Fans of teen fantasy films can rejoice, knowing that there are quite a few selections to choose from to watch this Valentine’s Day. From Tuck Everlasting to the more recent The In Between, teen fantasy movies have been going strong for decades, keeping lovers of the genre satiated with a steady stream of films. Whether it’s a book adaptation or the inventive creation of a screenwriter, there’s a young adult fantasy film for everyone.
While there are also adult fantasy romance films like The Age of Adaline and Stardust that viewers can watch, the specific teen fantasy genre is a beloved one that includes out-of-this-world romances to swoon over. Many book adaptations have graced the screens and stolen viewers’ hearts, such as the Twilight series, and any romantic teen fantasy movie is the perfect watch for Valentine’s Day.
‘Beautiful Creatures’ (2013)
Based on the book series by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia, Beautiful Creatures is a film about the love story between Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena (Alice Englert), the girl of his dreams whom he has literally been dreaming about night after night. However, Lena has a secret: she comes from a family of spell-casters, and their differences and outside influence could tear their relationship apart.
This romantic gothic fantasy is often overlooked due to its poor reception, but many fans absolutely adore the book series nonetheless. A forbidden romance between a human and someone supernatural is always classic. The cast also includes some big names like Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, and Rachel Brosnahan, who stars in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, returning this year with its final season.
‘Tuck Everlasting’ (2002)
An oldie but goodie, Tuck Everlasting features Alexis Bledel from the Gilmore Girls and Jonathan Jackson in the lead roles and follows a young girl named Winnie who meets a handsome boy named Jesse Tuck in the woods, ultimately learning a life-changing secret about him and his family. Because she has longed for freedom from her mother, Winnie debates whether she should stay with Jesse and his family.
Their love story is sweet, showing how far someone would go for the person they love. It is a story that touches on how sometimes what is best for someone is not what you want for or from them, as well as how sometimes a person can find an in-law family that loves them just as much as their own family or more.
‘Twilight’ (2008)
In the first film of the beloved Twilight franchise, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her dad Charlie (Billy Burke), after her mom finally finds a second chance at love. Unbeknownst to Bella is that her own chance at love will find her sooner than she thinks when she meets the mysterious, broody, and handsome vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) upon being paired with him in Biology class.
The secretive decades-old vampire and the awkward Bella develop a deep romance that continues for four more movies, even despite the attempts of others to break them up and the love triangle that Bella finds herself in. However, the two have proven that nothing could keep this couple apart for too long.
‘Warm Bodies’ (2013)
A highly unconventional romance between a human girl named Julie (Teresa Palmer) and a zombie boy known as R (Nicholas Hoult) sparks in the film Warm Bodies when the two cross paths by chance at the airport where R consistently roams.
The two star-crossed lovers go through an action-packed and tense journey before finally reaching their surprising happily ever after. This supernatural romance story is wildly unique, stretching the genre to its limits with a love story between a human and a zombie.
‘Beastly’ (2011)
In this modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the film Beastly follows a vain student, played by Alex Pettyfer, who spends most of his time putting down his classmates and ultimately gets cursed, becoming everything he is repulsed by. In line with the original fairytale, the only way his curse can be broken is if he can put his pride aside and find someone to love him for who he is.
Also in this film is Vanessa Hudgens as a classmate named Lindy, the only person who seemingly cares for him despite his horrifying outward appearance and cruel history. Regina King, Neil Patrick Harris, Dakota Johnson, and Mary-Kate Olsen are also on the cast of this interesting movie about pure love that isn’t just skin deep.
‘The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones’ (2013)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is based on the book by Cassandra Clare that started the beloved series fans still rave about. Though the film eventually veered into a TV series called Shadowhunters, the original movie is still worth the watch and features a budding romance between Clary (Lily Collins) and Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), who cross paths when Clary can see him and his Shadowhunter siblings in a nightclub, while typical humans cannot.
Upon realizing that she is from the same world as them, Clary dives headfirst into the lives of the Shadowhunters, hoping to become one like her mother. Along the way, she and her best friend Simon (Robert Sheehan), and her new friends, must save the day when an enemy threatens to upset the peace between the magical and human worlds. Lily Collins now stars in Emily in Paris.
‘The In Between’ (2022)
The In Between follows the unconventional love story between Tessa, played by Joey King, and a hopeless romantic named Skylar (Kyle Allen), who meet by chance at a movie theater and immediately connect, mutually developing feelings for each other. However, in a tragic twist, Skylar dies in a car accident, and Tessa is left alone again. After his death, though, she begins to believe he is attempting to contact her from the beyond and becomes determined to make contact with him so that the two can finish their epic love story.
With the help of her best friend, her adoptive parents, and even a woman she meets at the hospital, Tessa must grieve the loss of her great love. When she learns that to contact Skylar, she must meet up with him in a place where she could potentially get stuck in the in-between, she has to decide what she’s willing to do for love.
‘The Map of Tiny Perfect Things’ (2021)
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things follows the unique and fantastical love story between two teenagers who are coincidentally stuck in the same freaky time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. Mark (Kyle Allen) initially develops a crush on a girl he encounters by the pool every day until he ultimately meets Margaret, played by Kathryn Newton. Meeting her changes everything.
The two decide to spend time together searching for all the perfect moments they can find as they search for the true reason that they are stuck in the never-ending loop. As they attempt to break out of it, the two learn more about each other and fall deeper in love each day. This is a traditional take on the stuck-in-the-same-day trope.
‘Every Day’ (2018)
The film Every Day follows the distinctive love story between Rhiannon (Angourie Rice) and A, best understood as a spirit who wakes up in a different body every day. This creates an endless amount of problems for the young couple just looking to explore their connection and fall in love. After this tricky relationship exhausts Rhiannon, the two must decide the best way to handle their situation.
This love story is something unlike any other, perhaps showcasing how looks (and maybe even gender) are not that important when it comes to love, and all that matters is the soul connection shared between two people. Also on cast is Justice Smith, who will be featured in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film.
‘Ella Enchanted’ (2004)
Starring Anne Hathaway as Ella and Hugh Dancy as Prince “Char” Charmont, Ella Enchanted is a romantic fantasy film that follows the two on their love story that transpires while the dashing Prince accompanies Ella on her journey to break the curse put on her when she was a baby. The curse forces her to do anything she is told, and she is naturally anxious to be freed from that burden so that she can live freely.
This relatively older film is somewhat of a classic, with fans of Hathaway and Dancy and others enjoying the cheesy romance depicted in it even in 2023. That is perhaps because there is nothing quite like meeting a handsome prince who falls hopelessly in love with you and then helps you achieve your wildest dreams.
