Cringeworthy Netflix Teen RomComs
The Outcasts
I love this movie for two reasons: it has an excellent cast of young actors and it keeps me on my toes. Other than that, it’s dumb. The movie follows the whole “popular kids are Gods'' trope, which is frankly overdone and cringe worthy. However, there are wonderful friendships that form between unlikely characters, and Victoria Justice kisses Avan Jogia which let’s be honest, every Victorious fan has been waiting for. Definitely a two out of five on the cringe scale but a great thing to watch with your friends or if you want to make your heart smile.
The Kissing Booth
This is an obvious one. Falling in love with your best friend's brother after you made a pact to never do that? Also, Jacob Elordi being younger than Joel Courtney in real life but playing the older brother is so amusing to me. For me, everything about this movie is cringe. I love that Noah and Elle end up together because love always finds a way, but what about Lee? What if Elle and Noah break up? I can’t get past the fact that Lee is left in the dust. Also, the whole scenario with Elle wearing a tiny skirt to school makes my skin crawl - I get that it’s the catalyst that sparks the entire story, but it makes me physically cringe. Three out of five on the cringe scale but definitely worth the watch if you enjoy teen rom-coms. The sequel comes out soon, too.
Sierra Burgess Is A Loser
I cannot stand this movie. Sierra Burgess lies to this poor boy who thinks his dream girl is falling in love with him, and she STILL gets the boy in the end. I understand the whole message, “it’s not how you look, it’s what’s on the inside that matters”, but this goes beyond that. Sierra wasn’t catfishing some random guy she’ll never meet on tinder with pictures of her hot best friend. No, she knows that Jamey thinks he’s texting his crush, Veronica, and she plays into it for MONTHS. I don’t know about you guys, but that is crazy to me. Sierra even follows Veronica and Jamey on their date and then becomes jealous and mad when Veronica reveals she really likes him? How can she get mad at Veronica for liking Jamey? Jamey thinks he’s dating Veronica! To top it off, Sierra ends up with Jamey in the end. Pass. Four out of five on the cringe scale.
The Perfect Date
Just in case we didn’t have enough Noah Centineo, we needed this love story. In order to save money for college, Brooks develops an app where he lends his services to people who need dates to events. How fun, right? You get to go to a bunch of fun events and all you have to do is be the perfect date. It seemed like the perfect idea at first. On top of that, there is a whole bunch of teen drama and a love triangle sort of thing. As if paying for college wasn’t hard enough, try introducing high school dating into the mix. I enjoyed the cast of this film, but I got bored while watching it. Three out of five on the cringe scale.
Let It Snow
I am a sucker for this format of a movie. There are various storylines but the characters are somehow connected and their stories interlinked, like in Valentine’s Day or He’s Just Not That Into You. This movie is similar to those, except for teens and it's Christmas. A wonderful cast of young talent is displayed, and the cast is pretty diverse - for a Netflix teen movie. I felt that the movie dragged on a bit but this was understandable due to the multiple storylines, which had to come together for the ending. Honestly, this film made me cry and warmed my heart. It gets a two out of five on the cringe scale because I’m not personally a huge fan of cheesy Christmas movies.
XOXO
I highkey love this movie. It revolves around a music festival and has intriguing characters. You’re rooting for the main characters to win, and they do. The movie grows pretty intense and it seriously draws you into its world. What’s more, the drama that ensues seems quite realistic - it’s things that could happen to ordinary people. Plus, I love an unlikely couple. Krystal and Ethan arrive at the music festival with different expectations but they end up crossing paths, and the same goes with Shanni and Ray. Although it is a bit cringeworthy at times, there are parts in the movie where all seems lost and you have no idea how the characters are going to succeed - it keeps you on your toes. This movie earns a two out of five in terms of cringiness, because of the music festival setting, existence of neon, and slightly predatory male love interest.
Honorable Mentions: #RealityHigh and Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, F The Prom