Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
★★½ — Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Not Another Teen Movie arrived in late 2001 as part of a brief but commercially reliable wave of genre parody films riding the coattails of the Scary Movie franchise (which had grossed over $150 million the previous year). Directed by Joel Gallen, a television producer and director best known for MTV awards specials rather than features, it was his theatrical debut and remains his only cinema release of note. Columbia Pictures and producer Neal H. Moritz bankrolled the project at a modest $16 million, and it returned over $66 million worldwide, making it a solid if unspectacular hit. The film essentially functions as a feature-length collage of John Hughes-era and late-1990s teen comedies, with She's All That providing the central spine. It also served as an early leading role for Chris Evans, some years before his Marvel commitments reshaped his career entirely.
Not Another Teen Movie (2001) is a gleefully absurd spoof that knows the teen movie playbook inside and out, and proceeds to mock every cliché with exaggerated glee. From over-the-top prom scenes to impossible popularity hierarchies, from the “ugly girl makeover” to sports teams winning against all odds, it throws every high school trope into a blender and hits puree. There are genuinely funny moments that land with sharp, satirical timing. The cast leans hard into the silliness, with Chris Evans (yes, that Captain America) stealing scenes as the impossibly perfect jock. The humour is dumb, often juvenile, but self-aware enough to work in bursts. That said, it’s just an average spoof, funny in places, but stretched too thin to sustain its runtime. Once you get the joke (which happens fast), it just repeats variations on the same gag. The plot barely exists. The characters are walking punchlines. And while it’s clearly inspired by Scary Movie, it lacks that film’s relentless energy and shock value. Entertaining if you’re in the mood for mindless laughs, but forgettable once it’s over. Not another classic. Just another comedy. But hey, it delivers what it promises: dumb fun with a wink.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2001 | Watched: 2025-10-21
Where to watch (UK)
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
