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14 Teen Movies That Film Critics Tried To Convince Us Were Bad
Film critics have a big job on their hands – it’s up to them to advise the masses on what’s worth watching.
And yeah, most of the time they get things right, but I’ve noticed a bit of a trend – a lot of movies where the main target audience is teenage girls have TERRIBLE critic ratings.
I’m not saying these films changed the world, but trashing things teen girls like is a tale as old as time – here are 16 teen movies that the critics did dirty.
By the way, I’ve used Rotten Tomatoes scores for each film – they aggregate reviews from a range of different critics, and the percentage is the average score!
1. Step Up
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionRotten Tomatoes rating: 21%
Audience score: 83%
Most of the critics had pretty much the same complaint – that Step Up is just a predictable rehashing of the dance films from their heyday (Footloose and Dirty Dancing are namedropped in a lot of reviews), but there’s a lot less about the onscreen chemistry and the iconic dance moves. When it comes to dance movies, no Step Up didn’t break the genre, but it’s still top-tier, and the audience score suggests that fans of dance movies appreciated a modern take on the classic formula.
2. The Princess Diaries
Buena Vista PicturesRotten Tomatoes rating: 48%
Audience rating: 68%
Shocked to see such a masterpiece here, aren’t you? Apparently, critics thought the story was a mediocre, unrealistic fairytale cliché that’s preoccupied with high school politics and a rip-off of Pygmalion.
Firstly, Mia’s awkward charm and her friendship drama are what make this wild story so relatable. Secondly, the old rags-to-riches plot is a tale as old as time, and Pygmalion came out in 1913 – move on.
3. Cruel Intentions
Columbia Pictures /Sony Pictures Releasing / Summit EntertainmentRotten Tomatoes rating: 54%
Audience Score: 80%
I was surprised to see Cruel Intentions with such a low rating, but when it comes to the critics, even the cult classics aren’t safe. Most of the more recent reviews aren’t that scathing (retrospect is a beautiful thing), but there were a lot of film buffs who made less than positive comparisons to Dangerous Liaisons. But, as low-brow as the critics considered Cruel Intentions, it has an almost identical audience score as Dangerous Liaisons.
4. The Craft
Columbia PicturesRotten Tomatoes rating: 55%
Audience rating: 65%
A movie about a bunch of teenagers becoming WITCHES deserves way more credit than this. The Craft walked so Chilling Adventures of Sabrina could run. One of the critics just said: “I’ve never subscribed to this genre of movie… I found a lot of this stuff to just not be palatable,” which leaves me wondering what exactly they thought their review would add. The last hour of The Craft isn’t as mesmerising as the first, but I’m sure you’ll agree with me, and not the critic that brandished it “a depressingly mundane affair.”
5. She’s the Man
DreamWorks PicturesRotten Tomatoes rating: 43%
Audience score: 79%
If She’s the Man wasn’t billed as an adaptation of Twelfth Night I can guarantee that critics would’ve been calling this a Shakespeare rip-off. So what did they have to say instead? Well, the running theme is that it’s immature, full of slapstick, and has a predictable plot – all of which are pretty Shakespearian tropes, if you ask me. There’s a lot of calling the movie childish, but there’s little mention of Amanda Bynes’ comic timing, Channing’s breakout role, or the many many quotable lines.
6. Bring It On: All or Nothing
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentRotten Tomatoes rating: 20%
Audience score: 70%
Bring it On has FOUR sequels, and I take no issue with the reviews for most of them, but All or Nothing is iconic for all sorts of reasons – this is Solange’s breakout role, for a start. According to one critic, it’s “shamefully” fun to watch, which solidifies my belief that some film buffs need to lighten up a bit and admit that they’ve participated in a few Shabooya roll calls in their time.
7. Honey
Universal PicturesRotten Tomatoes rating: 21%
Audience score: 71%
Another dance movie, so no one was expecting a Best Original Screenplay nomination, but 21% is a bit harsh. The storyline may be slightly predictable, but who wants shocking plot twists in a movie like this? Honey is full of great dance moves and charm, and is a perfect early ‘00s time capsule.
8. But I’m a Cheerleader
Lions Gate FilmsRotten Tomatoes rating: 42%
Audience score: 74%
But I’m a Cheerleader is a cult classic, but I guess some critics just don’t appreciate camp (or the iconic performances from Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall). One critic wrote, “I would have preferred to know more in documentary terms about the actual reality of these terrible camps, rather than sit through this heavy-handed and oddly lenient comedy,” which left me wondering why he didn’t just watch a documentary instead.
9. John Tucker Must Die
20th Century FoxRotten Tomatoes rating: 27%
Audience Score: 69%
Whew, the critics did not hold back when it came to John Tucker – boring, idiotic and vapid to some, not dark enough to others, and many a mention of it being a Heathers rip-off. Apart from the high school setting and teenage angst, the two have nothing in common and personally, I’m glad that John Tucker didn’t actually die…
10. Coyote Ugly
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionRotten Tomatoes rating: 23%
Audience score: 71%
Coyote Ugly has all the ingredients of a perfect ‘00s coming-of-age story – a teen with a dream, a parent who doesn’t get it, and the big city, to name a few. And while Violet’s charisma and the iconic “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” may have charmed us, it couldn’t save “Coyote Awful” from the critics’ wrath.
11. Wild Child
Universal PicturesRotten Tomatoes rating: 41%
Audience score: 61%
Wild Child was a ‘00s staple – it merged all the most relatable parts of being a teen with some of the most exciting scenarios, and most of all; it was fun. This is one of the few movies where the critics actually address that they’re not the target audience, but that didn’t stop them from trashing it: “Unless you’re fourteen and female, look away now. There’s absolutely nothing for you here”.
12. Twilight
Summit EntertainmentRotten Tomatoes rating: 49%
Audience score: 72%
I’ll be honest – I watched Twilight many many (many) times back in the ‘00s, and while I’m aware of its many flaws, it’s no 49 percenter. Critics called it a dumb tedious snorefest, but Twilight deserves at least some credit for the fang-shaped mark it left on our culture (and the soundtrack remains iconic).
13. Jennifer’s Body
20th Century FoxRotten Tomatoes rating: 44%
Audience score: 35%
Okay, so this is the only film where the critics’ score is higher than the audience’s, but Jennifer’s Body deserved better. A hot demonically possessed girl killing her male classmates – that’s an award-winning concept and I honestly just think the world just wasn’t ready for it back in ’09.
14. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Buena Vista Pictures DistributionRotten Tomatoes score: 19%
Audience score: 61%
Is it a bit of a reach to class Sister Act 2 as a teen movie? Maybe, but we need to talk about this – a film starring the iconic Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Lauryn Hill scored a whole NINE percent lower than Fast and Furious. No shade to F&F, but come on! The critics’ consensus is that this sequel swapped comedy for unconvincing sentiment, but that high note on “Oh Happy Day” was pretty damn convincing to me. It may not be the most groundbreaking of sequels, but “drags by minute by painful minute” is just unnecessarily harsh. And incorrect.
Don’t forget to tell us your favourite underrated teen movies in the comments!
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