Best movies like The Spectacular Now
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl.".
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, teen, sincere, melancholic, emotional, independent film, romantic, feel good, sweet, heartbreaking
Best tv shows and movies like The Spectacular Now (2013):
Similar in 76%
StarStruck (2010)
Plot Summary:
Jessica Olsen goes to Los Angeles with nothing more in mind that visiting her grandparents while her sister tries to meet Christopher Wilde. One night she meets Christopher Wilde. They go an an adventure around Los Angeles and start to like each other. When Jessica returns home, Christopher, on national TV, says he doesn't know her, and never met her.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: romantic, light, realistic, semi serious, teen, humorous, funny, scenic, cute, romantic comedy
Similar in 80%
The O.C. (2003)
Plot Summary:
The series centers on Ryan Atwood, a troubled youth from a broken home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Ryan and his surrogate brother Seth, a socially awkward yet quick-witted teenager, deal with life as outsiders in the high-class world of Newport Beach. Ryan and Seth spend much time navigating their relationships with girl-next-door Marissa Cooper, Seth's childhood crush Summer Roberts, and the fast-talking loner Taylor Townsend. Story lines deal with the culture clash between the idealistic Cohen family and the shallow, materialistic, and closed-minded community in which they reside. The series includes elements of postmodernism, and functions as a mixture of melodrama and comedy.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: touching, soap opera, witty, teen, exciting, entertaining, sad, anime, serious, realistic
Similar in 75%
Blue Lagoon: The Awakening (2012)
Plot Summary:
Two high school students become stranded on a tropical island and must rely on each other for survival. They learn more about themselves and each other while falling in love.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: romantic, sexy, touching, teen, sexual, romantic comedy, feel good, sensual, thrilling, serious
Similar in 83%
Endless Love (2014)
Plot Summary:
A privileged girl and a charismatic boy's instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 47000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: romantic, touching, emotional, teen, sexual, unusual plot structure, melancholic, absurd, harsh, realistic
Similar in 90%
Midnight Sun (2018)
Plot Summary:
Katie, a 17-year-old, has been sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. Fate intervenes when she meets Charlie and they embark on a summer romance.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: romantic, sincere, sad, heartbreaking, tear jerker, teen, compassionate, sentimental, bad ending, romantic comedy
Similar in 80%
Everything, Everything (2017)
Plot Summary:
A teenager who's lived a sheltered life because she's allergic to everything, falls for the boy who moves in next door.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: romantic, sincere, captivating, romantic drama, sentimental, intellectual, heartbreaking, scenic, multicultural, teen
Similar in 77%
All the Bright Places (2020)
Plot Summary:
The story of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, who meet and change each other’s lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they come together, discovering that even the smallest places and moments can mean something. This compelling drama provides a refreshing and human take on the experience of mental illness, its impact on relationships, as well as the beauty and lasting impact of young love.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: romantic, sweet, uplifting, teen, sentimental, sincere, touching, captivating, emotional, dramatic
Similar in 84%
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Plot Summary:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a patient named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 396000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, romantic, sentimental, tear jerker, sad, sincere, teen, serious, melancholic
Similar in 88%
Paper Towns (2015)
Plot Summary:
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life-dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge-he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues-and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 107000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: exciting, teen, road movie, emotional, heartbreaking, serious, gloomy, captivating, disturbing, psychological
Similar in 88%
Very Good Girls (2013)
Plot Summary:
Two New York City girls make a pact to lose their virginity during their first summer out of high school. When they both fall for the same street artist, the friends find their connection tested for the first time.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, teen, exciting, captivating, touching, sad, independent film, happy
Similar in 79%
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Plot Summary:
As a fan of Albert Camus and Jean-Luc Godard, teenage Nick Twisp is definitely out of his element when his mother and her boyfriend move the family to a trailer park. When a pretty neighbor named Sheeni plays records by French crooners, it's love at first sight for frustrated and inexperienced Nick. Learning that she is dating someone, Nick launches a hilarious quest to find his way into Sheeni's heart -- and bed.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 76000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: surreal, teen, absurd, melancholic, semi serious, humorous, cynical, romantic, black comedy, hilarious
Similar in 77%
Adventureland (2009)
Plot Summary:
In the summer of 1987, a college graduate takes a 'nowhere' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 166000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: romantic, funny, independent film, sentimental, humorous, teen, realistic, melancholic, feel good, sex comedy
Similar in 75%
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Plot Summary:
Two high school girls are best friends until one dates the other's older brother, who is totally his sister's nemesis.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 138000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, China
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: teen, emotional, witty, touching, realistic, depressing, suspense, comedy drama, parody, inspirational
Similar in 90%
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Plot Summary:
Andie is an outcast, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky high school classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realize that dating someone from a different social sphere is not easy.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 87000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: romantic, teen, sexy, melancholic, romantic comedy, funny, entertaining, feel good, colorful, retro
Similar in 75%
Lady Bird (2017)
Plot Summary:
A California high school student plans to escape from her family and small town by going to college in New York.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 318000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, art house, realistic, gothic, semi serious, cute, teen, comedy drama, indie film, aesthetic
Similar in 83%
The Kings of Summer (2013)
Plot Summary:
Joe Toy, on the verge of adolescence, finds himself increasingly frustrated by his single father, Frank's attempts to manage his life. Declaring his freedom once and for all, he escapes to a clearing in the woods with his best friend, Patrick, and a strange kid named Biaggio. He announces that they are going to build a house there, free from responsibility and parents. Once their makeshift abode is finished, the three young men find themselves masters of their own destiny, alone in the woods.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 84000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, sentimental, funny, emotional, humorous, melancholic, teen, indie film, realistic
Similar in 79%
Palo Alto (2013)
Plot Summary:
Palo Alto weaves together three stories of teenage lust, boredom, and self-destruction: shy, sensitive April, torn between an illicit flirtation with her soccer coach and an unrequited crush on sweet stoner Teddy; Emily, who offers sexual favors to any boy to cross her path; and the increasingly dangerous exploits of Teddy and his best friend Fred, whose behavior may or may not be sociopathic.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: melancholic, atmospheric, serious, teen, realistic, indie film, aesthetic, erotic, mumblecore, artsy
Similar in 85%
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
Plot Summary:
Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 137000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: touching, independent film, emotional, teen, depressing, black comedy, sad, aesthetic, semi serious, funny
Similar in 90%
Stuck in Love. (2012)
Plot Summary:
An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: touching, heartbreaking, sweet, emotional, independent film, romantic, teen, sad, romantic comedy, humorous
Similar in 79%
Keith (2008)
Plot Summary:
Natalie (Elisabeth Harnois) is high school royalty, but her queen bee status falls apart when she falls for the new guy at school. Although Keith (Jesse McCartney) ignores her at first, they soon become friends -- even though Natalie suspects that Keith has something to hide. As the free-spirited Keith shows Natalie how to embrace what life offers, they grow closer -- until a secret tests the bounds of their relationship.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sad, psychological, romantic, touching, emotional, serious, bad ending, realistic, heartbreaking, sentimental
Similar in 79%
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, which follows 15-year-old freshman Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider who is taken under the wings of two seniors. A moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope - and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 539000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, teen, melancholic, romantic, emotional, realistic, feel good, heartbreaking, independent film
Similar in 84%
The First Time (2012)
Plot Summary:
Dave, a high school senior, spends most of his time pining away over a girl he can’t have. Aubrey, a junior with artistic aspirations, has a hot boyfriend who doesn’t quite understand her or seem to care. Although they go to different schools, Dave and Aubrey find themselves at the same party. When both head outside to get some air, they meet. A casual conversation sparks an instant connection, and, over the course of a weekend, things turn magical, romantic, complicated, and funny as Aubrey and Dave discover what it's like to fall in love for the first time.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 73000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: romantic, sexy, sincere, touching, realistic, light, feel good, sweet, teen, witty
Similar in 80%
Beastly (2011)
Plot Summary:
A curse transforms a handsome and arrogant young man into everything he detests in this contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Wealthy Kyle Kingson has everything a teenager could want in life, but he still gets off on humiliating the weaker and less attractive. When Kyle invites his misfit classmate Kendra to an environmental rally at their school, she questions his motivations but reluctantly accepts. Later, Kyle blows Kendra off, prompting the spurned goth girl to cast a dark spell on the swaggering egotist.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, romantic, touching, sweet, modern fairy tale, teen, captivating, feel good, sentimental, offbeat
Similar in 80%
After (2019)
Plot Summary:
A young woman falls for a guy with a dark secret and the two embark on a rocky relationship.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: romantic, sexy, emotional, light, atmospheric, touching, lyrical, erotic, saga, scenic
Similar in 85%
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Plot Summary:
After spending eight months in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 734000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: romantic, touching, offbeat, emotional, depressing, realistic, sentimental, feel good, sweet, talky
Similar in 89%
A Walk to Remember (2002)
Plot Summary:
When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life and also a very big secret she must keep from Landon.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 219000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: touching, romantic, inspirational, tear jerker, sad, sentimental, emotional, sincere, dramatic, teen
Similar in 89%
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)
Plot Summary:
The story follows a student navigating high school life while living with paranoid schizophrenia and battling wild hallucinations. An experimental drug trial promises to help hide his illness from his peers and, most importantly, from the girl of his dreams.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: realistic, romantic, touching, independent film, offbeat, romantic comedy, teen, aesthetic
Similar in 88%
Juno (2007)
Plot Summary:
A young girl named Juno gets herself pregnant and tries to stand on her own, but soon learns a few lessons about being grown up.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 543000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: funny, touching, sweet, sentimental, feel good, teen, humorous, realistic, comedy drama, cute
Similar in 89%
It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
Plot Summary:
A clinically depressed teenager gets a new start after he checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 147000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, independent film, funny, feel good, humorous, teen, sweet, visually appealing, semi serious
Similar in 90%
Flipped (2010)
Plot Summary:
When Juli meets Bryce in the second grade, she knows it's true love. After spending six years trying to convince Bryce the same, she's ready to give up - until he starts to reconsider.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, sweet, feel good, romantic, emotional, sentimental, realistic, romantic comedy, teen, cute