Movies like 'John Tucker Must Die' for Those Who like Teen Revenge Comedies

"John Tucker Must Die" celebrates its 17th anniversary in 2023 since its release in 2006. The Shakespearean-adapted teen revenge comedy has had many predecessors and successors that also drew inspiration from well-known bards.

"John Tucker Must Die" is one of the staple teen revenge films of the 2000s, following three high school girls who plot their payback against the serial cheating boyfriend who dated them all at once.

Starring Jesse Metcalfe as the titular victim of their ploy, the girlfriends played by Ashanti (Heather), Sophia Bush (Beth), and Arielle Kebbel (Carrie) set John Tucker up to fall in love with Kate (Brittany Snow) only to watch her break his heart.

The film, which also featured "You" star Penn Badgley, was inspired by the Shakespearean play "The Merry Wives of Windsor." Many other films of the same genre have followed that route, paying homage to late writers and filmmakers like Jane Austen and Alfred Hitchcock. Find a list of a few watchworthy mentions below.

'Do Revenge' (2022)

"Do Revenge" is a recent addition to the teen revenge genre. It follows Drea (Camilla Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who agree to take down each other's enemies, i.e., Drea's misogynistic, hypocritical ex and the girl who destroyed Eleanor's reputation with a nasty rumor.

The "Do Revenge" plot is adapted from the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock film, "Strangers on a Train." The decades-old thriller is about two eponymous strangers who meet and plot to "exchange murders" to avoid getting caught.

'Mean Girls' (2004)

Another iconic 2000s teen revenge comedy, "Mean Girls" follows exchange student Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), recruited by Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese) to infiltrate the popular girls' clique, The Plastics.

Cady's task is simple: take The Plastics down from the inside, a plan she's more than ready to enact when the clique's leader betrays her trust. Alongside Lohan, Caplan, and Franzese, "Meangirls" stars Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried.

'Heathers' (1988)

"Heathers" takes a darker twist to teen revenge comedy. It follows the beloved Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer, a high schooler who's outgrown her popular girl phase. Her solution? To murder her popular friends and make their deaths look like suicide.

Veronica pairs with mysterious new student Jason "J.D." Dean to implement her plan, even conjuring up a suicide note, all to "feel normal" again. But things go far from ordinary from this point.

'Thoroughbreds' (2017)

"Thoroughbreds" is another dark teen comedy that, much like Veronica and Jason in "Heathers," sees two teenage girls, Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke), resort to murder to solve their problems.

Lily lives with her mom and stepdad, a cold, no-nonsense husband who wants his stepdaughter out of the house and off his "payroll." When he announces he's sending her to boarding school, Lily tells Amanda, who casually suggests killing him, and the chaos ensues.

'Jawbreaker' (1999)

"Jawbreaker" is another true ode to its genre, following the three beautiful high school girls who kidnap the prom queen, who happens to be their best friend, on her birthday and accidentally kill her with a jawbreaker.

While they scramble to figure out what to do with the body, a determined detective sniffs their trail for the truth. The crime comedy starred Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, and Julie Benz.