The Mean Girls musical remake has finally hit the big screen to mainly positive reviews from critics, who enjoyed this “new twist” from Tina Fey. Based on the hit 2017 Broadway musical, which was freely adapted from Fey’s now-iconic 2004 teen comedy, Mean Girls is a classic story about self-discovery, popularity, and teen ruthlessness.
Fans who enjoyed watching The Plastics in all their musical glory might exit the theater wanting more teen stories with similar DNAs. Luckily for them, Tubi has them covered, with a strong library of teen films in the same vein as this wicked musical. These five movies are as funny, clever, and entertaining as Mean Girls, making them perfect options for a double feature of teen angst.
Heathers (1988)
Winona Ryder (soon to be seen in Stranger Things season 5) became an icon of the ’80s thanks to her role in the wicked black comedy Heathers. The plot centers on Veronica Sawyer, a girl who belongs to the most popular clique at her high school, the Heathers. Things change with the arrival of J.D. (Christian Slater), a misanthropic rebel who plans to kill the popular kids and stage their deaths as suicides.
Simply put, every modern teen movie, especially Mean Girls, owes a great deal to Heathers — it even became a musical first, adding tunes to its story in 2010. The film established many of the most common tropes found in the genre, from the popular mean girl clique with totally killer fashion to the biting humor and social commentary. Endlessly quotable and morbidly funny, Heathers also features memorable performances from Ryder and Slater.
Heathers is now streaming on Tubi.
Yes, God, Yes (2019)
Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer plays the lead in Karen Maine’s 2019 coming-of-age comedy Yes, God, Yes. Set in the fall of 2000, the plot centers on Alice, an inexperienced, but curious girl attending a Midwestern co-ed Catholic school. When an AOL chat turns unexpectedly racy, Alice begins experiencing new and risqué thoughts that she fears threaten to damn her to the fiery pits of hell.
Yes, God, Yes is a classic tale of self-discovery in the face of religious hypocrisy and moral propriety. Dyer is stellar as the shy, yet spirited Alice, a role that calls for an actress to deftly handle humor and vulnerability. Yes, God, Yes doesn’t shy away from portraying its themes of sexual liberation, resulting in a witty and insightful portrayal of teen experimentation that will ring true to anyone watching.
Yes, God, Yes is now streaming on Tubi.
Saved! (2004)
Saved! stars a who’s who of teen idols from the noughties, including Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Patrick Fugit, and Macaulay Culkin. It tells the story of Mary Cummings, a young girl attending a Christian school who sleeps with her boyfriend to “cure” his homosexuality. After becoming pregnant, Mary becomes ostracized by her community.
Although it’s not as wicked as it could be, especially considering its premise, Saved! remains a delightful teen satire. Malone is stellar, as is Moore as the overbearing and devout Hilary Faye Stockard, a mean girl with more dynamism than other examples in this now-familiar trope. Like Mean Girls, Saved! became a stage musical in 2008 and starred a young Aaron Tveit as Dean, Mary’s boyfriend. Unfortunately, it never made it to Broadway.
Saved! is now streaming on Tubi.
G.B.F. (2013)
An acronym for Gay Best Friend, G.B.F. is a hidden teen gem that deserves more attention. The film chronicles the young lives of Tanner and Brent, two closeted students in suburban New Jersey. When Tanner is outed, he gets embraced by the school’s popular girls, while the still closeted Brent must watch his friend’s rise up the social ladder from the sidelines.
Although it might not be among the all-time best LGBTQ movies, G.B.F. is far more clever than its title might imply. It visits familiar territories for a teen movie, including social dynamics and living as an LGBTQ+ youth in the unforgiving high school landscape. However, it has enough humor and surprisingly sharp observations to warrant a watch from devoted fans of the teen genre. It doesn’t reinvent any teen tropes, but it doesn’t need to; G.B.F. is a true crowd-pleaser — although it could’ve benefited from less honey and more venom.
G.B.F. is now streaming on Tubi.
Blood, Sweat, and Cheer (2023)
A Tubi original, Blood, Sweat and Cheer is a 2023 teen comedy starring Tammi Sursok. The plot follows Renee, a suburban mother obsessed with reliving her glory days. When an unexpected opportunity presents itself, Renee decides to pose as her teenage daughter to join a high school dance team.
With a decidedly wacky plot and an unhinged lead performance to go with it, Blood, Sweat and Cheer is the perfect dose of teen drama and devilish black comedy. Embracing the campy quality that makes films like Serial Mom and But I’m a Cheerleader so timeless and entertaining, Blood, Sweat and Cheer is a hysterical comedy with enough of the color pink to make The Plastics seethe.
Blood, Sweat and Cheer is now streaming in Tubi.
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