10 Near-Perfect 2000s Teen Movies No One Talks About Anymore

The 2000s were full of teen comedies, and while they were hugely popular when they were released, there are many that got buried as the years rolled on. These movies were bigger and better than many other movies released that decade, and many of them should be considered highlights of the decade. However, thanks to so many of the movies in the genre often overshadowing them, and at least 16 years or more of time passing, not enough people remember or talk about these movies today.

There were a lot of teen-based movies that arrived in the 2000s, and some of them don’t quite fit the template, such as the incredible Rian Johnson movie Brick. That was more of a film noir that took place in a high school setting, and while it might be the best teen movie of the decade, it really doesn’t fit into that genre. Instead, many of the best teen movies are in the comedy genre, with some coming-of-age stories and even Shakespeare adaptations thrown in.

The 2000s include some incredible releases that people still talk about today, with films like Mean Girls, Superbad, and Wet Hot American Summer still talked about to this day. However, there are other movies that do not get enough praise today, from box office bombs that became cult classics to movies that received reappraisal years later, and even an Oscar-nominated indie.

Get Over It (2001)

A lot of teen movies in the 2000s were based on William Shakespeare’s plays, and the one movie that no one talks about enough from this subgenre is Get Over It. Directed by Tommy O’Haver, the movie was released in 2001 and stars Ben Foster, Kirsten Dunst, and Melissa Sagemiller. The plot is that of a romantic comedy, with Berke (Foster) auditioning for the school’s musical adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to win back his ex-girlfriend (Sagemiller).

The film has an incredible cast of future stars, including Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldaña, Shane West, and Colin Hanks. Martin Short even has a role as the theatrical director. However, the movie was a box office disappointment, making $19.9 million on a $22 million budget. It has relatively low reviews, but it remains a great teen comedy from the 2000s and one that more people should look back on and reappraise.

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

There were a lot of spoof movies that came out in the 2000s, and almost all of them were terribly reviewed. However, the one that remains one of the best of the genre was actually a really good teen comedy. This was Not Another Teen Movie, and it takes the tropes from all the teen movies from the 1980s and 1990s and uses them to deliver a funny story that pokes fun at the genre without ever actually insulting it.

Not Another Teen Movie also had a great cast of young stars, including Chyler Leigh and Chris Evans. While most spoof movies are slammed for making fun of the genre they are spoofing with rapid-fire jokes, this one actually tells its own story within the framework, and it delivers on almost every level. There is even a brilliant moment at the end with Molly Ringwald, as she mocks her classic character’s decision-making skills. Critics hated it, but it has become a cult classic.

She’s the Man (2006)

In the 2000s, there might not have been a more in-demand teen star than Amanda Bynes. She was in several movies throughout the years, but one movie that more people should revisit is the 2006 comedy She’s the Man. The movie is a soccer-themed remake of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and has Bynes star as a teenage soccer star whose school ends the girls’ team, so she transfers to her brother’s school and pretends to be him to make the men’s team.

The movie also stars a then-unknown Channing Tatum, and the movie helped make him a star. The film has a strong message about overcoming gender stereotypes, although some of the gags and jokes don’t work as well today as they did in 2006. That said, the movie was a box office success thanks to Bynes’ popularity, and it is a film that remains worth revisiting.

John Tucker Must Die (2006)

John Tucker Must Die is a teen comedy from 2006 directed by Betty Thomas. The film follows John Tucker (Jesse Metcalfe) as a serial cheater, and the young women he has cheated on, as they plan their revenge. The female cast here includes Brittany Snow as the new girl in school, with the scorned exes including Sophia Bush, Arielle Kebbel, and Ashanti. Penn Badgley also has a pre-Gossip Girl role here, and Jenny McCarthy is also in the cast.

The movie was a huge success, making $68.8 million on an $18 million budget. While critics were not all on board, as they hardly ever were concerning teen movies in the 2000s, it was a film that the audience paid money to see. Despite its box office success, it is an overlooked but worthy revenge comedy with a great young cast.

The Girl Next Door (2004)

The Girl Next Door remains a mostly forgotten 2004 teen movie, although it shares a lot in common with the very popular Superbad, which was released a few years later. This movie was directed by Luke Greenfield, and it stars Emile Hirsch as a straight-laced senior student who meets and falls for his new next-door neighbor, played by Elisha Cuthbert. However, when he learns she is a former adult film star, it complicates things.

The movie has some great cast members, including Timothy Olyphant, Paul Dano, Chris Marquette, and Timothy Bottoms. It was only a modest hit at the box office, and it received mixed reviews, although many critics compared it favorably to Risky Business. It is an overlooked but worthy movie that succeeded in going from its more generic plot description to become a sincere coming-of-age film.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

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Josie and the Pussycats was a commercial failure, but time has been kind to the teen movie. Co-directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, and based on the Archie Comics characters, the film stars Rachael Leigh Cook as Josie, Tara Reid as Melody, and Rosario Dawson as Valerie, a small-town band swept into manufactured stardom. While they are the leads, it is the supporting cast that helped make this a cult classic.

Alan Cumming and Parker Posey star as music-industry villains who use these three young women to make money, and their villainy sells the entire story. This is a smart satire of the music industry as well as of branding and product placement, which is more noticeable in today’s society than it was in 2001 when the movie was released. It is one of the teen movies that was reappraised in later years and is much better than early reviews indicate.

Saved! (2004)

Directed by Brian Dannelly in his feature debut, Saved! is a religious satire that went from Sundance to theaters. The movie stars Jena Malone as Mary, a student at a Christian high school who has to deal with Mandy Moore’s self-righteous Hilary, who turns much of the school against Mary when she loses her virginity. Macaulay Culkin is brilliant as a wheelchair-using cynic named Roland, and Patrick Fugit also has a role as Mary’s love interest.

The movie was a small success, making $10.1 million on a $5 million budget, which was impressive for a festival circuit movie. However, when religious groups protested the movie, it hurt its legacy at the time. The good news is that it has stood the test of time, and with a 61% Rotten Tomatoes score, it has become an overlooked but genuinely subversive teen satire that is almost more relevant today than when it was released.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

When Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist hit theaters, reviews at the time made it seem like it would go down in history as one of the most iconic teen comedies of the 21st century. However, it seems the movie has become mostly forgotten, and no one talks about it anymore. It seems many younger viewers have never seen it. The movie stars Michael Cera as Nick and Kat Dennings as Norah, two teens who meet one night while traversing New York’s indie rock scene.

Norah asks Nick to be her fake boyfriend, and then they end up spending the night trying to find their favorite band’s secret show while Norah’s best friend (Ari Graynor) gets really drunk and needs help getting home. The movie was a box office success and has a 75% Rotten Tomatoes score. This one-night romance movie is one of the most emotionally genuine teen movies of the 2000s.

Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Charlie Bartlett is a 2007 movie that has an impressive cast and a great script, but it has become lost to the sands of time. Directed by Jon Poll, the late Anton Yelchin stars as Charlie Bartlett, a wealthy, expelled prep-schooler, while Robert Downey Jr. stars as public-school principal Nathan Gardner. While in the new public school, Charlie becomes popular when he starts acting as an amateur therapist, even dispensing prescription drugs in the bathroom.

It seems like a dark story, but the movie ends up delivering a great story with a spectacular cast. On top of Yelchin and Downey, the cast also includes Kat Dennings and Hope Davis. The movie was only a modest box office hit, but its 59% Rotten Tomatoes score mostly points to the chemistry between Downey and Yelchin. For anyone who wants to see how incredible Yelchin was before his death in 2016, this might be the best teen movie to check out from his career.

Ghost World (2001)

Ghost World is an indie teen movie that is based on a comic book and was nominated for an Oscar, and it is one that more people need to be talking about today. Directed by Terry Zwigoff, based on Daniel Clowes’s 1990s graphic novel, the movie stars Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as two cynical teenagers, Enid and Rebecca, who have no idea what to do with their lives since they graduated from high school.

Steve Buscemi plays the scene-stealing Seymour, an older record collector whom Enid befriends, which strains her relationship with Rebecca. This was a career-defining role for Johansson and a widely praised lead turn for Birch. It earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it also received a Criterion Collection release.