‘Mean Girls’ Is a Cult Classic; Here Are Several Other Comedies to Watch

The 2004 comedy Mean Girls has become a staple in early 2000s classics, inspiring “Burn Books” everywhere.  Written by comedian Tina Fey, Mean Girls stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, who begins attending high school after being homeschooled in Africa for years.  However, she is quickly met with unfamiliar cattiness and promptly bonds with two unpopular teens, Janis and Damian.  Together, they launch a plot to take down popular school bully Regina Jorge and her crew, known across the school as the Plastics.

The movie was an instant box office success, grossing $24.4 million during its opening weekend before grossing over $129 million internationally on just an $18 million budget.  Its straight-to-TV sequel, Mean Girls 2, was introduced in 2011, though it didn’t achieve the same fanfare as the first one.  For those who enjoyed this tale and are looking for more movies like Mean Girls, consider any of these other titles filled with hilarious high school drama (or adult drama with a healthy dose of humor that calls back to the quick wit of this early 2000s hit.)

Bring It On (2000)

For a high-school dramady with a competitive edge, Bring It On is an early 2000s classic that has a similar feel to Mean Girls’ snappy dialog and clashes between rival groups. Centering around a cheer team hoping to win first place at nationals, Bring It On sparked a ton of sequels and spinoffs, so there’s plenty to enjoy. Bring It On is streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and the Microsoft Store if you’d like to check it out.

Girl’s Trip (2017)

If you want a movie like Mean Girls that contains the same off-the-wall comedy, interpersonal drama and even a group of girls with their own squad name (‘The Flossy Posse’), Girls Trip delivers for a slightly older audience. Not a teen comedy, no, but an adult comedy that’s filled with fun and relationship drama that will likely please Mean Girls fans just as much. A massive commercial success, Girls Trip banked $140 million worldwide on just a $19 million budget. Check it out on Google Play Movies, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.

13 Going on 30 (2004)

13 Going on 30 was also introduced in 2004 and introduced a twist on the usual coming-of-age teen trope.  The movie is based on a 13-year-old, Jenna, longing for popularity and the acceptance of her school’s most popular clique.  However, after inviting them to her birthday party with the bribe of doing their homework, they arrive and play a cruel prank on her.  Humiliated, she wishes to be a grown-up with a great life, and thanks to a bit of magic dust sprinkled on a birthday gift by a friend, she gets her wish.  Jenna suddenly wakes up in the future as a 30-year-old fashion editor (Jennifer Garner)  in the year 2004.

Senior Year (2022)

Senior Year is the hilarious story of 14-year-old Stephanie and her quest to become one of the most popular girls in 1999.  She works hard to become a star cheerleader and dates the most adored boy in her high school, Blaine.  During her bid to secure the prom queen title, her rival Tiffany hatches a plan to hinder her cheer performance.  This puts Stephanie in a 20-year coma.  She eventually awakes in 2022, learning that she is almost 40 and never got the opportunity to finish her education and rise to cheer prominence.  Furthermore, she discovers that Blaine and Tiffany have married and moved on with life.  Stephanie decides to return to high school and reclaim her throne with the help of social media, which wasn’t around during her reign.  However, she soon realizes that much has changed, including the importance of cheerleading in her stomping ground.

Bottoms (2024)

Two unpopular lesbian students at a football-crazy high school accidentally get accused of injuring the school’s star quarterback. To get out of trouble, they say they were practicing for a feminist “self-defense club”, which they then actually start – albeit with the ulterior motive of meeting girls. So goes the plot of 2024’s Bottoms , a teen comedy with over-the-top escalations that harken back to Mean Girls’ massive hallway brawl or Regina George getting hit by a bus. A homemade bomb, pineapple juice in the sprinklers, and misguided boxing matches make Bottoms a movie like Mean Girls for the modern era.

It seems to have hit that mark well, with 90% of critics who reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes rating it positively. The film stars Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, and many others. Football fans will recognize Marshawn Lynch in the lineup, too. It’s available to stream on MGM+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Premium, Sling TV, and Apple TV.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Another early 2000s hit, Freaky Friday, stars Lindsay Lohan alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, who portrays the mother and daughter duo Anna and Tess.  The teenage musician is fed up with bullies and her busy home life with her widowed mother, younger brother, and grandfather while also grappling with the death of her father; things come to a head during a heated moment with Tess.  While inside Pei-Pei’s Chinese restaurant, they are given fortune cookies, and after their argument, the mom and daughter read their fortunes aloud simultaneously, which prompts an earthquake.  The following day, Tess and Anna wake up in one another’s bodies, and pure chaos ensues, followed by an understanding of what the other deals with on a day-to-day.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Pitch Perfect follows the journey of Barden University’s all-girl a cappella troupe, which loses to its all-male rival group after a member throws up onstage during her solo performance.  Following this mishap, the girl group tries to recruit new members, though the school attendees want no part after the vomiting incident, which gives the team a bad reputation.  Luckily, a new girl on campus, who is also a budding musician, helps breathe new life into the girl team, which will have another chance to redeem itself. The sequels Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) followed, receiving good reviews from day one Pitch Perfect fans.

The Duff (2015)

Taking a page directly from Mean Girls , The Duff introduces viewers to Bianca (Mae Whitman), who is less popular than her two best friends at their Atlanta high school.  She attends a party hosted by the school bully, who is also highly favored amongst their peers, and learns there that she is considered a “DUFF,” which stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend.  This devastates Bianca, who unfriends her besties.  However, she soon comes up with a plot to become an “It” girl by helping another one-time friend with their grades.

Superstar (1999)

Superstar brings to life the SNL character portrayed by Molly Shannon.  She stars as Mary, an orphan raised by her grandmother who longs to be rich and famous.  Mary also longs to receive her first kiss while attending a catholic high school, where she is far from the trophy girl.  After being placed in special education classes, she finds a new pal and a new mystery guy, who also doesn’t fit in with the crowd.  After learning of the school talent show, which promises the winner a trip to Hollywood, Mary springs into action but must first overcome a rude head cheerleader and her minions.

The post ‘Mean Girls’ Is a Cult Classic; Here Are Several Other Comedies to Watch appeared first on Blavity .