Entertainment
High school can be a heady swirl of emotions and events high and low — the thrill of crushes, the cruelty of bullying, scene drama, and figuring out who you are. It's one of the rare experiences that almost everyone shares, regardless of where they grew up, their gender, their race, or anything else. Everyone had to be a teenager once, for better or worse. Because of this, teen movies and shows, often set in a high school, are a genre in and of themselves. Luckily, there are a ton of these teen series and movies streaming on Netflix for when you need to scratch that nostalgic itch.
All of these movies and shows dip into the complicated emotions of being a teen and surviving high school. Some are super realistic and heady, while others verge on the supernatural or into straight horror. (Which actually makes sense — nothing is scarier than being a teenager and not knowing what to do with yourself. Each of these 15 teen movies and shows will bring you back to those intense four years in the hallways, for better or for worse. Check out a few of the below picks on Netflix if you're in the mood for a good teen show — just prepare to feel some major nostalgia, as well as a wave of relief that you're no longer a teenager trying to survive high school.
1
Reality High
After getting rubbed the wrong way by her reality star-smitten classmates, nerdy, do-gooder Dani actually catches the attention of her crush — who happens to be said reality star's boyfriend. Lots of painful frenemy behavior ensues, especially when she's befriended by the reality star.
2
Sex Education
With a full two seasons to devour, Sex Education hits all the right notes of what it's really like to be a teen. And extremely horny. The series follows Otis, whose mother, played by Gillian Anderson, is a sex therapist. Hilarity, drama, romance, and a lot of masturbation jokes ensue.
3
The Babysitter
This one verges on campy horror, but it also perfectly sums up what it's like to crush on the cool girl and get wrapped up in some pretty freaky witchcraft-based murder. It's like Scream meets Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, so what more could you actually want?
4
#RealityHigh
Dani is the typical nerdy teen who finally gets the attention of her crush. And his ex, who is a social media celebrity.
5
Trinkets
Three very different girls all cross paths in a shoplifters anonymous group and their lives become intertwined. Come for the soundtrack, stay for the poignant look at friendship, longing, and actual teenage life.
6
Tall Girl
This movie is literally about a 6'1" girl caught in a love triangle with a short boy. It's an adorable look at teen insecurities and romance.
7
Edge of Seventeen
Hailee Steinfeld plays Nadine, an awkward 17-year-old just trying to live her life. Then her brother, played by Blake Jenner, starts dating her best friend.
8
I Am Not OK With This
As if being a teenager wasn't hard enough, Syd realizes she has superpowers that can actually decapitate people. This series is based on Charles Forsman's graphic novel of the same name.
9
The Outcasts
This is like a modern day version of Revenge of the Nerds — except the nerds are a little cooler in this movie. And actually win.
10
Sierra Burgess Is A Loser
While not the most popular Netflix original film, this one is still worth a watch. It's a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac story, in which the school's biggest dork and most popular girl work together to get their crushes' attention.
11
Elite
Set in a prestigious private school in Spain, this series is about a bunch of rich, hot teens and all of the antics they get up to — including murder.
12
F The Prom
Starring The Kissing Booth's Joel Courtney and Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch, this movie is about two best friends who lose touch once they get into high school but eventually reunite to destroy prom for the entire school.
13
SPF-18
While school's out, a bunch of artistic teens housesit a place in Malibu and their lives are changed forever. Goldie Hawn, Molly Ringwald, and Pamela Anderson all make cameos, so you know this movie is legit.
14
'Friend Request'
Social media's done more to expedite teen drama since the invention of the car, so it's no surprise it's both cause of and vector for terrible intentions. This is a horror movie that begins with a friend request — and yeah, it's basically every millennial's worst nightmare.
15
The Last Summer
Maia Mitchell and K.J. Apa star in this movie about two Chicago teens heading off to college in the fall — and everything they get into the summer before. It will bring you right back to that senior summer, college dorm shopping phase of your life, for better or worse.
Whether you're just out of high school or decades past that time of your life, these movies and shows are so good you might actually miss being a teen. Or not.
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