You don’t have to be a teenager to appreciate a good old teen-comedy. Some movies in this genre age like a fine wine and are still just as entertaining and relevant as they were when these films were first released.

Yet there are some movies in the teen “comedy” genre that haven’t aged all that well. Which teen-comedies films would not be successful in modern times? And which are forever cherished? Read on to find out!

WON’T DO WELL TODAY: SIXTEEN CANDLES

Sixteen Candles is considered a classic by John Hughes, who is known for his exceptional 80s teen comedies. Yet unlike some of his other great films, this one has a number of problematic moments that would never be considered in today’s times.

Although this movie has some moments that we can still identify with, it isn’t enough to save the film from its messy morals. For instance, in one scene, a girl getting date raped is supposed to be a comedic moment. Another uncomfortable element is the blatant racism brought on by the character Long Duck Dong who solely exists as a stereotype.

WOULD DO WELL: THE BREAKFAST CLUB

The Breakfast Club is another John Hughes movie to be mentioned on this list, but even though it has some problematic elements that probably wouldn’t do so well today, it is still a timeless masterpiece of a film that continues to hold up for younger generations and will always be one of our favorites.

Everyone can relate to feeling as though they need to live up to societal expectations, whether you’re a teenager or otherwise, and that is exactly what the film so exquisitely addresses. This teen comedy is irreplaceable and even though it’s over 30 years old we can still watch it over and over again without ever getting bored of it.

WON’T DO WELL TODAY: SHE’S ALL THAT

She’s All That can be mildly fun to watch if you are looking for a movie to make fun of for all its cliche rom-com tropes that are so overused at this point that they are just laughable. This romantic comedy has literally all the tropes and cliches you could possibly think of, so the formulaic aspect of the film does not hold up anymore as it once (somewhat) seemed to, back in the day.

It has everything you could expect from the “chick flick rom-com” genre, from a guy asking a girl out because of a bet to the girl getting a makeover where it turns out she’s actually stunning. Yawn! It just all feels very “been there done that”.

WOULD DO WELL: CLUELESS

We’re totally buggin’ over the fact that there arguably hasn’t been a film as stylish as Clueless since- well- Clueless. Nostalgia is a big part of today’s pop culture scene, most specifically 80s nostalgia as well as 90s nostalgia. We adore the 90s because it was a time of self-expression and hope for the future.

Clueless seems to exude all the glamorous elements of this time period that we love so much, and we can still find ourselves identifying with the story years after its release. Because of this, we think this movie would do great in today’s day and age.

WON’T DO WELL TODAY: SUPERBAD

Even though Superbad did not come out that long ago compared to most of the films on this list, 2007 was still a very different time compared to 2019 standards. This is not to say that Superbad isn’t a hilarious film with some awesome moments in it, but it doesn’t come without its fair share of problems that wouldn’t fly today.

The main issue is the long list of “blatant homophobic jokes” in this film, as Seth Rogen (who wrote the screenplay) has admitted to, and apologized for. A lot of the jokes in this film feel very “2007”, and our sense of humor has evolved over time to the point that some of the moments in these films just wouldn’t be as hilarious as they were back then.

WOULD DO WELL: FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

Yet another John Hughes movie has been added to this list! Starring Matthew Brodrick as Ferris Bueller, the film follows his character as he ditches school for a day with his best friend and girlfriend in order to get a taste of life on the wild side.

As he famously says in the movie, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Well, this is one of those classics that you simply don’t want to miss. Whether you’re a high school teen or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s one of those movies that everyone can relate to no matter their age.

WON’T DO WELL TODAY: FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY

Yikes! This movie was a bit of a mess. With a 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this film did not work back in 2003, and it still most certainly does not work today, nearly two decades later. Starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, these two American Idol contestants were contractually obligated to make this lackluster film where nothing really happens.

Kelly Clarkson admitted to never wanting to take this role and even said she didn’t want to win American Idol because that meant she would have to do this movie that she so desperately didn’t want to do. She even admitted to crying for hours of it, and that throughout the film it was obvious that she didn’t want to be there. Not exactly a recipe for a great movie.

WOULD DO WELL: NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE

This generation seems to cherish witty observational humor about a large variety of topics, including overused film tropes. With “meme culture” at its peak, we are always observing everyday life in a comedic light. This is exactly what Not Another Teen Movie does, working as a parody of classic romantic comedy films.

It’s still screamingly funny, and the movie even seemed ahead of its time with some of its jokes. Although the ratings for this film weren’t high, it’s still an incredibly fun watch.

WON’T DO WELL TODAY: THE HOT CHICK

Nothing about The Hot Chick starring Rob Schneider, Rachel Mcadams, and Anna Faris would do well in today’s age. The movie relies on lazy jokes that range from transphobic to homophobic to just plain racist. South Park has famously parodied how silly Rob Schneider’s movies can be and Hot Chick is pure proof of this.

Although it might have been somewhat funny when we were eleven-years-old, it just doesn’t hold up with a more sophisticated and progressive audience.    

WOULD DO WELL: SHE’S THE MAN

She’s The Man, starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum is a hilarious comedy that we still love to quote to this day. It is a movie that perfectly sums up just how hilarious Amanda Bynes is as a comedic lead.

We would love to see more of her in the near future because she is so effortlessly funny without even trying, and Channing Tatum is also hilarious in She’s the Man, so despite its silliness, this film definitely still holds up.