Going On 30, Jennifer Garner plays a young girl named Jenna Rink, who dreams she is “thirty, flirty and thriving” and wakes up seventeen years later. In one of the highlight scenes of the film, Jenna brings together a whole party of 30-somethings to do the famous “Thriller” dance from Michael Jackson’s music video. 

“I’m Just Ken” - Barbie (2023) 

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is full of great music scenes and bright pink, but none quite like Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” sequence. In the third act of the movie, Ken breaks into song to express how it feels to be an accessory to Barbie all the time. The original song, reminiscent of "Singin’ In The Rain," earned an Oscar nomination (which surprised Gosling) after being penned by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt for the flick. 

“Day-O” - Beetlejuice (1988) 

Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is a ball of a gothic comedy about a couple who die suddenly and hire a bio-exorcist named Beetlejuice to haunt the new tenants living in their home. One way he causes calamity to the household is by having them sing and dance to "The Banana Boat Song" at the dinner table against their will. 

'You Never Can Tell' - Pulp Fiction (1994) 

Quentin Tarantino’s stylish crime film includes an iconic dance scene between John Travolta’s Vincent Vega and Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace while they are at an old school diner together. Mia casually has Vincent enter a dance contest with her. When the two characters do the twist, it’s just one of many scenes that make Pulp Fiction one of the best ‘90s movies.   

“You Make My Dreams” - (500) Days Of Summer (2009) 

(500) Days of Summer takes audiences through the unexpected love and breakup story of Summer and Tom, and has a blast playing with structure throughout. In one unexpected scene that depicts how it feels to fall in love, Tom dances in the street with a group of dancers to Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams.” 

“Peaches” - The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) 

Never did we think Bowser would sing a piano ballad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie! In the 2023 animated film based on the beloved Nintendo franchise, Jack Black’s Bowser confesses his love for Princess Peach by singing “Peaches, peaches, peaches.” It became a viral hit we all couldn’t stop listening to when it hit theaters. 

“You Don’t Own Me” - The First Wives Club (1996) 

The 1996 comedy, The First Wives Club, ends in the best way: a music number! After Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton’s characters complete their goal of getting back at their ex husbands, they celebrate in their matching white suits by singing and dancing to “You Don’t Own Me.” 

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” - 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 

In the romantic comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You, Heath Ledger’s cool guy character, Patrick Verona surprised both Julia Stiles’ Kat Stratford and audiences alike when he randomly broke out into song, with the help of the high school band. Patrick goes all out to woo Kat after being paid off to win her affections, and this scene is a good indicator that he’s going above and beyond. 

“Get Down Saturday Night” - Ex Machina (2014) 

In the A24 science fiction movie Ex Machina, it came out of absolute nowhere when Oscar Issac’s Nathan Bateman starts dancing with one of his A.I. androids to Oliver Cheatham’s “Get Down Saturday Night.” While it’s very much random to see a dance number in such a serious and foreboding film, it adds to the unique character building of Isaac’s role. 

“Cuban Pete” - The Mask (1994) 

Jim Carrey hilariously sings and dances to “Cuban Pete” during The Mask sequence where he ends up coercing the entire police force into singing and dancing with him while they try to pursue his arrest. In a movie as cartoony as The Mask, it’s not necessarily unexpected, but it does make us wish the whole movie was filled with wacky music numbers. 

“I Say A Little Prayer” - My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) 

During Julia Roberts’ My Best Friend’s Wedding, Julianne attends the wedding of her longtime bestie (Dermot Mulroney’s Michael). During one particularly memorable scene, the whole wedding party and guests take part in singing ‘I Say A Little Prayer” after Julianne’s friend George inspires them to. How did they all know the words? 

“Bye Bye Bye” - Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) 

At the beginning of the third Deadpool movie, Marvel fans were certainly surprised to see Ryan Reynolds’ comic book character doing the official dance to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” in the snow while flinging around the corpse of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine from Logan in a fight against the TVA. What a way to open a movie and bring the Merc with a Mouth to the MCU! 

"I Put A Spell On You" - Hocus Pocus (1993) 

When you place Bette Midler in a movie like Hocus Pocus, you want her to sing, but who knows, the filmmakers could have let us down. Thankfully, director Kenny Ortega, who would go on to helm the High School Musical movies, had the actress sing “I Put A Spell On You” during the 1993 movie to have the witch literally cast a curse over Halloween partygoers during the non-musical. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Wayne's World (1992)

Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” received a major bump up in pop culture back in 1992 when it was featured in a famous scene in Wayne’s World. While the movie itself is all about music fans, there’s something totally original and fun about this being in the comedy. Then, Mike Myers was cast in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody as a nod to the whole thing, 

"Twist and Shout" - Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

John Hughes’ beloved coming-of-age movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, features a massive music number when Matthew Broderick’s high schooler, who is on a wild day of hooky, ends up lip-syncing The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” after jumping on a parade float. 

“Age of Aquarius” - The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) 

At the end of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Steve Carell finally partakes in the deed. To illustrate the joys of this, Carell and the cast have a dance sequence to “Age of Aquarius.” It’s pretty hilarious to see actors like Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen dancing shirtless to the song in the comedy that did not otherwise call itself a musical. 

“Everybody (Backstreet's Back)” - This Is The End (2013) 

During the finale of This Is The End, Seth Rogen and friends find themselves in heaven after facing a particularly hilarious apocalypse. When they get there they are told they can dream up anything and Jay Baruchel thinks up the Backstreet Boys appearing to sing and dance to “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and yes, they fully go into the choreo! 

“Afternoon Delight” - Anchorman (2004) 

During the 2004 goofy comedy Anchorman, Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy randomly breaks into song to belt “Afternoon Delight” after the other guys ask him what being in love is like. In the scene, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner start to sing it with him in perfect unison like they are some sort of barbershop quartet.

"Por Ti Volare" - Step Brothers (2008) 

At Step Brothers’ “Catalina Wine Mixer,” Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly’s characters are coerced into taking the stage. What’s particularly unexpected about this music number is Ferrell singing Italian opera with the song "Por Ti Volaré." It also evolves into a dream sequence and epic drum solo that leaves all attendees speechless. 

“Wise Up” - Magnolia (1999) 

In Paul Thomas Anderson’s fantastic drama, Magnolia, the movie took a turn when all the characters begin to sing Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up.” The music number helps evoke the emotions the characters are collectively feeling even though they are seemingly experiencing them alone. Mann wrote original music for the whole soundtrack but the rest of the songs were not sung by the characters. 

“Try A Little Tenderness” - Pretty In Pink (1986) 

In John Hughes’ Pretty In Pink, Jon Cryer’s Duckie brought down the house in one scene at a record store where he walks in and goes completely all out lip-syncing and dancing to Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” in front of Molly Ringwald’s Andie. 

"Love Me Tender" - Wild At Heart (1990)

David Lynch’s Wild At Heart ends with a music number when Nicolas Cage’s Sailor runs over the hoods and roofs of cars to approach Laura Dern’s Lula and their child to sing Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” to profess his love to her. It’s a callback to a previous moment where Sailor says he’ll only sing that song to his wife. 

“A Place Called Slaughter Race” - Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018) 

While Walt Disney animated movies are most definitely known for their music sequences, the Wreck-It Ralph movies never established themselves as musicals. So when Vanellope Von Schweetz got her own “I Want” song for the sequel from composer Alan Menken, it was completely unexpected, but an excellent chance for Disney to do what it does best! 

“You Always Hurt The One You Love” - Blue Valentine (2010) 

The dramatic tale of a married couple’s relationship over the years, Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling, is no La La Land, but it does employ the music talents of the actor for one music number where his character strums the '60s pop standard on a ukulele in a fun-loving sequence between himself and Michelle Williams.  

“Somebody To Love” - Ella Enchanted (2004) 

In the fairytale rom-com, Ella Enchanted, we were caught off guard when Anne Hathaway’s titular character breaks into song to Queen’s “Somebody To Love” while entertaining a pub full of giants. Hathaway is well-known now for her set of pipes, but at the time she was not yet known to be a singer. 

"Ballet Sequence" - I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2020) 

Towards of the end of Charlie Kaufman's Netflix movie, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, two ballet dancers perform to represent the perfect ideal of a romance amidst the movie itself showing the realities of the lead's relationship throughout this surrealist movie. 

"Old Time Rock & Roll" - Risky Business (1983)

In what has become an iconic sequence, everyone expects Tom Cruise to roll up pants-free in nothing but a dress shirt and white socks to jam to “Old Time Rock & Roll.” But, considering the rest of the movie is more of a coming-of-age comedy, it’s a rather startling scene in context. 

“As Time Goes By” - Casablanca (1942) 

One of the most memorable elements of the classic Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman movie is the song “As Time Goes By.” The song holds a sentimental value to the movie’s leads and ex lovers, Rick and Ilsa, and comes back to haunt them when they are unexpectedly reunited. It’s one of the most iconic movie songs – as Rick Blaine famously says, “Play it again, Sam.”  

“Why Don’t You Do Right” - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) 

Sure, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is a Disney movie with cartoon characters left and right, it’s also a completely unique movie that turns the whole plot on its head (a few times over). It’s not a musical, but Jessica Rabbit singing 1936’s “Why Don’t You Do Right?” at a jazz club really sets the tone for what a music number looks like in it. 

"Canned Heat"- Napoleon Dynamite (2004) 

Then there’s the dance sequence in Napoleon Dynamite, where Jon Heder’s Napoleon performs a very skilled dance in front of other high school students to help market his friend Pedro in his election for class president. The best part? Apparently, Heder “winged” the dance sequence, per Business Insider. 

It's so fun to see how music numbers have popped up in movies across all genres over the years. They make the movies more memorable and give the songs an added boost.

So here’s the thing – I may not be the biggest lover of rom-coms, as most tend to be pretty cheesy. But there are some men out there from both movies and TV that I have fallen for – many of which have completely ruined me for real life and have set my standards way too high. And while I’ve been in a committed relationship for several years now, there are just some fictional guys that do it for me – so today, we’ll be going over the top ones. 

Chandler Bing (Friends)

I know that out of everyone in the Friends cast, people talk about Joey being the cutest or however you want to play it, but for me, it’s always been Chandler. I don’t think there’s ever been a better interpretation of best friends to lovers than him with Monica, and I swear to God, he loves her so much. In today’s world, it’s rare to find someone as loving as Chandler Bing. 

Graham Simpkins (The Holiday)

Because who isn’t attracted to Jude Law? But on a real note, Graham Simpkins in The Holiday is probably a clear example of a great movie boyfriend. He’s straightforward with his feelings, is sweet, and somehow still looks good even when he’s pouring his entire heart out. Every time I see him on my TV screen, I know it’s Christmas time again. 

Kevin (Shameless)

Shameless is hands-down one of the best Showtime shows, but you want to know how it’s one of the best characters. Kev, and how he absolutely adores Veronica. This man will go with whatever his wife says or wants and do anything to make her happy, even if it’s totally out there and nonsensical, but he has a good heart – and that’s all that really matters in the end, if we’re being honest. 

Ian Miller (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

Any man—and I mean any man—who is not from a Greek Orthodox family but is willing to learn all the traditions and rules that it entails while throwing themselves into a huge and intense family is a man worth loving. Trust me—as someone who is dating a Greek Orthodox person, this movie is the most clear-cut example of what it’s like—and how loving Ian Miller truly is. 

Gomez (The Addams Family)

Any portrayal of Gomez, whether it be older versions or Luis Guzmán from the Wednesday cast, sets our standards so high. There is no other man in movies and TV who loves his wife more than Gomez loves Morticia. That’s the kind of love that we take to the grave – and it’s something that they clearly intend to do as well. 

Troy Bolton (High School Musical Franchise)

Okay, so maybe this is little me who absolutely adored Troy Bolton and the High School Musical movies, but Troy really was the perfect teen boyfriend. While he certainly had his moments of selfishness (as all teenagers do), he cared for both his friends and, of course, Gabriella, trying to figure out how he could work things out while making everyone happy. That’s dedication. 

Flynn Rider (Tangled)

Oh, Flynn. I swear to God, this man was the love of my life when I was about twelve years old and pretty much set me up for the type of men I would have crushes on in movies and TV. He literally sacrificed his life to cut off Rapunzel's hair so she could be free from Mother Goethel. That is love right there. 

Jesse (Full House)

Every girl at some point in their lives had a crush on Jesse from Full House. I mean, if we’re being honest, the entire Full House cast was good-looking, and all had their fair share of good traits, but Jesse was just another level of dreamboat man – and John Stamos plays him. You can’t get much better than that. 

Augustus Waters (The Fault In Our Stars)

You know how every girl always has that one character that absolutely shatters their soul at a young age? Yeah, Augustus Waters was mine. When I saw The Fault in Our Stars in the theater at the ripe age of fourteen years old, I was beside myself with this teenager and how lovely he was and I was devastated by the end. He was the epitome of mindfulness and listening to what the other person wanted. 

Prince Philip (Sleeping Beauty)

He literally slayed a dragon for Aurora. He got off his horse and took on a whole mythical beast. You can’t raise your standards higher than that. Honestly, he’s underrated when it comes to Disney princes. 

Charlie (The Perks Of Being A Wallflower)

To this day, I don’t think I have ever met a more sensitive soul than Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He’s not precisely the hunky type, obviously, but there’s something about Charlie’s sensitivity and how much he truly cares about others that makes me want someone just like him, and I could only imagine how those feelings would adapt as he grew older. 

Kristoff (Frozen)

While we all anxiously wait for more Frozen movies, let’s be honest here and say that Kristoff is actually one of the best Disney princes because he’s real. He doesn’t hide behind fancy suits and high titles. He’s an ordinary man who loves his reindeer and his trade, and he clearly loves Anna. Sometimes, that is literally all you need. 

Matt Flamhaff (13 Going On 30)

As someone who had an unhealthy obsession with this movie and the 13 Going On 30 cast, Matt Flamhaff was the movie's boyfriend for a long time. He’s loyal and sweet and tells it like it is, even when he and Jenna haven’t been in contact for years in the film. I really, really love it. 

Simon Bassett (Bridgerton)

When Bridgerton was first released back in 2020, it seemed that everyone was focused on Simon Bassett, and while the character hasn’t been in the show since the first season, he is undoubtedly still highly handsome and was able to beat his trauma in order to be with the women he loved and give her the child she desperately wanted. They’re both not perfect, but I think they work well for each other, and she helped him become a better version of himself. 

Noah Calhoun (The Notebook)

Noah from The Notebook is the definition of a man who waits. Who waits for just that single chance to be with the person he wants and craves more than anything in this world. There’s a reason why people love Noah and cry every time they watch this movie. He’s just that romantic, even if he comes from nothing. It just goes to show that love has no boundaries. 

Jake Perry (Sweet Home Alabama)

Oh, there is nothing like little kids meeting, falling in love, falling out, and then coming back together. Jake Perry is that and more. While he’s almost as stubborn as Melanie, he knows how to keep up with her like no one else and still loves her just as much to this day. I just get all warm and tingly inside when I watch this film. 

Nick Young (Crazy Rich Asians)

Nick is just uncomplicated. He’s uncomplicated and a good guy who happens to have a boatload of money and loves his girlfriend even more than his family. Do you know how many men are portrayed as being emotionally closed off but have fortunes? So many. So many. But Nick is just good – and that’s really what matters if we’re being honest. 

Edward Lewis (Pretty Woman)

Oh, Edward. Pretty Woman was one of those films that I ended up watching as a teenager, and it became a comfort film. It’s certainly one of Julia Roberts’ best rom-coms, but Edward, in general, is the definition of “I Can Change Him.” A man with money and emotionally closed off but learns how to appreciate life and open himself up to someone new – like, come on. Plus, Richard Gere is always a win. 

Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Good god, Jack Dawson was every teenage girl’s dream back in the 1990s. I mean, I wasn't even born yet when Titanic was released, but I can see the appeal even now. Even if he comes from nothing, he has a good soul, is quippy and handsome, and has an appeal for breaking the rules and having fun. He’s like a good, bad boy, if that makes sense.

Nick (New Girl)

Okay, I want to preface this by saying that I mean Nick from later seasons of New Girl. I think he had some serious growing up to do for a bit, but once he started to date Jess and especially when they ended up getting back together later down the line, he really turned into a great boyfriend, a good listener, and he’s just funny. Sometimes, all you need is a jokester. 

Mr. Darcy (Pride And Prejudice)

Mr. Darcy was the pride of my entire generation. I can’t tell you how many people are so focused on this man, how just his movements and how he shows his love are everything. This film is the epitome of an enemies-to-lovers movie, and yes, I eat it up every single time, no matter what. 

Westley (The Princess Bride)

What makes Westley such a great pick from The Princess Bride is that he knows when to listen. He knows when to take charge and save the people he cares about, but he also knows when to back off and listen to those around him. He’s brave but not stubborn, and so many men are the complete opposite in films. We need more of him, and I will stand on that hill.

Luke (Gilmore Girls)

I think Luke is another example of the type of man that we all fall for at least once in television shows. And what makes him such a great pick is that he waited. He waited for eight years so that that woman he loved would be ready for him, and that isn’t just the most romantic thing you have ever heard. I mean, he even kept a picture of her in his wallet, for crying out loud. 

William Thacker (Notting Hill)

God, William Thacker is such a sweetheart. I love him so much. Notting Hill, in general, is a great rom-com, but Thacker is what makes it so good. He stumbles over his words, but he is sweet and has this whole nerdy thing going for him that works handsomely. Hugh Grant plays him, so you can’t really get much better than that.

Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead)

It’s Rick Grimes. The Rick Grimes. The entire The Walking Dead cast is excellent, but I don’t think any other man comes close to Rick Grimes and what he has done for his family. He’s ripped out the throats of people to protect them. He’s looked for hours to find his family. And, of course, he and Michonne’s romance is the perfect example of slow-burn. 

Patrick Verona (10 Things I Hate About You)

Heath Ledger is obviously a well-known actor who had plenty of critically acclaimed roles back in the early and later 2000s, but I’ll always remember him as Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You. He was the boy who ended up loving the girl he didn’t expect to and the boy who sang on the steps. Granted, he started off just wanting to make extra money, but we all know he ended up falling in the end. 

Hercules (Hercules)

I want to specify that I’m talking about Disney’s version of Hercules, not the mythical version because the Greek Gods were not super great people. However, this version of Hercules is actually the best and sets my standards so high. Hercules is an underrated film, but the fact that the titular character dives into a literal pool of death to save his loved one makes him that much more attractive. 

Anthony Bridgerton (Bridgerton)

While Anthony Bridgerton certainly has an acquired taste (we all know those side-burns were not doing him any favors in Season 1), he’s really grown on me in Bridgerton, and honestly, the third season did me in. He just loves his wife. He’s so dedicated to her and just wants to make her happy, and any kind of man that does that is worth it. 

Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy)

Ricky Ricardo is the blueprint of the best TV husbands. Married to Lucy in I Love Lucy, he somehow is able to put up with Lucy’s schemes, and though she drives him crazy, he still loves her in the end and makes her feel safe at home. These two were such a great example of a loving relationship in the earlier years of TV. 

Jack Pearson (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast is insanely talented, but let me tell you, Milo Ventimiglia set my standards insanely high when I started watching this show and seeing him as Jack Pearson. I mean, he is a loving husband, a doting father, and a hard worker—that’s the recipe. And of course, throw in a little dash of his own trauma, and it adds complexity. I will forever be a Jack Pearson lover. 

Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

Mr. Sheffield is the type of life I think we all secretly want—to work as a nanny, fall for the rich man who hired us, and somehow become a part of his family. But I think the reason I love him so much is that he’s able to keep up with Fran, which is hard. Fran knows what she wants and is an independent woman, but he is with her every step of the way, and I love it. 

Grey Worm (Game Of Thrones)

I didn’t think I’d be putting anyone from the Game of Thrones cast on this list, but thinking about it, I realize that Grey Worm is definitely high-ranking. He and Missandei don’t have the kind of relationship you would expect, and it’s not perfect, but there is no denying his love for her and how much he wants to keep her safe, doing anything in his power to do so. And he’s a great fighter, so there’s a plus there. It makes their relationship that much more tragic towards the end of the series. 

This just makes me want to rewatch every single one of these shows and movies again. I think it’s time for a marathon with some wine and fun times. 

Some movies you can just watch over and over, like the ones on this list. There are a lot of great movies out there, some films you can only watch once, like Schindler's List, but others, like the ones on this list, never get old. Here's our list of the most rewatchable movies we know. 

The Big Lebowski

One of the things that makes the Coen Brothers' masterpiece The Big Lebowski is how The Dude and other characters learn things along the way and use those new facts and lines later in the movie. It's something you might never notice if you didn't watch the movie over and over and that kind of thing will not stand. Not to mention it has some really classic lines that are endlessly quotable. 

Clueless

As if we'd ever get bored of watching Clueless. There are so many great characters, from Cher (Alicia Silverstone) to Tai (Brittany Murphy) to Mr. Hall (Wallace Shawn), that we could watch over and over just to watch one character each time. 

The Dark Knight

Of all the comic movies that have been released in the 21st Century, there is one performance that will always stand above all the others. Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight ranks among the best roles ever seen on film, superhero movies or otherwise. It's so good that it literally never gets old or stale. There is something to behold every time you watch the movie. 

Die Hard

Watching Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman face off in Die Hard is the main reason the movie will always be rewatchable. Both put in some of the best performances of their careers and even though there have been many Die Hard sequels, none of them quite have the charm and magic that the original has. 

Dirty Dancing

For decades now people have been having the time of their lives watching Dirty Dance on repeat. The music, the dancing, the love story... it brings audiences along for a realistic, yet fantastical story all in one. It's been beloved for years for a reason. 

Dazed And Confused

Dazed And Confused is among the best movies about high school ever made. It's also one of the best movies of the 1990s, though it's set in the '70s. Those aren't the qualities that make it so rewatchable. It's simply the amazing cast and the endless amounts of quotable lines those actors deliver. It's always pleasurable to watch actors like Paker Posey, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, and Matthew McConaughey so early in their careers. 

Back To The Future

There is a level of rewatchability to all three Back To The Future movies, but the first still stands way above the sequels. It's a movie so fun and so well-paced that you never get bored, even if it's the 150th time you've watched it. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once has a lot going on. It's a movie worth watching again and again if for no other reason than it's easy to miss stuff the first, or even fifth time you watch it. The concept is so cool and so well executed, and the acting performances are so good, that it's impossible to get bored with the film. 

The Godfather

Though the entry just says The Godfather, this could really count for either Part I or Part II, as both are among the most rewatchable movies ever. There is a reason they both consistently rank among the best movies ever made. The acting performances are amazing, the dialog is incredible, and Francis Ford Coppola's directing is as good as it gets on film. 

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1

Let's be honest, there are quite a few movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that you can watch over and over. There is one that stands above the rest though. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1 has great music and great quotes, which are two things that really make movies forever rewatchable. It's just a really fun movie with some of the most fun characters in the whole universe. 

Legally Blonde

If you want to know how valuable Elle Woods can be, just try to stop watching Legally Blonde when you randomly come across it. It can't be done. It's filled with quotable lines and one of the most charming performances of Reese Witherspoon's stellar career. 

The Princess Bride

From Gen Xers to Zoomers, The Princess Bride has become part of millions of people's childhood. It's a movie that kids and adults can watch over and over, finding different wonderful things about it, depending on your maturity level. No matter how many times you watch, you can always find something new to observe and love about The Princess Bride. 

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Who doesn't love Indiana Jones? The character, played of course by the great Harrison Ford, has become one of the most enduring movie heroes of all time. Well into the 21st Century, Hollywood is coming up with new adventures for the old archeologist. In the end, it all goes back to the beginning though, with the O.G. movie, Raider of the Lost Ark. 

Clue

If you were to ask around the staff of Cinemablend what off-beat comedy is their favorite, there is a decent chance Clue would be the answer you get. If for no other reason, the movie can be - and should be - watched over and over just for Tim Curry's amazing, manic, hilarious performance as The Butler...who butles and creates absolute mayhem. 

The Shawshank Redemption

It's hard for people to believe that The Shawshank Redemption wasn't a big hit in theaters. For whatever reason, it failed to find an audience. That all changed when the movie hit cable TV and became one of the most-watched movies in movie history. It was on TV all the time because people watched it all the time, over and over. 

Jurassic Park

The moment in Jurassic Park when Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) and Dr. Sattler (Laura Dern) see the dinosaurs for the first time, with John Williams' amazing score swelling in the background is such a great movie moment, that you can watch it over and over and a tear will still come to your eye. Now throw in all the other great parts and you have a seriously rewatchable movie. 

The Lion King

Disney sure knows how to make movies that kids and adults alike can watch over and over. We could really pick almost any of their classic cartoons here, but The Lion King is so good it's been remade into a live-action hit and one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time. All three are eminently rewatchable. 

Mean Girls

You know if a movie gets a remake less than 20 years after it was originally made, especially when that remake is based on a Broadway musical adaptation, it must be a movie you can watch over and over. Fans of Means Girls just can't get enough of the comedy, both on stage and screen. 

The Wolf Of Wall Street

If you're a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, or bad language, The Wolf Of Wall Street is likely a movie you've watched numerous times, right? And why wouldn't you? It's an almost perfect movie. Much of the story is tragic, but the ride to get there is wild. 

9 To 5

Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda are three national treasures. Put them in a movie where they torture their horrible boss played by the late great Dabney Coleman and you've got the recipe for a movie that people will never get bored of, just like 9 to 5.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars fans can watch any of the many movies over and over. All movie fans can watch Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back over and over, however. You don't have to be obsessed with every bit of Star Wars lore to absolutely love Empire. It's the best of the movies and one of the best movies ever made. It's got some of the craziest action scenes, the coolest characters, and the best plot twist of all time, at least according to many. It's simply the best. 

10 Things I Hate About You

When a movie is a hit with teenagers, especially one as popular as 10 Things I Hate About You, you can bet it'll be a rewatchable movie. Throw in some breakout performances by Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Julia Stiles, a plot based on a Shakespeare play, and you've got all the ingredients you need for a massive hit that people will watch again and again. 

Fight Club

The first rule of Fight Club might be don't talk about Fight Club, but no one really follows that rule, and the second rule might as well be, "watch Fight Club over and over and quote it endlessly" because that's what Fight Club really is. Like many of director David Fincher's movies, Fight Club is so well done that you see something new in it every time you watch, just like many of the great movies on this list. 

Titanic

To paraphrase the late, great Jerry Garcia, Titanic is like black licorice. Not everyone likes it, but the people that do like it, really like it. The James Cameron mega-hit isn't for everyone, in fact, it might have as many haters as it does lovers, but those who do love it never get bored with watching the wonderful sets and spectacular effects that the movie is best known for. 

The Matrix

While it's true that the Matrix trilogy had diminishing returns, there is no denying how amazing and groundbreaking the first one was. It still has a hold on popular culture, decades after its initial release. While some fans may not go back to the three sequels, the original is still a favorite for everyone that was red-pilled from the beginning. 

Pretty Woman

As rom-coms go, you can't get more perfect than Pretty Woman. Sure, the plot is a little dated and in some ways problematic, but the performances from the leads, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, and the side characters, like Jason Alexander and Hector Elizondo are so good, it allows us to overlook the aging flaws of the movie and watch it again and again with nothing but joy. 

Gladiator

It really doesn't matter how many times you seen Gladiator, you are still going to jump up out of your seat when Maximus (Russell Crowe) reveals himself to Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). it's a moment in cinema history that will stand the test of time and still be a classic centuries from now. 

Jaws

It's no accident that Jaws is on this list. It's considered the first "summer blockbuster" but it's so much more. The characters are so well-developed that you can't help but root for all of them, except the mayor, of course. Sure the shark looks a little dated, but director Steven Spielberg did such an amazing job building the suspense by not seeing the shark, that it's easy to look past the 1970s movie magic.

The Great Escape

On Christmas in the United States, we watch things like A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life every year. In the UK, they watch The Great Escape. We'll admit, that's a pretty amazing tradition because despite its nearly three-hour runtime, there is never a dull moment and it proves that longer is often better. The all-star cast and sharp direction keep the movie humming along from the time they are all locked up until they all get locked up again after the escape. 

The Incredibles

The Incredibles was an incredible hit for Pixar in 2004. Just like many Pixar and Disney movies before and after it, it became an indelible part of millions of kids' childhoods and even as they've aged, they still love the Parr family. While it took 16 years, when a sequel was finally made in 2018, it took in a cool $1.2 billion, attesting to just how loved (and watched) the original was and is. 

A League of Their Own

We all know that there is no crying in baseball because we've all seen Tom Hanks say it a million times as we've watched A League of Their Own over and over. All the characters are so unique and memorable that it's like watching an old friend every time it's on. 

Caddyshack

Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Ted Knight are four of the most quotable actors of all time. When you put them all in the same movie, and give them some of the best lines ever written, it's no surprise that Caddyshack is the kind of movie that people watch so often they end up memorizing it. Dangerfield, a king of the one-liner, is especially great in this one. 

At 43 years old, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s acting career is still going stronger than ever. But before we saw Gordon-Levitt’s talent shine in his best movies like 500 Days of Summer, Inception, 50/50, and others, he was a teen actor part of the cast of 10 Things I Hate About You. Funnily enough, the American actor’s friend thought he was way younger in that movie than he actually was, and I kinda get it.

In one of the best rom-coms of all time, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays sophomore student Cameron who falls for a popular girl, Bianca, who can’t date unless her older sister Kat does. This causes Cameron to fix up bad boy Patrick with Kat. If you were to look back at baby-faced Gordon-Levitt in 10 Things I Hate About You, how old would you think he was? The Primetime Emmy winner answers that question on CBS News with a hilarious story of being believed to be younger than he actually was:

I honestly can see where the friend was coming from. I wouldn’t say that Joseph Gordon-Levitt looked 10 or 11, but I would have guessed about 14 or 15 years old. But, they say the younger you look in the business can help you expand your roles. After all, Cobra Kai’s Ralph Macchio looked ageless starring in The Karate Kid playing a 14-year-old Daniel when he was actually 21 years old in real life! And hey, I’d rather take looking too young over looking too old any day.

With 10 Things I Hate About You just turning 25, it’s hard to believe where the time has gone. Other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a lot of prolific stars came from that movie like Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Gabrielle Union. You can tell that Gordon-Levitt had a good experience making the teen flick as back in 2021, he posted a throwback photo of himself and the “wonderful people” he worked with.

Although, the 3rd Rock From the Sun actor didn’t always feel like he belonged in 10 Things I Hate About You. Joseph Gordon-Levitt actually tried to get out of filming the modern-day Shakespeare adaptation multiple times in order to be in serious films. But, his agent and other people kept convincing him this role would be good for him.

Luckily, The Walk actor stuck with the movie and said twenty years later he didn’t regret it due to the experience of having a good time with the cast. Plus, Gordon-Levitt got his wish to come true about wanting to be in more arthouse films for the Sundance Film Festival as he later starred in indie films like Brick, Manic, and Hesher.

It’s safe to confirm now that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was not 10 or 11 years old when he starred in 10 Things I Hate About You like his wife’s friend thought. On the other hand, I can understand the confusion as Gordon-Levitt really did look so young in that comedy. You can watch the 17-year-old Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the ‘90s teen rom-com on your Hulu subscription and your Disney+ subscription.

Aside from the late Heath Ledger being beloved for having arguably the best portrayal of the Joker in a major movie, the actor also starred in one of the best romantic comedies of all time back in 1999: 10 Things I Hate About You. Following the movie turning 25 years old earlier this year, its director, Gil Junger, reflected on what he knew about the late actor’s struggles just ahead of his death.

Heath Ledger died at the age of 28 back in 2008 when his body was found in his apartment. The toxicology report indicated The Dark Knight actor had died due to an accidental mixture of prescription drugs. When reflecting to People about Ledger, here’s what Junger shared:

Gil Junger met Heath Ledger while he was casting the leading role of Patrick Verona for 10 Things I Hate About You back in 1998. Ledger had yet to reach his 20s when the Australian actor strolled in amidst over 200 guys apparently reading for the role before him. Junger shared in the interview that Ledger had an “undeniable” energy about him that attracted the filmmaker to casting him in the leading role next to Julia Stiles.

Years later, Ledger was, of course, cast in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. While the actor was finishing up production on the action flick, Junger recalls trying to reach him regarding a script he wrote called 10 Things I Hate About Me. The movie would explore the “myths of suicide.” Here’s what the director recalled his agent, Steve Alexander, told him when he pitched the idea:

The call allegedly was part of Heath Ledger’s final days alive. As Junger continued:

Considering the body of work Heath Ledger had built prior to his death, one has to wonder what we’d be seeing the actor in if he didn’t become a Hollywood star to never make it to 40. If Ledger had not died in 2008, he would have just turned 45 years old back in April.

Junger’s account of Ledger comes as 10 Things I Hate About You continues to be recognized and streamed all the time for those with a Disney+ subscription and Hulu subscription. The movie is a fun Shakespearean spin on The Taming of the Shrew, which also featured Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Allison Janney and Larry Miller. It’s a great movie featuring an enemies to lovers relationship that remains part of Ledger’s memory as a Hollywood star.

There’s no question that William Shakespeare is one of the most prolific and legendary writers to ever write. However, if you need further proof look to the catalog of work that has been created that’s inspired by The Bard’s plays. From some of the best rom-coms to incredible animated films to intense dramas, Shakespeare’s plays have inspired tons of films, and here are 32 of them. 

10 Things I Hate About You - The Taming of the Shrew 

Arguably, one of the best rom-coms inspired by Shakespeare, and just one of the best rom-coms period, is 10 Things I Hate About You. Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, the film follows Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) as he tries to date Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) because her sister paid him to. Along with the plot following the play relatively closely, the characters' last names as well as the Shakespearean dialog mixed into the film add to it all, making this a fun, edgy and loving homage to William Shakespeare. 

Anyone But You - Much Ado About Nothing

The surprise box office success Anyone But You is a classic enemies-to-lovers tale inspired by The Bard’s classic Much Ado About Nothing. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, this film features fake dating, a nearly disastrous wedding and lots of fun shenanigans, all around, while loosely based on Shapkespeare’s play, it’s a fun homage to it. 

West Side Story - Romeo and Juliet 

Rather than the lovers being from warring families, West Side Story is about two people from warring gangs in New York City. Tony and Maria are drawn together, despite their families' allegiances to the Jets and the Sharks, and what ensues is a tragic story about star-crossed lovers set to the brilliant score of Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. 

Strange Brew - Hamlet

I bet you didn’t expect one of Rick Moranis’ funniest movies to be loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The comedy legend co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred with Dave Thomas in the movie about two brothers’ quest to get and drink as much free beer as they could while taking down an evil, evil brewer. While it’s about as loose as you can get when it comes to its inspiration, Strange Brew does use madness in the same way Hamlet does and there are multiple characters named after the great poet’s characters, and the brewery is named after Hamlet's castle, Elsinore. 

Get Over It - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Taking inspiration from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is about two boys who are in love with the same girl, Get Over It is an early 2000s rom-com with quite the love triangle at the center. Following Berke (Ben Foster), we see him try to win back his ex-girlfriend Allison (Melissa Sagemiller) by getting help from Kelly (Kirsten Dunst) and joining the school play, which is, of course, A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve. Overall, Get Over It is giving a little bit of High School Musical and a little bit of Shakespeare.

She’s The Man -Twelfth Night

Starring Amanda Bynes as Viola, She’s the Man follows her as she attends a boys' boarding school disguised as her brother and gets all mixed up in the messy, messy, messy web of high school romance. While there she joins the soccer team, and falls for Duke, who is played by a young and dashing Channing Tatum, and from there, chaos ensues. Overall, this silly 2006 movie is fairly on point with the Shakespeare play it's based on, Twelfth Night. 

The Lion King - Hamlet

Leave it to Disney to rip your heart out and do it while referencing Shakespeare in a movie about lions. While The Lion King is not directly inspired by Hamlet, per Blu-Ray.com there are undeniable parallels that were leaned into, like the story centering around a fatherless prince and featuring an evil uncle. Also, plot points, like Simab’s exile and his return to Pride Rock, mirror the story of the legendary play. 

Men of Respect - Macbeth

What happens when you take the haunting tale of Macbeth and translate it into a tale set in the world of organized crime? You get Men of Respect. This movie tracks a hitman who is told a prophecy that he’s meant to lead his family. After that, we get a bloody battle for power that mirrors Shakespeare's play, however, instead of old-fashioned war, we are dealing with mob violence. 

West Side Story (2021) - Romeo and Juliet 

In 2021, Steven Spielberg shared his take on 1961’s West Side Story. Not only did we get to relive this classic retelling of Romeo and Juliet and witness one of the best musicals of 2021, but we also got a master’s take on a masterwork. Plus, the world was introduced to the vast talents of newcomers like Rachel Zegler (Maria) and Broadway performers turned movie stars, Ariana DeBose (Anita) and Mike Faist (Riff). 

Deliver Us from Eva - The Taming of the Shrew 

Inspired by The Taming of The Shrew, 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva tells the story of a man who is paid to date a woman whom many would consider “undateable.” Gabrielle Union plays the titular Eva, and she’s a health inspector with three younger siblings she’s raised. She is fake-turned-real courted by LL Cool J’s Ray. All-in-all it’s a unique take on The Bard’s tale about Katherina and Petruchio. 

O - Othello

Inspired by Othello, O is about Mekhi Phifer’s Odin as his best friend Hugo (played by Josh Hartnett) tries to convince him that his girlfriend, who is played by Julia Stiles, is cheating on him. Like The Bard’s play, this story is centered around jealousy and the mess that comes with it. However, instead of taking place in Venice, it takes place in a high school.

Just One of the Guys - Twelfth Night

Loosely based on Twelfth Night, Just One of the Guys follows Terri as she goes undercover at a different high school in an effort to prove that she’s a great journalist. While doing this, she meets Rick and develops quite a crush on him. What comes after that is a messy tale that involves a lot of jealousy and love. 

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead - Hamlet 

Have you ever wondered what minor characters are up to when they’re not on stage? Well, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead tries to answer that question. The film tracks two of the minor characters in Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – played by Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, respectively – as they go on adventures while the play goes on and attempt to figure out what’s really going on with Prince Hamlet.

Warm Bodies - Romeo And Juliet  

Inspired by The Bard’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet, Warm Bodies takes us on a journey with R (Nicholas Hoult) as he falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer). However, the twist is, R is a zombie and Julie is a human. 

My Own Private Idaho - Henry IV 

Starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, My Own Private Idaho is about Mike and Scott, two gay hustlers, as they travel from Oregon to Idaho to Italy to try and find Mike’s estranged mom. Inspired by King Henry IV: Part 1, Phoenix’s character Mike mirrors Ned Poins and Reeves’ Scotty parallels Prince Hal and it explores power dynamics similar to the ones in the play. 

Strange Magic - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Capitalizing on the more fantastical elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, George Lucas’s Strange Magic is about a curmudgeonly king played by Alan Cumming who hates love. He’s put in an order to kill Primroses, however, his view of the world starts to change when he meets Princess Marianne. 

The Boys from Syracuse -The Comedy of Errors

According to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s website, The Boys from Syracuse is the first musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s work. The project started on Broadway and became a film in 1940. This adaptation of The Comedy of Errors tracks twins separated at birth as they wind up in the same city, where they frequently get mistaken for one another. 

Chimes at Midnight - The Character Sir John Falstaff  

Orson Welles wrote, directed and starred in the 1966 film Chimes at Midnight. It is centered around Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff, who was a recurring character in Henry IV Part 1 and 2. It also features lines from Richard II, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. All around the Shakespeare influence is massive and obvious in this work from a master. 

Scotland, PA - Macbeth

Taking the drama of a haunted king and placing it in the comedic world of Scotland, Pennsylvania, Scotland, PA. is a modern retelling of Macbeth. In this movie that stars Christopher Walken, Maura Tierney and James LeGros, we become familiar with Duncan’s Cafe and the power politics surrounding it, and like the play it’s based on things get weird…but in this movie, it’s in a dark and funny way. 

Were The World Mine - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Were the World Mine heavily features A Midsummer Night’s Dream through its magical elements and by actually having the characters put on a production of the play in the movie. In this story, Timothy, an openly gay boy with a crush on a rugby player, is cast in The Bard’s play, and he finds a magical flower in the script that makes it so the people of his town start having romantic feelings toward people of the same sex. 

Kiss Me, Kate - The Taming of the Shrew 

The 1948 musical Kiss Me Kate, was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, and in 1953 it got the movie treatment. The story is about two divorced actors who come back together for a musical version of the aforementioned Shakespeare play. And while they want to quit, they have gambling debt to pay off and have to finish the project, so their actual lives also line up with the characters they’re playing. 

Let The Devil Wear Black - Hamlet

Set in Los Angeles, Let the Devil Wear Black is a modern adaptation of Hamlet that follows Jack, a student haunted by his father’s death as he decides to take over his business. He then learns that his father might have been murdered, which leads him to investigate his family and the dangerous world around him. 

David and Fatima - Romeo and Juliet

As is expected with Romeo and Juliet, 2008’s David and Fatima is about two star-crossed lovers however, they’re from Jerusalem – Fatima, a Palestinian woman and David, an Israeli man.  

A Thousand Acres - King Lear 

Based on the novel of the same name that’s inspired by King Lear, A Thousand Acres tells the story of what happens after Jason Robard’s Larry Cook (who is King Lear) decides to divide his land among his daughters, Ginny, Rose and Caroline (who are played by Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Jason Leigh, respectively). What comes after that decision is a tragedy about how this tears the family apart, very similar to Shakespeare’s work. 

Thane of East County - Macbeth 

In Thane of East County, a group of actors are rehearsing a production of Macbeth. However, as they get into it, they start to actually do what the characters do in the haunting play, turning the film into a horror.

A Double Life - Othello

In the 1947 film A Double Life, we follow Tony as he takes the leading titular role in Othello. He becomes obsessed with the character, and the longer he plays him, the more reality and the play merge together. 

Renaissance Man - Hamlet

Renaissance Man isn’t necessarily an adaptation of Shakespeare’s work, but it is a direct celebration of it. The film stars Danny DeVito as a teacher who starts teaching literacy classes at a US Army base. While there he teaches the students about Hamlet, Henry V and more, giving them an appreciation for The Bard. Plus, it includes the iconic reciting of St. Crispin’s Day Speech from King Henry V, so we had to include it. 

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride - Romeo and Juliet

The Lion King had some serious parallels to Hamlet. Then, its sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, kept the streak alive by pulling influence from Romeo and Juliet. Much like Shakespeare’s romance, Kiara and Kovu’s love story involves rival families, like the Capulets and Montagues, as it sees one lion from Simba and Nala’s pride fall for a member of Scar’s banished pride. 

All Night Long - Othello

The 1962 film All Night Long is a modernized version of Othello that takes place in the world of London jazz over the course of an anniversary party. It’s a story of jealousy and passion, just like the play that inspired it, however, this time, it’s to the soundtrack of ‘60s jazz. 

Pizza My Heart - Romeo and Juliet

Taking a silly turn, the ABC Family film from 2005 Pizza My Heart is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. However, instead of fighting elite families, in this movie, the lovers have to deal with their families who are rival pizzeria owners. 

Forbidden Planet - The Tempest 

Forbidden Planet is a groundbreaking sci-fi film from 1956 that follows two living people on a planet and a group of astronauts on a mission there. However, it’s also an adaptation of The Tempest as it tracks isolated characters and shares similar plot points, but this movie is set on a planet rather than an island. 

Gnomeo & Juliet - Romeo and Juliet

As the name of this movie suggests, it’s based on Romeo and Juliet, however, the twist is this is a love story about gnomes who come from different gardens. Gnomeo & Juliet also features James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as the titular characters, and all around it’s a fun little animated romp.

As you can see, William Shakespeare has inspired and influenced work of all kinds, and he’ll likely continue to as movies continue to be made and his legendary plays live on. 

When looking back at the best movies of the 1990s, so many of them were set in the halls of high schools. Whether we’re talking about a slasher as iconic as Scream, the endlessly quotable dialogue of Cher Horowitz in Clueless or the all-time great ensemble of Boyz n the Hood, there’s a lot to love about ‘90s teen movies. 

These days there’s no need to go to your local Blockbuster to grab these titles, you can stream them all at home! Here are our must-watch picks and how to watch them. 

Scream (1996) 

Do you like scary movies? If so, it’s always a good time to revisit one of the best horror movies of all time, Wes Craven’s Scream. The slasher saw the debut of one of the genre’s most popular icons, Ghostface, as high schoolers living in the town of Woodsboro become the mysterious murderer’s target for brutal murders. Neve Campbell leads the cast as Sidney Prescott in a final girl origin story that would inspire tons of sequels in the ongoing franchise. She’s joined by Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich and Drew Barrymore in the unforgettable opening sequence. 

Stream Scream on Max.
Rent/Buy Scream on Amazon. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 

Shakespeare’s hold on storytelling has remained evident in modern cinema, as filmmakers find fun ways to retell his famous stories. 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You is a new take on The Taming Of The Shrew which places the general premise in a high school setting. It stars Julia Stiles’ Kat Stratford, a black sheep of a teen girl who is the obstacle in the way of her more popular sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) dating, since their father will only allow one to date if they both do. So, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Cameron pays Heath Ledger’s high school burn out, Patrick, to romance Kat so he can pursue Bianca. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+.
Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Hulu.
Rent/Buy 10 Things I Hate About You on Amazon.

Election (1999) 

Alexander Payne’s high school comedy, Election, is another classic teen comedy from the ‘90s that we nominate for addition to your watchlist. The movie stars Ferris Bueller’s Day Off icon Matthew Broderick (back in high school after being in one of the best 80s movies of the genre) as Jim McAllister, a social studies teacher who sabotages the candidacy of Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick when she runs for student body president.  

Stream Election on Paramount+.
Stream Election for free on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy Election on Amazon. 

Clueless (1995) 

A ‘90s teen movie list without Clueless? As if!! This is one of those movies that first comes to the mind when we think of this era of high school comedies, and for a good reason: it’s just that good. The movie follows Alicia Silverstone’s iconic Cher Horowitz as a popular and privileged teen living in Beverly Hills who makes a new student (Brittany Murphy) her makeover project for the semester, as unexpected feelings and realizations come up for Cher regarding love and romance. 

Stream Clueless on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Clueless on Amazon. 

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) 

Back in 1999, Natasha Lyonne starred in the high school satire But I’m A Cheerleader alongside Clea DuVall, Melanie Lynskey and RuPaul. The movie follows Megan, a high-performing student in class and cheerleader who gets sent off to a boot camp meant to make her straight when her parents think she’s gay. It’s an iconic queer high school movie of the ‘90s. 

Stream But I’m A Cheerleader for free on Tubi.
Stream/Rent/Buy But I’m A Cheerleader on Amazon.

Dazed & Confused (1993) 

Another ‘90s go-to movie about teens is Richard Linklater’s Dazed & Confused, which had Matthew McConaughey uttering “alright, alright, alright” in his first movie ever. The movie follows numerous high schoolers across different social groups celebrating their final day of high school in Austin, Texas in 1976. The movie also features Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Parker Posey and Renée Zellweger before the were famous. 

Rent/Buy Dazed & Confused on Amazon. 

The Virgin Suicides (1999) 

Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides, is based on the ‘90s novel of the same name about the story of the five Lisbon sisters, who lived in Detroit in 1975, as told through a group of neighborhood boys years later. Coppola’s dreamlike direction (which benefitted from Kirsten Dunst’s performance) would later lead into her other works, such as Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring and Priscilla. In Virgin Suicides, she comments on the teenage experience, discussing topics like repression, sex, death and longing through its narrative. 

Stream The Virgin Suicides on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy The Virgin Suicides on Amazon. 

Boyz N The Hood (1991) 

Similar to The Virgin Suicides, Boyz n the Hood is not a comedy about a group of teens, but rather a drama set on the streets of South Central Los Angeles in the ‘90s. John Singleton’s coming-of-age film is so well-renowned it was chosen for the National Film Registry and nominated for two Oscars. The movie is about Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and what happens when his friends Doughboy (Ice Cube) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut) get drawn into the neighborhood’s gang and drug culture. 

Stream Boyz n the Hood on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Boyz n the Hood on Amazon. 

Varsity Blues (1999) 

What’s a list about high school movies without talking about the varsity football team? The sport is an essential part of so many American high school experiences, and in 1999’s Varsity Blues, James Van Der Beek had audiences swooning over his character of Mox as he goes from being the team’s benchwarmer to its star quarterback because of their ruthless coach (Jon Voight), after the team’s star athlete (Paul Walker) gets injured. 

Stream Varsity Blues for free with ads on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy Varsity Blues on Amazon. 

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996) 

One year before Leonardo DiCaprio became the ‘90s No. 1 crush with Titanic, the actor starred in Baz Luhrmann’s stylish take on William Shakespeare’s teen romance gone wrong. The movie is unique in terms of the dialogue remaining in Shakespearean English but taking place in modern times in Verona Beach, with the Capulets and Montagues being rival gangs. DiCaprio stars as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet in this essentially ‘90s take on perhaps the most well-known teen love story ever told. 

Rent/Buy Romeo + Juliet on Amazon.

Cruel Intentions (1999) 

Back in 1999, director Roger Kumble put together a rather iconic cast for a modern retelling of the 1782 French novel, Les Liaisons dangereuses, in a way that centers the storyline on well-off high school students. Among the leading cast is Ryan Phillippe, who becomes the center of a game of seduction that Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair are part of. While the movie was made on a small budget, it became a huge hit when it came out, even leading to multiple follow ups and a musical inspired by it.
 
Stream/Rent/Buy Cruel Intentions on Amazon. 

Empire Records (1995) 

Remember record stores? Sure, they still definitely exist and have their collectors, but there’s something about being an employee at a record store in the ‘90s, before MP3 players or music streaming services existed. This 1995 movie is about the teen employees of an independent Delaware record store that is set to become sold to a national chain. The clerks take it into upon themselves to keep the store independent, with mixed results. 

Rent/Buy Empire Records on Amazon. 

She’s All That (1999) 

She’s All That is the ultimate high school fantasy in a lot of ways. It’s about the most popular kid in school, Zack (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who makes a bet that he can make any girl in school popular after his girlfriend dumps him. His sights are set on Rachael Leigh Cook’s Laney, an awkward art student, who he romances in the weeks leading up to prom. As real feelings begin to emerge, Zack and Laney prove that social divides between students can be overcome. 

Stream She's All That on Paramount+.
Stream She's All That for free with ads on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy She’s All That on Amazon.

American Pie (1999) 

Then there’s 1999’s American Pie, which is about five high school seniors who pledge to each other that they will all have lost their virginity by graduation. With that premise in mind, American Pie becomes a raunchy and rather funny sex comedy about doing the deed, an act that is often thought of as a rite of passage among teens. The movie is flooded with stars in the comedy space, with Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy and Jennifer Coolidge. 

Rent/Buy American Pie on Amazon. 

Happy streaming for all of these great '90s teen movies!  

I am an absolute sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers plotline. Whether it's the best enemies-to-lovers movies or the best enemies-to-lovers relationships in TV shows, it draws me in every time. So, in honor of that, we're going to dig into the best enemies-to-lovers relationships in movies and TV that still make me swoon.

Mia And Nicholas (The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement)

I feel like The Princess Diaries series is a forgotten Disney company movie, but I know that there are a certain number of people out there who are still craving to see a third. And man, I would give anything to see Mia and Nicholas again. Truthfully, they weren't the biggest enemies, but the tension was there, and they had such good sarcastic banter. 

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

It's hard to remember a time when Leslie and Ben didn't get along because their relationship always felt so pure in later seasons. But they were not friends when Ben entered the show. Eventually, they learned to respect each other, and that respect later turned to love, and it made me adore the Parks and Recreation cast so much. 

Tyler And Nora (Step Up)

Tyler and Nora are a vital example of enemies that tend to have more in common than you'd think. Step Up is one of the best dance movies out there, and truthfully, I could watch these two dance and fall in love slowly over an hour again and again. I mean, they were so good that the two actors were married in real life for a time. 

Quinn And Logan (Zoey 101)

As someone who grew up watching Zoey 101, seeing Quinn and Logan get together was eye-opening. I never realized that the cute boy could get the nerdy girl, and what made it even better is that it really did feel like genuine love—one that was confusing at first but turned out to be the most healthy relationship of everyone. 

Melanie And Jake (Sweet Home Alabama)

Reese Witherspoon's best movies will always include Sweet Home Alabama, and the critical relationship of that movie, Melanie and Jake, defined my expectations of romance. What makes them so good is the fact that they already have a past, so there's tension there, and it's like lovers turning into enemies and then turning back into lovers. Adorable. 

Max And Kyle (Living Single)

Living Single is probably one of the most classic sitcoms of all time, and of course, it had to have a great enemies-to-lovers storyline with Max and Kyle. These two ripped at each other for years, but eventually, they ended up in the same bed and became one of the best couples in the series. 

Elizabeth And Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

I literally could not think of a better example of enemies to lovers than Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. They are the prime pick for something like this. I don't even need to explain why they make me swoon. Heck, I need my own, Mr. Darcy. 

Josh And Mindy (Drake & Josh)

If we're being honest, Josh and Mindy were the perfect couple in Drake & Josh. They started off as nemesis because both of them excelled at being, well, smart, which they both seriously loved. Eventually, enough push and pull led to them getting together, and they wound up having a hilarious relationship—one that I still quote with my own partner, where he even says, "One condition: I get to be the boyfriend."

Jake And Neytiri (Avatar)

I know! A part of me forgot they were enemies to lovers after how loving they were to each other in Avatar: The Way of Water. But Neytiri literally hated Jake—which she had the right to. His people invaded her home and killed her loved ones. But once he started to see the beauty behind her culture and began to love her for her, everything changed. 

Jon And Ygritte (Game Of Thrones)

The Game of Thrones cast features several relationships, most of which end in disaster or pain, and Jon and Ygritte are the perfect example of that. The two went from enemies to lovers and then back to enemies, but right at the very end, she gets an arrow through the heart—a shocking Game of Thrones moment that still makes me sad. 

Cher And Josh (Clueless)

It always blows my mind when I rewatch Clueless and see young Paul Rudd because he literally looks the exact same. Then it blows my mind to remember that Cher develops feelings for her ex-stepbrother, and I try to recall that this movie is fictional. This is the definition of a crazy enemies-to-lovers romance—one I can barely believe. 

Clarke And Lexa (The 100)

The 100 was hands down one of the best CW shows, and one of the best relationships on there was Clarke and Lexa, known as Clexa to the fans. They are another excellent example of people who were enemies to lovers to kind of enemies to so much more before it was all stolen away – and yes, I still remember the online protests. It was a time to be alive. 

Damon And Elena (The Vampire Diaries)

Admittingly, I hopped on The Vampire Diaries train much later in the game, but the number of people who were obsessed with Damon and Elena blew my mind—which is crazy considering they ended up finding their happy ending. They were heated towards each other, but as he started to change more, they got together. 

Johnny And Baby (Dirty Dancing)

Ohhh, Dirty Dancing is the ultimate "hate at first sight" because these two were not on the same wavelength. However, when the two are forced to train together for a competition, sparks begin to fly, and it's there that you really start to see just how well they fit together. 

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

Look, I'm a massive fan of Bridgerton’s sweet romances just as much as the next person. I love the story of Colin and Penelope, and I adore Daphne and Simon. But these two brought the spice that was desperately needed for this story. Anthony and Kate did everything but get together and kiss in the second season of Bridgerton, which made that tension delicious. 

Lou And Will (Me Before You)

Emilia Clarke's best movies will always include Me Before You because she kills it in this movie, but I consider it a challenge not to cry during this film. Lou and Will are the purest examples of a love that you never thought you would have, but the moment you realize just how good it is, it's ripped from you. They weren't the best of friends at first, but man, when this ending hits, it hits. 

Cece And Schmidt (New Girl)

I love the New Girl cast, and I love Schmidt the most. A big reason is that Cece and Schmidt are hilariously adorable. Yes, there were indeed some significant differences and toxic moments between them along the way, but in the end, they were a pretty healthy couple who had grown a lot. I was fully rooting for them. 

Andy And Benjamin (How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days)

These two are honestly secretly enemies in the schemes they are doing, using them for their advantage. But what happens when actual love begins to take over? Of course, hilarities happen, and yes, you will laugh and cry and love Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey that much more. 

Mia And Sebastian (La La Land)

While my opinion on the La La Land ending has changed, I'll openly say that the enemies-to-lovers romance between Mia and Sebastian is actually pretty accurate to how it would happen in real life. These two just somehow always run into each other at their worst moments and basically make a love story out of it – you can't help but love that. 

Maria And Captain Von Trapp (The Sound Of Music)

The Sound of Music is one of those movies that, when you watch it as an adult, you really start to understand it so much more. While the music is fantastic, the love story that grows between Maria and Captain Von Trapp makes it that much better because it's love in its purest form. 

Klaus And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

The Vampire Diaries featured plenty of love affairs that either ended happily or terribly, and one that I have to point out is Klaus and Caroline in The Vampire Diaries. These two were the epitome of hot and cold, but man, if it didn't draw you in, you didn't didn't have a heart. They'd be at each other's throats one episode and then make out ten episodes later. You have to love it. 

Loretta And Ronny (Moonstruck)

Moonstruck is a great movie overall, and honestly, Loretta and Ronny have one of the best romances that I've seen in a film because it feels natural. It's all about that slow realization about the person who drives you crazy and how, sometimes, it could be the person you least expect to be who gives you the passion you are looking for. 

Mickey And Ian (Shameless)

I could go on for hours about Mickey and Ian from the Shameless cast. Oh my God – if you were on Tumblr during this time, I salute you. We are soldiers who somehow survived the heavy influx of all the shipping of these two. Beginning off as literal enemies who were at each other's throats to getting married several seasons down the line, you can't help but love them. 

Emma And Hook (Once Upon A Time)

Okay, okay, I'm going to admit something. Hook was definitely one of my first significant boy crushes, and I was the hugest fan of this relationship between him and Emma, which is an enemy-to-lover relationship. Even the way they fought when they were enemies was so steamy, and when they finally got together, I felt like I had won the lottery. We truly won. 

Patrick And Kat (10 Things I Hate About You)

10 Things I Hate About You is one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time, mainly because of the steamy chemistry between Heath Ledger's Patrick and Julia Stiles' Kat. These two, from the beginning, have this sarcastic nature that is so endearing to you, but as the film goes on, and he tries to win her back, you learn to love them more. 

Belle And The Beast (Beauty And The Beast)

They are the blueprint. Belle and the Beast are pure enemies to lovers. While there was really no fighting between the two, Belle traded herself over to save her father from the Beast, therefore making her his prisoner. She was not a massive fan of him. But as they started to get to know each other, love blossomed in the best way. 

Catra And Adora (She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power)

Look, if anyone knows me, they know I'm a huge fan of cartoons. I don't care if some of these might be meant for kids, but these two are just such a great pair. It felt that for years, these two wouldn't get together, but eventually, they did, and it felt like the world was at peace, if just for that one moment, after so many years of fighting. 

Andrew And Margaret (The Proposal)

The Proposal is one of those films that I put on when I know I'm going to need a good laugh because you can't laugh at Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock as Andrew and Margaret. These two have such quippy, sarcastic banter, and when love eventually comes despite their hating start, it's some of the best you'll witness. 

Logan And Veronica (Veronica Mars)

As someone who hadn't watched Veronica Mars for a long time but had friends who had, they always said Logan and Veronica were the perfect example of enemies to lovers. They started not on a positive note, but another favorite trope of mine – forced proximity – makes them work together – and sparks begin to fly. 

Giselle And Robert (Enchanted)

Okay, so they weren't really enemies, per se – more like grumpy x sunshine – but there's no denying that Robert was not a fan of Giselle whatsoever when they first met. But her bubbly nature was too much to say no to, and he probably fell even harder than her. 

Kathleen And Joe (You've Got Mail)

There are a few Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movies we could point to, but we'll stick with You've Got Mail for now because it's a great enemies-to-lovers romance. These two are rivals in real life but secretly online penpals, unknowingly, to the other, and when they eventually find out, it's how they fall after that makes it so good. 

Harry And Sally (When Harry Met Sally)

While they are friends for a good portion of the movie, these two do not get along at first in When Harry Met Sally. Sally hates Harry's whole vibe, but eventually, they fall for each other in the very end. 

Gosh, this makes me want to rewatch all these shows and movies. I need some good romantic comedies with these storylines. 

Two of the rap world's biggest icons are feuding at the moment, and it's led to some great content for fans of the genre. The latest came in the form of Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Euphoria," which spotlighted some of Drake's bigger controversies in recent years. Now, the latter has posted a response to the track and, in a strange turn of events, has roped in one of the best rom-coms of all time, 10 Things I Hate About You, into this beef. 

Yes, you read that right. The same 10 Things I Hate About You currently available to stream with a Disney+ subscription has somehow become a part of Drake and Kendrick Lamar's feud. Here's how it factors into the whole situation, and how other movies and stars have been involved as it plays out. 

Drake Responded To Kendrick Lamar's Diss With A Scene From 10 Things I Hate About You

Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" airs out a lot of his grievances about Drake, and warns he could reveal some more damaging information about his rival in the future. It doesn't appear that the former Degrassi actor is concerned about what Kendrick has to say. Instead, he mocked K.Dot on Instagram Stories, sharing the iconic poem reading scene performed by Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You: 

As a former actor, Drake is someone who incorporates the arts into his music. Whether it's having Halle Berry on the cover of a single or this latest nod, one can always expect him to go deep with references from movies or TV. 

The implication of posting the scene, I think, is that Drake equates Kendrick Lamar's diss to him just being a hater about everything Drake stands for. However, it doesn't really touch on the bits about his past drama of secretly fathering a child or dating teenage models. In any case, Drake appears unbothered, which I think most rappers would try to give the impression of after something like this. 

Other Popular Movies Have Found Weird Ways Into This Feud

10 Things I Hate About You is just the latest movie to get name-dropped in this feud, though Kendrick Lamar could use some help brushing up on his famous actors from Drake. As a few who listened to "Euphoria" noticed, the rapper made a goof when rapping about the movies A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Sixth Sense. The movies are connected in that they star former child star, now adult Hayley Joel Osment, but Lamar accidentally credited it to pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen: 

Weeks ahead of the diss, we also saw Uma Thurman align with Drake. The rapper -- after taking aim at former collaborators Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Metro Boomin, Future, and The Weeknd in his song "Push Ups" -- equated himself to "The Bride" in Kill Bill. Billboard reported that Thurman saw his post about it on Instagram Stories, and she offered up her iconic suit from the movie in case he needed it. Now, if only we could get Drizzy's thoughts on whether Kill Bill is one or two movies in his next diss, I'd feel like this feud would really be cooking. 

We'll have to wait and see what other pop culture references surface as this feud continues, if Kendrick Lamar and Drake decide to move on, or if even more rappers get involved. I'm here for the drama wherever it may lead, though hoping it doesn't escalate any further than trading jabs via lyrics and a 10 Things I Hate About You reference. 

When taking a look at all of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu, it is no wonder why it is one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today. It’s good to know that the next time you are in the mood to watch a good ‘90s movie — be it a fun comedy like Office Space or an intense thriller like True Lies — if you have a Hulu subscription, you will be in luck. A great deal of the best movies on Hulu, ranging from various genres and styles, come from that decade and we have compiled our absolute favorite picks of the best ’90s movies on Hulu for you below. Enjoy!

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment

What it’s about: A young boy with an astonishing but disturbing gift receives help from a disillusioned child psychologist.

Why it is one of the best movies on Hulu: Not only is The Sixth Sense one of best horror movies on Hulu, it is widely considered the best M. Night Shyamalan movie for its chilling ghost story and iconic twist ending.

• Stream The Sixth Sense on Hulu

Happy Gilmore (1996)

Director: Dennis Dugan

Starring: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen

What it’s about: An aspiring hockey player with anger issues discovers he has a unique golfing talent and enters a tournament hoping to use his earnings to buy back his grandmother’s house.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: In addition to being one of the best movies about golf (let alone one of the funniest), Happy Gilmore might be Adam Sandler’s best movie (in terms of pure comedy).

• Stream Happy Gilmore on Hulu

White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Director: Ron Shelton

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson

What it’s about: Two street hustlers – one white and one Black – team up to double their efforts on the basketball court.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: White Men Can’t Jump is a classic basketball movie so beloved for its clever comedy and impeccable chemistry of its stars that it eventually inspired a Hulu exclusive remake in 2023.

• Stream White Men Can’t Jump on Hulu

Jingle All The Way (1996)

Director: Brian Levant

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Rita Wilson

What it’s about: A workaholic father desperately searches for a coveted toy that his son wants for Christmas.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: The family-friendly comedy Jingle All the Way is a top-tier Christmas movie for its commentary on holiday season commercialism and some genuinely entertaining, action-packed moments.

• Stream Jingle All the Way on Hulu

Dr. Dolittle (1998)

Director: Betty Thomas

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Peter Boyle

What it’s about: A physician’s life changes when his long-forgotten ability to communicate with animals suddenly resurfaces.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Loosely based on the stories by Hugh Lofting, Dr. Dolittle is one of the most underrated Eddie Murphy movies.

• Stream Dr. Dolittle on Hulu

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest

What it’s about: A door-to-door salesperson discovers a lonely young man with knives for fingers and takes him to live with her family in a quaint 1960s suburb.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: One of the definitive Tim Burton movies is Edward Scissorhands – a strange, darkly comedic, and also deeply moving portrait of the title character’s struggle to find acceptance.

• Stream Edward Scissorhands on Hulu

Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)

Director: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons

What it’s about: Suspended lieutenant John McClane and Harlem shopkeeper Zeus Carver are forced to participate in an elaborate series of games by a terrorist threatening New York City.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: The third installment of the Die Hard movie franchise, Die Hard with a Vengeance, is an exciting buddy action flick on fire with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson’s chemistry.

• Stream Die Hard with a Vengeance on Hulu

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Director: Chris Columbus

Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field

What it’s about: Recently divorced actor Daniel Hillard poses as an elderly woman so his unwitting ex-wife will hire him as a nanny for their three children.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: One of the best Robin Williams movies, Mrs. Doubtfire, sees the actor give one of his most uproarious and heartfelt performances.

• Stream Mrs. Doubtfire on Hulu

The Hot Shots! Movies (1991, 1993)

Director: Jim Abrahams

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Valeria Golino

What they’re about: The adventures of an unstable fighter pilot (played by Charlie Sheen) on missions to destroy nuclear weapons and rescue a team of Iraqi war prisoners.

Why they are some of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: From the creators of Airplane!, Hot Shots! and Hot Shots! Part Deux are some of the best parody movies for the way they poke fun at classic flicks like Top Gun and Rambo: First Blood Part II.

• Stream the Hot Shots! movies on Hulu

Waiting To Exhale (1995)

Director: Forest Whitaker

Starring: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Divine, Lela Rochon

What it’s about: Four Black women bond over their respective struggles with the men in their lives and other pressing circumstances.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Based on Terry McMillan’s novel, Waiting to Exhale is one of the best movies about female friendships, especially for the strong performances by its four leading ladies.

• Stream Waiting to Exhale on Hulu

Fight Club (1999)

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton

What it’s about: A disillusioned corporate drone teams up with a charismatic, devil-may-care soap salesperson to create a group for men to let out their frustrations through hand-to-hand combat.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Featuring Pitt as one of his most badass characters, Tyler Durden, Fight Club is a wonderfully twisted consumerist satire from director David Fincher and based on Chuck Palahniuk’s novel.

• Stream Fight Club on Hulu

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Director: Tom Hanks

Starring: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler

What it’s about: An aspiring pop music group experiences fame beyond their wildest dreams after scoring a chart-topping hit in the 1960s.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: First-time director Tom Hanks crafts one of the funniest, most heartwarming, and simply best music movies with That Thing You Do! – the title of which refers to the Oscar-nominated title song that gets The Wonders’ foot in the door.

• Stream That Thing You Do! on Hulu

Independence Day (1996)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Starring: Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman

What it’s about: The human race bands together to defend itself against extraterrestrials coming to Earth in large flying saucers with malicious intent.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Will Smith leads the Independence Day cast, becoming a key element of why the sci-fi blockbuster is one of the most entertaining and definitive alien invasion movies of all time.

• Stream Independence Day on Hulu

Office Space (1999)

Director: Mike Judge

Starring: Ron Livingston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu

What it’s about: Fed up with the monotony of office life, Peter and his equally miserable colleagues hatch a plan to rebel against their company.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: One of Mike Judge’s best movies is Office Space – a hilarious, pitch-perfect satire of corporate America’s mundane nature.

• Stream Office Space on Hulu

True Lies (1994)

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis

What it’s about: The personal and professional lives of secret agent Harry Tasker suddenly begin to overlap after a disastrous misunderstanding regarding his wife, Helen.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: True Lies is part romantic comedy, part spy movie, and all epic action of the most explosive degree.

• Stream True Lies on Hulu

Tombstone (1993)

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Starring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer

What it’s about: Wyatt Earp wants to retire in a quaint Arizona village, but his plans are upended by a vicious gang, leading to a violent battle that becomes personal.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: In addition to being one of the best Westerns on Hulu, Tombstone – a dramatization of the events surrounding the famous shootout at the O.K. Corral – is considered one the best Western movies of all time.

• Stream Tombstone on Hulu

Father Of The Bride (1991)

Director: Charles Shyer

Starring: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley

What it’s about: A successful athletic shoe company owner struggles to accept the news that his oldest daughter is engaged to be married.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Co-written by Nancy Meyers, this remake of Father of the Bride is one of Steve Martin’s best movies, boasting one of the comedian’s most tender performances.

• Stream Father of the Bride on Hulu

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Director: Jonathan Lynn

Starring: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield

What it’s about: New York attorney Vinny Gambini goes to the South to defend his college-age cousin and his friend, who have been wrongfully accused of murder.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: My Cousin Vinny might be the funniest courtroom movie of all time for its sharp culture clash satire.

• Stream My Cousin Vinny on Hulu

Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)

Director: Mel Brooks

Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Amy Yasbeck

What it’s about: Charming thief Robin puts together a team of archers to help him defeat the corrupt Prince John who has left England in ruins.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Proof that Mel Brooks still hadn’t lost his touch in the ‘90s lies in Robin Hood: Men in Tights — a delightfully cartoonish take on the famous legend.

• Stream Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Hulu

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Director: Gil Junger

Starring: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Larisa Oleynik, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

What it’s about: In order to go out with Bianca under her strict father’s rule, Cameron convinces local “bad boy” Patrick to woo her fiercely independent older sister, Kat.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: A modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is remembered as one of the best teen rom-coms of its time, especially for the performances by its cast of up-and-comers.

• Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Hulu

Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Director: David Mirkin

Starring: Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow

What it’s about: Best friends Romy and Michele stretch the truth about how their lives have turned out while attending their high school reunion.

Why it is one of the best ‘90s movies on Hulu: Sorvino and Friends cast member Kudrow make a hilarious comedic pair in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

• Stream Romy and Michele's High School Reunion on Hulu

Long live the ‘90s… on Hulu!

Before the record-breaking romantic comedy Anyone But You was unknowingly making audiences fall in love with Shakespeare, there were tons of other modern retellings of the famous playwright’s stories. In fact, the 90s and early aughts were full of teen Shakespeare adaptations like Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo + Juliet and Amanda Bynes’s She’s the Man. However, 10 Things I Hate About You is, in my opinion, the best modern Shakespeare adaptation and one of the best romantic comedies of all time. Even at 25 years old, nothing seems to top the chemistry between Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona.  

A modernization of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You begins when Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) transfers to Padua High School and becomes smitten with Bianca Stratford (Larisa Olenynik). Unable to date until her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does, Cameron and his new friend Michael (David Krumholtz) devise a scheme to get rich kid Joey (Andrew Keegan) to pay bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to date Kat. Patrick reluctantly agrees and, over the course of the scheme, ends up falling for Kat for real but her own feelings are much more complicated once she learns the truth. 

I’ve seen the movie more times than I care to admit, which is why I am confident in saying that it’s the best modern Shakespeare adaptation ever. Several movies have come close, but none have been able to recreate the magic these up-and-coming actors created when cameras started rolling. With 10 Things I Hate About You turning 25 on March 31st, it’s the perfect time to look back on why this movie works so well. 

The Movie Makes Patrick Similar To His Shakespeare Counterpart, But Way Less Problematic

In The Taming of the Shrew, Katherina and Petruchio — aka Kat and Patrick in the movie — do not have a romantic relationship built on understanding and eventually trust. Instead, Petruchio gaslights and basically abuses Katherina for most of the play and has little remorse for his actions along the way. 

This is simply not the case with 10 Things I Hate About You. Patrick may not be into Kat at first, since it's one of the best enemies-to-lovers movies out there, but he treats her with respect despite her snarky disposition. He respects her boundaries and even sets some himself like at the party where Kat gets intoxicated and he watches out for her instead of making a movie. Taking it a step further, Patrick didn’t even want to participate in the bet to begin with. And once he started having real feelings for Kat, he did try to get out of it. Sure, he should have told her straight out, but he does make up for his error with his remorseful attitude and his gift to her at the end of the movie. 

Kat Gets A Modern Makeover In Terms Of Her Agency 

In the play, Katherina’s shrewdness is never seen as anything but a fatal flaw. In addition, she lacks autonomy and is forced to live in a toxic man’s world with little say. In essence, Petruchio manages to tame the shrew. 

That is definitely not the case in 10 Things I Hate About You. In fact, I’d argue that Kat is the one who tames Patrick — making him less of a standoffish badboy by encouraging him to tap into his softer side when they’re together. Not only that, but Kat’s shrewdness ends up being one of the key traits that makes Patrick fall for her because it means she stands up for how the movie chooses to frame it. 

Unlike the source material where Katherina’s attitudes towards the world are seen as troublesome and threatening to men’s authorities, Kat’s are rooted in feminist ideals. While still aiming at upending the patriarchy, because audiences understand Kat’s grievances she’s a much more palatable character. In addition, this “shrewdness” becomes one of the key traits that Patrick is attracted to because he likes that she stands for something. 

The Movie Understands What To Keep And What To Change To Make The Adaptation successful 

If you haven’t caught on yet, the reason 10 Things I Hate About You is so successful as a Shakespeare adaptation is that it’s not afraid to tweak the source material while still staying true to its overall elements. 

Unlike Anyone But You which strayed from the plot line of having Bea and Ben think they’re in love with one another by having them fake date which lessened some of the fun and comedy, 10 Things I Hate About You’s changes were strategic. As mentioned above, the writers took the problematic elements of the play — namely the taming of the shrew plot — and modernized it so audiences would root for Patrick and Kat’s relationship. 

In addition, the movie chose to lean into the play’s subplot of the men competing for Bianca’s affection, turning that into the major backbone for the movie which is a way more entertaining plot line than watching a man gaslight a woman into submission to marry him. 

It Fully Leaned Into The Teen Genre 

When it comes to Shakespeare's adaptations, not all of his plays work well in the teen and young adult space. Even though Romeo and Juliet are teenagers in the source material, Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation didn’t exactly scream teen movie. She’s the Man fared a bit better, but would have worked even more as a college story. In contrast, 10 Things I Hate About You feels authentically teenage, especially in the decade it’s set in. 

While it might be hard to believe that someone would pay someone else to go out with a person nowadays, this was a common trope in the '80s and '90s that actually feels like it would happen in a high school. Not only that but the added detail of Kat and Bianca's sibling rivalry and their overprotective and strict single father makes the plot line more realistic while upping the stakes.

It also helps that the team behind the movie wasn’t afraid to commit to a high school setting. After all, nothing says teen movies like a grandiose high school backdrop. This allowed the story to feature iconic scenes like the soccer stadium serenade and the prom dance at the end which both feel like quintessential teen moments. 

If you haven’t watched 10 Things I Hate About You in a long time, now is the perfect time to revisit Kat and Patrick’s unlikely love story. The cult classic is available on Hulu or Disney+ with an active subscription. 

Ah, young love; there’s nothing quite like it – especially in the movies. Among the best romantic comedies of all time, many of the best films from the genre have been about the sweet meet-cutes, awkward antics and the entertaining circumstances that can arise from falling head-over-heels before adulthood strikes. If you’re looking to watch the best rom-coms for teens, we’re your hookup! 

There are a ton of great romantic comedies geared toward and about teenagers to check out at home. Here are our favorites and where to watch them: 

A Cinderella Story (2004) 

It seems like every few years, Hollywood tries to modernize another fairytale in a new and refreshing way, but in the case of 2004’s A Cinderella Story, they actually hit a home run. The movie stars Hilary Duff as Sam Montgomery, a high school student who has to juggle diner waitressing with her aspirations to attend Princeton, thanks to her evil stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge). When she finds out that her longtime online pal is the most popular guy in school, Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), a newly beloved version of the classic tale plays out. 

Rent/Buy A Cinderella Story on Amazon. 

Clueless (1995)

As if we would leave Clueless off the list!! Not only is it a great romantic comedy set in high school, it’s one of the best movies from the 1990s. The now-classic film follows Alicia Silverstone as Cher, a shallow and socially-astute high schooler living in Beverly Hills, who realizes she has her priorities all in shambles after taking in a new student named Tai (Brittany Murphy) as her pet project.

Stream Clueless with on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Clueless on Amazon.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) 

One of the best teen romantic comedies to come out in the past decade is an adaptation of Jenny Han’s bestselling book, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. The movie stars Lana Condor as Lara Jean, who’s life gets turned upside down when her little sister, Kitty, decides to give secret letters she wrote about each of the crushes in her life to their subject. With those major crushes of hers now very much aware of her feelings toward them, Lara Jean ends up “fake dating” one of them, Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), before more legitimate feelings surface.  

Stream To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix.

She’s The Man (2006) 

A big part of the high school experience is the extracurricular activities, and in the instance of She’s The Man, Amanda Bynes’ Viola Hastings decides to crash her twin brother’s boarding school by pretending to be him in order to play on the boys’ soccer team. The 2006 comedy makes for some hilarious moments as Bynes’ tries to fit in as the opposite sex. It becomes a rather unique rom-com when she starts to develop feelings with her roommate/teammate, Duke (Channing Tatum). 

Stream She’s The Man on Paramount+.
Stream She’s The Man for Free (with Ads) on The Roku Channel.
Rent/Buy She’s The Man on Amazon.

13 Going On 30 (2004)

Sometimes being a teenager means wishing you were all grown up. That is the innermost wish of a 13-year-old Jenna Rink during her birthday party that comes true. When she wakes up as a full-grown adult (Jennifer Garner) who's a writer at a magazine, being “thirty, flirty and thriving” isn’t what she thought it would be, especially when she finds out her and her childhood best friend, Matty (Mark Ruffalo), are estranged as adults. 

Stream 13 Going On 30 on Netflix.
Rent/Buy 13 Going on 30 on Amazon.

The Half Of It (2020) 

2020 surprised us with a lot of great romantic comedies, among them Netflix’s The Half Of It. The movie follows a shy teen named Ellie (Leah Lewis) who is approached to write love letters to the object of desire for her football playing-classmate, Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer). Little does he know that the woman he aims to woo, Aster, is also a crush of Ellie's as well. It’s a sweet and endearing romantic comedy that discusses bisexuality within its fun rom-com premise. 

Stream The Half Of It on Netflix. 

She’s All That (1999) 

Starring a classic cast full of ‘90s stars that are still famous today, She’s All That asks the question whether a high school jock and nerdy outcast can fall in love. The 1999 movie centers around the school’s most popular guy, Zach (Freddie Prinze Jr), making a bet that he can turn Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook) into the school’s next prom queen. 

Stream She’s All That on Paramount+.
Stream She’s All That (for free) on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy She’s All That on Amazon.

Love, Simon (2018) 

In 2018, 20th Century Fox gave us the first mainstream Hollywood film to centrally deliver a queer romantic-comedy with Love, Simon. The movie is based on the novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, and follows Simon (Nick Robinson), a closeted gay teen who begins to see sparks fly in an online romance when he starts corresponding with an unknown student only known as “Blue.” When another student finds his emails and blackmails him, Simon is forced to come to terms with his secret. 

Stream Love, Simon on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Love, Simon on Amazon.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 

Often having a sibling you go to high school with means that one of them is on another rung of the social ladder than the other. That just seems to be how things tend to shake out! So, in 10 Things I Hate About You, when two boys want to date Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), but are blocked by the rule in her household that says she can only go out with a boy if her social outcast sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), gets a date too, and they take things in their own hands. How? They bribe Heath Ledger’s Patrick to romance Kat. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Hulu.
Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+.
Rent/Buy 10 Things I Hate About You on Amazon. 

Easy A (2010) 

Emma Stone's breakthrough role was 2010’s Easy A, where she plays a high-schooler who becomes a victim of a white lie of hers getting blown up to crazy proportions. When Olive (Stone) decides to make up a story about losing her virginity, it snowballs into her being named the school’s harlot, even wearing an “A” around like in The Scarlet Letter. 

Rent/Buy Easy A on Amazon.

Rye Lane (2023) 

One gem of a romantic comedy to come out in the past year is Rye Lane. Even though the movie technically takes place after high school and is rated-R, the more mature flick shouldn’t be missed for those who love these types of movies. It’s about two twenty-somethings, Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), who connect across a single day in South London following both of them dealing with some rough breakups. 

Stream Rye Lane on Hulu.

High School Musical (2006) 

Last but not least, you can relive one of the most iconic modern romances by singing and dancing through High School Musical. The movie stars two high schoolers, Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), who connect during a New Year’s Eve party when they sing karaoke together. Once school starts up again, Troy, who is also the school’s star basketball player, causes an uproar in the school when he nabs the lead in the high school play, which he auditions for to spend more time with his newfound crush. 

Stream High School Musical on Disney+.
Rent/Buy High School Musical on Amazon.

There’s so many solid options if you’re looking to venture back to high school for a couple of hours for some young romance and laughs. Happy streaming! 

Mean Girls joined the rare club of movies that became musicals and then became musical movies. It’s a very small list that includes The Color Purple, Hairspray, Matilda, and Little Shop of Horrors. However, I want this list to grow. There is an abundance of entertaining movies that could become exciting musical movies. Specifically, many teen comedies could be amazing musicals.

The updated film performed well at the box office and, despite some mixed feelings, it generally had positive reviews. Hollywood needs to increase and capitalize on this momentum. Now is the perfect time to greenlight more movie musicals that started as teen comedies. 

The Breakfast Club 

It feels like every popular movie (or cult favorite) has done or will do a stage version. The Breakfast Club is no exception. There have been several unofficial versions in musical and play form. However, there hasn’t been an official musical of it. That is a shame because the premise is perfect for a musical. 

There could be so many angst-filled solo songs. Every main character could explain their high school story with one. Plus, so many beautiful duets could happen. There could be plenty of confrontational, romantic, or comedic musical numbers. Because The Breakfast Club is a comedy, a few characters could lean into that with their songs. Imagine Brian being the comedic relief with plenty of funny lines and lyrics. And, of course, the movie musical has to end with the entire cast singing “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. The classic has all the elements needed for an exceptional musical movie.

Do Revenge

Do Revenge, or as I like to call it the perfect millennial Gen Z movie, is basically Mean Girls for psychos. Many of the best movie musicals have a little bit of camp to them. They’re fun because they lean into and appreciate the ridiculousness of their stories. The Netflix film could be quite inventive and funny in musical form. Imagine a song where Eleanor and Drea sing angelically at the beginning of it but switch back and forth between that and hard rock tones. This song could tell their stories and set up their devious plans. Do Revenge could be Sweeney Todd for the Gen Z crowd, but without the human meat pies. 

Can you imagine a “I don’t do cocaine” song? Let’s envision it sung in an operatic style with funny commentary from Erica’s friend. Please, someone write this musical today. I don’t just need it, the world needs it. Don’t let the fact that Do Revenge only came out a few years ago stop someone from winning a Tony and an Oscar.

10 Things I Hate About You 

I love ‘90s and early aught teen comedies but I don’t know if many of them would be enthralling as musicals. However, I think 10 Things I Hate About You is an exception to this belief. It would work very well in a musical format. The plot and characters’ complexities make adding music feel natural. Grease has many aspects that could help inspire the development of a 10 Things I Hate About You movie musical.

The perils of high school life work very well as a musical when the characters, songs, and plot harmoniously create something captivating. The 1999 hit already has all those parts, it just needs songs now. The “I Hate You” speech from Kat could easily start a very mesmerizing ballad and declaration of love. Cameron could have so many wooing songs to and about Bianca. Patrick could sing a song similar to “Creep” by Radiohead at some point in this musical. This is one of the best movies of the ‘90s for a reason. That’s because its material speaks to an audience, and it could speak even louder with some songs.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 

Honestly, all the best John Hughes' movies could work as movie musicals, especially with their infamous jerk characters to add potentially comedic songs. But Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has such a fun premise that a movie musical version would thrill and entertain. Let’s have songs instead of Ferris’s fourth-wall-breaking monologues. The musical film could open with a song that explains his plans and introduces the key characters.

A Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie musical could effortlessly blend big production numbers with small solo performances. It can work as a grand-scale production such as In The Heights and West Side Story. I want to see people dancing in the streets as Ferris walks down them.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before could be a cute romantic musical movie. The kind that transports viewers to the land of teenage dreams and fake dating schemes. I see it existing on the same scale of cuteness as Hairspray. We all need Lara Jean to panic and sing about all her letters going out. We also need A High School Musical-esque montage of Peter Kavinsky stressing about life.

Then add a Genevieve mean girl diddy about Lara Jean needing to stay away from her ex-man. Let’s also add a tear-inducing duet with the Covey sisters singing about the power of sisterhood. The film already perfectly captures the sweetness of first love without going too cheesy. A musical movie, in the right hands, could do the same.

Heathers  

Heathers has already gone from movie to musical, so it just needs to take a note from the Mean Girls playbook and become a musical movie. The musical part is already there, so the work is basically done. Some production company just needs to buy the rights. Then hire the director, writer, and other crew. Then start casting. Easy.  

I love the Heathers movie but have yet to see the musical. However, I imagine that it is just as fun as the original. Therefore, I’d love to see it play out on screen. Heathers the musical movie could be a real hit with the right cast. 

Bonus: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower  

The Perks of Being A Wallflower is not a teen comedy. However, I believe in its ability to transform into a great movie musical; it would fall into the Dear Evan Hansen realm. The type of musical with a dark story but that includes many comedic things and explores deep topics, such as mental health, profoundly.The Dear Evan Hansen movie may have received some backlash, but the musical itself is an outstanding modern musical that tackles some heavy topics entertainingly and touchingly.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower musical movie could do the same. The book and movie are already exceptional on their own, but if more teen films become movie musicals, this one definitely deserves some consideration.

Remakes and reboots happen all the time, whether we want them or not. Therefore, if some of my favorite teen comedies are going to be remade, let them take the musical movies route. It worked pretty well for Mean Girls.

A new week means a new week of streaming material arriving on your TV. While you might have that weekly show that arrives on a schedule like the way we all used to do it, odds are stronger that your next favorite series or movie is going to arrive in a flash without you even realizing it. So how do you figure out what to watch and when to watch it? Well, we try to cut through the mass of content to find the titles worth watching, or at least worth trying. 

Maybe it's because February is a short month, but it seems like the streaming platforms are trying to cram a lot of great content in early. From intriguing true crime documentaries for Paramount+ subscribers to the newest big-screen entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ to one of the first big Sundance Film Festival hits arriving for Hulu subscribers, there’s a lot of great stuff to watch this week.

What's Coming To Netflix

Dee & Friends In Oz - Feburary 2

With the absolutely massive quantity of content available on many streamers, it can be difficult to decide just what you want to let your younger kids watch. Netflix is bringing a new player to the table in a new series for the toddler set called Dee & Friends in Oz. The show reimagines the classic Wizard of Oz characters as very young children, and D, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion go on numerous adventures in Oz that are sure to be designed to teach kids important lessons.  

The Blacklist Season 10 - February 11

The Blacklist has been a popular show on NBC and, while the 10th and final season completed its run on NBC some time ago, there are certainly a lot of cord-cutters who have yet to see it. The series -- which follows James Spader as Raymond Reddington, a master criminal who decides to go to work with the FBI to capture the worst of his former associates -- will see its final season arrive for Netflix subscribers on February 11. This will make the entire series available on the platform for anybody who wants to check it out for the first time or to start over from the beginning.  

What's Coming To Disney+

The Marvels - February 7

Disney+ is the home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and now, with the most recent cinematic outing, The Marvels, arriving on the service, the only MCU project not available to view is Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which we expect will be available at some point. The Marvels struggled at the box office, and many suggested that fans were waiting for streaming. If that’s the case a lot of Disney+ subscribers will be very happy The Marvels is coming. 

Assembled: The Making Of The Marvels - February 7

Whether you saw The Marvels in theaters or are waiting for streaming, once you’ve seen it, then you may want to get a peek behind the scenes. Marvel’s Assembled series of MCU documentaries releases its episode about the Captain Marvel sequel the same day the movie arrives on Disney+.  

What's Coming To Hulu

Suncoast - February 9

Suncoast debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it received strong word of mouth in regard to its lead performances. Nico Parker stars as a teenager trying to navigate her already-complicated life while also dealing with a brother being placed in a facility due to severe disability. There she meets a man, played by Woody Harrelson, and the pair start an unlikely friendship. 

10 Things I Hate About You/Romeo + Juliet

February 8 will be an interesting day on Hulu, as two modern classics that have little in common but are still related will hit the streamer at the same time. If you're interested in putting together a double feature of modern Shakespeare adaptations, then you're in luck. 10 Things I Hate About You (the excellent movie that reimagines The Taming of the Shrew as a teen rom-com) as well as Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, which sets the tragic love story in the modern day but retains the original text, will be available.

What's Coming To Paramount+

#Cybersleuths: The Idaho Murders - February 6

The deaths of four college students in Idaho in 2022 captured national attention, as did the fact that, for a long time, police didn’t seem to have any leads in the brutal case. This led to one of the first major cases in which amateur detectives used Google searches and social media to solve a crime. While the “cybersleuths” didn’t end up solving the case themselves, it will certainly be interesting to see their point of view in the situation. Ultimately, #Cybersleuths: The Idaho Murders is another true crime documentary, but there’s a reason so many of them exist. People love them, and this is sure to draw eyes as well. 

Halo Season 2 - February 8

For years, fans of the Halo video game franchise sat and waited, as numerous attempts to turn the sci-fi shooter into a movie were attempted and failed. The IP finally came to life with Season 1 of the TV series on Paramount+ and now, almost two years later, Season 2 is finally here. The show has used the game as inspiration but has largely told its own story, so it’s anybody’s guess as to where Season 2 will take the fight.  

What's Coming To Peacock

Couple to Throuple - February 8

At some point, we will hit “peak reality show” and no subject will have been left off the table but, until then, the reality TV arms race to push the envelope continues. Peacock will try its hand with Couple to Throuple, which sees four couples test their relationships by adding a third. Polyamory isn’t for everybody, so we can expect lots of relationship drama. It’s probably not a show for everybody either, but it’s probably the perfect series for a number of viewers.

As per usual, this list only scratches the surface of what’s coming to streaming this week. Be sure to check out everything new on Netflix and everything coming to Disney+ for a complete schedule of upcoming shows and movies arriving on said platforms.

Are you ready for Barbieheimer? It feels as though ever since the release dates for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer were set, cinephiles have been having an absolute blast at the idea of the two movies coming out on the exact same day. There have been so many memes, and same-day double feature ticket sales are real, making this weekend quite an eventful one to be in movie theaters. But did you know iconic pairings such as Barbieheimer have occurred before in movie history? 

What same-day movie release pairings would the internet have absolutely geeked about in retrospect? From The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia having neighboring theatrical openings in 2008, to ‘80s classic movies Ghostbusters and Gremlins sharing the same summer date, let’s talk about ten times big and beloved movies premiered on the same day and how things shook out in theaters. 

Poltergeist Vs. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan 

On June 4, 1982, moviegoers could buy a ticket to both the Steven Spielberg horror classic Poltergeist and arguably the most beloved of all the Star Trek movies ever made, Wrath of Khan. Both movies shared some major (and quite comparable) success in this case. Poltergeist was the highest-grossing horror movie of 1982, at No. 8 in overall movies that year along with some really positive buzz from critics and audiences alike. The Star Trek sequel won the match up overall, though, when it had the biggest opening weekend in history at the time. It later became the sixth highest grossing movie of the year. The Trekkies showed up big time, but both of their successes showed there were big audiences for both.  

Blade Runner Vs. The Thing

Just three weeks later, another iconic matchup happened in theaters in the year 1982 as well! On June 25th, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and John Carpenter’s The Thing landed in theaters on the same day. Funny enough, the massive successes of both Poltergeist and Star Trek II (along with E.T. and Conan the Barbarian) somewhat hurt the commercial successes of both these movies in the summer of ‘82. Both rather misunderstood, garnering mixed reactions from its audiences at the time, and having OK, but not great box office returns. 

Ghostbusters Vs. Gremlins

Jumping over to 1984, two more massive genre films, Ghostbusters and Gremlins, both came out on June 8. Ivan Reitman’s supernatural comedy starring Bill Murray and such won the weekend, with Gremlins swiftly behind and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in its third week of release and still very much making bank. Both Ghostbusters and Gremlins were warmly received in theaters and were among the highest-grossing movies of 1984, with Ghostbusters at No. 2 behind Beverly Hills Cop and Gremlins at No. 4.  

Die Hard Vs. A Fish Called Wanda 

Another great summer ‘80s release day occurred on July 15, 1988, when both Die Hard and A Fish Called Wanda hit theaters on the exact same day. Neither film earned the distinction of No. 1 at the box office, as the Eddie Murphy-led comedy Coming To America continued to dominate ticket sales a few weeks into its release. Die Hard didn’t necessarily sell critics, but audiences carried the movie to its iconic status and Bruce Willis to a solid breakout movie role. 

A Fish Called Wanda was named one of the best movies of the year, led to Kevin Kline winning an Oscar and earned No. 1 at the box office six weeks into its theatrical run before becoming the most rented movie in the U.S. the following year. Both of these made a massive mark on audiences in 1988, but technically Die Hard was the bigger blockbuster. 

Batman Vs. Honey, I Shrunk The Kids 

Here’s one more massive ‘80s versus scenario: Tim Burton’s Batman and Disney classic, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Both summer movies hit theaters on June 23, 1989, and they were top hits of 1989. However, Batman absolutely takes the win here, as it went on to become the highest-grossing movie of that year, and a seminal movie release that directly affects the superhero blockbuster era were in today. In 11 days, Batman became the fastest film to earn $100 million and earned over $400 million worldwide total. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids still had a solid release, with it becoming the sixth highest-grossing movie of 1989!

Boyz N The Hood Vs. Point Break 

Well, aren’t these two a solid double feature? On July 12, 1991 moviegoers could experience both Boyz in the Hood and Point Break in theaters for the first time on the same day. Neither movies cracked the top 20 of highest-grossing movies of 1991, with films like Beauty and the Beast, Terminator 2, Silence of the Lambs and Hook being among the biggest blockbusters. Still, their cultural impact and continued following is unquestionable. Overall, Boyz n the Hood edged out Point Break between its higher cash flow and critical praise. 

Heat Vs. Jumanji 

Another solid matchup of all-time beloved films happened during the holiday season of 1995: Michael Mann’s Heat and Joe Johnston’s Jumanji. These two were very much counter-programing for each other, with one being a violent crime film and the other a family comedy. Considering the holiday weekend, Robin Williams’ charm won over Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s team-up, hitting No. 1 in its first weekend, beating out Toy Story reign for weeks. Jumanji also became the seventh highest-grossing movie of 1995, whereas Heat was No. 25. Since then, both are well loved and have certainly made their mark on modern cinema in their own distinct ways. 

10 Things I Hate About You Vs. The Matrix 

When we talk about beloved ‘90s movies these days, 10 Things I Hate About You and The Matrix are certainly big favorites that are mentioned high up. Both films premiered on March 31, 1999 too. The Wachowskis' science fiction action movie not only opened at No. 1, it earned one of the best openings for the Spring season ever of the time along with earning praise right off the bat. 10 Things I Hate About You opened at No. 2 at the box office. Obviously we’re talking about two vastly different kinds of movies, but yes, The Matrix was the winner here. 

The Dark Knight Vs. Mamma Mia!

15 years before Barbieheimer, there was a comparable matchup on July 18, 2008, when Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! hit theaters. In this instance, The Dark Knight would go on to become the highest-grossing movie of 2008, with an over $1 billion of earnings at the box office, but Mamma Mia! was a big hit too, becoming the No. 5 movie of the year. The Dark Knight has always been well-loved from the get go, but Mamma Mia’s popularity has only but soared since it initially came out.   

A Star Is Born Vs. Venom

Anyone else remember the A Star Is Born/Venom memes of 2018? A lot of that had to do with the Oscar-winning drama and superhero flick premiering on the same day: October 5, 2018. It’s hard to choose a winner here, all things considered, but commercially Venom became the most successful of the two with its $856 million worldwide haul, which was the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2018. A Star Is Born was No. 21, but it also received a ton of award buzz and was one of the most popular movies of the year. 

It sure is fun to think about all these double features in retrospect. Did you turn out twice in the movie theaters for any of these and which did you choose first? The next massive cinematic showdown comes this weekend, July 21 when both Barbie and Oppenheimer hits theaters. 

Do you ever sit down to watch a movie and think, "Wait. I've seen this plot before"?

You’re not wrong—plenty of films borrow inspiration from others and follow similar character arcs and plot points (think the “Hero’s Journey”). But, did you know that a lot of your favorite romantic comedies are actually based on Shakespeare plays?

While you may not have been at the Globe Theatre to see a production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, you may have been in a theater for a viewing of Gnomeo and Juliet, which has a nearly identical plot. I guess Shakespeare does stand the test of time after all. (By the way, it’s not a romantic comedy, but The Lion King is Hamlet.)

I’m breaking down seven romantic comedies that are directly inspired by or based on Shakespeare’s works, plus some other movies inspired by classics. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

For the most obvious example on the list, we can turn to Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger’s 10 Things I Hate About You, which is based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of The Shrew. The plot follows the original play pretty closely: a man is paid to try to turn an unruly, “tempestuous” woman into a respectable housewife (or in this case, girlfriend).

10 Things I Hate About You took its Shakespeare inspiration a step further with the characters’ last names: Stratford (referencing Stratford-Upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born) and Verona (a common Italian setting in many of Shakespeare’s works). The characters also study iambic pentameter in English class.

Deliver Us From Eva (2003)

Also inspired by The Taming of The Shrew is the 2003 film, Deliver Us From Eva. Starring Gabrielle Union (who was also part of the 10 Things I Hate About You cast) as Eva, the film similarly centers around a man who’s paid to date an “undateable” woman.

Unlike high-schooler Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You, Eva is a bossy health inspector who raised her three younger sisters. The rest of the plot remains pretty similar though: Eva and her suitor, Ray (LL Cool J) begin to actually fall in love until she finds out he was getting paid, but they all work it out in the end.

She’s The Man (2006)

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a play about two twins, Viola and Sebastian. Viola (disguised as a man) must help her new employer, the Duke, win the love of Olivia, but Olivia instead begins to fall for Viola (thinking she’s a man).

If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s also the plot of the movie She’s The Man. The 2006 adaptation of Twelfth Night takes place at a boarding school where Viola (Amanda Bynes) joins the boys soccer team disguised as her brother, Sebastian. She develops feelings for her teammate Duke (Channing Tatum), who is in love with Olivia, but Olivia has feelings for Sebastian (who’s actually Viola.)

She’s The Man contains all the confusion and misunderstanding of Twelfth Night while making the story accessible for a modern audience. It also featured a breakout role for Channing Tatum, who hadn’t yet climbed the ranks of Hollywood's elite.

Just One Of The Guys (1985)

This 1980’s teen romance movie is a more loose adaptation of Twelfth Night, where a young girl, Terri, enrolls in a rival high school to test her theory that her teachers don’t take her seriously because of her gender.

There is a gender-bending aspect of Just One of the Guys, of course, since Terri has to be disguised as a boy, but this film doesn’t follow Twelfth Night as closely as She’s The Man does.

Get Over It (2001)

Following the “play within a play” format of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Get Over It is the story of a high schooler who attempts to win his girlfriend back by joining the school play. You guessed it—the play is A Midsummer Night’s Dream (it’s very meta), but it’s an updated musical version called A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve.

Get Over It includes thematic elements from A Midsummer Night’s Dream like love, identity, and celebration, but leaves out other aspects from the original like the wedding, fairies, and ties to Greek mythology (though some of these still come up in the A Midsummer Night’s Rockin’ Eve).

Warm Bodies (2013)

The most recent Shakespearean adaptation on our list is Warm Bodies, a 2013 film that played on the cultural craze of Twilight and forbidden love between mortals and the undead. It’s Romeo and Juliet, but with a twist.

Twilight has a lot of similarities to Romeo and Juliet as well—creator Stephanie Meyer even mentions Romeo and Juliet in her description of New Moon’s plot on her website—but Warm Bodies replaces the vampire love interest with a zombie.

The zombie boy, R, falls in love with a human girl, Julie. When R meets Julie, his heart beats for the first time since becoming a zombie, and he saves her rather than eating her brains.

That theme of feeling something for the first time is central to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s play about two young lovers from enemy families who are forbidden to see each other after meeting at a party. In addition to obvious connections (R and Julie sounds a lot like Romeo and Juliet), Warm Bodies also incorporates the rivalry between zombies and humans, much like the rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets.

Love Is All There Is (1996)

Another Romeo and Juliet adaptation is the 1996 romantic comedy Love Is All There Is. Set in the Bronx, this film tells the love story of Rosario and Gina (again, very similar to Romeo and Juliet), two young lovers from rival Italian families. If you haven’t heard of this film, you might be surprised to find out that Gina is played by a young Angelina Jolie.

Love Is All There Is also gets a little meta by having the characters perform in a local production of Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare isn’t the only literary genius whose works have been made into modern-day adaptations—you may not have heard of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, but you definitely know the premise if you’ve seen My Fair Lady, The Duff, Trading Places, Can’t Buy Me Love, Love Don’t Cost A Thing, She’s All That, or Addison Rae’s 2021 Netflix Original remake, He’s All That.

For info on new rom-coms, check out our list of 2022 movie releases.

From romances to dramas to comedies, Julia Stiles is one of those names that I am sure you have heard of once or twice. From starring in some iconic teen rom-coms to appearing in Emmy-winning shows, Stiles has continued to show just how versatile she is as an actress. 

But, with a career that spans multiple decades, there are so many projects to pick from. Here are some of the best Julia Stiles movies and TV shows that are available streaming right now, or available to rent.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

One of the first movies Julia Stiles was ever in was 10 Things I Hate About You. This iconic rom-com starring Stiles and Heath Ledger tells the story of two sisters, where one is forbidden from dating until the older gets her own boyfriend. This, in turn, leads to a scheme in order to win the older sister’s heart so that the younger can be free to date. 

Based off Shakespeare's comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, there’s a reason as to why everyone often remember Julia Stiles from 10 Things I Hate About You. While the 10 Things I Hate About You cast is wonderfully talented in many ways, including the late Heath Ledger, there’s just something about Julia Stiles in this film that makes me want to re-watch. She’s so good as Kat, and I wish I could see her in a remake or a reboot of the film now. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+.
Rent 10 Things I Hate About You on Amazon.

Save The Last Dance (2001)

This iconic dance film follows the story of Sara, a girl who had big dreams of getting into Julliard but after a failed audition and the death of her mother, she ends up moving away from that altogether. Now, living in Chicago, she starts a whole new life and her passion for dance is renewed - through hip hop. 

Save the Last Dance is a great dance movie, but Julia Stiles in the lead is really what makes it so great. I love dance movies and always adore the idea of people breaking down in the middle of a busy street for some dance sequence - it’s the main reason I love the Step Up series - but Julia Stiles' acting really makes this dance movie feel so much more realistic and heartwarming than it could have been. She really gave this film her all, and the fun dance moves are perfect. 

Stream Save the Last Dance on HBO Max.
Rent Save the Last Dance on Amazon.

The Prince And Me (2004)

In this romantic-comedy, The Prince and Me, Julia Stiles stars as Paige, a normal college student who is pre-med. However, her life is turned upside down when she is pursued by a boy, who is actually a prince in disguise. 

I know, that premise sounds goofy as heck, but for fans of early 2000’s rom-coms, this was one of the teen films to watch and it was because of that great chemistry between Julia Stiles and Luke Mably. It may not be a critical favorite, but it’s certainly one of the fan’s favorite films. And, if you just ignore those sequels that Stiles isn’t even in, it’s a good, stand-alone film. 

Stream The Prince and Me on Starz.
Rent The Prince and Me on Amazon.

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

In this drama film, Mona Lisa Smile, we follow Katherine Watson, a graduate student who ends up taking a teaching position at Wellesley College, which at the time was a private liberal arts college just for women. When she discovers that most of her students already have everything memorized, she decides to teach them about modern art and try and change their lives for the better instead of just looking to get married. 

Julia Stiles stars as Joan Brandwyn, one of Katherine’s students who has big dreams of becoming a lawyer. While the rest of the Mona Lisa Smile cast is great, I especially loved Stiles' and Roberts' interactions, as their story was one of the more eye-capturing moments and made you want to root for her students to be successful.

Rent Mona Lisa Smile on Amazon.

The Omen (2006)

If you’re looking for a horror film with Julia Stiles, check out The Omen. This remake of the original 1976 film of the same name follows an official from America who ends up realizing that his son, after several instances of horror, might be something evil that none of them ever could have imagined - the Devil incarnate. 

While I will always prefer the original The Omen over this, as I am a mega horror movie fan and know it just might be getting a prequel, I can appreciate this film for the acting, mainly from Julia Stiles. I feel that her performance here showed that she should do more horror movies because I genuinely enjoyed her presence and made this remake more fun to watch. 

Stream The Omen on HBO Max.
Rent The Omen on Amazon.

Bourne Film Series (2002 - 2016)

As I mentioned before, Julia Stiles is a versatile actress, which means action is right up her alley, too. For the first three Bourne films - as well as the fifth one - she portrayed Nicky Parsons, a technician for the CIA that is tasked with helping and hunting down Bourne. 

For The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum and Jason Bourne, Stiles played this pivotal role, one that truly cemented her as an action actress and showed that she is capable of many different kinds of projects. Her character was so essential to the story that she was actually included in the Universal Jason Bourne attraction, showing how much the fans love Nicky. If you’re looking for a way to see Julia Stiles as a badass, this is it. 

Stream The Bourne series on HBO Max.
Rent The Bourne series on Amazon.

Dexter (2010)

Dexter, for eight seasons, was a huge hit for Showtime, telling the story of Dexter Morgan, a seemingly normal man with a dark secret - he’s a serial killer who takes out menaces to society. However, over time his secret starts to get exposed to more and more people, and cracks begin to form in his carefully crafted fake life. 

Julia Stiles, during Season 5, portrayed Lumen Ann Pierce, someone whom Dexter initially was going to kill, but ended up working with - and eventually, formed a romantic relationship with. And damn it, I wanted to see more of her. Julia Stiles was only in Dexter for one season (but it helped change her mind about doing TV) and yet, after binge-watching this show, her character was one of the few side characters I remember so well, because her acting was phenomenal and her chemistry with Michael C. Hall was off the charts. It’s no wonder she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy award for her recurring guest role. 

Stream Dexter on Showtime.

Between Us (2012)

Want to know what happens when two couples who are completely on the rocks and self-destructive reunite for a night in New York? Bad things, that’s what happens, and that’s the premise of Between Us, starring Julia Stiles, Taye Diggs, David Harbour, and Melissa George. 

I love a good drama, and Between Us is one of those where I feel like I’m in the living room of these characters’ homes and watching all this go down in front of me. I really enjoyed Julia Stiles and Taye Diggs together as a couple, but having all four of these actors working alongside each other, in such well-directed scenes, made it all the more entertaining. It’s not one of Stiles’ biggest hits, but I needed to include it, as not enough people know about this movie. 

Stream Between Us on Tubi.
Rent Between Us on YouTube.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

In this Academy Award-winning film, Silver Linings Playbook tells the story of two very broken individuals who become frenemies and decide to help out each other with their respective goals - but over time, as their relationship evolves, they learn they might need to change their intentions if they ever want to see the other again. 

Silver Linings Playbook is an absolutely fantastic film. Not only is it a great representation of mental health issues and how it affects not only the person but the people around them, but the cast is just phenomenal too, including Julia Stiles. While much of the focus of the movie was on Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (as it should be), Julia Stiles as Veronica, the sister of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence’s character) was so beautifully portrayed. 

She perfectly captured what it’s like as a family member to be watching someone they love going through something like this, and I personally think that it’s one of her best performances so far. If you haven’t watched this film, please do. You won’t regret it. 

Stream Silver Linings Playbook on Netflix.
Rent Silver Linings Playbook on Amazon.

Riviera (2017 - 2020)

Next up, we have Riviera, a television series that Julia Stiles starred in for three seasons. This drama tells the story of Georgina, a woman who is living the dream until her billionaire husband is killed in a yachting accident. Suspecting that there’s something else going on, Georgina ends up finding out way more than she bargained for, realizing that her husband’s death may have been a planned murder. 

As mentioned before, I am a huge drama person, and this is one of those shows where I could pop a bag of popcorn and sit down for hours watching this mystery play out on my TV screen. Julia Stiles is so good in her leading role as Georgina, and carries the story incredibly throughout its three seasons. It’s addicting, engrossing, and entertaining in all the right ways. 

Stream Riviera on the Roku Channel.

Hustlers (2019)

Last but not least, we have Hustlers. This dramedy/crime film tells the story of a group of strippers who try to steal money by slipping drugs into the drinks of CEOs and stock traders when they visit their club, and then using all their credit cards. 

Julia Stiles played Elizabeth, a journalist who interviewed each of the strippers about their experience. As one of only a couple of characters in this film who isn’t stripping or scamming people, Elizabeth captivated me, because it felt like she was the one who was telling the story of these women, who all worked together and showed how complicated crime can sometimes be. 

Her part is very interesting and serves a real purpose, and Stiles captured my attention the moment she appeared on the screen. The whole Hustlers cast is freaking talented as hell, but Julia Stiles was the perfect addition.

Stream Hustlers on Hulu.
Rent Hustlers on Amazon.

I’m sure that over the next couple of years, we’ll only get to see more of Julia Stiles and her great acting career, but until then, these are some of her best roles - now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go and re-watch all of Dexter again. 

When it comes to the '90s, there are so many iconic movies that I’m sure every single one of you has seen reading this article. But with these iconic movies comes iconic film roles, and these actresses were some of the best in the business. Here are several actresses with some truly iconic film roles in '90s movies. 

Kate Winslet (Titanic)

Considering Titanic was once the biggest film in the world, it’s not surprising the first pick here is Kate Winslet, who played Rose DeWitt Bukater. It’s certainly one of Winslet’s best films so far, and put her on the fast track to become the famous actor she is today.  

Gwyneth Paltrow (Se7en)

While Gwyneth Paltrow known amazingly well now from her variety of film performances, her role of Tracy Mills in Se7en is certainly an iconic one, with her character playing an essential role throughout the story. It wasn’t that long after she would star in Shakespeare in Love and win an Academy Award for her acting. 

Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct)

Yes, this is Sharon Stone from that controversial scene in Basic Instinct. But no one can deny that her performance in this film was great, and she acted her butt off in this erotic thriller. Every single scene she was in, she stole the show.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

The '90s were filled to the brim with iconic horror films like The Silence of the Lambs, and was only the third film in history to win the Big Five at the Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor. Best Actress went to Jodie Foster for her amazing portrayal of Clarice Starling. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

While Sandra Bullock is currently busy in 2022 with her film, The Lost City, one of her first big roles ever was starring alongside Keanu Reeves in the action film, Speed, portraying Annie Porter, the main love interest of the film and a total badass. 

Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands)

This is definitely one of Winona Ryder’s best movies. Playing Kim Boggs in Edward Scissorhands, Ryder perfectly captured what true kindness is meant to look like, and her love story with Edward is one for the history books that anyone would adore to witness.  

Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That)

While the reboot, He’s All That, made plenty of references to the original film, She’s All That just can’t be beaten, and that includes Rachel Leigh Cook’s iconic performance as Laney Boggs. I mean, who could forget that memorable “Kiss Me” scene? It’s the epitome of teen movie makeovers. You have to love it. 

Meryl Streep (The Bridges Of Madison County)

Meryl Streep has been around for many years in the movie industry and has some amazing films under her belt. And while she did plenty of movies in the '90s, my personal favorite performance of hers was in The Bridges of Madison County, where she played Francesca Johnson, a married mother who has a steamy four-day love affair with a photojournalist. Her chemistry with Clint Eastwood is second to none. 

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle, You’ve Got Mail)

A legendary queen of romantic comedies, you could not stop Meg Ryan in the '90s. Not only was she in two iconic roles in romantic comedies, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, both of those films were alongside Tom Hanks and showed just how amazing their chemistry is. 

Demi Moore (Ghost)

That damn pottery scene has been recreated by so many people - I mean, even Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart recreated it! - but no one can quite beat Demi Moore's performance. She shined in her leading role of Molly Jensen alongside Patrick Swayze. I think all of us have wished at least once we were in her shoes. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

While plenty of folks know Sarah Michelle Gellar for her portrayal of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gellar starred in another horror hit that same year portraying Helen Shivers in I Know What You Did Last Summer, giving a masterclass in chase scenes in horror movies. 

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, Ghost)

Whoopi Goldberg is certainly an iconic name that I am sure you’ve heard of plenty of times before, and she had not one but two iconic roles in the '90s. To me, my favorite is her lead role in Sister Act, starring as Deloris Van Cartier and bringing some soul into religion, but I can’t not mention her Academy Award-nominated performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. 

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s one of Julia Roberts' best movies. Pretty Woman has some pretty iconic scenes, but none of them could have been accomplished if not for the charming performance that Roberts delivered as Vivian. I’m pretty sure every time I’ve watched that movie, all I want is to be in that bathtub. That looks so damn nice.

Drew Barrymore (Scream) 

Drew Barrymore was only in the first twelve minutes of the first Scream movie, and yet her scene has become iconic in every sense of the word. You go up to a horror movie fan and ask “do you like scary movies?” and they’ll know exactly what film its from as well as what scene - and Drew Barrymore is the star of it. 

Neve Campbell (Scream)

Even if Drew Barrymore was the star of the first twelve minutes, it was Neve Campbell that became the star of the Scream franchise, reprising her role in every single new film since, showing just how badass she is as the ultimate final girl. 

Reese Witherspoon (Cruel Intentions)

Witherspoon has been in many movies and some great TV shows, but back in the '90s, she was still just starting out, and Cruel Intentions was a breakthrough role for her. She played Annette Hargrove, a young woman who was the target of the two main characters of the film. In this '90s movie, she showed just how talented she is at acting. 

Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)

Ugh, as if! Alicia Silverstone truly stole the screen when she played Cher in Clueless, a story about a teenage girl who ends up befriending a new student and decides to give her a makeover. I mean, those outfits alone are definitely iconic enough for her to be on this list.  

Laura Dern (Jurassic Park)

Raise your hand if you’re excited to see Laura Dern back in Jurassic World: Dominion. *Raises hand* Regardless, Laura Dern in the original Jurassic Park was freaking amazing, and Dr. Ellie Sattler was a badass that I looked up to, and I can’t wait to see what she’s been up to after all these years. 

Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You)

Ugh, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of my favorites, and it’s legit because of the chemistry that Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger have in this film. They are my all-time favorite romantic couple and Julia Stiles rocks it as Kat. 

Halle Berry (Jungle Fever)

While Halle Berry has been in plenty of badass roles over the last two decades, there was a time where she was just getting started in Hollywood. One of the first films that she had a supporting role in was Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, where she played Vivian. While she's gone on to play more prominent roles since then, it was one of the movies that broke her out onto the scene and paved the way for bigger things down the line, like X-Men and Monster’s Ball. 

Natalie Portman (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

Padme Amidala, known as the Queen/Senator of Naboo and Anakin Skywalker's lover (later wife) was a Star Wars character that made her debut in 1999, and was a badass in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Natalie Portman portrayed the legendary Star Wars character for the prequel trilogy, and inspired young girls everywhere - but we don’t need to talk about how her character ends in Revenge of the Sith. 

Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)

While my personal all-time favorite Uma Thurman performance is her role in Kill Bill, one of her biggest roles prior to this was portraying Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction, earning her a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. I mean, she was the literal character featured on the poster for this film, and honestly, I can see why. She has such star appeal. She has plenty of great performances but this is one of her best. 

Mena Suvari (American Beauty)

This 1999 film, American Beauty, told a captivating story about a man having a midlife crisis, but the main star to me of this was Mena Suvari as Angela Hayes, the object of affection for the main character, Lester Burnham. Even if the film didn’t age too well, I think we call agree Suvari was phenomenal in it. 

Robin Wright (Forrest Gump)

If you’re not saying “Jenny” by the end of Forrest Gump in a Southern drawl, I don’t think we were watching the same film. This Academy Award-winning film starring Tom Hanks told the story of Forrest Gump and his legendary life, often times where he would think of his young love, Jenny, played by Robin Wright. Their love story is a tumultuous one, but a memorable one as well. 

Kirsten Dunst (Interview With The Vampire)

Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire is iconic for many reasons, showing how amazingly talented she was as an actress at the tender age of eleven. She later went on to star in films like Bring it On and Spider-Man, but no one can quite forget her character, Claudia.

Salma Hayek (Desperado)

Salma Hayek has been in many different kinds of films, such as being a part of the Grown Ups cast or starring in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, but Desperado was one of the early films that made her the star she is today. Starring alongside Antonio Banderas as Carolina, Hayek was badass and her character was just as amazing. It’s definitely one of her best movies, and I would watch another film with both her and Banderas.  

Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got To Do With It, Waiting To Exhale) 

Angela Bassett is a master-class actress, and has shown just how amazingly talented she is in any role. I mean, there are so many movie parts that she should have been nominated for an Oscar, However, one of her most iconic roles from the '90s did indeed earn her nominations - her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. And another great role for Bassett in the '90s was Bernadine Harris in Waiting to Exhale. Both of these movies were great showcases of her acting prowess. 

Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard)

“And I will always love you.” 

You know the song, I know you do. It’s one of the most iconic songs of all time and has been performed by so many people. Even though it was originally written by Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston sang this iconic song for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard, where she played Rachel Marron, a famous singer who falls for the bodyguard tasked with protecting her. 

Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Last but not least, we have Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies. While she’s been in plenty of amazing movies such as Crazy Rich Asians and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, one of my personal favorites of hers is her role as Wai Lin, a Chinese spy and an ally to James Bond. 

Yeoh is a bloody badass. This James Bond alum truly defined the term “kick ass and take names” because she was one of the best Bond girls ever, in my opinion. I would gladly see her return to the franchise alongside Pierce Brosnan, but I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon, so I’ll just re-watch this movie over and over. 

There are truly so many other iconic roles, but these are some of the best that you should check out again next time you want to watch a great movie. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to re-watch Jurassic Park again before the latest sequel.  

I’ve always felt that there are certain films that are timeless. No matter what happens in the real world, you can always return to these films to make yourself happy, whether that be a whole saga like Harry Potter, or one movie, like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. One movie I feel fits in that category, for many reasons, is 13 Going on 30, starring Jennifer Garner.

For over a decade and a half, 13 Going on 30 has lit up the lives of movie fans everywhere, showing how sometimes, growing up isn’t all it's cracked up to be and that we should enjoy our youth while we have it and be thankful for what we have. If you’re looking for movies like 13 Going on 30, check out these picks. 

What Women Want (HBO Max) 

The classic romantic comedy, What Women Want, is the story of a cocky executive who suddenly has his life turned upside down when he is cursed with the ability to hear what women are thinking. He wants to get rid of it, until a psychologist ends up explaining how this could be his best experience yet. 

I think for fans of 13 Going on 30, you’ll really enjoy What Women Want because it features that really cool fantasy element that we got in the movie. Except this time instead of a young woman aging up, we get to actually hear the thoughts of women - and how that changes the life of the leading man. Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt have amazing chemistry as the leading pair, and I could watch them in anything. 

Stream What Women Want on HBO Max. 
Rent What Women Want on Amazon. 

No Strings Attached (Paramount Plus)

Next up, we have No Strings Attached. This romantic comedy tells the classic story of two friends who want to try and have a “no strings attached” relationship so they can enjoy having sex and not fall in love. But, of course, that doesn’t necessarily work out.

While No Strings Attached is a bit more risqué compared to 13 Going on 30, I still feel that there’s enough substance there for anyone to enjoy the movie and follow this messy, crazy romance. Plus, Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman play a surprisingly convincing couple, creating a movie that’s not only enjoyable to watch once, but again and again. 

Stream No Strings Attached on Paramount Plus. 
Rent No Strings Attached on Amazon. 

It’s A Boy Girl Thing (Tubi) 

In It’s A Boy Girl Thing, enemies who absolutely despise each other somehow end up swapping bodies. Seeing the pros of this, they use the strange situation to their advantage to ruin each others' lives - and discover more about themselves in the process. 

I think what I like the most about It’s A Boy Girl Thing is the relationship between these two enemies (played by Kevin Zegers and Samaire Armstrong). It sorta reminds me of Jenna and Matt in 13 Going on 30, with how they fought as adults, but with extra spice for the leads here. It’s also always fun to see opposing forces at odds with each other in movies like this, because you always know they’re probably going to get together in the end. You can also stream it for free on Amazon, as it's definitely one of the best movies on Amazon Prime, in my opinion. So funny. 

Stream It’s A Boy Girl Thing On Tubi. 
Rent It’s A Boy Girl Thing on Apple TV+. 

17 Again (Peacock) 

In this funny Zac Efron film, 17 Again follows a man named Mike who ends up becoming his 17-year-old self again after a crazy accident. Now, with this in mind, he goes to his children’s high school to see what’s going on with their lives, while also reliving his glory days. 

Think 13 Going on 30 but in reverse. It’s always funny to see Mike thinking about his time as a teenager and wanting to go back, and then watching 13 Going on 30 and seeing the exact opposite with Jenna’s character, showing how you should just be happy where you are now and not focus on the past or the future. Zac Efron’s charisma is off the charts in this one, and honestly, Matthew Perry as the older Mike works surprisingly well too. 

Stream 17 Again on Peacock. 
Rent 17 Again on Amazon. 

Freaky Friday (Disney+) 

The classic family comedy, Freaky Friday, is another of the wacky body swap movies. It's about a mother and daughter with two very different lives who fight pretty often. After a mysterious, magical earthquake at a Chinese restaurant, they switch bodies, which leads to them having to try and understand the life of the other. 

I’ve always had a personal connection with Freaky Friday just because I love the chemistry between the two stars, and both Lindsey Lohan and Jaime Lee Curtis are fantastic in their roles. However, for fans of 13 Going on 30, you’ll like this film for the sheer fun it provides, mixed in with the fantasy element of body swapping. It’s always fun to try and see how other people live in each other’s bodies. This is definitely one of the best. 

Stream Freaky Friday on Disney+. 
Rent Freaky Friday on Amazon.

Miss Congeniality (HBO Max) 

The romantic comedy, Miss Congeniality, is all about an F.B.I. Agent who has to go undercover at a Miss United States pageant, when they get a tip saying a group might bomb the event. Now, she has to blend in and embrace her inner femininity while also saving the day. 

For fans of 13 Going on 30, Miss Congeniality feels like there’s a lot of the same humor to enjoy, but another big thing is that both movies have an incredible leading lady. Miss Congeniality is one of the best Sandra Bullock movies, and she's impeccable in it. Plus, her relationship with Eric (Benjamin Bratt) is not only hilarious, but sweet. 

Stream Miss Congeniality on HBO Max. 
Rent Miss Congeniality on Amazon. 

The Princess Diaries (Disney+) 

In this movie based on the novel series of the same name, The Princess Diaries is all about Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who finds from her estranged grandmother that she is, in fact, the heir to a small kingdom. Now, it’s up to her if she wants to become a royal or stay a normal teen. 

I put The Princess Diaries on here because it reminds me a lot of the same heart 13 Going on 30 had. The movie teaches young girls to enjoy what you have, while still encouraging them to embrace the future and everything it could do for them. Anne Hathaway rocks it in her role as Mia, in both this film and its sequel, and this is also one of the best Julie Andrews movies, because she's amazing as well.

Stream The Princess Diaries on Disney+. 
Rent The Princess Diaries on Amazon.

Mean Girls (Paramount Plus)

I can’t have a list like this without bringing up one of my favorites. Mean Girls, starring Lindsey Lohan, follows Cady Heron, a teenager who recently just came to America from Africa, and is trying to fit in. Soon, her life becomes entangled with the Plastics, the mean girls of her high school, and her world will never be the same. 

If you low-key hated the Six Chicks in 13 Going on 30, oh boy are you going to love hating the Plastics in Mean Girls. The actresses perform their roles perfectly and truly create scenarios where you either want to laugh or scream. The Mean Girls cast is full of super talented actors and actresses, and the story, written by the legendary Tina Fey, is unbeatable. If you want a truly awesome comedy, check this one out.

Stream Mean Girls on Paramount Plus. 
Rent Mean Girls on Amazon. 

10 Things I Hate About You (Disney+) 

Starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, 10 Things I Hate About You is about a bad boy who is trying to get with an ill-tempered girl so that his friend can date her sister, causing hijinks, hysteria, and surprisingly fun dance numbers. 

10 Things I Hate About You was one of the first films that came to mind when I started writing this list, because the romance reminds me distinctly of the one in 13 Going on 30, mixed in with some pretty hilarious jokes. Also, I feel like the vibe of 10 Things I Hate About You matches that of 13 Going on 30, where you know it’s a normal romantic comedy but they try to do things out of the box to make it even more fun. For 13 Going on 30, that was the “Thriller” dance scene. For this, it’s the stair scene. You know what I’m talking about.

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+. 
Rent 10 Things I Hate About You on Apple TV+. 

The Parent Trap (Disney+) 

In this heartwarming movie, The Parent Trap (starring Lindsey Lohan, again), is all about twin girls who were separated when their parents divorced, never knowing about the other. When they become close friends at a summer camp, they take it upon themselves to switch their lives in order to try and get their parents back together. 

Out of all the roles that Lindsey Lohan has performed, this has always been one of my favorites, as she perfectly captures that cocky yet sweet side of her characters and somehow gives an absolutely stunning dual performance. For fans of 13 Going on 30, this movie is perfect, thanks to the loving relationship between the parents that evolves over time, and the adorable friendship between the sisters that will probably remind you of Matt and Jenna. I would re-watch this film ten times over if I could - even if there are some things that don’t make sense. 

Stream The Parent Trap on Disney+. 
Rent The Parent Trap on Amazon. 

Legally Blonde (Starz) 

Next up, we have Legally Blonde. This classic romantic comedy starring the talented Reese Witherspoon is all about Elle Woods, who wants to prove to her ex-boyfriend that she’s serious wife material. So, she studies real hard and gets into Harvard Law School, where her ex currently goes, trying to prove that she’s better than he thinks she is. 

Legally Blonde is a classic for many reasons. Fans of 13 Going on 30 will love Elle, as she reminds me a lot of Jenna when she’s older. She doesn’t quite understand the world she’s in but she’s trying to make the best out of a strange situation and become a better version of herself because of it. 

However, Legally Blonde is so much more than that, as it offers not only a super fun storyline, entertaining rivalries, and a brilliantly acted Legally Blonde cast, but a genuinely good protagonist that you want to root for. I mean, I can’t tell you how many quotes I know from this movie. Probably too many. Definitely one of my all-time favorite college movies. I need Legally Blonde 3 now.

Stream Legally Blonde on Starz. 
Rent Legally Blonde on Amazon. 

Big (Starz)

Last, but certainly not least, we have Big. In this classic 1988 comedy, we follow a young boy who wishes to becoming 'big,' and overnight, he is suddenly changed into a grown man, while trying to adapt to being in the world as an adult. 

For fans of 13 Going on 30, this is probably an obvious pick, as it's the same basic premise. Boy wants to be older, boy makes a wish, boy ends up being older the next day, just as Jenna was. What I really love about Big, though, is Tom Hanks. I mean, how can you not love his childlike glee and wonder in this movie? It's truly one of his best roles. 

Stream Big on Starz. 
Rent Big on Amazon. 

While you could spend time watching some of the best movies on Netflix, I personally think I’d rather spend my time watching some hilarious romantic comedies - and laughing just as much as I’ll be crying. Whether you re-watch 13 Going on 30, or find a new favorite through this list, you’ll have fun no matter what. 

There are so many romantic movie tropes that people love to watch. One of my personal favorites has always been the “enemies to lovers” storyline. Whether that be enemies on a battlefield, in a work setting, or just regular everyday people who really don't like each other, these stories always please me, and there are plenty of movies that offer that for you to enjoy as well. 

From classics like Pride and Prejudice to stranger ones such as Warm Bodies, here are some awesome romantic movies streaming that you can watch with that good old enemies to lovers trope that we crave so much. 

Pride And Prejudice (HBO Max)

This is a classic for the ages. Pride and Prejudice follows the story of Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman who eventually falls for Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner she's constantly at odds with. They have to overcome their sins of pride and prejudice in order to recognize their feelings for one another and marry. 

I feel like when anyone thinks of an “enemies to lovers” movie, this is always one of the first, simply for the amazing chemistry that Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen have. Their relationship is a slow burn to the max, but full of passion and love later on, feeling earned and genuine. The Pride and Prejudice cast itself is amazing, but these two really take the cake in terms of romantic chemistry. 

Stream Pride and Prejudice on HBO Max. 
Rent Pride and Prejudice on Amazon. 

Sweet Home Alabama (Hulu)

In this popular romantic comedy, a young woman who has moved to NYC and reinvented herself has to return home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband after several years of separation. But, when she returns to so many memories, new feelings emerge that she hasn’t felt in a long time. 

To me, this is one of Reese Witherspoon’s best movies. In this role, she is so sweet and adorable, and she perfectly captures that southern charm mixed in with a New York flair. Josh Lucas as her husband is also a great casting, too, and they both work well together in the scenes they are in. What makes this one stand out above other enemies to lovers stories is that they’re already married - but it’s really about trying to find that connection again that you didn’t think you had anymore. 

Stream Sweet Home Alabama on Hulu. 
Rent Sweet Home Alabama on Amazon. 

The Proposal (Peacock)

Another romantic comedy, coming your way. The Proposal is about a Canadian executive who faces deportation because of her expired visa. Trying to keep her position, she forces her assistant to temporarily act as her fiancé. 

Man, I wish there were more movies with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Not only are these two amazing actors, but their chemistry is on fire. The story of The Proposal is about as cliche as you can get in a movie like this - two co-workers don’t like each other, something happens to force them together, and they end up loving each other. But, what really takes this film a step above are these two. They’re just so good, I can’t not include it on this list. 

Stream The Proposal on Peacock. 
Rent The Proposal on Amazon. 

Beauty And The Beast (Disney+)

One of the most classic enemies to lovers fairy tales ever. Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a curious girl who ends up trapped in an enchanted castle after she exchanges places with her father to save his life. While she’s there, she starts to realize there might be something more to the beast that she didn’t see before. 

Okay, look, say what you want about Stockholm syndrome or whatever else - I will always love Beauty and the Beast. I believe the cast, including Emma Watson, did a great job. I think that Belle learning to love the Beast for who he is rather than looks is something beautiful that needs to be taught to kids everywhere. 

Do I think that it was healthy that the Beast kept her locked up? No. But, he did eventually let her go because he realized he wanted her to be happy. That’s something that takes a lot of guts to admit. It’s a great story and one that everyone should watch if you haven’t. 

Stream Beauty and the Beast on Disney+. 
Rent Beauty and the Beast on Amazon. 

You’ve Got Mail (HBO Max)

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan - an enemies to lovers match made in heaven. You’ve Got Mail tells the story of two people who are lovers in an online romance, but are unaware that they are also business rivals. 

Look, you really can’t go wrong with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. These two are romantic comedy gold, including in Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle. But, this film is definitely one of their best. It’s always so fun to see their reactions when they're face to face, unaware that the same person they are talking badly about is the same person they are in love with online. It’s a classic case of miscommunication in the best way, and the payoff towards the end feels well worth the buildup. 

Stream You’ve Got Mail on HBO Max. 
Rent You’ve Got Mail on Amazon. 

It Happened One Night (Crackle)

Some of you might not have ever heard of this one considering it’s from 1934, but it’s a classic. It Happened One Night, starring Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert, tells the story of a pampered socialite, who tries to get out from under her father’s thumb and ends up falling in love with a reporter. 

If you want one of the most classic enemies to lovers story that you could get, you need to watch It Happened One Night. Gable and Colbert have such amazing chemistry, and their story, starting off as blackmail and moving into a loving romance that is one for the ages, is a true tale of love. 

Fun fact: This movie is one of three that has won all five major Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. The other two are One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs. Hearing that, you can’t tell me you aren’t at the very least interested in watching it. It’s such an entertaining oldie. 

Stream It Happened One Night on Crackle. 
Rent It Happened One Night on Amazon. 

Warm Bodies (HBO Max)

I bet you didn’t think zombies would make an appearance here. In this zombie apocalypse romance film, Warm Bodies follows Julie, a young woman, and R, a zombie, who starts to feel human emotions when he meets Julie, and their romance slowly changes the zombies in an unexpected way. 

As someone who loves zombie movies and shows like The Walking Dead, this has to be one of the strangest enemies to lovers romances I have ever watched. And yet, I still love it. It has a certain charm and quirkiness to it that most others don’t. It’s so interesting to watch the story be told from a zombie’s perspective, as well as see how love can, somehow, change someone. Is it realistic? Nope. But, that doesn't mean it’s not fun. 

Stream Warm Bodies on HBO Max. 
Rent Warm Bodies on Amazon.

Clueless (HBO Max)

Oh, Clueless. This classic tells the story of Cher Horowitz, a beautiful, popular rich high schooler, who takes it upon herself to befriend a new student named Tai, and give her a makeover. 

While the enemies to lovers romance takes place a bit in the background of the main story of Cher, Paul Rudd and Alicia Silverstone still have such amazing chemistry together as Josh and Cher. Clueless itself is full of great quotes, amazing outfits, and fun moments from a talented Clueless cast. While the past of Josh and Cher is a bit questionable, I’ll let it slide for how great this movie is. 

Stream Clueless on HBO Max. 
Rent Clueless on Amazon.

10 Things I Hate About You (Disney+)

Anyone else instantly think of the staircase scene? Because I do. 10 Things I Hate About You tells the story of Cameron, who is smitten with Bianca. In order to get around her strict father, he gets his best friend (who also happens to be a bad boy), Patrick, to date Bianca’s sister, Kat. 

Let’s say this first - Heath Ledger was so talented, and even in this romantic role, he really captured this amazing enemies to lovers romance alongside Julia Stiles. The two have such great chemistry that it makes me smile every time I watch the movie. It’s such a classic teen movie that sometimes you forget that it’s based on William Shakespeare. The 10 Things I Hate About You cast is talented, and the romance is even better. 

It's also available to stream on Amazon Prime for free - and honestly, it's one of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+. 
Rent 10 Things I Hate About You on YouTube.

Me Before You (Amazon)

Lastly, we have one of the newest entries on this list, Me Before You. This romantic drama follows Louisa Clarke, a small town girl who ends up becoming the caretaker for Will, a quadriplegic man who hates everyone around him. While they have a rocky start, their relationship turns from hate to love. 

I know that Emilia Clarke is famous from the Game of Thrones cast, but dang it, I want to see her in more movies like this. Her Louisa is so bubbly and sweet, and her chemistry with Sam Claflin is undeniable, creating a loving yet tragic story that will probably make you smile and cry at the same time. This one will pluck your heartstrings and more. Give it a shot if you haven’t seen it already. 

Rent Me Before You on Amazon.

This famous romantic trope is definitely my guilty pleasure. I almost think I watch too many of these movies for my own good. Maybe I’ll go and watch some of the best movies on Netflix to cool off - but, then again, re-watching Pride and Prejudice sounds like a good idea to me.  

Ever feel like the ‘90s were just ten years ago? That’s a delusion I like to live in, but it seems like anytime there is a bombshell of a throwback I get jerked out of that false reality. This time, it’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt snapping me back to 2021 with his 10 Things I Hate About You tribute photo he recently posted to celebrate the anniversary of the iconic film. Levitt’s photo shows a child version of himself with a young Heather Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Larisa Oleynik in all their ‘90s glory.

If it were the photo alone, I’d be elated. However, in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s caption he mentions how it’s been over 20 years since 10 Things I Hate About You was released. Yes, the math makes sense, but that just doesn’t sit right with me. Check out Gordon-Levitt’s heart-warming, yet soul-crushing, anniversary post below:

While the photo of the four actors screams ‘90s with the jump poses and platform flip flops, there is something timeless about the film and how the actors look in it. I was only 5 when 10 Things I Hate About You came out but I know I watched the film in High School and it felt like the film was brand new - and I know I’m not alone in that experience. It seems like everyone my age also watched the film when they were in High School and it remains one of their favorite films to this day.

I don’t know anything about kids in High School currently, but the comments on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s post seem to imply the same experience is happening to kids now. Other people who grew up loving the film are saying their High School aged kids have seen the movie and love it, one commenter saying their 16-year-old daughter loves it.

In fact, people of all different generations (okay, maybe there are no baby boomers present) are commenting saying 10 Things I Hate About You is one of their favorite films ever and have some kind of fond coming-of-age experience with it.

It’s rare to come across a film that can hold such a special place for so many different people at so many different times. 10 Things I Hate About You seems to be a film that defies all time, and becomes brand new for each generation. It’s almost like Joseph Gordon-Levitt has glitched the time loop by pointing out how old the film really is, even though he has clearly aged out of the kid he is in the film.

Even though so much has changed since the release of 10 Things I Hate About You and the actors have moved on in so many ways (RIP Heath Ledger), it’s refreshing that the film can hold a place in time for them and act as a kind of right of passage for new generations. Joseph Gordon-Levitt may have posted a great throwback, but this film is still very much relevant.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of those actors who has managed to remain in the spotlight as his career has progressed from that of a child actor in movies like Angels in the Outfield, to his teenager years in shows like 3rd Rock from the Sun, and into adulthood with everything from Inception to his most recent offering, the Netflix original Project Power. And over the span of the past 30-plus years, JGL's relevancy and range as a skilled actor has only grown.

With the October 2020 release of Aaron Sorkin's Netflix drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 approaching, now is the perfect time to look back on some of the best movies from the former teen heartthrob that are streaming right now. These are on top of classics like Brick and Looper, among the great titles worth revisiting or watching for the first time.

Project Power

The Netflix original movie Project Power is set in a version of New Orleans that has become the new home of a dangerously powerful street drug called "Power" that grants users temporary superpowers. The movie follows former Delta Force major Art (Jamie Foxx), New Orleans police officer Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and street-smart dealer Robin (Dominique Fishback) as they try to take down the powerful corporation manufacturing the dangerous substance.

If you like seeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt run around in a New Orleans Saints jersey, become bulletproof and get shot in the face in one of the most technically impressive visual effects shots of the year, then Project Power is right up your alley.

Stream Project Power on Netflix here.

10 Things I Hate About You

The 1999 romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You has become much more than just another adaptation of a William Shakespeare play and is now viewed as one of the classics of the late 1990s. Set in Seattle, the movie follows new student Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he tries to win over Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik), but with one catch.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was already a star when 10 Things I Hate About You came out in the middle of his run on 3rd Rock from the Sun, but his take on a hapless Cameron trying his damnedest to find true love was a sign of things to come for him in the world of romantic comedies, even if he did everything he could to try and get out of the role.

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+ here.

Inception

Christopher Nolan's 2010 dream heist spectacle Inception is still one of the most heavily debated summer blockbusters in recent memory thanks to its divisive ending, but there's something great about watching Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the rest of the cast diving into multiple layers of dreams not to extract information, but to implant an idea in the mind of the dreamer.

You could argue that Arthur is only there for expositional purposes, and you might be right, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt has never looked as cool as he does in Inception. It never gets old watching Arthur fight and float his way through the zero-gravity hotel corridor of the second-level dream as he tries to get the rest of the team in the right place at the right time to sync up the "jumps." It's even more impressive when you take into consideration all the training he put into just that one scene.

Stream Inception on Amazon here.

50/50

The 2011 comedy 50/50 follows Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) after he learns that he has malignant tumors running along his spine, and throughout his cancer treatment. With a supporting cast that includes Seth Rogen as Adam's best friend and caretaker Kyle, Anna Kendrick as his therapist and love interest Katie, and several other heavy hitters, the movie explores the pain and humor that comes with such a shocking diagnosis.

If you were to put a gun to my head, I would say that this is my favorite Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie. His character, Adam, perfectly walks the line between hopelessness and optimism, and still finds joy in a life that so many would see as nothing more than borrowed time. He's stripped down spiritually and emotionally, which exposes his true self to the audience, making Adam a character that is easy to like and that is impossible to not cheer on as he fights cancer in one of the best movies of 2011.

Stream 50/50 on Showtime here.

The Wind Rises

Joseph Gordon-Levitt provides his voice for the English dub of Hayao Miyzazki's 2013 historical drama The Wind Rises, which follows the story of the Jiro Horikoshi, the chief designer of many of the Japanese warplanes used in World War II, including the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Throughout the movie, Jiro finds himself in a moral dilemma brought on his love of the beauty of airplanes, but wants nothing to do with the destructive nature of their use.

This isn't the only time Joseph Gordon-Levitt has lent his voice to an animated feature, but it is the only time he's done so in one of Hayao Miyazaki's beautifully crafted features from Studio Ghibli. And even though you can't see his face, it's hard not to hear the emotion coming from JGL's tortured performance in this 2013 gem.

Stream The Wind Rises on Showtime here.

500 Days Of Summer

The 2009 comedy 500 Days of Summer follows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a hopeless romantic who spends his days writing greeting cards as he falls head over heels for Summer (Zooey Deschanel), and the two embark upon a lovely 500-day relationship. When things suddenly go south and Summer leaves Tom in the dust, he is left with a messy life to piece back together.

Around this time is when Joseph Gordon-Levitt started firing on all cylinders and it really shows here in his desperate portrayal of a man with a broken heart. I go back to it time and time again, but the scene that shows Tom's expectations versus reality during the iconic party scene is one of the most inventive and remarkable few minutes in any romantic comedy.

Stream 500 Days of Summer on Starz here.

Hesher

The 2010 dark comedy Hesher centers around a young boy named T.J. (Devin Brouchu) as he grieves his recently deceased mother along with his depressed father Paul (Rainn Wilson) and elderly grandmother Madeline (Piper Laurie). All of their lives are thrown into chaos when Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a squatter with questionable tattoos and a unique outlook on life, takes up residence in their home. The family, along with a grocery store clerk named Nicole (Natalie Portman), are forever changed by the impact of the unique loner.

Unlike most of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's previous roles, he takes on a character that is from the other side of the tracks, so to speak, and offers a unique look on life that surely is unique when compared to the rest of the characters featured in the movie. If you are looking for something a little different from the actor, then Hesher is the probably the way to go.

Stream Hesher on Amazon here.

Premium Rush

The high-adrenaline thrill ride Premium Rush follows New York City bicycle messenger Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he navigates the crowded streets of the Big Apple, trying to get his job done without ending up underneath a car. The tenacious rider's life, however, is about to be changed forever when agrees to make a questionable delivery at the end of a long shift.

The fact that Joseph Gordon-Levitt flew into the back of a taxi and demanded that the footage be kept in the final movie should tell you that this movie doesn't hold back. And while it's not as fun as the other movie in which JGL and Michael Shannon share the screen (I'm looking at you, The Night Before), David Koepp's 2012 action thriller is one hell of a time.

Stream Premium Rush on Starz here.

Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed and starred in Don Jon, a 2013 romantic comedy about Jon Martello, a young American bachelor who cares about a few things in life: his looks, his girls and his porn addiction. Throughout the movie, Jon finds himself in a tumultuous relationship with Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) that consists of more ups and downs than anyone can track, but ultimately leads some pretty great self-discovery on Jon's part.

While it's not the best Joseph Gordon-Levitt movie, Don Jon does show that he's more than just an actor and can competently take on the triple-threat of acting, writing and directing. And with the great performance from Scarlett Johansson that largely went unnoticed, there's a lot to take in here.

Stream Don Jon on Starz here.

7500

The 2020 thriller 7500 follows Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Tobias Ellis, a co-pilot who finds himself as the last line of defense in the hijacking of a commercial jet and must act to avoid disaster and deaths of everyone on board.

One of the most remarkable things about Joseph Gordon-Levitt's role in 7500 is that he is alone for large sections of the movie and still gives one of the better performances in recent memory. Watching him as the conflicted co-pilot trying to rationalize decisions throughout the hijacking is a reminder of his talent. It's especially impressive when you realize that this was his first movie in several years after taking time off following Snowden.

Stream 7500 on Amazon here.

Stop-Loss

There have been a lot of great war movies in recent years, but few carry the same weight of the 2008 drama Stop-Loss, which centers around a group of former soldiers struggling to cope with life after serving several tours of duty in Iraq. Ryan Phillippe leads the pack as Brandon King, a U.S. soldier who is forced to go AWOL after the military forces him to continue fighting through the "stop-loss" policy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum round out the cast of distressed soldiers who never really left the war.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt isn't the star of Stop-Loss, but his turn as Tommy Burgess is one that shouldn't go unrecognized for its brutally honest and unsettling depiction of someone struggling with PTSD. It's not easy to watch, but it's more than worth it.

Stream Stop-Loss on Amazon here.

This is just barely scratching the surface of all the great Joseph Gordon-Levitt performances out there, of which there are many. Is there one that you think is missing from this list? Make sure to sound off in the comments below and let the world know.

While it is somewhat rare to hear someone ask about your favorite Gabrielle Union performance, there is not a doubt in my mind that anyone given the opportunity would have an answer. Even if you could not immediately put a face to the name, mere seconds after looking up her picture, you would immediately be able to recognize the actress from Bring it On, 2016’s The Birth of a Nation, or, perhaps, her 1997 guest spot on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, to name just a few of her various roles in movies and TV shows.

The 47-year-old actress, producer, and author, born in Omaha, Nebraska, has led a long and eclectic career that dates back to the early ‘90s when the modeling agency she interned for while studying at UCLA took her on as a client. Soon, she entered the world of acting in small TV guest spots before Hollywood began to take notice of her potential as a leading lady in the early 2000s.

To this day, Gabrielle Union is applauded for her strong opinions in social activism, uncompromising honesty about herself, and her talent that serves as an inspiration for young black women with similar aspirations. To celebrate her achievements, we look back on the 10 roles, from the big and small screen alike, that made her the icon she is today, starting with the first role to bring her mainstream success.

Isis (Bring It On)

If there is one movie that deserves to be credited for helping society recognize cheerleading as a sport, it would have be to be this 2000 high school comedy classic from director Peyton Reed that has spawned countless straight-to-video sequels. The titular challenge of Bring It On comes from Gabrielle Union’s Isis, the fierce leader of the East Compton Clovers, whom Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) discovers her squad, the San Diego Toros, previously stole championship-winning routines from.

Keesha Hamilton (7th Heaven)

Before hitting cinematic success, Gabrielle Union starred in a special 1996 episode from 7th Heaven’s first season as Keesha Hamilton, whose family is invited into the Camdens’ home after a group of racist extremists burn down their church. Union would reprise the role four more times throughout the series’ run in the late ‘90s, particularly as a close friend to sisters Mary (Jessica Biel) and Lucy Camden (Beverley Mitchell).

Chastity Church (10 Things I Hate About You)

One of the earliest and biggest hits of Gabrielle Union’s movie career is this cult favorite that reimagines William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew as a high school rom-com set in 1999. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Union plays Chastity Church, the best friend of sophomore Bianca Stratford (Laris Oleynik), whose father (Larry Miller) forbids her from dating Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) unless her brazenly independent older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), a senior, finds a beau. That is where bad boy Patrick Verona (a young Heath Ledger) comes in at Cameron’s request.

Evangeline Dandridge (Deliver Us From Eva)

Believe it or not, 10 Things I Hate About You was only the first remake of The Taming of the Shrew starring Gabrielle Union. The second was this funny and sexy 2003 romantic comedy in which she got to be “the shrew.” Union plays the uptight, meddlesome title character of Deliver Us from Eva, which also stars LL Cool J as a playboy hired by Eva’s brothers-in-law to date her as a distraction from her constant interference in their own lives, which leads to an unexpectedly genuine romance.

Nala (The Lion Guard)

Gabrielle Union succeeded the role of Nala, Simba’s lifelong friend and bride in The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, a one-hour special spin-off of The Lion King, which first aired on Disney Channel in 2015. She would reprise the voice of the character for several episodes of the series continuation, which follows her and Simba’s son, Kion (Max Charles), on adventures to protect the Pride Lands with his friends, who make up the titular heroic crew.

Gabby (H-E Double Hockey Sticks)

Years before her recurring role on The Lion Guard, one of Gabrielle Union’s first gigs with the House of Mouse was this devilish comedy made as The Wonderful World of Disney’s “movie of the month” in October 1999 on ABC. Union steals the show with a scenery-chewing performance in the aptly-titled H-E Double Sticks as Gabby, who is hired to help demon-in-training Griffelkin (Will Friedle) steal the soul of selfish NHL pro Dave Heinrich (Matthew Lawrence, who played Friedle’s best bud on Boy Meets World), until a charge of heart inspires the three of them to win the Stanley Cup in order to prevent Dave’s damnation.

Alice Kramden (The Honeymooners)

In this update of the classic 1950s sitcom starring and created by Jackie Gleason, Gabrielle Union plays Alice Kramden who, along with Regina Hall’s Trixie Norton, struggle to maintain patience with their cheap, scheming husbands - New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Cedric the Entertainer) and sewer employee Ed Norton (Mike Epps). While the more acclaimed portrayal of Alice would more likely go to Audrey Meadows, we still applaud Union for how she attempts to reinvent the character and how this 2005 comedy tries to bring the fun of The Honeymooners into the modern day.

Kristen (Think Like A Man)

Gabrielle Union would reunite with Regina Hall in this 2012 dramatized adaptation of Steve Harvey’s advice book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, in which her character, Kristen, is a representation of the women Harvey dubs “The Girl Who Wants the Ring,” and finds herself in a conflicted relationship with Jerry Ferrara’s Jeremy (a.k.a. The Non-Committer). Union would reprise the character, along with the rest of the cast, in the Las Vegas-set sequel Think Like a Man Too.

Mary Jane Paul (Being Mary Jane)

Created by prolific television writer Mara Brock Akil in 2013, this BET original chronicles the behind the scenes drama of an otherwise successful talk show host. Gabrielle Union stars as the title character, and serves as executive producer, of Being Mary Jane, which was originally conceived as standalone TV movie until its engrossing plot and progressively minded characters had audiences wanting more.

Sydney Burnett (Bad Boys II, L.A.’s Finest)

Unfortunately, Being Mary Jane was cancelled by BET after four seasons, but Gabrielle Union would land on her feet soon after as an executive producer on L.A.'s Finest, a 2019 action-dramedy series made exclusive to Spectrum customers, in which she joins forces with Jessica Alba on the LAPD. The buddy cop series also sees her reprise her role from Bad Boys II as former DEA badass Sydney, the sister of Martin Lawrence’s Marcus Burnett.

What do you think? Would you also consider these ten roles to be the talented beauty’s greatest hits, or did we accidentally skip a few that would have formed a more perfect Union? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates in relation to Gabrielle Union, as well as even more retrospectives on some of the most memorable acting moments from your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s career has had the actor dabbling in nearly every genre there is, between his work with Christopher Nolan, Rian Johnson and Seth Rogen and so forth. But the fact of the matter is when you're a romantic lead, that’s oftentimes what you become known best for among the masses. JGL’s performance in 500 Days of Summer is perhaps the most iconic of his roles, but he got his start in rom-coms in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You. Surprisingly, the actor really did not want to be in the ‘90s classic when it was brought to him as a teen.

When discussing his achievements as an actor across thirty years, Joseph Gordon-Levitt admitted why the role of Cameron in the 1999 take of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew did not appeal to him. In his words:

Even when Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a young kid auditioning for anything he could get before nabbing early roles in Angels in the Outfield and 3rd Rock from the Sun, he said he didn't love the idea of starring in commercials and really took acting seriously, so the Disney-produced romantic comedy didn’t exactly fit the bill. Here’s why he auditioned anyway:

Even after giving the movie a chance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was then put off by being given the role of Cameron, the new kid in school who has a huge crush on Larisa Oleynik’s Bianca the moment he steps on campus. When David Krumholtz’s Michael tells him he doesn’t have a chance since the Stratford sisters don’t date unless they both do, he hires Heath Ledger’s Patrick to ask out Julia Stiles’ stubborn Kat.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was no older than 18 when he starred in 10 Things I Hate About You, and he continued to Vanity Fair with the following:

In the end, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is exceedingly happy he took his peers’ advice and did the rom-com. Not long after, he was able to still market himself as the type of actor he had set out to be. Within the same year, he made Mysterious Skin and Brick, two highly-acclaimed films that shook off how “embarrassed” he was of 10 Things I Hate About You. As the actor approaches 40 next year, he said he’s just as proud of the 1999 role as his other work. You can check out the actor talk about his career here:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s latest movie is Netflix’s Project Power, which is on the streaming service now. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more movie news.

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Every decade has a few teen movies that define it. These flicks emphasized growing pains, the conflicting views between parents and children, and immortalized the importance of teen parties. Can’t Hardly Wait is one of the 90s defining teen comedies and a cult classic. It along with Booksmart and Superbad have helped highlight the hilarious journey before, during, and after the high school graduation party.

Everyone has their favorite teen movies because that film connects us with a simpler time, either for nostalgic reasons or relating to the character’s struggles and triumphs. I could easily name 50 teen movies that I love, but this list is less about my favorites and more about teen movies that share a commonality. It could be their depiction of friendship, going after the impossible girl or guy, or just showing the complicated dynamics of the high school party system.

Can’t Hardly Wait

What It’s about: A group of high school graduates attend an end of year party with a variety of goals and expectations. The main story surrounds Preston (Ethan Embry)’s plans to confess his love to the most popular girl in school Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt). The Can’t Hardly Wait ensemble cast also includes Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, and Seth Green.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Can’t Hardly Wait displays the expectations versus reality element of high school. Most students believe their high school experience is going to be the best time of their lives, and life after is going to be even better. However, reality and expectations hardly ever match up, but this doesn’t mean high school or post-high school life can’t be a wild wonderful ride.

Stream it on Netflix here

Rent it here.

American Pie

What It’s about: Five friends make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation. The American Pie movies consist of eight films, including the three direct sequels American Pie 2, American Wedding, and American Reunion. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Seann William Scott, and Alyson Hannigan star in American Pie.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: In 1999, American Pie took raunchy teen movies to a new level. It was shocking, funny, awkward, and sometimes surprisingly heartwarming--Jim (Jason Biggs)’s relationship with his dad (Eugene Levy) is some of the movies’ best parts.. The American Pie franchise lasted so long because these movies leave a lasting impression on the teen mind.

Stream it on HBO Now here

Rent it: N/A

10 Things I Hate About You

What It’s about: In this modern take on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to ask Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) out, but she can’t date until her sister Kat (Julia Stiles) dates. He hires bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to take out Kat. Unexpectedly, Kat and Patrick start to fall in love.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: 10 Things I Hate About You is a witty and sweet movie of the 90s. Kat and Patrick’s love story along with Cameron and Bianca’s grabs you from start to finish. You really want both couples to have that teen romance that they deserve.

Stream it on Disney+ here.

Rent it here.

Sixteen Candles

What It’s about: This John Hughes classic stars Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. It follows Sam (Molly Ringwald) on her sixteenth birthday, which is overshadowed by her sister Ginny (Blanche Baker)’s wedding. Unbeknownst to Sam, her crush Jake Ryan (Michael Scoeffling) has started to notice her, so it just might be a sweet sixteen.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: The Jake Ryan and Sam final scene has become one of the most iconic scenes in movie history. The whole film beautifully captures the bittersweet part of being a teen. It also shows that a bad day can become much better with a little birthday magic.

Stream it on Starz here.

Rent it here.

Loser

What It’s about: Paul (Jason Biggs) is a small town boy who has just entered college in New York City. He encounters many jerks who use, abuse, and mistreats him and others. Along the way, he bonds with Dora (Mena Suvari).

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: I know Loser gets a lot of hate from movie fans, but it really is a sweet romantic comedy. Biggs and Suvari have great chemistry and Paul’s coming of age story feels authentic due to Jason Biggs’ natural awkward screen persona. Loser is also a great film about carving your own path and standing up for your morals and beliefs even when it’s hard.

Stream it on Crackle here.

Rent it here.

Say Anything

What It’s about: Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) has been in love with Diane (Ione Skye) all through high school, and after graduation, he finally decides to take a chance and ask her out.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Say Anything is one of the best teen romance movies, because Lloyd is one of the most swoon-worthy male movie protagonist. However, it’s not just another teen romance movie because it is also about growing apart from parents, and teens needing to forge their own paths without them.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

Booksmart

What It’s about: Two best friends (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) spend all of high school being studious and only socializing with each other, but they decide to do things differently by attending the big end of the year party. The girls face many obstacles on their way to the event.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Booksmart revamps the coming of age story by giving it a fresh perspective. It highlights the rising stars and talented Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. It’s also just a really funny teen movie.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Rent it here.

Superbad

What It’s about: Jonah Hill and Michael Cera play Seth and Evan in this movie about two teen boys who spend a night trying to score alcohol and impress their crushes at a major party. Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Bill Hader also star in Superbad.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Superbad has some extremely silly moments, but it’s a funny movie with a heartbreaking undertone. Seth and Evan are close in high school, but they both can sense that they’re heading down different paths. As much as they try to fight it, it’s inevitable.

Stream it on Showtime here.

Rent it here.

Easy A

What It’s about: Emma Stone plays Olive in Easy A, a movie where she pretends to have sex with boys to help improve their social status. Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, and Aly Michalka also star in Easy A.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Easy A highlights the comedic talents of Emma Stone. This film allows her to shine with its already witty humor and commentary on the judgmental nature that people put on female sexuality, especially teen girls’ sexuality.

Rent it here.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

What It’s about: Ferris (Matthew Broderick) fakes an illness to skip school and spend a day exploring Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) and best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck).

Why It’s One of the best teen movies: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off shows that sometimes you have to stop and experience life. There is a lot of beauty out there, but you have to be willing to welcome it to see it.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Rent it here.

EuroTrip

What It’s about: After high school graduation, four friends travel across Europe. Scotty (Scott Mechiowicz) has just been dumped by his girlfriend and offends his German pen pal Mieke (Jessica Boehrs). He travels across Europe to explore and apologize to Mieke. Michelle Trachtenberg, Jacob Pitts, and Travis Wester plays Scotty’s three best friends in EuroTrip.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: EuroTrip is a raunchy teen comedy that’s as funny as it is vulgar. It’s extremely risqué at points, but it’s done more for comedic effect than just to sneak in a few boob scenes.

Rent it here.

The Duff

What It’s About: Bianca (Mae Whitman) is told that she’s the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) of her inner circle, and enlists the help of jock Wesley (Robbie Amell) to give her a makeover. Duff also stars Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels, Ken Jeong, Allison Janney, and Bianca Santos.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: The Duff pays homage to the many other teen movies that came before it, like She’s All That, but the film takes an interesting and unexpected turn. It’s less about Bianca getting a makeover and more about Wesley discovering his beliefs and views are the problem, not Bianca’s appearance. The Duff also works really well because of the chemistry between Robbie Amell and Mae Whitman.

Rent it here.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

What It’s about: Fast Times at Ridgemont High chronicles a year in high school for Brad (Judge Reinhold), Stacy (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Mark (Brian Backer), Linda (Phoebe Cates), and Mike (Robert Romanus). The cast also includes Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stolz, and Anthony Edwards.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an 80s classic for its humor and raunchy scenes. It’s also a classic for its earnest portrayal of teen characters trying to deal with adult situations, but they don’t necessarily have the emotional depth to handle them.

Stream it on Starz here.

Rent it here.

Clueless

What It’s about: Cher (Alicia Silverstone) spends most of her time meddling in the affairs of others. She loves playing matchmaker, but she has no clue what to do when she finds herself falling for an unexpected suitor. Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, and Donald Faison also star in Clueless.

Why It’s one of the best teen movies: This modern version of Jane Austen’s Emma takes place in Beverly Hills and shines a spotlight on the self-absorbed nature of the rich and beautiful, especially teens. However, this film also shows that underneath it all, they are good kids. They just need some direction.

Rent it here.

Teen movies are so beloved because they entertain while showing that the hormonal, confusing, and stressful time of adolescence is just part of the journey and it gets better…sort of.

Fantasy, drama, comedy, and even horror films often have romance in them. Characters fall in love in the most dire situations. Many movies make love the focal point of the characters’ journeys. It’s through love that they feel empowered to express themselves, take chances, and dream of greater things. Romantic movies are some of the best movies that the cinema offers, as they show love in its many wondrous forms. Various streaming platforms offer a wide selection of classic and modern romance tales.

Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Disney+ make thousands of movies available for all types of movie fans. Romantic movie fans have a ton of options. Therefore, it was difficult to narrow the list down to only twelve movies, but for this list, we wanted to pick some popular romance movies and a few lesser-known ones, especially films that represent many different genres and types of love stories.

The Big Sick (Prime Video)

Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan star in The Big Sick. Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily V. Gordon based this film on their real life courtship. In it, Nanjiani plays a fictionalized version of himself who falls for Emily (Zoe Kazan). Emily and Kumail date but eventually breakup. When she is placed in an induced coma because of a serious lung infection, Kumail grows close with her parents, Beth (Holly Hunter) and Terry (Ray Romano).

In The Big Sick, Kumail is torn between Pakistani tradition and his love for Emily. His parents want him to marry a Pakistani woman, and he wants to make them happy, but Emily’s illness makes him realize his strong feelings for her. The Big Sick shows that sometimes you need to follow your heart, even if it means going against the life planned for you. Prime Video members can stream it through a regular subscription. Stream The Big Sick HERE.

10 Things I Hate About You (Disney+)

In the mid-90s to early 2000s, creating modern versions of classic stories was a trendy thing. It happened with Clueless and Emma, O and Othello, Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons, and of course 10 Things I Hate About You and The Taming of the Shrew. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to ask his crush Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) out on a date, but Bianca can’t date anyone until her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) dates. Cameron pays outsider, bad boy Patrick (Heath Ledger) to take out Kat.

In 10 Things I Hate About You, you have the ultra-sweet romance between Cameron and Bianca, and the hate-to-love one between Patrick and Kat. Both pairings are engaging, but Patrick and Kat’s intense romance stands out the most because of its allure. Don’t deny it, you teared up watching Kat read her poem to Patrick. 10 Things I Hate About You is one of the many enjoyable 90s movies available on Disney+. Stream it HERE.

If Beale Street Could Talk (Hulu)

Barry Jenkins wrote and directedIf Beale Street Could Talk, a movie based on James Baldwin’s novel of the same name. It follows Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James)’s journey as he’s wrongly accused of rape, and she tries to clear his name before their child is born. Regina King has a small supporting role that won her an Academy Award.

If Beale Street Could Talk highlights the prejudices faced by African Americans in the early 70s. However, at the heart of this film is the unbreakable, enduring love story of Tish and Fonny. Despite all obstacles, they fight with everything to love without restrictions. If Beale Street Could Talk is available to stream on Hulu. Stream it HERE.

Always Be My Maybe (Netflix)

Randall Park and Ali Wong star in Always Be My Maybe. They play Sasha and Marcus, two lifelong friends who fall apart after an awkward encounter. After his mother died from an unexpected accident, Marcus stayed in San Francisco with his father. Sasha, on the other hand, has been living a successful life as a chef. She temporarily moves back to San Francisco to open a new restaurant and the old spark between Sasha and Marcus starts to reignite.

Ali Wong and Randall Park are hilarious comedians and in Always Be My Maybe, they show their talent for writing romantic comedies as well. They co-wrote it with Michael Golamco. Always Be My Maybe tells the story of how revisiting the past can help one look towards the future. The movie's a delightful romantic comedy with pleasant performances by Park and Wong. There's also a Keanu Reeves cameo, so can you really go wrong with a Keanu cameo? Always Be My Maybe is a Netflix original movie. Stream it HERE.

The Holiday (IMDb TV)

Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, The Holiday stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, and Jude Law. Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) have a house exchange that sends them to different countries, where they both find love. Amanda falls for Iris’s older brother, Graham (Jude Law), and Iris falls for Amanda’s music composer Miles (Jack Black).

Nancy Meyers is one of the queens of romantic comedies, and The Holiday is one of her best films. Everyone involved proves why they were a perfect choice for this movie. Even people you don’t naturally associate with romantic comedies, like Jack Black, really work well in this film and give great performances. Both pairings have fantastic chemistry. The Holiday is available to stream on IMDb TV, which you can access on imdb.com or through Amazon Prime Video. Stream it HERE.

The Yellow Handkerchief (Hulu)

William Hurt, Kristen Stewart, and Eddie Redmayne star in The Yellow Handkerchief. Three strangers embark on a road trip to reunite Brett (William Hurt) with his ex-wife, May (Maria Bello), who he lost when he went to prison. The film has two main love stories, Brett and May’s, and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne) and Martine (Kristen Stewart)’s romance.

This is one of Stewart’s earlier acting roles and she gives a great performance as Martine. She really captures the teen-ness of being a teen. Eddie Redmayne gives the strongest performance of the cast with his very awkward Gordy portrayal. Despite their stark differences, Gordy and Martine are a good fit and you root for them. The same goes for Brett and May. You’re not sure if she’ll embrace him when they’re finally reunited, but you want them to have a second chance. The Yellow Handkerchief is available to stream on Hulu. Stream it HERE.

Set It Up (Netflix)

In Set it Up, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell) try to set their difficult bosses, Kirsten (Lucy Liu) and Rick (Taye Diggs) up to make their work lives easier. In the course of trying to play matchmaker for their bosses, they start to fall for each other.

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell have the natural enticing chemistry that could make them become this generation’s Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, or Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Their onscreen chemistry makes them an ideal pairing for repeat movies. Set it Up is a Netflix original. Stream it HERE.

Untamed Heart (Prime Video)

Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei star in Untamed Heart, a movie about a shy man who falls for his co-worker. Caroline (Marisa Tomei) and Adam (Christian Slater) both work at a diner, but barely interact due to Adam’s quiet nature. One night after her shift, Adam saves Caroline from an attack by two men. The two become friends and then fall in love. Later Caroline learns that Adam has a heart defect that could cut their time together short.

Caroline and Adam have a sweet, almost teenage-like, romance. This makes it completely heartbreaking when viewers learn that their love story could end soon. Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater bring gentleness to Adam and Caroline’s love story, which makes Untamed Heart a very endearing romance movie. The movie is available on Amazon Prime. Stream Untamed Heart HERE.

Beauty And The Beast (Disney+)

Beauty and the Beast is Disney’s animated classic about two stubborn people learning to look pass their differences to find love. Belle agrees to be the Beast’s prisoner in exchange for her father’s freedom. The Beast was once a vain prince who is now under a curse that turned him into a hideous beast. He only has a short time left to break the curse, or he’ll stay a beast forever. Belle is his last chance at love.

Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of looking pass appearances to love someone for their true self. It’s also about letting love help you grow into a better person. Both the animated and live version of Beauty and the Beast are available to stream on Disney+. Stream it HERE.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Netflix)

Lara Jean (Lana Condor) writes a love letter to each of the boys she's ever fallen for, when she's ready to let them go. And then someone steals and mails them off. One of them goes to Josh (Israel Broussard), her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, and another to the most popular boy in school, Peter (Noah Centineo). Peter and Lara Jean decide to fake a relationship so that she can avoid talking to Josh about her feelings for him, and so Peter can make his ex-girlfriend jealous. The more time they spend together, the more the fake romance starts to feel real.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a movie that feels nostalgic. It makes people miss their high school loves, and it makes those still in high school long for it. This adorable story is made even stronger with Noah Centineo and Lana Condor’s top-notch chemistry. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and its sequel are Netflix original movies. Stream it HERE.

Say Anything (Hulu)

Cameron Crowe wrote and directed Say Anything, a movie starring John Cusack and Ione Skye about two high school seniors who fall for each other just as school has ended. Diane (Ione Skye) spent most of her high school days working hard and studying, so she barely socialized with other high school students. One day, she attends an after graduation party with Lloyd (John Cusack). The two fall head over heels in love.

Say Anything is about that reckless, all consuming nature of first love. Ione Skye captures the innocent do-gooder Diane well and John Cusack seems completely believable as Lloyd, the guy who falls madly in love with her. Say Anything is available on Hulu. Stream it HERE.

Moonlight (Netflix)

Barry Jenkins directs Moonlight, the Academy Award winning Best Picture. Moonlight follows Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) throughout his life, as he goes from abandoned, reserved child to reserved adult. Chiron experiences love in his life, first from his mother (Naomie Harris), then from his mentor Juan (Mahershala Ali), and from Kevin (Jharrel Jerome/Andre Holland). However, all these relationships end in him feeling even more abandoned.

The main romance of Moonlight is between Kevin and Chiron. They have an encounter as teens that ends badly, but as adults, it seems like they may have a second chance. Moonlight starts with Chiron finding hope and love through his relationship with Juan and ends with him maybe finally being able to experience real intimacy and love as an adult. Moonlight is available to stream on Netflix. Stream it HERE.

If you’re craving a warm cup of nostalgia, it might be best served on Disney+ considering all the movies and television available on the streaming service. For many of us, 90s movies have a special place in our hearts, because they transport us right back to the era, so why not go back and watch some of the best from the decade? They are the movies we used to slip into VCRs and skim for on grainy television sets. We watched them alongside our beanie babies, or between waiting for AOL dial-up to launch.

If you’re not feeling old yet already, one should point out that some of these films are pushing or over 30. They may be your long lost favorites or beloved classics you never found the time to see. Either way, it’s time to sit back and check out the best movies of the ‘90s available on Disney+!

Aladdin (1992)

In 2019, audiences were granted their wish of seeing this ‘90s classic on the big screen with Guy Richie’s reimagining starring Mena Massoud and Will Smith. But now it’s time to go back to the 1992 movie that started it all! Aladdin follows the titular character living on the streets in Agrabah who meets the kingdom’s Princess Jasmine during her efforts to see beyond the palace walls. When Aladdin comes across a powerful and comical Genie, he wishes to become a prince in order to impress Jasmine, getting between Jafar’s greater plans in the process. Some of Robin Williams’ best movie quotes are in Aladdin, with his fast-talking and heartwarming genie that makes it worth another watch, full stop! 

Stream Aladdin (1992) on Disney+.

Home Alone (1990)

Is it really the holidays without giving Home Alone a rewatch? The ‘90s movie is one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It’s a tradition that simply cannot be missed. Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old who is forgotten at home when his large family is rushing to a vacation abroad. Believing he’d wished them away, Kevin takes to a “bachelor lifestyle” before a pair of burglars threaten his home and he cleverly decides to defend it. It’s highly rewatchable and even cuter than you might remember. 

Stream Home Alone on Disney+. 

Anastasia (1997) 

Anastasia may not be an official Disney princess, but she might as well be thanks to the movie being on the House of Mouse’s streaming service. The animated movie from 20th Century Fox dramatizes the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia with an emotional musical full of memorable music and scenes. The voice cast includes Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst and Angela Lansbury. 

Stream Anastasia on Disney+. 

The Rocketeer (1991)

Before there was Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man, there was The Rocketeer. This is a true Disney treasure, starring the likes of Jennifer Connelly and Alan Arkin and helmed by Captain America: The First Avenger director, Joe Johnston. It has been overlooked in recent years but now that it’s sitting on Disney+, it’s time to give it some love. The sci-fi action flick based on a graphic novel follows a 1938 pilot, Cliff Secord, who comes across a top-secret jetpack prototype and uses it to become a hero during World War II. Awesome, right? 

Stream The Rocketeer on Disney+. 

The Parent Trap (1998) 

You know what’s better than a Lindsay Lohan movie? A movie with two Lindsay Lohans! The actress got introduced to the world in a big way back in 1998 with this remake of another Disney classic about twins separated at birth who find one another at summer camp and decide to switch places. Do you still remember their secret handshake all these years later? 

Stream The Parent Trap on Disney+. 

Beauty And The Beast (1991)

It’s a tale as old as time! In the ‘90s, Disney had perhaps their most beloved period for animated musicals called the “Renaissance Era” and the Beauty and the Beast is one of the most enchanting of the bunch. The movie has a headstrong Belle feeling like an oddball in her French town. When her father is kidnapped in a mysterious castle, she sacrifices her own freedom in exchange for his. Belle ends up finding a home amongst talking objects and with the cursed prince behind the Beast. The dance scene between the two still beautifully holds up! 

Stream Beauty and the Beast on Disney+.

The Sandlot (1993)

Another classic produced in the ‘90s and still quoted today is 1993’s The Sandlot. We all know it: “You’re killing me, Smalls!” The cult classic follows a new kid named Scotty Smalls who isn’t the best baseball player by any means but becomes embraced by a group of boys who regularly play the patriotic sport at their local field. When the team loses a baseball over a neighbors yard, Smalls steals his stepfather’s autographed ball to use in its place – and hijinks ensue. 

Stream The Sandlot on Disney+. 

A Goofy Movie (1995)

Remember, A Goofy Movie? It’s ‘90s Disney gold – especially since it’s one of the few (only?) feature length animated movies actually set in the era. The movie introduces audiences to Goofy’s son Max who is an awkward preteen who is dragged on a cross-country road trip with his dad, who is trying really hard to be “cool” and maintain a connection with his son, when all he has on his mind is his crush Roxanne. This Disney movie has the most heartfelt performance from Goofy and Powerline’s “Stand Out” song still slaps, of course! 

Stream A Goofy Movie on Disney+. 

Flubber (1997)

The ‘90s were a particularly strong era for some of Robin Williams’ best work, so it’s no surprise the late actor has more than one movie on this Disney+ list. Between Mrs. Doubtfire, Hook and Jumanji, many tend to forget about another solid family-friendly performance from Williams in Flubber. The 1997 movie is a remake of Disney’s ‘60s movie The Absent-Minded Professor, about a college professor who discovers a formula for lively elastic goo to help the basketball team’s losing streak and win his fiancée back. It’s probably the most dated of the bunch, but if you grew up with this one, you’ll be especially excited to press play. 

Stream Flubber on Disney+. 

Mulan (1998)

Let’s get down to business! Mulan is one of the most empowering, yet underrated Disney princesses in the studio’s history. The animated movie is based on Chinese folklore about a young woman who takes her father’s place in the army. She tries to pass off as a man and train like one, finding a friend in Eddie Murphy’s hilarious Mushu, members of the army and falls in love with Shang Li on the way. 

Stream Mulan on Disney+. 

The Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) 

While Disney+ is full of animated animals of all sorts of varieties, there’s something really endearing about the live-action animals in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. The movie follows a trio of pets (voiced by Michael J. Fox, Sally Field and Don Ameche) who embark on a journey together through the Sierra Nevada to get back to their owners. 

Stream The Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey on Disney+. 

Toy Story 2 (1999)

The Toy Story saga just released its fourth installment over the summer and now’s a great time to revisit the best of the bunch – that’s right, I said it: Toy Story 2 is arguably the best of Pixar’s famous franchise. Disney+ offers all four Toy Story films, some related shorts and Forky Asks A Question. The second film released in 1999 has Woody learning about his origins when he comes into the hands of Al’s Toy Barn and his friends go on a mission to retrieve him. It’s crazy how far Pixar has come since Toy Story 2, but it really shows how good their sequels can be. The franchise is set to continue with a fifth Toy Story movie confirmed to be coming in 2026. 

Stream Toy Story 2 on Disney+. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Before Heath Ledger famously took on the role of Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, he was a teen heartthrob in 10 Things I Hate About You. The rom-com favorite is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew about two polar opposite sisters, one popular and the other, an ill-tempered rebel (Julia Stiles). Their father deems that both have to date someone, or neither of them can. Stiles falls for Ledger’s Patrick Verona in an unlikely high school comedy unlike any other. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Amidst a slew of Disney princesses in the ‘90s, A Nightmare Before Christmas is an outlier. The Halloween/Christmas-themed movie tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King who longs to take over Santa Claus’ once-a-year tradition in his own twisted, but well intentioned ways, while also charming the melancholy, Sally. It has become one of Disney’s most popular cult classics and most subversive films in their library to date. It’s also one of Tim Burton’s most memorable and iconic films ever. 

Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+. 

The Lion King (1994)

You really cannot go wrong with a classic as massive as this. The Lion King is considered one of the best movies made by the studio ever. Watching as young Simba goes through a tragedy that leads him to sing “Hakuna Matata” on the outskirts of Pride Rock before embracing his greater calling never gets old.

Stream The Lion King on Disney+. 

In the ‘90s spirit yet? There’s a movie in the Disney+ library for everyone, whether it be an animated classic, holiday fun, a cozy rom-com or a nostalgic performance. 

Hustlers has finally arrived in theaters, and is managing to make money at the box office while also being a critical hit. Lorene Scafaria's dramedy had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, debuting a story based off a real-life article from New York Magazine. There's an all-star cast, including former teen movie star Julia Stiles, who plays a journalist covering the strippers' scam to make money.

Julia Stiles is clearly happy to be part of Hustlers, but also recently lamented the way the film world thought of her as she got older. Stiles is now 38, and recently spoke to the struggle she's faced as an adult actress, and how studios seemingly didn't know where to place her. As she put it:

Despite her long career in film, Julia Stiles hasn't had an easy go at it over the years. And she believes its her former status as a teen star, making it difficult for directors and producers to see her as an adult woman. At least, according to her comments to The Daily Beast.

But Julia Stiles has worked quite a bit since becoming a star in 10 Things I Hate About You, even if her career has had ebbs and flows. Here are some of the biggest projects Stiles did since portraying Katarina Stratford.

Save The Last Dance

Save The Last Dance is perhaps Julia Stiles' most iconic film role after 10 Things I Hate About You. Directed by Thomas Carter, Stiles stars as a young dancer who moved to a inner city following her mother's death. Stiles went through extensive dance training for the role, and the movie was played consistently on syndication throughout the late 90s and early 2000's. Also during this point in her career, Stiles acted in two more modern Shakespeare adaptations, Hamlet and O. These movies all came out in a matter of four years, so clearly she was working quite hard at this point.

The Bourne Identity Franchise

Julia Stiles isn't usually an actress who is synonymous with franchises, let alone action-heavy ones. But she's the most recurring character in the Bourne Identity movies, second only to Matt Damon's title character. Stiles plays Nicky Parsons in four out of five Bourne entries, serving as the franchise's female lead and one of Jason's most trusted allies. She debuted in the very first film of the franchise, and the recent sequel Jason Bourne seemingly put an end to her character's tenure in the property. Still, its a run that lasted over a decade of filmmaking. Between filming the first and second Bourne flicks, Julia Stiles also starred in Mona Lisa Smile and romantic comedy The Prince and Me.

The Omen 

Julia Stiles dipped her foot into the horror world with the 2006 remake of The Omen. Like the iconic original movie, The Omen follows a young mother (Stiles) who slowly realizes that her son is the anti-christ. The movie allowed Julia Stiles to play a more adult character, albeit still one with her signature wit. This wouldn't be her first thriller, as she also worked on projects like A Little Trip to Heaven and The Cry of the Owl around this time. Unfortunately, The Omen got some negative reviews when it first hit theaters, ultimately grossing $119.5 million at the box office.

Oleanna On Broadway

Julia Stiles may have had a hard time getting adult roles, but she's an actress who is constantly challenging herself with new mediums. This includes a career on the stage, eventually landing on Broadway in 2009. During this time Stiles starred alongside Bill Pullman in David Mamet's Oleanna. In the acclaimed play, Stiles played a young student who clashes with her Professor (played by Pullman). The two-person show consists entirely of their long conversation, and the tension that rises with each scene. Unfortunately, the Broadway run failed to sell enough tickets, and closed ahead of its original limited runtime.

Dexter Season 5

Showtime's quirky drama Dexter typically had a big guest star for every season, providing a new character for Michael C. Hall's title character to interact with-- one way or another. Julia Stiles had this distinction in the show's fifth season, which followed Dexter in the wake of a terrible tragedy. Rather than playing a villain, Julia Stiles' Lumen Pierce was an ally to the serial killer with a code. Together they hunted down and killed the men who tortured and assaulted Lumen, with the season showing Dexter having his first honest relationship with a woman. Stiles ended the show after Season 5 was completed, an Lumen was never seen from again during the following seasons.

Silver Lining's Playbook

David O. Russell's Silver Lining's Playbook was a star-making moment for Jennifer Lawrence, who would eventually win the Oscar for Best Actress that year. But Russell assembled a killer supporting cast to bring the movie to life, including Julia Stiles herself. Stiles played Veronica, the privileged older sister of Lawrence's protagonist Tiffany. The movie was a major hit, with Stiles able to bring her acting chops to the surface as a supporting player. The cast itself was nominated for a few awards, winning the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast.

Blue

Julia Stiles stepped into the streaming world with the web series Blue. Stiles played the title character of the series, who is a single mother who supports her family as a secret escort. It was a decidedly adult role for the actress, all the more risky since the project wasn't actually on TV. The series streamed on Youtube and Hulu, and Julia Stiles was even nominated for some awards for leading role in the little known project. The series ran for three seasons, before being put on hiatus.

Riviera

Riviera is a TV series starring Julia Stiles as the protagonist, which airs on British paid channel Sky Atlantic. The drama is set on the French Riviera, and follows Stiles' character Georgina Marjorie Clios as an art curator whose life careens into chaos following her husband's death. Two seasons have aired thus far, with the show available for American audiences on the channel Ovation. Clearly Julia Stiles has found a home on the small screen over the years, while still appearing in film roles including Hustlers. But given that blockbuster's success, perhaps we'll see Stiles in more movies in the future.

Hustlers is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

It’s movie night, the shades are drawn, the popcorn is ready and your feet are up, now all you have to decide is what to watch. You could check out the latest streaming movie or see what new releases are out, or you could be a bit more adventurous and check out a cult classic movie that you haven’t seen before or need to revisit.

Cult classics are named such because they have gained a dedicated and passionate following over the years. These are films that fans know by heart, and have stood the test of time. Their popularity and cult status gives some level of guarantee that they are worth your time. Fortunately, cinematic history is full of cult classics for you to discover and ones that fit every type of movie night, no matter the mood you’re in or who you are watching with.

So here are 18 popular cult classics that are perfect for movie night.

Date Night

Part of the fun of being in a relationship is sharing interests and discovering things together. That’s why going to the movies is such a staple of date night for new couples, and those who have been together a long time. Many of the cult classics on this list could work for date night, but if you want something with a bit of romance for you and your significant other, these titles might do the trick and add some chill to your movie night.

Romeo + Juliet

The ending might be a bit of a downer, but there’s a reason William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers has been around since the 16th century, it works. Yet despite the countless retellings, few are as unique and memorable as Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Romeo + Juliet eschews Shakespearean stuffiness in favor of a modern setting with a fun soundtrack, colorful aesthetic, guns instead of swords and plenty of humor. It oozes with a style made for the MTV generation, anchored by the magical chemistry of the two leads.

10 Things I Hate About You

Arriving in the glorious 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, set in a modern American high school. The romantic dramedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron, a new student at who wants to date Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik (Alex Mack!). The only catch is, according to her father’s rules, Bianca’s older sister, the ill-tempered Katarina has to date first, so Cameron enlists Heath Ledger’s rebellious Patrick to woo her. 10 Things is a classic high school movie filled with great characters that feel real and not like an adult’s version of what adolescence is like.

The Princess Bride

Romance, comedy, action and adventure, you get all of that in this 1987 fantasy film from director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman, based on the latter’s novel. The film tells a love story in a renaissance world populated with delightful characters played by talented actors. The Princess Bride was unremarkable upon its release but found new life on VHS, and more recently it has provided great fodder for the internet thanks to its endlessly quotable lines. Even if you haven’t seen this movie, an inconceivable position, you’ve seen and heard a lot from it, even if you didn’t know it.

Scary Movie Night

Whether it’s Halloween time or not, anytime is a good time to gather friends and family together to shut out the lights and watch a scary movie. The horror genre is enjoying a renaissance on the big screen right now, but its illustrious past is full of popular cult films worth revisiting or discovering for the first time. Films that frighten, disturb and sometimes even make you laugh.

Army of Darkness

What started as a pure horror film with Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead eventually became a time-traveling horror/comedy with Army of Darkness, a film that cemented Bruce Campbell’s Ash as a true horror icon. The fantasy horror flick tells the story of Ash Williams, a man who is accidentally transported to the Middle Ages where he must battle an army of the dead called ‘Deadites’ and retrieve the Necronomicon to get back to his time. With the one-liner spouting Ash, Army of Darkness isn’t a particularly scary scary movie, but it is entertaining and funny as hell. It’s also the kind of movie that would have a hard time getting made today, so go enjoy this cult classic.

The Lost Boys

Joel Schumacher’s 1987 teen vampire movie did sexy vampires long before Twilight gave the creatures of the night sparkles. The Lost Boys is dark and violent, but also campy and fun. It is not only a cult classic, but The Lost Boys is also considered to be among the best modern vampire movies. The film follows two brothers who move to a new town and discover that it is a haven for a gang of young, brutal vampires. With a new TV series reboot recently green-lit, there’s no better time to check out the original cult classic.

Videodrome

If you are in the mood to have some gnarly nightmares, you couldn’t do much better than watching Videodrome on scary movie night. David Cronenberg’s 1983 science fiction body horror film is a surreal story about the sleazy CEO of a UHF TV station, played by James Woods, who discovers a signal broadcasting gruesome violence and torture. Videodrome was amazingly prescient about how the horror genre would develop, but also about many aspects of modern society, from reality TV to social media to virtual reality. For terrifying horror that messes with your head, Videodrome is a classic every film fan should check out.

Family Night

Not every cult classic is suitable for children (see above), so as beloved as Kevin Smith’s films are, sometimes you need something the whole family can enjoy. These movies may not be as widely watched as Disney and Pixar titles, but they are unique and charming and they are just as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids.

The Goonies

The Goonies is one of those cult classics that it feels like everyone has seen and loves, but that doesn’t make it any less essential or perfect for a movie night. Alongside films like E.T. and Stand By Me, The Goonies is a pillar of childhood adventure movies. The film from Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus follows a group of kids who call themselves ‘the Goonies’ who are facing the foreclosure of their homes. They discover a treasure map and set out to save their homes and what follows is a grand adventure. Goonies never say die, and this film’s cult status continues to gain new converts year after year.

Matilda

This forgotten Roald Dahl adaptation from director Danny DeVito has a fanbase as loyal, if not as large as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (there was even a viral #MatildaChallenge last year). Matilda is a genius bookworm who is ignored by her family like cupboard Harry Potter, but has telekinetic powers like the X-Men’s Jean Grey. The elementary schooler uses her powers to fight back against her ignorant parents and the downright sinister principal Trunchbull. Matilda gets dark at times, but it is also full of whimsy and honest emotion and teaches that being smart is a good thing. Netflix’s Roald Dahl event series will have a lot to live up to if it wants to compare.

The Last Unicorn

Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is much darker and stranger than many animated kids movies. It can be disturbing and scary (it’s been called nightmare fuel) but it also tells an incredibly beautiful story. The deeply melancholy tale of a unicorn searching for the rest of her kind, chased off long ago by the Red Bull, deals with heavy themes for a kids movie. But the generation that grew up with it have turned it into a cult classic, so it must not have messed them up too much. It also features a stunning voice cast including Alan Arkin, Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee and Angela Lansbury. It baffles me this hasn’t been remade in live-action yet.

Cult Comedy Night

There is no shortage of great cult comedies that have found second-lives on home video long after they disappeared from cinema screens. Movies like The Big Lebowski, Clerks and Monty Python and the Holy Grail all have loyal and deserved followings. They’re not the only cult classics that are infinitely quotable and completely hilarious. If you’re looking for laughs on movie night, you can’t go wrong with these titles.

Beerfest

The Broken Lizard gang may be best known for Super Troopers, which finally spawned a sequel last year, but that’s not their only cult film as the 2006 comedy Beerfest also has a devoted legion of ‘not that drunk’ followers. The film follows two brothers who, while visiting Germany, stumble upon an underground, international beer-drinking competition. They return home to put together an American team and hilarity ensues. It’s silly and raunchy in all the best ways, and if you went to a party in the years following its release, you’ve definitely seen it referenced. If you’re ever training for a drinking competition remember “maybe training alone on a rooftop drinking ram piss isn’t the way to go.”

Office Space

Mike Judge’s Office Space just celebrated its 20th anniversary last month. so there is no better time to revisit the hilarious and incisive satire of an office workplace that gave us the term ‘ass clown’. Pretty much anyone who has ever worked at a place can relate to the story of three office drones that decide to rebel against the dehumanizing software company they work at, as well as the desire to unleash your wrath on a perpetually jammed printer. This film’s cult status began on DVD and cable TV, but it has only grown thanks to its meme-worthiness. It is a true cult classic so if you could go ahead and watch Office Space that would be great.

Grandma’s Boy

A stoner comedy that is also a great movie about gaming, Grandma’s Boy remains one of the most memorable and rewatchable movies from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. The story of a 35-year-old video game tester who has to move in with his grandmother and her roommates and the personal and professional struggles he goes through is inclusive and sweet and completely hilarious, even if you’re sober. Sure, it’s lowbrow and I wouldn’t expect to see it on the AFI top 100, but if your desire is to have a movie night where you can just relax and laugh, you can’t go wrong with Grandma’s Boy.

Old Friends Night

We love Stranger Things because it has a nostalgic quality to it that reminds us of the power and importance of the friendships in our lives. Old Friends Movie Night is much the same idea, movies that have great friendships at their center we look back fondly upon. It helps if you grew up with these movies and shared them with friends, but even if you didn’t invite some friends over and give them a watch.

Dazed And Confused

You need a cult classic to watch on movie night? Alright, alright, alright. Richard Linklater’s 1993 comedy flopped at the box office, only to now be recognized as a classic coming of age film. Set on the last day of school in 1976, Dazed and Confused follows various groups of suburban teenagers as the summer begins and they do their best to get stoned, get laid, party and survive the challenges of adolescence. Dazed and Confused has an unbelievable ensemble cast of future stars including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Renée Zellweger, Jason London, Cole Houser and Parker Posey.

Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

This 1997 comedy about two inseparable friends who hit the road together for their high school reunion and the strife that causes between them is not for everybody, but people who love it really love it. Romy and Michele is goofy and kind of weird at points, but it features a heartwarming and genuine female friendship between Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino’s characters. The comedy is super witty and the message of not giving “a flying fuck” what other people think is empowering and timeless. Plus it has that iconic dance sequence with Alan Cumming. Romy and Michele is a great movie to watch with friends old and new.

Empire Records

It’s fascinating how a movie that barely cracked a quarter million at the box office can go on to be so adored years later, by generations that lived through the era it depicts and those that didn’t. Empire Records is a cult classic in every sense of the word, a coming of age dramedy that tells the story of a group of friends and record store employees who over the course of a day, try to prevent their store from being swallowed up by a large, overly-sanitized chain. The teen misfits and their relationships still resonate in a film that could be called The Breakfast Club of the 90’s.

Action Night

Sometimes, or let’s be honest, lots of times, you just want to see things go ‘boom’ and people get punched. That’s where action movies come in. And if you want use movie night to try out a new surround sound system, there is no substitute for a great action movie. The following cult classics are the kind of movies that have more than earned their cult status, offering entertaining characters, fun action and clever stories.

The Fifth Element

George Lucas couldn’t make Flash Gordon so he made Star Wars. And Luc Besson couldn’t make Valerian (yet) so he made The Fifth Element. Both of those situations worked out pretty well I’d say. One of the hallmarks of a cult classic is that fans quote the film’s dialogue and if you’ve ever heard “Chicken… good,” “I am a meat Popsicle,” or “Mul-ti-pass” that’s The Fifth Element. Hilarious and action packed, with a kickass heroine and one of Bruce Willis’ best roles, this colorful sc-fi adventure is perfect for action night or really anytime it happens to be on TV.

The Warriors

“Warriors, come out to play-ay-ayy!” Walter Hill’s action-thriller is set in a near-future NYC that is overrun with gangs. When a gang leader named Cyrus bids to unite the gangs to take over the city, he is killed and the Warriors are blamed for it. They must outrun all of the city’s gangs and make it back home if they are to survive. The Warriors is incredibly stylish and a bit cheesy and is the definition of a cult classic film that was critically panned and later developed a massive following. The Warriors was supposed to be getting a Hulu series from the Russo Brothers, but we haven’t heard much on that in a while.

Starship Troopers

Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop again used sci-fi action film to say something with his adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s book; it just took a while for people to catch on to what that was. On the surface,Starship Troopers is a typical sci-fi action movie, with a fun group of pretty heroes fighting an intergalactic war against a race of alien bugs. This meta film is considered to be a scathing indictment of fascism, colonialism and the military industrial complex, but if you just want to turn your brain off and have fun, it works on that level too and the action and special effects are great.

This is just a small sampling of the popular cult classics out there that are perfect for movie night or really any time. Give them a watch to see what all the fuss is about and let us know in the comments what your favorite cult classics are.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

It's been more than a decade since Heath Ledger passed away and it's impossible to know where the actor would be in his career today if he were still alive. One of his last roles was as The Joker in The Dark Knight, and it went on to become the stuff of legends. People still talk about the effort that Ledger put into the character and how he delivered what's said by some to be one of the greatest performances of all time.

But Heath Ledger was in plenty of other movies before The Dark Knight, and by that point in his career, he had built up a reputation for himself as a serious-minded and very professional actor. He tackled each role by doing research and preparation, fully inhabiting whatever character he was playing. It was said that he locked himself away for a month to prepare for whatever part he was playing. As such, there are some memorable stories about his days on set and not all of them have to do with Joker. Here are six stories that remind us how great an actor Ledger was.

He Didn't Work For A Full Year To Avoid Typecasting

Heath Ledger's first Hollywood movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, introduced him to American audiences, where it didn't take long for people to fall for him as a teen heartthrob. He plays the steamy bad boy in the teen rom com, but Ledger wasn't interested in repeating himself. The only offers that were coming in after the film were for similar roles, so Ledger ended up refusing to work for an entire year until something different caught his eye. Looking back on his career, it was definitely something he succeeded at doing. He played everything from Bob Dylan to a stoner surfer dude to a Revolutionary War soldier to a clown-themed super villain. That's as varied a career as you can get.

He Kept A Joker Diary To Get Into Character

Heath Ledger turned down playing the title character in Batman Begins, but he was director Christopher Nolan's first and only choice to play the Joker in the sequel. Ledger signed on for the role before there was even a script, and part of how he prepared for the part was that he kept a diary of twisted images and things that he thought the Joker would find funny (AIDS was apparently one of them). Ledger wouldn't stay in character when not filming, so he would keep the diary with him and use it to get back into character before the cameras started rolling. Apparently, the actor was able to get into character quickly, and had no problem being chummy with the crew in-between takes (while he was still in full make-up and costume).

He Did All His Own Stunts In The Patriot

Tom Cruise doesn't own the monopoly for doing your own stunts. Case in point, Heath Ledger did all his own stunts for the Revolutionary War action-drama The Patriot. That means he handled stunts such as horseback riding, firing muskets, close-range combat and working with Mel Gibson all on his own. That's mighty impressive considering the movie had a heavy emphasis on action and could be pretty physically demanding; more than one tomahawk is thrown in this movie. One can only imagine the lengths Ledger went to while preparing for the non-combat scenes.

He Nearly Broke Jake Gyllenhaal's Nose Kissing Him So Hard

One of Heath Ledger's most significant and popular films is Brokeback Mountain, in which he and Jake Gyllenhaal star as cowboy lovers. In the movie, the two actors share a passionate kissing scene and reportedly, Ledger almost broke Gyllenhaal's nose because of how hard he was kissing. Additionally, he and Gyllenhaal would kiss off-screen for co-star Michelle Williams, who felt that it would help her get into character. Williams was dating Ledger in real-life at this point, so she felt watching him kiss someone else would really get her into her character's mindset.

He Asked Christian Bale To Punch Him In The Face For Real

The Dark Knight's interrogation scene is one of the most well-known in the movie, as Batman truly begins to realize the madness he's facing. The Joker isn't a foe he can just punch into submission because the more Batman beats him, the more he likes it. Heath Ledger was apparently getting into it, too. Christian Bale said that Ledger was egging him on to really punch him in the face, but Bale understandably wouldn't do it. After all, it looks just as good with a fake punch as it would with a real one. Bale commented that Ledger was so committed to the role, that he was cracking the tiles in the room because of how hard he was throwing himself around.

He Wore The Real Skip Engblom's Clothes For Lords Of Dogtown

In the film Lords of Dogtown, Heath Ledger plays Skip Engblom, the owner of a surf shop and promoter of a local skateboarding team in Venice Beach. To get into character, Engbolm's wife let Ledger wear some of her husband's clothes. Keep in mind that this movie took place in the '70s, so Ledger was wearing some authentically old and groovy clothes. Additionally, the real Skip originally wanted Ledger to play him in the movie and got his wish! And then the actor was wearing his clothes, so it was a double whammy.

It's sad to think that we'll never get another Heath Ledger performance, but the actor certainly left an impression on those he worked with in the short amount of time he was on this Earth. I doubt Christian Bale will ever forget that a man dressed as a psychotic clown asked him to punch him in the face as hard as he could. Based on comments from directors who worked with Ledger, he was a deeply observant and intelligent actor who throw himself fully into a wide range of roles. Ledger rarely repeated himself and it's safe to say that he avoided his fear of getting typecast. At least we have these memorable stories to remember a great talent.

You can practically set your calendar to the following constants: pay days, Sharknado films, and the revolving selections of the Netflix instant queue. We've already seen the fantastic films heading to the streaming giant next month, but alas, now's the time to go through the movies that are worth watching before Netflix kicks them off the service. If you want to see what was taken off of Netflix streaming through the month of July, click here. But if you're more curious about what you've still got time to take part in, you may proceed!

10 Things I Hate About You

It may sound weird, but if Ready Player One is going to incorporate more aspects from 90's pop culture into its treasure hunting narrative, we kind of wish they'd use the most iconic scene from 10 Things I Hate About You as one of the puzzles. I can still remember Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles in the bleachers, with young Wade Watts having to remember the words to, "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," as the sequence plays out. That scenario is not very likely to play out, but you can still watch the origins of that special moment on Netflix before it leaves the streaming service.

Babe

George Miller is a hell of a director. One moment he's directing penguins with Happy Feet, and the next he's giving us a lovely day with Mad Max: Fury Road. So let Netflix's decision to drop Babe be your periodic reminder that yes, the man that brought us such tales of surreal conservation and high octane action can also tell stories about talking pigs that herd sheep into their enclosures. Want to bend your mind a little further? Rex, Farmer Hoggett's ornery sheepdog, is voiced by none other than Hugo Weaving.

Superbad

School may be out for the season, but we're at a point right now where it's almost time to go back. And naturally, for some students, it will be their last year in high school, prompting some mad dashes for the last bits of chaotic fun before those college days begin. As luck would have it, Superbad is just the sort of movie that includes those antics, and it's leaving before the school year starts. So for those of you going through those awkward high school days, or want to relive the bawdy humor of this hit comedy that made Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Emma Stone household names, now's the time to do it.

Dope

In an alternate universe, Rick Famuyiwa, the writer/director behind Dope, would be hard at work on bringing us his version of The Flash to the DCEU. Unfortunately, this version of the film is lost to our universe, but if you want a taste of what his film could have been like, Dope is probably one of the best examples you could ever find. Taking the teen comedy and putting a more modern, socially relevant spin on it, the film stands as one of the best films people still need to see from the last couple of years. Watch it on Netflix before it's gone.

To Kill A Mockingbird

We here at CinemaBlend like to be willing servants to the public, and as such we have to warn you about To Kill A Mockingbird. While it's a fantastic film of cinematic history, it's also a film some of our younger readers may try to use as a sort of Cliff's Notes to catch up with their summer reading. So long as returning students read the book along with seeing the film, we're all for it. But never let a good movie fool you into thinking it tells you the entire story of a classic novel.

Prefontaine

The story of Steve Prefontaine is one of the most tragic tales in American sports history. The potential he had was only cut short by the tragic accident that took the young runner's life, at only age 24. Two films were made about his short, but powerful life's work, and Prefontaine is the version that focused more on Steve's story, and starred a young up-and-coming Jared Leto in the lead role. While Leto has caught some flack for some of his career choices as of late, seeing him in such a role reminds us of why he becamea notable actor in the first place.

Elizabethtown

Orlando Bloom has mostly been known for franchise films like the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean, but he did appear in Elizabethtown, a romantic from Cameron Crowe that wasn't super well-reviewed at the time of its release, but has lived on in popular context in the decade+ after its release. Some say that time has been kind to the film, and surely it's time for the world to revisit Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst's hipster odyssey of love and loss. Give it another chance, and you might find that it's better than you could have ever thought.

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

The Disney Channel is quite a different animal than it once was. Just take a look at the movies they make today, and compare them to one of the only theatrical features to spring from their catalog, The Lizzie McGuire Movie. With their big screen adaptation of Hilary Duff's classic character, it harkens back to an era where the network was still putting out Disney Channel original movies that were well-liked by fans. If only The Even Stevens Movie could have gotten this treatment, maybe we'd see a more stable Shia LaBoeuf.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno

Zack and Miri Make A Porno may not be one of the typically mentioned classic Kevin Smith films, but the Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks starrer does have its moments. For example, as the film tries to mimic the style and tone of a Judd Apatow film, it still shines through as a Smith picture through and through. That, and it still has one of the best gross-out gags that plays as well for laughs as it does for shock value.

The Verdict

Paul Newman. The man's steely gaze could have put holes in the wall of the toughest battleship, and his resume is only proof of such a claim. The Verdict is one of his later films, but certainly as powerful as one of the movies Newman had made in the peak of his career. A legal drama of the highest order, you'll be on the edge of your seat with the twists and turns this film has to offer. And if that doesn't sell you, then the Newman charm surely will.

If you've been paying attention to the world of TV and film production, you'll notice that one trend is ruling the day: nostalgia. The appeal to return to a simpler time is just too good to miss, resulting in reboots and long awaited sequels from previously completed properties. Now everyday is #ThrowbackThursday, but that hasn't stopped folks from soaking up every nostalgic feel they can. And good news for 90's kids, because actress Gabrielle Union just shared a throwback photo from on the set of teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, and it just might make your day. Check it out.

I mean, come on. How can you not feel all warm and fuzzy when looking at the fresh faces of the 10 Things cast, including the late, great Heath Ledger. I mean, just look at his hair.

10 Things I Hate About You was released back in 1999, and has gone on to become one of the most iconic teen films of the decade. A modern (and very loose) adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things helped to catapult the careers of actors like Gabrielle Union, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Julia Stiles. The film has achieved iconography for its unique dialogue, fantastic cast, and awesome soundtrack.

While 10 Things arrived in the late 90s, the film would only gain more adoration as the years went on. It was played almost continuously on syndication during the early 2000s (although you'll end up missing some of the dirtier jokes), making the movie utterly quotable by millennials and the like. Particularly, Julia Stiles' teary monologue in the film's final scene has gone on to the hall of fame for rom-com emotional breakdowns. Take that, Renee Zellweger.

10 Things I Hate About You was Gabrielle Union's first film job, playing the supporting role of Chastity. The best friend of popular girl Bianca (Alex Mack actress Larisa Oleynik), Union was able to steal a variety of scenes by playing the ditzy valley girl who actually had a feisty and vindictive side. This is just one of Union's many teen movie credits from the 90s and 2000s, which is no doubt the reason why so many 20 and 30 somethings adore her. Other similarly iconic movies include She's All That, Bring It On, and Love & Basketball.

In addition to being Gabrielle Union's first film job, 10 Things I Hate About You also featured the debut of Australian actor Heath Ledger. He landed the lead role of Patrick on a whim, and instantly made audiences fall in love with his charm, bad boy attitude, and that head of hair. Check out one of Heath's finest moments: singing to woo Julia Stiles' Kat.

10 Things I Hate About You was later made into a TV show a decade later on ABC Family. And while character actor Larry Miller reprised his role as Kat and Bianca's father, the rest of the cast was obviously too old to return. The show only ran for one season.

What's your favorite teen movie? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

There are teen movies, and then there are the installments into the genre that become significant pop culture moments. 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You is the latter, as the teen adaptation of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew was constantly played on syndication and included breakout moments for Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Gabrielle Union. Ledger in particular was a total unknown, having previously only worked in Australian television before booking the rom com. So how did this green actor even get seen for 10 Things I Hate About You? We've got the story.

In conjunction with the release of the documentary I Am Heath Ledger, People interviewed some folks who were close with the late actor during various stages of his life. One of these is filmmaker Matt Amato, who shared how a random act of kindness (and desperation) led to Ledger being cast as the lead role of 10 Things I Hate About You:

Sorry, but isn't this the crazy Hollywood story we all love to hear about? One random encounter leads Heath Ledger to landing his first big movie, and getting his acting career really moving.

It looks like Heath Ledger simply knew the right guy, and was able to land an audition for a big Hollywood comedy. And although this was serendipitous, Ledger's natural charm and acting chops earned him the coveted role of Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You. The bad boy with a hidden heart of gold, audiences rooted for Patrick and Kat (Julia Stiles) to let down their defenses and love each other.

Plus, who can forget Heath Ledger's charming AF performance to woo the girl on the bleachers.

That is some A plus teen movie material right there.

Heath Ledger's ability to land the role in 10 Things I Hate About You only highlights what natural talent the late actor had. We can assume the film auditioned a few more notable actors, but he still managed to nab the role with minimal experience. Ledger's career would continue to gain momentum in the coming years, especially with his acclaimed performances in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight.

While those significant highlights might be Ledger's brightest acting moments, 10 Things I Hate About You will always be his first introduction to American audiences. And all because his roommate wanted him to get a damn job.

Last night the world of music celebrated the likes of Taylor Swift, Hamilton, and Kendrick Lamar at the 2016 Grammy Awards. The only film to really be honored at the event was Asif Kapadia’s rather fantastic documentary about the life of Amy Winehouse, Amy. But, eagle-eyed fans might have noticed that both Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez seemed to pay homage to the exquisite 1999 teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You at the ceremony, through their choice of attire. Need proof? Check out the below.

OK, there’s every chance that Taylor Swift might have just accidentally doffed her cap to the prom dress worn by Larisa Oleynik’s Bianca Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You on Monday night at the Grammy Awards. The color scheme is identical, even if the style on Taylor Swift is far more up to date. To be honest, though, I often find myself unintentionally dressing like Larry Miller, from the same film. So there's that.

But, it was the fashion choice of Taylor Swift’s BFF Selena Gomez, who joined the Shake It Off singer on the red-carpet for press commitments, that really exacerbated the theory. That’s because the Spring Breakers actress donned a purple dress for the Grammys that looked remarkably similar to the one worn by Julia Stiles’ Kat Stratford in the same film.

Trae Patton/CBS ©2016 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

As the below picture proves, there were some rather striking similarities between Julia Stiles’ outfit in 10 Things I Hate About You and that of Gomez’s on Monday. However, there obviously wasn’t anyone in attendance that came anywhere near to matching the coolness of Heath Ledger. Not even Ryan Seacrest.

The above image might leave you with the impression that the coloring is much different between Gomez and Stiles’ dresses. However, the below clip from 10 Things I Hate About You, which features an adorable Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is proof that they were actually very similar indeed.

It would be hardly surprising if both 26-year-old Taylor Swift and 23-year-old Selena Gomez did pay tribute to 10 Things I Hate About You on Monday. They were both at the perfect age to be swept up in the 1999 cult rom-com. Obviously, the only way they’ll really ever prove their devotion to 10 Things I Hate About You, though, is if they release a cover of "I Want You To Want Me." Which would almost certainly be... awful? Incredible? We really won't know until we hear it, ladies, so get busy.

10 Things I Hate About You is a modern telling of William Shakespeare’s classic The Taming of the Shrew. The 1999 film transported the Bard's tale to a modern high school in the Pacific Northwest, and while the cast contained a relatively unknown collection of young actors, many of them went on to become huge stars and have long careers following the film. As it's been more than 16 years since we first met the students of Padua High School, and we thought we'd take the opportunity to see where some of the cast members are now.

Heath Ledger

The story of Heath Ledger is probably the most well known at this point, but it still bears repeating. 10 Things I Hate About You, where he played the lead, Patrick Verona, was his first U.S. film following work in his native Australia. Technically his first American work was the FOX series Roar, though, if you blinked you likely missed the 13 episode run. Following 10 Things, Ledger would go on to star in such films as A Knight’s Tale and Lords of Dogtown before being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for Brokeback Mountain in 2006. In January of 2008 he was found dead of an accidental overdose. Shortly after his tragic passing, his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight became his most lauded performance, earning him numerous posthumous awards, including the 2009 Academy Award for Best Actor.

Julia Stiles

Stiles got her acting start during a multipart story arc on the PBS series Ghostwriter. She followed that with a series of TV guest appearances and smaller films that led her to the role of Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You. From there she has starred in popular films like Save the Last Dance and The Prince and Me. She is probably best known currently in the role of CIA agent Nicky Parsons in the Jason Bourne film franchise, and she is currently filming the latest entry in that popular series.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

While no older than anybody else in the cast, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had more acting experience than nearly anybody else since he’d been performing on screen since he was seven-years-old. He was also one of the most recognizable faces as his television series, 3rd Rock From the Sun, began its run in 1996. 2009 was the year the actor would begin to break out as he starred in the cult classic (500) Days of Summer, which he followed with Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Inception the next year. Most recently Gordon-Levitt starred as the man who tightrope walked between the World Trade Center Towers in Robert Zemeckis' The Walk, and he co-stars with Anthony Mackie and Seth Rogen in the Christmas Comedy The Night Before later this month.

Larisa Oleynik

Bianca Stratford is the younger sister of Kat, and she wants nothing more in the world than to go on a date. Larisa Oleynik is another child actor for whom 10 Things I Hate About You was just another day on the job. She had spent the previous four years playing the lead role on Nickelodeon’s The Secret World of Alex Mack, and she was already performing opposite of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character on 3rd Rock From the Sun, so her part here must have been old hat by the time the movie came around. In her most recent major role, however, you likely didn’t recognize her at all, as she had a recurring role on Mad Men as Cynthia, the wife of Ken Cosgrove.

David Krumholtz

David Krumholtz plays Michael, Cameron’s (Gordon-Levitt) best and only friend friend, who is probably best remembered for having phallic artwork drawn on his face by Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan). Krumholtz was a mainstay of the TV guest spot circuit until 2005 when he took the lead role as math genius Dr. Charlie Eppes on the CBS series Numbers. Krumholtz currently looks nothing like himself playing everybody’s Jewish grandmother on IFC’s new series Gigi Does it.

Andrew Keegan

Every high school comedy needs its asshole, and for 10 Things I Hate About You that was high school student/commercial model Joey Donner, played to perfection by Andrew Keegan. Keegan followed 10 Things by co-starring in another modern Shakespeare adaptation with Julia Stiles, 2001’s O, a high school retelling of Othello that was significantly more somber in tone than his previous dalliance with the Bard. Today, the actor splits his time between acting and running Full Circle Venice, an "open source spiritual community center" in southern California. He also just announced that his girlfriend, Arista Ilona, is pregnant with their first child.

Gabrielle Union

If there was anybody at Padua High more superficial than Bianca Stratford, it was her best friend Chastity, played by Gabrielle Union. After her 1999 teenage comedy double bill of 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s All That, Union has gone on to a variety of TV and movie roles, including opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys 2. Her most recent successes include 2012’s Think Like a Man and its sequel. Union can currently be seen on the BET series Being Mary Jane.

Larry Miller

Larry Miller had already been a successful standup and film comedian and actor for years before taking on the role of the Stratford daughters overprotective father. Some of his highlights include the snobby stylist Paolo in Anne Hathaway’s Princess Diaries films and as the rarely seen partner Edwin Poole on David E. Kelly’s Boston Legal, but he has a long, distinguished resume. He was also the only actor to reprise his role for the short lived 10 Things I Hate About You television. Most recently he can be seen in Adam Carolla’s directorial debut Road Hard.

Daryl Mitchell

Darryl Mitchell began his career with 80’s hip-hop group Grove B. Chill. As "Chill" Mitchell, his acting career began with Kid N' Play's first House Party movie. In 10 Things he plays Mr. Morgan, the English teacher who took little shit from his students. Unfortunately, in 2001, following the filming of Disney’s The Country Bears Mitchell was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. That has not slowed down his acting career, however, as he continues to do a number of film in TV roles and is currently a series regular on NCIS: New Orleans.

Allison Janney

1999 was the year that everybody learned who Allison Janney was. Whether you saw her in the comedic 10 Things I Hate About You, her dramatic role as White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg on The West Wing, or remember her mostly silent yet unforgettable role in the Oscar-winning American Beauty, it all happened in 1999. She’s gone on to deliver memorable work like the voice of Peach the starfish in Finding Nemo and the mother of a pregnant Ellen Page in Juno. She currently plays the lead on CBS’ sitcom Mom, and she has a role in Tim Burton’s next film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

If you are between the ages of five and eighteen, know someone who is between the ages of five and eighteen or have used context clues to figure out why Target has way more notebooks for sale than usual, you are aware America is currently knee deep in back-to-school season. Because all of the writers at Cinema Blend fit into at least one of those categories, all of our meetings for the last week have devolved into unnecessary, yet extremely topical arguments about our favorite school movies.

So, in an attempt to get some real work done and more importantly, to prove each other wrong, we decided to come up with a formula to try and accurately pit school films against one another. The result is what you’re about to read. Twenty films were selected and each of the Cinema Blend writers were asked to rank them in the following categories: sexiness of the hot girls and guys, awesomeness of the cool kids, relatability of the main characters, overall quoteability and overall rewatchability. The five scores in the aforementioned categories were then averaged together to produce an average Hughes. Why an average Hughes? Because no one has ever or will ever do a school movie quite as well as John Hughes.

The formula was downright disrespectful to a few films, but in general, the list turned out pretty well. You can take a look at it below and then get your bitch on in the comment section…

20. Summer School

Ah, 1987. When NCIS captain Mark Harmon was considered a bankable leading man, Kirstie Alley was a convincingly sexy love interest, and a male teacher could take a legitimate interest in the well-being of a gorgeous, bleach-blonde teenage classmate without raising half-a-million red flags. Welcome to Summer School, Carl Reiner’s nearly-forgotten comedy about a slacker conned by his principal to “babysit” the outcasts forced to attend an after-semester program. It isn’t as inspirational as Dangerous Minds or Stand and Deliver. But the likeable Harmon makes a legitimate connection with the sarcastic kids in his summer school, and horror-movie fanatics “Chainsaw” and Dave were an early indicator of the “geeks shall inherit the Earth” mentality that would help film nerds seem cooler than most in 2012. Looking for a sleeper heading into the fall semester? Find Summer School.

THE STATS

Sexiness: 4.5

Coolness: 4

Relatability: 4

Quoteability: 5

Rewatchability: 3

Final Score: 4.1

19. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

Though at home he was an outcast forced to slumber under the stairs, scarred and bespectacled Harry Potter—AKA the Boy Who Lived—entered his new school (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) already a legend having thwarted the evil Voldemort while still in nappies. So, unlike many of the other protagonists featured on this list, he and by extension his devoted buds, overachiever Hermione and dirt-smudged goofball Ron, were the cool kids. And even though their classes had more to do with spells and potions than algebra and composition, these magical adolescents took cliques and schoolyard bullying to new heights with the cruel kids of Slytherin, making Harry’s first adventure pretty relatable. However, since none of the students here had yet hit puberty, the cast understandably lost points in the “sexiness” department. And as one of the franchise’s lesser and therefore less re-watchable selections, it’s score likewise suffered there.

THE STATS

Sexiness: 2.9

Coolness: 6.9

Relatability: 7.1

Quoteability: 3.7

Rewatchability:5.8

Final Score: 5.2

18. Rushmore

Poor Rushmore, the most overt casualty of our ranking system. Wes Anderson’s quirky 1998 film touches on many of the same topics we expect from school movies (feelings of alienation, lust, wild rumors), but it does so with characters that are utterly bizarre. Many of them aren’t even school-aged themselves, and those who are, like Schwartzman’s Max Fischer, don’t really act it most of the time. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a single person who isn’t at least fond of the film, but because of its almost pathological weirdness, it got buried in the sexiness, coolness and relatability departments. Were it not for the incredibly high rewatch score, it would have wound up cozying up beside Summer School and all of us would have wound up with tampered breaks, bee stings and broken marriages as revenge.

THE STATS

Sexiness: 3.3

Coolness: 3.8

Relatability: 4.8

Quoteability: 7.1

Rewatchability: 9.6

Final Score: 5.7

17. Grease

One of the original high school musicals, Randal Kleiser’s Grease was based on Casey and Jacobs's ‘71 broadway show and features, shockingly, a bunch of late-twenty somethings playing teenagers but this time with perfectly melodic angst. Spanning the entire year at Rydell High, the 50s set picture features all the staples of the era - diners, drive-ins, dances, races and even a school fair - that makes it at once far removed from our experience and yet the perfect place for a fanciful musical. Not to mention the birthplace, uh birthtime of cool. Danny and Sandy fall for each other over the summer and I suppose the pair, plus their T-Birds and Pink Ladies, maybe aren’t the sexiest or full of memorable lines, but the songs sure are quotable and one of many reasons that Grease is pretty rewatchable. Check your local listings, it’s bound to show up. And the main titles remain incredible.

THE STATS

Sexiness: 5.1

Coolness: 7.3

Relatability: 4.1

Quoteability: 5.9