Once upon a time, Wattpad — a platform used for reading and writing original stories — became the go-to for cinematic source material. And Netflix’s most recent romantic teen drama A Través de Mi Ventana, or Through My Window, has the popular website to thank. The story, written by Ariana Godoy, became a Wattpad sensation with almost 400 million reads online before it became published into a paperback novel. Through My Window follows Raquel (Clara Galle) and Ares (Julio Peña) on their rollercoaster of a love story that all started with a WiFi password. The story makes for an angsty young adult tale filled with the right amount of drama, and now that it’s becoming a franchise, the movies just might go down the Fifty Shades and Twilight route of young adult films that can be labeled “toxic” and “cliché” — or “suspenseful” and “compelling,” depending on who you ask.
After the success of the highly anticipated film, Netflix announced via Twitter the upcoming production of two Through My Window sequels, making for another name on its list of teen movie franchises. Viewers may have been able to spot the differences between the book and film, but given that it is a standalone novel, it’s clear the new movies will bring an original story no reader has seen before. It’s unknown when the upcoming sequels will be released, but in the meantime, here are movies like Through My Window to stream next on Netflix.
Updated September 20, 2022: If you love teen romances from Netflix, you'll be happy to know we've updated this article with additional entries you may love.
9 The Duff
2015's The DUFF revolves around high school student Bianca (Mae Whitman). She's the less attractive friend to her three more popular pretty friends, or The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Person). Upon learning of her title, Bianca enlists the help of a track athlete Wesley (Robbie Amell) to help mold her into a more popular and confident woman to shed her title and prevent her senior year from turning into a disaster. We all know where this is going. Along the way, they both learn there is more to each other than meets the eye, and soon sparks start to fly. The chemistry between Amell and Whitman is palpable in each scene they share in this reimagined Cinderella story for the modern age. Like other entries on this list. It's full of basic rom-com tropes, but it's a fun story from beginning to end, which is why it's one of the best teen romances on Netflix today.
8 All The Bright Places
All The Bright Places is a Netflix original that focuses on a blooming romance between two troubled teens (Elle Fanning and Justice Smith, respectively). After Violet loses her sister, she struggles with her mental health and survivor's guilt, but soon finds solace in classmate Finch, who elects to be her project partner for a project. The two travel around Indiana to find unique sites for their project but soon fall in love. Finch isn't without his faults, though, as he's dealing with intense bouts of depression. In what is perhaps the more meaningful and wholesome entry on this list, this film displays a touching romance that deals with topics that are very relevant in today's society. All The Bright Places can be a conversation starter for mental health, which may be why LifeWire lists it as one of the best teen movies on Netflix.
7 6 Years
6 Years, starring Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield in the lead roles, is the ideal movie to watch if you want to see the harsh realities that will put you off love forever. Though the film is marketed as a romance, it highlights the misfortunes of Mel and Dan’s relationship, and by the third altercation, viewers learn there are, in fact, many misfortunes. After six years of being in a relationship, the two discover that it’s not all rainbows and sunshine, even if they’ve lasted longer than most couples their age. While their blatant toxicity makes for engaging storytelling, in the end, Mel and Dan are the last couple anyone could appropriately label “#relationshipgoals.” Nevertheless, the movie’s over-the-top drama engages audiences and shows that not all relationships are perfect.
6 After Series
Like Through My Window, this romantic young adult movie series also got its start on Wattpad. Often nicknamed “Fifty Shades of Grey for teens,” the story follows Tessa Young (Josephine Langford), an innocent “good girl” college student in her newfound relationship with mysterious “bad boy” Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). As with the infamous Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, Tessa and Hardin have a relationship predominantly focused on bickering and sensuality. But through the toxicity, it’s evident that the two care deeply for each other, with Tessa shedding light on Hardin’s dark, miserable aura. The first three films of the series — After, After We Collided, and After We Fell — are currently streaming, with the fourth movie, After Ever Happy, released in theaters in early September 2022.
5 Anonymously Yours
Similarly to Through My Window, Anonymously Yours is a Spanish film, but with closed captioning and English dubbing, non-Spanish speakers can enjoy it too. The movie is about two headbutting high school students named Alex and Vale (Annie Cabello and Ralf Morales, respectively) who form a friendship via the phone. Little do they know, the person they’re talking to is right beside them, and the person they’re talking to is the one they’re annoyed by most. Eventually, their interaction turns into romance, abiding by the enemies-to-lovers trope, and with texting being a primary theme, it can appeal to a large portion of teenagers nowadays.
4 Candy Jar
An underrated teen romance, Candy Jar premiered in 2018. Lona and Bennet (Sami Gayle and Jacob Latimore, respectively) are two dueling high school debate team members, eager to get into Ivy League colleges. The two begin as sworn enemies, arguing any time they’re together but being a romance movie, it obviously turns in a different direction. Not only does Candy Jar display a pleasing romance, but it also opens the world's eyes to the insanely competitive world of high school debate teams.
3 Confessions of an Invisible Girl
The Portuguese film Confissões de uma Garota Excluída or Confessions of an Invisible Girl hit the streaming platform in 2021. Following the route of The Princess Diaries and She’s All That, 16-year-old Tetê feels like an outcast at school, but after relocating, she is determined to make friends and become popular. Along the way Tetê deals with common high school tropes of mean girls and cute guys, and also handles her tough home life with her very critical family members.
2 The Kissing Booth Trilogy
The Kissing Booth is another Wattpad phenomenon that first premiered in 2018 and since then, has had two sequels. While the actual kissing booth plays a large part in the story, there’s still far more Elle Evans (Joey King) has to deal with in her relationship with her best friend’s brother, Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). The trilogy explores all the teen staples, from jealousy to bringing in another love interest in the second movie and even the corny but sweet romantic line, “It’s you. It’s always been you.” While these movies may be incredibly predictable, they still make for an enjoyable time. And given its high view count, it’s clear many people have tuned in to watch.
1 To All the Boys Trilogy
In 2018, Netflix brought life to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a bestselling novel by Jenny Han. It follows hopeless romantic Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor), who had written five letters to boys she’d crushed on — one of which was her sister’s boyfriend — and one day, the letters are spontaneously released. The movie features the popular fake-dating trope, as Lara Jean began a sham relationship with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) to keep her sister and her boyfriend from knowing. The sequel brings in another love interest, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher), who may admittedly have far more charm and politeness than the Peter we know and love, but at the end of the day, “Covinsky” remains number one.