Moxie (2021): A film about confronting toxic school culture
IMDb rating : 6.7/10
Genre : Comedy
Starring : Hadley Robinson/Lauren Tsai/Alicia Pascual-Pena
Director : Amy Poehler
Movie rating : PG-13
Length : 1 hour 51 minutes
This teen comedy from Parks and Rec comedian Amy Poehler stars Hadley Robinson as Vivian, a shy 16-year-old who decides to publish a An underground magazine originally called "Moxie" to resist the toxic atmosphere in school. Her writing sparked a movement among female students. While Poehler is relatively new as a film director, she's a proven and talented comedy writer and actor, which makes this film a promising one.
02/17To All the Boys I've Loved Before: A charming romantic comedy for fans of all ages
IMDb rating : 7.0/10
Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance
Starring : Lana Condor/Noah Centineo/Janal Parrish
Director : Susan Johnson
Movie rating : TV-14
Running time : 1 hour 39 minutes
Storyline: Lara Jean's sister secretly sends love letters she wrote to five of her crushes. Lara Jean, with the help of one of the letter recipients, Peter, convinces her neighbors and smitten Josh (and another letter recipient) that she and Peter was already in love and she had broken up with him.
If you're a romantic comedy fan of any age, there's a lot to love about this sweet film and its two subsequent installments.
03/17Skater Girls (2021): A film about forging your own path
IMDb rating : 6.7/10
Type : Drama
Starring : Amy Margera / Waheeda Rehman / Rachel Saankita Gupta
Director : Manjali Majjani
Movie rating : PG
Running time : 1 hour 47 minutes
This Indian film follows a young girl who discovers skateboarding and dreams of taking up the sport, but faces opposition from her traditional parents and others in her village.
Meanwhile, the young woman who introduced her to skateboarding is trying to support her and other girls in the village by building a skate park. "Skateboard Girl" is destined to be a heartwarming story about pursuing dreams.
04/17All the Bright Places (2020): Important mental health conversation starters
IMDb rating : 6.6/10
Genre : Drama, Romance
Starring : Elle Fanning/Justice Smith/Alexandra Shipp
Director : Brett Haley
Movie rating : TV-MA
Running time : 1 hour 47 minutes
Violet and Finch begin spending more time together while working on a school project about the wonders of Indiana. Although the two have different struggles, they seek comfort and hope for the future in each other.
This story highlights the importance of seeking support and looking out for each other – a meaningful message for people of all ages.
05 of 17"Half" (2020): A hopeful love story
IMDb rating : 6.9/10
Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance
Starring : Leah Lewis/Daniel Deemer/Alexis Lemire
Director : Alice Wu
Movie rating : PG-13
Running time : 1 hour 44 minutes
When a lovesick football player named Paul begs lonely Ellie to help him write a love letter to attract popular girl Esther, Ellie finds herself in a confusing love triangle.
This wise and heartfelt story of friendship and self-discovery offers a text-messaging age twist on Cyrano de Bergerac- esque love letters and mistaken identities.
06/17Enola Holmes (2020): There's a new Sherlock Holmes detective in town
IMDb rating : 6.6/10
Genre : Action, Adventure, Crime
Starring : Millie Bobby Brown/Henry Cavill/Sam Claflin
Director : Harry Bradbeer
Movie rating : PG-13
Duration : 2 hours and 3 minutes
When 16-year-old Enola's brother refuses to help her search for her recently missing mother, she travels to London alone to solve the mystery. This high-energy comedy will appeal to fans of Sherlock Holmes or Millie Bobby Brown (from Stranger Things ) who truly love mysteries.
07/17Mixtape (2021): A film about discovering who your parents are
IMDb rating : 6.6/10
Genre : Comedy, Drama
Starring : Julie Bowen/Gemma Brooke Allen/Nick Thune
Director : Valerie Weiss
Movie rating : TV-G
Running time : 1 hour 33 minutes
Beverly Moody (Gemma Brooke Allen) is an orphan raised by her grandmother. One day, she discovers a damaged mixtape her parents made before they died. Seeing this as an opportunity to learn more about her parents, she enlists the help of an eccentric neighbor and a grumpy record store owner to try to find all the songs on the tape.
08/17The Magician's Elephant (2023): A fairy tale in the aftermath of war
IMDb rating : 6.5/10
Genre : Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Starring : Noah Jupe/Benedict Wong/Natasia Demetriou
Director : Wendy Rogers
Movie rating : PG
Running time : 1 hour 39 minutes
The war leaves Peter (Noah Jupe) orphaned and he desperately searches for his sister Adele (Pixie Davis). Following the fortune teller's advice, he sets out in search of the elephant.
The Magician's Elephant is adapted from the 2009 book by Kate DiCamillo. The film isn't as dark as the novel, but in the tradition of classic children's movies like "Bambi," "The Lion King " and "A Rainy Day" it delivers a serious message about coping with loss.
The Dog Gone (2023): A boy, his dog and his dad
IMDb rating : 6.1/10
Genre : Biography, Drama, Family
Starring : Rob Lowe/Johnny Berchtold/Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Director : Stephen Herrick
Rating : TV-PG
run : 1 hour 35 minutes
A wayward college student sets off on the Appalachian Trail in search of his missing best friend. In an effort to heal their strained relationship, his father joins the search.
Based on a true story, "The Dog Gone" is a feel-good movie with impressive performances from both its human and canine actors.
Finding Ohana (2021): For those who miss The Goonies
IMDb rating : 6.1/10
Genre : Action, Adventure
Starring : Kelly Hu, Guan Kehui, Lindsay Watson
Director : Ong Zude
Movie rating : PG
Duration : 2 hours and 3 minutes
If you like movies about precocious teenagers going on adventures in search of hidden treasure, you might want to spend a weekend watching Finding Ohana . It just might fill that Goonies -sized hole in your heart.
The film tells the story of two Brooklyn kids who travel to Oahu to care for their ailing grandfather and discover a pirate diary that leads to a 200-year-old shipwreck. But they also learned to appreciate Hawaiian traditions along the way.
11 of 17We Have Ghosts (2023): Beetlejuice meets ET
IMDb rating : 6.1/10
Genre : Adventure, Comedy, Family
Starring : Jassy Di'Allo Winston/Anthony Mackie/David Harbour
Director : Christopher Langdon
Movie rating : PG-13
Duration : 2 hours and 6 minutes
Kevin (Jahi Diallo Winston) and his family move into a new home, only to find that it has been occupied by a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour). They ended up in the government's crosshairs when his Ernest video went viral.
We Got Ghosts is a fun comedy for teens and adults that puts a modern spin on old movie tropes.
12 of 17Home Team (2022): A light-hearted football comedy based on a true story
IMDb rating : 6.0/10
Genre : Comedy, Sports
Starring : Kevin James Taylor Lautner
Director : Charles Francis Kinane Daniel Kinane
Movie rating : PG
Duration : 1 hour 35 minutes
Sean Payton has the honor of becoming the first modern NFL football coach to be suspended for an entire season. During his break, he took over coaching his son's soccer team. This comedy sports movie starring Kevin James is based on real life events.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (2022) — The hero in a half-shell takes to the stars
IMDb rating : 5.8/10
Genre : Animation, Action, Adventure
Starring : Ben Schwartz/Jim Peary/Haley Joel Osment
Director : Andy Suriano, Ant Ward
Movie rating : TV-Y7
Running time : 1 hour 22 minutes
Casey Jones (Haley Joel Osment) travels back in time to warn Leonardo (Ben Schwartz) and his brothers of an alien threat. Will the team step up to the plate and protect the world from Kraang (Jim Peary) and his army?
The film is an adaptation of the 2018 Nickelodeon TMNT series, not to be confused with the 2012 Nickelodeon TMNT series. If you like this movie, you can watch Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in its entirety on Netflix.
14 out of 17You Were Not Invited to My Bar Mitzvah (2023): Another Sandler Style
IMDb rating : 6.0/10
Genre : Comedy
Starring : Sonny Sandler/Idina Menzel/Adam Sandler
Director : Sammy Cohen
Movie rating : PG-13
Running time : 1 hour 43 minutes
As the bar mitzvah approaches, lifelong friends Stacey (Sonny Sandler) and Lydia (Samantha Loughlin) begin to fight over the boy and who will have the bigger bar mitzvah.
"You So Uninvited to My Bar Mitzvah" is a more mature Adam Sandler film than "Waterboy," but it's aimed at young people like his daughter (who plays the title role).
JJ+E (2021): A Swedish romance about class and cultural barriers
IMDb rating : 5.4/10
Genre : Romance
Starring : Mustafa Arab, Elsa Aoun, Magnus Krepper
Director : Alexis Almstrom
Movie rating : TV-14
Duration : 1 hour and 30 minutes
Based on one of the most famous books by award-winning Swedish author Mats Wahl, JJ+E tells the modern story of two young people who fall in love despite cultural and class barriers.
Elizabeth and John-John were worlds apart financially and socially, but when they started in the same high school class, they became friends and fell in love. The Swedish setting and cast put a fresh spin on old romantic tropes.
16 out of 17Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020): The best gentrification metaphor since Candyman
IMDb rating : 5.7/10
Genre : Comedy, Horror
Starring : Jaden Michael/Gerald Jones III/Gregory Diaz IV
Director : Oz Rodriguez
Movie rating : PG-13
Duration : 1 hour 25 minutes
Miguel, Bobby and Luis are a group of ordinary teenagers who face an unusual problem - vampires have invaded their Bronx neighborhood and are eating their neighbors.
Brave teenagers protecting their neighbors from an invading monster isn't a new concept. Vampires vs. the Bronx plays on this trope like a comfort blanket. But between the amusing scares and witty quips are clever meditations on gentrification and whitewashing.
17 out of 17Chupa (2023): Alien meets Mexican folklore
IMDb rating : 5.5/10
Genre : Action, Adventure, Drama
Starring : Demian Bichir/Christian Slater/Evan Wheaton
Director : Jonas Cuarón
Rating : PG
Duration : 1 hour 35 minutes
Alex (Evan Wheaton) meets a baby Chupacabra while visiting family in Mexico. Although he thinks Chupacabra is ferocious, Chupacabra is sweet and friendly, so Alex vows to protect his new friend from scientists who want to experiment on him.
In the long tradition of "The Boy and His (fill in the blank)" movies, Chupa hits all the familiar notes, but the connection to Mexican folklore puts a fresh spin on the concept.
