Mean Girls is the ultimate teen comedy film that we can still quote line-by-line to this very day. With the brilliant Lindsay Lohan as the lead, star-making performances from Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried, that iconic sultry rendition of Jingle Bell Rocks, and those witty one-liners, the 2004 flick was most certainly “fetch.” Teen comedies, in general, are perfect for the most relaxing watch on your sofa when you just want to switch off from your everyday life and get lost in the world of the American high school experience. They so often end up being fantastic coming-of-age tales, allowing us to truly understand the meaning of life, true friendship, and fairytale love in our own lives, too.
If you need a new teen comedy obsession, look no further than the eleven following films you will most certainly love if you loved Mean Girls.
Bring It On (2000)
Kirsten Dunst stars as a new cheerleading captain Torrance who is confident that her team’s spunky and sassy routine will earn the first-prize trophy at the national championship. That is until they discover their incredible routines had been stolen from their rival hip-hop squad, leaving them scrambling at the last minute. The movie also stars Eliza Dushku and Gabrielle Union and is considered a high school classic.
Wild Child (2008)
Emma Roberts is pitch-perfect as a rebellious mean-spirited, spoiled Malibu teenager named Poppy who is sent off to a strict English boarding school to learn a lesson or two. Poppy is not too keen on being humbled and decides to cause chaos by misbehaving, but she soon learns the true meaning of life with her new pals. The late and great Natasha Richardson stars in this comedy, as does Alex Pettyfer.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You is an absolute teen classic. The loose Shakespeare adaptation stars Julia Stiles as Kat, who has no interest in dating boys, which is frustrating for her younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) who isn’t allowed to date until Kat has a boyfriend. Plans are set up for Kat to fall in love, and she soon crosses paths with her hunky Patrick (Heath Ledger). Will she finally let her guard down and be swooned, or will Bianca have to wait a little longer for her own Prince Charming?
Clueless (1995)
The film that shot Alicia Silverstone to stardom—and yet another reimagining of a literary classic—Clueless centers on the journey of shallow, wealthy, and popular Cher, who rules her Beverly Hills high school. Considering herself somewhat of a matchmaker, she gives klutzy new student Tai a makeover. However, when Tai’s glamorous new appearance makes her more popular than her, she comes to realize that her ex-stepbrother, played by Paul Rudd, was right about how misguided she’s been in life while also acknowledging that she has feeling for him.
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004)
Lindsay Lohan was the queen of high school teen dramas. The same year as Mean Girls was released, she starred as eccentric high school Lola who bags the sought-after role in her school play shortly after moving to New Jersey. However, it’s not all smooth sailing, as her success earns her the wrath of the most popular girl in school, Carla (Megan Fox), who makes it her mission to destroy her life.
High School Musical (2006)
Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron had the whole world tapping their feet, singing and dancing to tunes such as Breaking Free and Start of Something New as they took on the role of geeky beauty Gabriella Montez and athlete Troy Bolton who fall for each other at a holiday karaoke party. When they head back to school, they audition for the upcoming school musical, but the insanely jealous Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) does not take their efforts lightly and does everything in her power to stop them from auditioning successfully. As well as Sharpay’s ruining their chances at theatre success, the lovebirds must also juggle their existing academic and sporting commitments.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Elsie Fisher takes on the role of thirteen-year-old eighth grader Kayla Day, who posts videos about self-confidence online during her last year before high school while also attempting to gain social acceptance from her peers. However, along the way, she realizes she’s not the person she is pretending to be and does her best to overcome her fears. While ultimately darker than other entries on this list, the movie strikes a similar chord to other teen coming-of-age films.
Do Revenge (2022)
While the nineties and early noughties were prime time for Mean Girls-style teen films, having a recent reference is nice. That’s where Netflix’s Do Revenge, starring Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes, comes in. (Though, to be fair, the movie is chock-full of references and homages to earlier films in the teen genre.) Former popular girl Drea, who wants revenge on her shady ex-boyfriend for publishing her sex tape, comes across exchange student Eleanor who is haunted by a rumor spread by a peer. The two teenagers team up to take action against their tormentors, with chaotic consequences.
She’s All That (1999)
She’s All That stars Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook and follows the journey of Zack, who is cheated on by his famous girlfriend and subsequently breaks up with him. To move on from her, he makes an inappropriate bet with his friend to turn socially awkward Laney into their high school’s next prom queen, but he doesn’t realize that feelings will emerge for her …
Legally Blonde (2001)
What, like it’s hard? Reese Witherspoon is legendary as Elle Woods, who joins Harvard law school, which is the same school as her ex-boyfriend, who broke up with her in order to attend and find himself a smarter girl. While at the prestigious institute, she teaches him an invaluable lesson. Jennifer Coolidge, Selma Blair, and Luke Wilson all star in this loveable, quotable classic.
Easy A (2010)
The teen comedy that gave us Emma Stone, Easy A, sees clean-cut teen Oliva who decides to lie about losing her virginity when her popular BFF asks what she got up to over the weekend. However, when a fellow student (Amanda Bynes) overhears the cheeky admission, she spreads it all over campus, leaving Olivia suddenly notorious for all the wrong reasons.
(Featured image: Paramount Pictures)
