Regardless if you have left your teens way behind, you always have a chance at reliving it by binge-watching these absolute classics from the heydays
Vacaying or not, with a carefully curated watchlist, you are sure to unwind.
Anne Hathaway starrer The Princess Diaries is like a bubble bath after a long, exhausting day. For many, this literary classic is nostalgia, a companion, and a fantasy. The film does a wonderful job of mixing realism and fantastic with Meg Cabot’s book adaptation. Following the journey of Mia Thermopolis, a 15 YO from San Francisco, the film takes us through a roller-coaster life of her transformation into a real-life princess with the throne of Genovia to her name. This easy-breezy nostalgia is not without its funny moments; in fact, the comic in The Princess Diaries has been revisited by cinema-lovers over the decades.
A cinematic masterpiece about a rather horrendous human being, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off premiered about three decades back in 1986 and still managed to retain a special place in our heart. It celebrates the perks of being a teenager and harps on the philosophy of carpe diem. Besides the nostalgic pull, it is perhaps it is the emotional joyride that works its charm like a magic wand. Ranked 26th in the British 50 Greatest Comedy Films by Bravo, the film has been a tremendous success both in the commercial and the critical spheres. If you are longing for a comfort watch and a glimpse into the coming-of-age phase of the 80s, tuck yourself in.
Napoleon Dynamite has cult popularity. One of the finest teem comedy films of 2004, the eccentricity of its characters and life choices adds to the humour. No less than a phenomenon, the film is really bloated with mass appeal with the passage of time. Today, it is an internet sensation and yet never quite feels overhyped. Some days you feel like digging into the hilarious and the bizarre. And trust me when I say this film is a goldmine.
21 Jump Street is a silly, dead serious, no-nonsense film, and this abundance of paradoxes has made it a relaxing watch. What adds to the oddity is the sprinkle of surrealism in the film amazingly portrayed by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum cast as Schmidt and Jenko. You fondly carry in your heart the teenage nostalgia, the bromance, and the hilarious episodes long, long after watching the film.
Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan is more than a high-school comedy. It transcends beyond the immediate “Christmas in Sacramento,” on the wrong side of the tracks as Lady Bird metaphorically phrases it. The film is an endearing watch; a dramedy at its core. We are primarily fixated on the topsy-turvy relationship between Lady Bird and her mother while also applauding the beauty with which it picturises the drab, the disappointing, and the poignant. Lady Bird is a character who loves the fleeting nature of life, and, she believes in drifting and daydreaming. We, as audiences, cannot help but partake in the melancholy, wit, warmth, and rendezvous of the characters.
Mean Girls is a legacy. It is the queen of teen comedies. Regina George and her team of Plastics are a reason why teen comedy is even a thing. The high-school comedy is a sugar rush and kudos to screenwriter Tina Fey for gifting us this absolute, original masterpiece unparalleled in the history of histrionics on the big screen. Prep yourself for some classic gags and mean girls tonight.
