Back in the late-1990s and early-2000s, Daria was THE show for misanthropic, book-loving teens. The title character speaks to anyone who found high school boring, who preferred to spend most of their time alone in their room, or who constantly proved the adults around them wrong. In 2018, MTV announced it was developing a reboot of the series, which aired between 1997 and 2002.
Daria is known for highlighting the dark side of high school in humorous and relatable ways, and the show’s characters span the spectrum of the teen tropes. From the football players to the cheerleaders to the goth kids, Daria takes these conventions and turns them in on themselves. For those who miss Daria’s unique take on life in the years before college, here are 10 teen comedies with similar tones and themes.
Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998)
Slums of Beverly Hills is a cult classic that follows a poor, nomadic family trying to make ends meet in 1976 Beverly Hills. Alan Arkin plays Murray Abramovick, a single father who keeps moving his kids from apartment to apartment in the 90210 area code, adamant about keeping them in Beverly Hills public schools.
Natasha Lyonne plays his teenage daughter, Vivian, who is coming into herself at a strange moment for the Los Angeles counterculture, which was still reeling from the Manson murders and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Awkward and hilarious, Slums of Beverly Hills is a testament to the fumbling nature of youth.
Ghost World (2001)
Terry Zwigoff’s adaptation of Daniel Clowes’s graphic novel of the same name is also a cult classic about two high school graduates who have no interest in following the same mainstream trajectories as their peers. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson play Enid and Rebecca, and they plan to skip college and figure out something else for themselves.
The movie focuses on the summer after their graduation, where Enid strikes up a strange friendship with the much older Seymour, played by Steve Buscemi. Enid and Rebecca’s bond severs as the summer progresses, and they are both forced to reconcile with their divergent needs and desires.
Booksmart (2019)
Booksmart is the kind of live-action film that explores what would happen if people like Daria and her best friend Jane were to give up on their creative and academic pursuits and indulge in the same level of partying as their peers.
Directed by Olivia Wilde, the movie follows two best friends, Amy and Molly. They are both straight-laced high school seniors who, on their last day as public school students, decide to spend the night getting in as much trouble as possible. Their night out on the town takes some interesting turns, and they learn a lot about themselves in the process.
Times Square (1980)
This film captures the punk rock movement, which flourished in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This youthful campaign involved fast-paced music, do-it-yourself aesthetics, and anti-establishment values.
Times Square tells the story of two runaway teens who flee to NYC in hopes of inundating themselves in the city’s thriving counterculture. These teens at the center of the film meet in a mental institution, and they form a bond based on their disavowal of mainstream ideals.
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
Another classic Natasha Lyonne 1990s cult film, But I’m A Cheerleader is a queer dark comedy about teens who are sent to an early iteration of a gay aversion camp. Lyonne acts alongside Clea DuVall, Bud Cort, and RuPaul.
Lyonne and DuVall’s characters are sent by their repressed parents, who fear they are becoming lesbians, to a special camp called True Directions. There, they are taught how to be heteronormative women, but none of the therapy sessions seem to stick.
Thumbsucker (2005)
This mid-naughts satirical indie flick stars Lou Taylor Pucci as a high school senior who deals with familial and social stress by reverting back to his childhood oral fixation. Justin Conn is a thumb sucker.
After he receives hypnosis from his orthodontist, played by Keanu Reeves, and is prescribed ADD medication from his school psychologist, Justin transforms into an active and confident teen who gives up on sucking his thumb. He takes over his debate team and forms a bond with his crush, Rebecca. Justin soon realizes, though, that participating in school activities doesn’t equate to finding happiness.
Better Off Dead (1985)
A young John Cusack plays a heartbroken teenager in this absurdist 1980s teen comedy. John Hughes meets John Waters, Better Off Dead follows Cusack’s character Lane in the wake of suicide attempts after his girlfriend dumps him for a more popular student.
In the vain of Harold and Maude, Lane toying with death seems to be the result of misguided teenage angst and loneliness. As Lane prepares to challenge his ex’s new boyfriend in a skiing match, he makes friends with a girl named Monique, and the pair of misfits eventually find solace in each other.
Mallrats (1995)
Writer and director Kevin Smith makes a humorous statement about suburban mall culture with this feature about a pair of slackers who spend most of their time in a New Jersey mall. Jeremy London and Jason Lee star as T.S. and Brodie, two buddies who were just dumped by their girlfriends.
They find comfort in the long corridors of their local mall, where they stumble upon a game show being filmed on-premises. They meet all kinds of characters along the way.
Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig’s heartwarming film about a Sacramento high school student circa 2002 stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine McPherson. Christine is a high school senior who goes to a private Catholic school despite her family’s financial struggles.
Over the course of her senior year, Christine loses her virginity, has her heart broken, applies to college, and clashes with her protective mother, played by Roseanne’s Laurie Metcalf. Eventually, Christine decides she wants to go to art school across the country in New York City, which opens up old wounds and new opportunities.
Pump Up The Volume (1990)
A young Christian Slater plays high schooler Mark Hunter who runs a secret pirate radio station in his basement by night using the alias Hard Harry. He blasts heavy music, complains about teenage life, and gives other kids his age an outlet for all their angst.
Soon, adults and authorities want to shut down Hard Harry’s broadcast, which has become popular among his fellow suburban Arizona misfits. The director, Allan Moyle, is also responsible for Times Square and Empire Records.
