Dhruv Trivedi
‘He’s All That’ is a high school teen romantic comedy that opens with aspiring social media celebrity Padgett beginning to lose her online followers after a disastrously public breakup. In an attempt to fix things and regain popularity, she embarks on a challenge to reclaim her title as the “makeover girl” and help her introverted and scruffy classmate Cameron win prom king.
As expected, a plan that starts off as self-serving soon blossoms into a mutual attraction between the two, and a string of high school hijinx along the way tie up the sugary teen rom-com. If you enjoyed the antics on display, then we’ve got a few more recommendations that will bring out the high-schooler in you. You can find most of these movies similar to ‘He’s All That’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
6. Carnaval (2021)
‘Carnaval’ is a vibrant film that centers around a social media celebrity who takes her friends along to Brazil’s famous Carnival in Bahia, only to find that there is more to life than online followers. Colorful, funny, and packed with a host of entertaining and quirky characters, ‘Carnaval’ is as much fun to watch as ‘He’s Like That’ and similarly opens with the central social media princess going through a disastrous breakup. The scene of the flamboyant Carnival festival at the end is another glittering cherry on top.
5. The Kissing Booth (2018S)
‘The Kissing Booth’ is a film that checks all the boxes of a high school teen romance — hunky guys, unbreakable friendships that inadvertently get broken, and an unlikely pairing that is as endearing as it unpredictable (in a good way). This time around — as opposed to ‘He’s All That’ — the less than popular girl has eyes for the school’s most popular boy, who also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Let the rom-com drama commence!
4. Dazed and Confused (1993)
With a little less romance and a lot more pot and rock and roll, ‘Dazed and Confused’ stays true to its high school setting and is set on the last day of school before the summer break. Don’t get us wrong, there is romance, but there is also a lot more of the chaotic hormone-driven jungle that is high school. Matthew McConaughey’s memorable cameo in the film has also led to one of the actor’s most iconic dialogues. So, if you liked the quirky characters and feel-good ending of ‘He’s All That,’ then ‘Dazed and Confused’ will have you wishing you’re back in high school.
3. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
A teen romance that centers not on the popular kids but the ones often overshadowed by them, ‘The Edge of Seventeen’ is more delicate and poised but equally endearing and mushy. When Nadine’s popular older brother starts dating her best friend, she finds solace in a thoughtful boy, and suddenly things don’t seem so bad. If you liked the central message of ‘He’s All That’ — that popularity is not everything — then this sweet teen rom-com, which seems to embody it, will be right up your alley.
2. My Fair Lady (1964)
Possibly one of the most popular films of our times, ‘My Fair Lady‘ finds Eliza (Audrey Hepburn), a young flower seller, turned into a seemingly polished socialite by Professor Henry Higgins. The musical love story that follows their unlikely romantic journey won the film 8 Academy Awards and inspired a generation of romcoms, including (indirectly) ‘He’s All That.’ Though not specifically a “teen” romance, the film is quintessential viewing for any fan of the genre.
1. She’s All That (1999)
It doesn’t happen too often, so count yourself lucky, but there just happens to be a perfect movie to fill the ‘He’s All That’ shaped hole in your watch list. In case you missed it, ‘He’s All That’ is a remake of the 1999 teen romance cult classic ‘She’s All That,’ which follows a very similar plot of a high schooler taking on the challenge of turning a classmate into the most popular figure in school. Many of the most memorable parts of ‘He’s All That’ are inspired by its 1999 predecessor, and you will also get to see younger versions of some of the cast members who have reprised different roles in both films!
Read More: He’s All That Ending, Explained
