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5 teen shows to take your mind off adulting

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Katherine Langford in 13 Reasons Why. (AP)
Katherine Langford in 13 Reasons Why. (AP)

Cape Town - Internet TV brings you a line-up of classic, clever, eye-opening movies and series about life as a teenager in one of the world’s most ruthless environments: High school.

It's the perfect weekend remedy for all that responsible adulting you’ve got to do during the week.

Mean Girls (2004)

Tina Fey wrote and stars in this fabulous comedy about a home-schooled 16-year-old (Lindsay Lohan) who has to navigate the complex social strata of high school for the first time. Amanda Seyfried co-stars as a sweet airhead with a “fifth sense” in her first-ever movie role, and Rachel McAdams plays a bitchy role for once, as ill-fated queen bee Regina George. It may seem fluffy but it breaks the “chick-flick” mould more than once, with a lesson in feminism from Fey’s Ms Norbury and a shocking, hilarious comeuppance for Regina that nobody saw coming.

Watch the trailer here:

Available on Showmax.

Assassination of a High School President (2008)

The title might make it sound like some kind of dour documentary, but this quirky movie about an intrepid, geeky high school reporter called Bobby Funke - pronounced “funk” - was well-received at the Sundance Film Festival and also stars Bruce Willis as the strident high school principal. Bobby starts investigating missing exam papers along with the most desirable girl (Mischa Barton) at his Catholic high school, who’s suddenly very interested in him.

Watch the trailer here:

Available on Showmax.

The Bet (2010)

This South African movie shot in English and isiXhosa tells the story of 17-year-old Biko, a Matric pupil who’s about to write his finals. But all he can think about is getting the girl of his dreams, Lizzie Abrams, to fall for him. The clock is ticking, time’s running out - the year’s almost over, and he’s only got two months to win her heart. This Heartlines film is good viewing for teens, with its message of the importance of self-control.

Available on Showmax.

13 Reasons Why (2017)

This gripping series has caused a stir with its refusal to shy away from some of society’s most taboo subjects: Teen suicide, and the grief it leaves in its wake. It’s told from the perspective of Clay, a shy nobody who was secretly in love with Hannah Baker, a girl at his school who recently committed suicide. A box of audio tapes mysteriously comes into Clay’s possession, and, since it’s 2017, he first has to find something to play them on before he can figure out why he’s got them. When he finally listens, he discovers that on the seven double-sided tapes, made by Hannah before she died, are the 13 reasons she decided to end her life. Beautifully shot and with complex, intricate characters, this series is completely compulsive, so clear about 13 hours in your schedule this weekend to binge it back to back.

Watch the trailer here:

Available on Netflix.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

The movie about high school with a soundtrack that’s got to be one of the best ever (as well as being one of the most popular film of the 80s), this John Hughes coming-of-age classic is about five teenagers from different high school cliques who spend a Saturday morning in detention together and end up learning important lessons about themselves and life in general from their fellow students, even though at first, it seems that they have nothing in common. This movie was so influential that even the poster, shot by Annie Liebowitz, changed the way teen films were marketed from then on. 

Watch the trailer here:

Available on Netflix.

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