Movies like The First Time (2012)
The best movies like The First Time (2012) are To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), Keith (2008) and Charlie Bartlett (2008). If The First Time hooked you with its drama and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLove, Simon (2018)8.0/10 from 6,375 votes
- NewestHow to Lose a Popularity Contest (2026)Released 2026
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control when her secret letters to every boy she's ever fallen for are mysteriously mailed out.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKeith (2008)
Natalie is high school royalty, but her queen bee status falls apart when she falls for the new guy at school. Although Keith ignores her at first, they soon become friends -- even though Natalie suspects that Keith has something to hide. As the free-spirited Keith shows Natalie how to embrace what life offers, they grow closer -- until a secret tests the bounds of their relationship
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCharlie Bartlett (2008)
Awkward teenager Charlie Bartlett has trouble fitting in at a new high school. Charlie needs some friends fast, and decides that the best way to find them is to appoint himself the resident psychiatrist. He becomes one of the most popular guys in school by doling out advice and, occasionally, medication, to the student body.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSixteen Candles (1984)
With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha faces her 16th birthday with typical adolescent dread. Samantha pines for studly older boy Jake, but worries that her chastity will be a turnoff for the popular senior. Meanwhile, she must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted, who is unfortunately the only boy in school who seems to take an interest in her.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHe's All That (2021)
To get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, an influencer attempts to transform an unpopular classmate into prom king.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlex Strangelove (2018)
Alex Truelove is on a quest to lose his virginity, an event eagerly awaited by his patient girlfriend and cheered on with welcome advice by his rowdy friends. But Alex, a super gregarious dude, is oddly unmotivated. A magical house party throws Alex into the presence of Elliot, a hunky college guy, who pegs Alex as gay and flirts hard. Alex is taken aback but after a series of setbacks on the girlfriend front he takes the plunge and learns some interesting new facts about himself.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrippin' (1999)
Greg is near the end of his senior year in high school, wanting to go to the prom, eyeing Cinny (the school's beauty with brains) from afar, and regularly trippin', daydreaming about being a big success as a poet, a student, a lover. His mom wants him to apply to colleges, but Greg hasn't a clue. One of his teachers, Mr. Shapic, tries to inspire him, too. He finally figures out he can get close to Cinny if he asks her for help with college applications. But friendship isn't enough, he wants romance and a prom date. So, he tells a few lies and, for awhile, it seems to be working. Then, things fall apart and Greg has to figure out how to put the trippin aside and get real.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Love, Simon (2018)
Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his family or friends that he's gay, and he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he's fallen for online.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDating Amber (2020)
Eddie and Amber decide to stage a relationship in order to stop everyone speculating about their sexuality. Eddie is keen to follow his dad into the military, while Amber dreams of moving to the liberal hub of London. The plan seems solid, but as their arrangement begins to fall apart, Eddie’s denial gets deeper as Amber realizes that a perilous future awaits her best friend unless she intervenes.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSay Anything... (1989)
Average student and eternal optimist Lloyd Dobler seeks to capture the heart of Diane Court, a beautiful but unattainable valedictorian classmate. He surprises just about everyone - including himself - when she returns the sentiment. However, Diane's divorced, over-protective father soon begins to disapprove of the match, and Lloyd realises that it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCamille Rewinds (2012)
Camille was only sixteen and still in high school when she fell in love with Eric, another student. They later married and a child and were happy for a while. But now twenty-five years have passed and Eric leaves her for a younger woman. Bitter and desperate Camille drinks so much liquor at a New Year Eve's party that she falls into an ethylic coma and she finds herself... propelled into her own past! Camille is sixteen again when she wakes up this morning, her parents are not dead anymore and she must go to school, where she will meet her schoolmates and, of course, Eric. Is she going to fall for him again and... be miserable twenty-five years later? Or will she avoid him with the result never having her beloved daughter? Who ever said that time traveling was fun?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBart Got a Room (2008)
High school loser Danny Stein needs a prom date. As a cause of anxiety for Danny, Bart Beeber, the nerdiest guy in school, has already found a date. At the same time, Danny's divorced parents are both seeking relationships again.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Girl Next Door (2004)
Exceptionally ambitious high schooler Matthew has aspirations for a career in politics when he falls in love with his gorgeous 19-year-old neighbor, Danielle. But Matthew's bright future is jeopardized when he finds Danielle was once a porn star. As Danielle's past catches up with her, Matthew's love for her forces him to re-evaluate his goals.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Lose a Popularity Contest (2026)
A rebellious student and a perfectionist overachiever form an unlikely alliance in their race for student body president, discovering unexpected feelings along the way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Candy Jar (2018)
Dueling high school debate champs who are at odds on just about everything forge ahead with ambitious plans to get into the colleges of their dreams.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDaydream Nation (2011)
Forced to move to a boring backwater town, a teenager embarks on affairs with a teacher and a stoner classmate.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisWords on Bathroom Walls (2020)
Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe DUFF (2015)
Bianca's universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Hoping to erase that label, she enlists the help of a charming jock and her favorite teacher. Together they'll face the school's mean girl and remind everyone that we are all someone's DUFF… and that's totally fine.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChemical Hearts (2020)
When a hopelessly romantic high school senior falls for a mysterious new classmate, it sets them both on an unexpected journey that teaches them about love, loss, and most importantly themselves.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)
A quirky teen with a penchant for war reenactments, Kelly Ernswiler obsesses over military tactics with his buddy Bart. The school bully is one of Kelly's regular headaches, and he also has to deal with a frustrating situation at home, where his father is a recovering drug addict. Kelly's life gets even more complicated when he falls for Tabby, Bart's pretty and soon-to-be-wed older sister.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisPaper Towns (2015)
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge, he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Quentin arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Quentin soon learns that there are clues, and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Quentin gets, the less he sees of the girl he thought he knew.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spectacular Now (2013)
Sutter, a popular party animal, unexpectedly meets the introverted Aimee after waking up on a stranger's lawn. As Sutter deals with the problems in his life and Aimee plans for her future beyond school, an unexpected romance blossoms between them.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGetting That Girl (2011)
When East Coast teen Mandy Meyers moves to Los Angeles with her family, she's thrown into the fast life at McDermott High, where the pretty girls rule the school and two very different guys want to date her.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Geography Club (2013)
A coming-of-age movie that tells a story unfolding in every high school around the country -- a story of kids hiding their true identities in plain sight, even as they feverishly pursue their hearts' desires.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCool Kids Don't Cry (2012)
Tough prime school girl Akkie loves soccer and can be a real bully. Love is the only thing she's scared of. When Akkie is diagnosed with leukemia, she has to fight for her life. On the verge of going to high school, Akkie has to allow love to enter her life, and thus gain courage to accept the inevitable.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1991. High school freshman Charlie is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two senior students, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, become his mentors, helping him discover the joys of friendship, music and love.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Two high school girls are best friends until one dates the other's older brother, who is totally his sister's nemesis.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKissing Is the Easy Part (2026)
Sean's gunning for MIT. Flora's ditching the SAT. A secret deal with her tenured parents sparks a romance that challenges everything they believe in.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDirty Girl (2010)
Accompanied by her closeted gay buddy, a promiscuous teenager sets out to find her long-absent father.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYes, God, Yes (2020)
Alice, a young innocent Catholic girl, is tempted into masturbating after an AOL chat suddenly turns sexual, however is conflicted as the act would be considered a sin.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The First Time?
The closest matches to The First Time are To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), Keith (2008) and Charlie Bartlett (2008). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The First Time?
People who watched The First Time most often go on to To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), Keith (2008) and Charlie Bartlett (2008).
What is the highest-rated movie like The First Time?
Love, Simon (2018), rated 8.0/10 by 6,375 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The First Time?
How to Lose a Popularity Contest (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The First Time?
Yes: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), Keith (2008) and Charlie Bartlett (2008).
How are movies similar to The First Time chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The First Time, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.