21 movies every girl should watch before turning 21

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21 movies every girl should watch before turning 21

There are more classics than just ‘The Craft’

We're all forced to read actual books in school, so we can move on to live our best underage lives drinking until blackout. But as millennials and Gen Z-ers, short attention spans can be our downfall to learning – and therein lies the alternative of film to teach us gals the real shit about life.

If your date stood you up and your bank account reads "no, bitch you can't afford the theatre", stay in for the night and watch these iconic films for girls who are still flashing their fake ID.

Teen Witch

  • Teen Witch is about a young witch, Louise, who happens to be one of the smartest teenagers in her school, taking senior-level courses all throughout high school. She's at the bottom of the the social ladder and doesn't realizer her powers until her 16th birthday. After she makes a popularity potion, she witnesses how all the stresses of popularity affect her relationships with family, friends and school crushes.

    Thirteen

  • When the studious quiet girl meets the popular princess who lost her V-card at 11, there’s bound to be trouble. 13-year-old Tracy Freeland finds herself spiraling quickly after Nikki Reed’s character Evie exposes the young teen to drugs, sex, theft and destruction in this classic teen angst movie.

    The Color of Friendship

  • This film displays the racial tensions of the late 70s, where the daughter of a black congressman invites a young African woman to stay with her and her family. The surprise she gets upon discovering her houseguest is a white South African reveals the racial divide.

    Sucker Punch

  • Sucker Punch is a fantasy film where the main character, Baby Doll is locked up in a mental institution and forced to "perform" after her family passes. She gathers the help of the other trapped girls to join her in her escape and whenever prompted to dance for a crowd, they let their imagination wander to tune out their dark reality in order to stay sane.

    Wish Upon a Star

  • So, literally the same thing as Freaky Friday, but with two sisters. Alexia is the popular sister and Hayley is the smart tomboy. One night, younger sister Hayley wishes upon a star to live Alexia's popular life and, well you get the point.

    Girl Fight

  • Bad ass Michelle Rodriguez reminds me of having to pull many a girl off of each other and avoiding a black eye. But she becomes one of the few women who decides to become a trained boxer and learns what it takes to be tough, balancing a relationship and elimination stereotypes.

    She's the Man

  • Who doesn't want to experience the privilege of being a white cis male for a week? In this film, Amanda Bynes proves that women can do football as well as, if not better than a man.

    Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

  • I don't believe in a one size fits all pair of jeans, but apparently when magic exists in some denim, wearing them just automatically makes your life not totally suck.

    Speak

  • Kristen Stewart stole my heart before she ever played Bella in the blockbuster Twilight franchise. Speak is a movie that charts the journey of a girl's rape at a party (by her best friend's boyfriend) and finding ways to cope with instantly becoming unpopular after calling the police on the party and not having told a soul that it even happened.

    Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

  • Who else has lied about themselves, their name and entire previous life just to seem a bit cooler? Yeah, same. Lindsay Lohan's performance in this film is over exaggerated, melodramatic and an accurate representation of me all throughout high school.

    For a Good Time, Call…

  • Before Amanda found ways to scam a bunch of money out of idiot men online, there's no doubt in my mind her tactics came from this film where two girls accidentally start their own phone sex line. They never even had to leave the house. If we could all get paid for faking it, we'd be bathing in dollar bills.

    Sleepover

  • My mom wouldn't let me stay over anyone's house in fear of some household male fetishizing my black ass, but after watching this movie, I wish I had attended more.

    What a Girl Wants

  • Coming from a single-parent household is difficult for anyone. Amanda Bynes' character goes on a journey of a lifetime in search of her biological father to get answers to her lifelong questions as to why he left her behind.

    Gimme Shelter

  • I never would have though Vanessa Hudgens could be taken seriously after crying over a guy with a bowl cut in High School Musical. Gimme Shelter teaches girls the hardship of living a tough life in the foster care system and dealing with pregnancy and a dysfunctional mother.

    Sixteen Candles

  • Being the younger sister can suck when your older and "wiser" sibling overshadows your time to shine. Molly Ringwald's 16th birthday is put to the backburner because her dumbass sister decided to marry a man. Woopty fuckin doo.

    Tru Confessions

  • This Disney movie opens up everyone's eyes to the trials and tribulations of living with and taking care of a mentally ill relative. Tru Confessions is a much deeper and darker film where Shia LaBeouf plays Tru's twin, but the two lead very different lives.

    Gold Diggers

  • It's rare that you'll strike gold in the mountains of your local town, but what's less rare is finding out your partner in crime to get rich quick is being abused at home.

    Troop Beverly Hills

  • After her husband dumps her, Beverly Hills housewife Phyllis Nefler decides to take her boujie ass to lead a group of Wilderness Girls.

    While I wouldn't be opposed to glamping in the Hilton, the troop gets called out and has to prove they can survive knee deep in shit despite having gotten used to the fab life.

    She's All That

  • When some shitbag lookin ass dude offers you, a regular not ugly, but not popular girl to the prom, run far and fast, sis. She's all that is about Freddie Prince Jr. taking the most outlandish girl to prom and making her the prom queen for a bet with Paul Walker's character. I hate to say their dumb and hot because no one cares about the former when their mouths are shut.

    Single White Female

  • If you've ever seen The Roommate, then this movie is literally the original. One girl becomes obsessed with her roommate and tries to devour her persona and lifestyle. But hey, that's just another day in the life of me.

    Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

  • This movie speaks to me because I went to an all girls religious school and there's nothing worse than having to pretend like you haven't masturbated at least once in the locker room showers. Either way, this classic film starring SJP is one that shows girls breaking out of the mold and finding their own voice.

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    @aribines