Television series
Locker Diaries: Camp Rock
A Disney+ series that follows the messy, hilarious friendships and first crushes unfolding at Camp Rock. Part musical, part coming-of-age comedy, it captures the specific chaos of teenage summers—the talent show disasters, the crushes that feel like the end of the world, the bonds forged in a few weeks that somehow feel permanent. Warm and funny, perfect for anyone who remembers being thirteen.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy brisk, good-natured stories about young people and the small embarrassments and private confessions of growing up, with a light comedic touch you can finish in one sitting.
Skip it if you need a dense, plot-driven show, since five short episodes leave little room for slow development and the characters may stay sketched rather than deep.
What it asks of you: Little time and little commitment: five episodes, one season, and a light, quick rhythm you can take in across an evening without much weight to carry.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series2019
A behind-the-scenes look at teenagers putting on a play, with genuine heart, excellent songs, and a real understanding of how making art together makes people fall in love. It's sweet without being saccharine.
But If you find the self-aware meta-ness exhausting, or if you want plot momentum over character moments, this will feel glacial and precious to you.
Ginny & Georgia2021
Teen drama with actual comedy in it, strong friendships at its core, and the kind of messy family dynamics that feel real. The humour lands, the stakes feel earned, and it doesn't talk down to its audience.
But Some plotlines sprawl and lose steam. If you need everything neatly resolved by season's end, you'll be frustrated.
Never Have I Ever2020
Sharp, funny coming-of-age about friendship and identity with a genuinely brilliant lead. It finds humour in specific cultural moments without making them the joke. Strong supporting cast across four tight seasons.
But The romantic plots sometimes overshadow what makes the show good. Some viewers find the protagonist annoying by design, which is intentional but not for everyone.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Locker Diaries: Camp Rock
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Almost Famous2000
Both understand that summer isn't the backdrop to growing up—it's the whole story. The friendships formed and tested matter more than any plot.
A film about teenage friendship, music, and the magic of summer that captures that specific ache of being young and thinking everything matters enormously—because it does. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe with genuine love for its characters.
But It's nearly three hours, and it sprawls. If you need plot economy or are impatient with nostalgia, you'll find it self-indulgent.
More like this (8)
Atypical2017
Suburban comedy-drama centred on a teenager with autism, their chaotic family, and the specific friendships that sustain them. Funny, tender, and never condescending. Four seasons, none of them wasted.
But If you've seen the promotional materials, you know the shape of it. Some storylines feel obligatory. It's earnest to a degree that can feel heavy-handed.
Bunheads2012
A show about ballet-obsessed teenagers and the messy, loving adults who teach them. Witty dialogue, genuine friendships, and a real passion for dance. Amy Sherman-Palladino at her most charming.
But It was cancelled after one season. If you hate unresolved endings, this will haunt you. Also: very fast-talking, very 2012 in its sensibility.
The Summer I Turned Pretty2022
Romance at its heart, but genuinely grounded in the friendships and family relationships that make summer matter. Beautiful to watch, warm without being sappy, and the love triangle doesn't overshadow everything else.
But If you're suspicious of teen romance full stop, this won't convince you. Some plot developments feel recycled from better shows.
SKAM2015
A Norwegian series about teenagers' actual lives—friendship, queerness, bullying, mental health, love—told with stunning directness and realism. Each season focuses on a different character. No filler, all substance.
But Subtitled, and the original format involved watching clips in real time across multiple platforms. Some US viewers find the tonal shifts abrupt.
Dead Boy Detectives2024
A supernatural mystery about friendship and found family, gorgeously shot, wonderfully weird, and genuinely moving. Adventure, humour, and real emotional stakes woven together without condescension.
But The plot requires you to accept some genuinely odd supernatural logic. If you want grounded realism, the genre will feel like a liability.
Everything Sucks!2018
A love letter to high school theatre and the misfits who make it happen. Funny, touching, with a genuinely brilliant ensemble. The 90s setting gives it distance without feeling nostalgic.
But Cancelled after one season. The plot is slight—if you need driving narrative, you'll feel like nothing happens. Also very specific in its humour; not everyone will land on its wavelength.
Suspiria1977
Both explore the intensity of a closed world—camp or academy—where friendships form under pressure and mentorship becomes complex and dangerous. The stakes are just much, much higher.
A visually stunning horror film about a young dancer arriving at a prestigious dance academy and discovering something sinister underneath. Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake expands this into a meditation on ambition, mentorship, and survival.
But It's genuinely unsettling and violent. If you want comfort, this is not it. The 2018 version is nearly three hours of atmosphere and dread.
The Spectacular Now2013
Both capture the intensity of teenage connection and the way summer relationships feel like they'll define everything—but where Camp Rock trusts in warmth, this film sits with ambiguity and the possibility that connection can hurt.
A teen romance that refuses easy answers, centred on two people who meet by accident and change each other in ways that aren't all good. It's honest about how love can feel redemptive and destructive simultaneously.
But It won't make you feel better about anything. The ending refuses to promise what you want. Some find it bleak.
