Film

Coming Soon

Name: Coming Soon
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Released: 1999
Cast: Bonnie Root, Gaby Hoffmann, Ryan Reynolds, Mia Farrow, Tricia Vessey

Other titles called Coming Soon: the 1982 film.

Comedy
Light-hearted

A 1999 teen comedy about three privileged high school friends on a mission to lose their virginity and discover orgasms. It's earnest and giggly rather than crude, treating female desire as a legitimate plot rather than a punchline. Uneven in tone but genuinely interested in its characters' inner lives. For anyone who likes their '90s teen movies a little weirder and more thoughtful than the standard fare.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like raunchy, candid coming-of-age comedies where frank talk about sex is played for laughs and the friendships matter as much as the punchlines.

Skip it if you want a polished, sentimental teen romance, since the jokes lean crude and the tone stays more brash than tender.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes of quick, bawdy rhythm that rarely pauses, with an unembarrassed, sometimes coarse humor you need to be willing to sit through.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Clueless1995

A sharp, funny teen film that treats its young female characters as fully realized people with real stakes. Fast-paced, genuinely witty, and it actually cares about what its protagonists think and feel.

But If you've seen it already (and you probably have), there's nothing new here. The fashion and slang are very locked in their era.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants2005

Girls supporting girls through growth and self-discovery, with humor and genuine warmth. It respects its teenage characters' emotional lives without patronizing them.

But It's earnest to the point of sweetness, and the magical pants plot device is silly in ways the film doesn't quite acknowledge.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants poster

Heathers1989

Caustic '80s teen comedy that knows teenage social life is actually high stakes and brutal. Dark, smart, and genuinely shocking for a teen film.

But The tone is fundamentally cynical where Coming Soon is hopeful. It's also much meaner and more nihilistic.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Coming Soon

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

My Life as a Dog1985

Both films treat teenage sexual and emotional awakening as genuinely important, and both have the unusual quality of making you laugh while also feeling the real vulnerability of their characters.

A Swedish film about a sensitive boy navigating adolescence with humor and heartbreak. It finds the comedy in genuine emotion without mocking pain. A masterpiece about wanting things you don't quite understand yet.

But It's subtitled and European in sensibility—slower and more contemplative than American teen comedies. The tone is melancholic underneath the humor.

Superbad2007

Teen sex comedy that's both hilarious and surprisingly empathetic. It finds the genuine emotional vulnerability underneath the raunchiness without betraying either.

But Much more graphic and male-gaze focused, even though the heart is in the right place. Different movie entirely in terms of explicitness.

Election1999

Same year as Coming Soon, same dark comedy sensibility about teenage sexuality and ambition. Reese Witherspoon is incredible, and the script is wickedly observed.

But It's a satire with real bite and menace. Coming Soon is warmer; this one wants to skewer its characters.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High1982

The prototype for teen sex comedies that actually give a damn about character. Funny, raunchy, but never cruel. An influence you can feel in Coming Soon's DNA.

But The '80s production design and some uncomfortable gender politics will date it hard. Its view of teenage girls is limited by its era.

10 Things I Hate About You1999

Another late-'90s teen romantic comedy that balances genuine stakes with comedy. Sharp dialogue, real character work, and it doesn't condescend.

But The central romance is fairly conventional, and it leans heavily on the popular romance template. Less interested in female friendship than Coming Soon.

Mean Girls2004

Teen comedy with structural precision and character depth. Tina Fey's script is genuinely clever, and the social dynamics feel observed rather than invented.

But It's become a cultural touchstone everyone's already seen. Also much more concerned with social status than Coming Soon's sweeter vibe.

Wet Hot American Summer2001

Absurdist teen comedy that finds joy in pure silliness and genuine affection for its characters. Cast full of people about to become famous, and they're all committed to the bit.

But The humor is very constructed and arch. If you don't buy into the comedy style immediately, it won't win you over.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze1991

Both are '90s movies that refuse to be grim about adolescence. They have wildly different tools (ninjas vs. orgasms), but both believe teenage life can be funny, sweet, and ridiculous without needing tragedy.

The '90s teen movie as pure fun rather than meaningful drama. Shredder's trying to recruit the Turtles, there's a rock concert with a fake band, and everyone's having too much fun to take any of it seriously.

But It's aggressively silly and has no interest in character development or meaning. Also it's literally about cartoon turtles, which is a different register entirely.