We discuss 10 movies like The DUFF you must watch. Add these well-recommended and highly-rated films to your watch list.
The DUFF is a coming-of-age story that follows high-school senior Bianca Piper (Mae Whitman), who one day finds out she’s been labeled by her so-called friends as the DUFF – designated ugly fat friend.
Desperate to get rid of the label, Bianca enlists the charming jock Wesley Rush (Robbie Amell) to help her get back at the judgy Madison Morgan (Bella Thorne) and upend the current school hierarchy.
Being a teen is tough, with many people having tales of being insecure and bullied. It’s what makes The DUFF and many more coming-of-age stories relatable.
If you liked The DUFF and want to see more films set in and movies that focus on the troubles of trying to fit in and about the troubles of being a teenager, here are ten movies you must watch.
10 Movies like The DUFF
John Tucker Must Die (2006)
After Carrie Schaeffer (Arielle Kebbel), Beth McIntyre (Sophia Bush), and Heather Montgomery (Ashanti) discover they’re all dating the same guy, John Tucker (Jesse Metcalfe), they join together to take their revenge, enlisting new girl Kate Spencer (Brittany Snow) to their cause.
The Kissing Booth (2018)
Elle Evan (Joey King) finds herself sitting in front of her long-term crush when she agrees to run a kissing booth at a spring carnival.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
While Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles is both beautiful and smart, her abrasive nature means she doesn’t attract many boys. This is unfortunate for her sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), as her dad says she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend. To get this to happen, she convinces Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to make Kat fall for him.
Easy A (2010)
Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) is a clean and dull teen. But when she’s prompted by her popular best friend Rhiannon Abernathy (Aly Michalka) to spill the tea on her boring weekend, Olive lies and says she lost her virginity. Unfortunately for Olive, high-school busybody, Marianne Bryant (Amanda Bynes) overhears, and the lie spreads like wildfire all over the school, making Olive wrongly notorious.
Mean Girls (2004)
Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) had a sheltered education from her clever scientist parents. But she’s exposed to public school and finds out how popularity divides students into cliques. Cady joins a group of students called “the Plastics” led by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), but she soon learns how her shallow group of friends earned the name. Cady falls in love with Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett), Regina’s ex-boyfriend, which causes problems.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
Student Beca (Anna Kendrick) doesn’t want to get drawn into a clique, but she’s forced into one populated by mean girls, nice girls, and some weird girls. One thing they all have in common is their singing talent, so Beca takes them out of their comfort zone to join their college music competition.
Juno (2007)
When Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) becomes pregnant, she chooses the failed rock star Mark Loring (Jason Bateman) and his wife Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) to adopt the child. But this becomes complicated when Mark falls in love with Juno, putting the adoption and his marriage at risk.
Love, Simon (2018)
While everyone hopes and dreams of their own love story, it’s more complicated for 17-year-old Simon Spier. He hasn’t told anyone he’s gay, and he doesn’t know the identity of the classmate he’s fallen in love with online. But when a blackmailer threatens to reveal his secret, Simon goes on a journey to come to terms with who he is.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) should be out enjoying normal teen stuff, but because she’s got cancer she’s depressed. Her mum pressures her to go to a cancer support group where Hazel meets Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), another similarly affected teen. They both share a love for books, especially An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. Gus gets an invitation to meet the reclusive author, and he and Hazel journey to Amsterdam to find him.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
Stressed and worried about growing up, 16-year-old Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist) goes to a mental health clinic. He finds that the youth wing is closed, so must instead spend five days in the adult wing. One of the patients, Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), becomes a mentor to Craig. Meanwhile, Craig is drawn to a fellow teen, Noelle (Emma Roberts), whom he falls for.
Do you have any other recommendations for movies like The DUFF? Let us know in the comments.
