10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Score: A (9.5/10)

Despite being the mother of all cliches, 10 Things I Hate About You ages brilliantly, offering a touching and realistic look at high school romance, nestled within the movie’s successfully comedic punchlines.

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The 1990s era of pop culture is vastly different from current eras. From the outfits to the world’s viewpoint at the time, there’s a simple yet entertaining side told of it in numerous films. However, 10 Things I Hate About You is more than a ‘90s romcom. It’s a surprisingly realistic look at high school romance while balancing a heavily comedic tone. It also includes one of Heath Ledger’s best performances alongside a talented cast of actors.

This movie makes one thing clear to its audience: it’s a romCOM. The jokes and punchlines almost always land in entertaining ways while often keeping it on a high school-esque level of mannerism. “The sh*t hath hitith the fan…ith” is something many wouldn’t expect to quote days, months, or years after watching the film. Despite this, the quote brilliantly represents the movie’s comedy and line deliveries. It’s also not afraid to be a high school movie. It’s as if a high schooler made the film for high schoolers, which is why it works so well.

However, the film also shines a bright light on romance in high school. Many stories tend to beautify and glamorize high school romance when it’s anything but that. High school is a time for exploration, often leading to elaborate and problematic situations. That exploration often leads to various romantic relationships and stereotypical high school drama. The movie is not afraid to point it out, especially since it’s a vital part of the story. It results in hard-hitting messages that many audiences will miss because they’ve never experienced them. For the people who have, however, it assures them that it’s a standard occurrence in high school. It’s remarkable how strongly the movie delivers it to them and likely remains in their minds long after watching.

More often than not, 10 Things I Hate About You looks at high school life and romance realistically and comedically. Each character has their charms and issues, with both elements bleeding onto the movie’s story. The movie also gets a typical high school romance down to a T, more so than many other films. Even if some people don’t fully understand the movie’s messages, others will connect to them on an unexpectedly strong level. It makes the film stand the test of time much better than other romance movies and lasts as a true centerpiece of high school romance and the 1990s era of our world.