(Image Credits: Netflix [edited])
While scouring Netflix, especially around the Valentine's and Christmas seasons, you may find a greater influx of romance films being plastered over your homepage. Diverse as they come, Netflix original romances vary - some musical, some centered around female friendships, and others casting Vanessa Hudgens, giving her the chance of a cinematic universe to call her own.
However, Netflix's romances aren't just limited to the older, adult demographic. Rather, they have also ventured into appealing to the teenage/young adult audiences on their streaming platform, and these films enjoy all-year-round releases. Thankfully, many escape the cheesy cringe that we are all too familiar with in films targeted at younger people. Some even go beyond the 'romance' part of the genre, intertwining friendship issues into their plots.
Take for example The Half Of It, loosely based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac and starring Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire. Without giving too much away, the film features a host of topics relevant to its audiences - platonic friendships, romantic relationships, and when friends become more than just🤭. It has a bittersweet ending, but one that is also comforting in some ways. It doesn't paint a fairytale image of a romance - as do many other teen romance films - which shows a drastic shift from films of the late 90s to early 00s. These earlier films, instead, were focused on finding your 'Prince Charming', sometimes in the process jeopardising friendships. Perhaps Netflix executives figured that this generation was not going to stand for such tropes any longer.
Going forth, arguably the most successful young adult franchise to come out of Netflix has been the To All The Boys series, based on a set of novels by Jenny Han. While this series has leaned a bit more to the cheesy side of things, it also brings the epitome of appeal: relatability🤗. Many girls are likely to see themselves in Lara Jean, with her awkwardness towards the whole concept of 'love' and crushes, her impression of romance shaped by the romance novels she finds herself engrossed in. Yeah, not every girl is into their school's Peter Kavinsky, and perhaps you are more into John Ambrose😏. Whichever it is, Netflix has managed to revive the 'Team' phenomena with the two male love interests, reminiscent of YA films in the early 2010s (Twilight, The Hunger Games), without stealing the spotlight away from the heart of the film that is Lara Jean. This is the feel-good movie many may return to from time to time, perfect for movie nights with girlfriends.
Steering away from the calming vibe of To All The Boys, we get The Kissing Booth series - which, unfortunately, has not been as well received by critics as the former series (comparing the first film of both series: 17% on Rotten Tomatoes vs. To All The Boys' 96%). Nonetheless, it is evident audiences are still hungry for it - a third film is set to come out in the near future. Moreover, Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos once hinted in an interview that it is one of the most-watched on the platform. With its vibrant colour palette and straightforward storyline, it's safe to say that The Kissing Booth is an easy appeal for the young demographic. It does focus heavily on romantic relationships more than anything else, so if you're looking for a more cliché take on the genre, there's your match😙.
We could go on and on about these films - Netflix's catalogue is extensive. They've basically made films whose stories cover every facet of teenage growth in relation to the very broad topic of 'love and relationships'. They know that their young audiences enjoy variety and balance, no longer entertained solely by the provision of tired clichés and tropes. We grew up watching teen classics like Mean Girls, Clueless, and A Cinderella Story, and while we are prone to revisiting them, we have also matured over the years (hopefully🤪). This is where Netflix has caught on, and shown interest in continuously developing stories that have gone relatively untold in the past. They manage to produce some cringefests that admittedly make great guilty pleasure watches, but overall there is a rising number of more down-to-earth takes on the coming-of-age film.
With young love and relationships, there is a sensitivity that comes along with some of their productions. They manage to provide solace in ways that past teen films haven't and, with the times, have also shown that love is no longer (and has never been) involving just those of the opposite sex. It's a freeing time for teens to see such films on the platform🙌.
Netflix isn't showing any signs of stopping soon, even if the To All The Boys series is over, and with The Kissing Booth's conclusion drawing close. Though some of their films do not go without showcasing rather toxic character traits that would be unsavoury in real life, there is a greater number of characters surfacing that are less harmful depictions, making them more enjoyable to take in as well😌. With your Netflix subscription, there is doubtless a teen romance film for (almost) all tastes!
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