Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- breezy
- witty
- sincere
- date night
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics found the contrived teen-comedy premise derivative, but broadly agreed that Drew Barrymore's sunny, lovable performance gives the film considerable charm.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Josie Geller poses as a high-school student for a newspaper assignment, creating sustained dramatic irony around her age and professional mission.
Josie's humiliating high-school memories return as she attempts to relive teenage social life and find the belonging she missed.
Rob gives Josie a popular makeover, allowing her to move through the school hierarchy while she struggles with authenticity and acceptance.
Josie's deadline and undercover cover story increasingly endanger her connection with Sam Coulson and her newly regained social life.
Films like Never Been Kissed, and why
10 Things I Hate About You
Shares a teen-oriented romantic comedy structure, awkward outsider protagonist, and transformation through high-school social pressures.
The Princess Diaries
Combines coming-of-age humor, adolescent social hierarchies, and a warm romantic arc centered on an initially marginalized young woman.
The Hot Chick
Features a fish-out-of-water adult navigating youth culture through deception, with a similarly breezy and sentimental romantic-comedy tone.
The Wedding Singer
Shares a late-1990s romantic comedy sensibility, workplace complications, and an emotionally sincere outsider seeking acceptance.
Movie Details
- Director
- Raja Gosnell
- Release Date
- 1999-04-09
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (1627)
Cast
- Drew Barrymore
- David Arquette
- Molly Shannon
- Michael Vartan
- Jessica Alba
- John C. Reilly
- James Franco
- Octavia Spencer
- Jenny Bicks
- Garry Marshall
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus, USA Network
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Never Been Kissed about?
- A ridiculed newspaper copy editor goes undercover at her former high school and discovers that professional ambition, romantic hope, and old insecurities collide.
- What is Never Been Kissed like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Never Been Kissed as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Never Been Kissed violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Never Been Kissed.
- What did critics think of Never Been Kissed?
- Critics found the contrived teen-comedy premise derivative, but broadly agreed that Drew Barrymore's sunny, lovable performance gives the film considerable charm.
- Which films are like Never Been Kissed?
- Films with a similar feel include 10 Things I Hate About You, The Princess Diaries, The Hot Chick, and The Wedding Singer.
- How long is Never Been Kissed?
- Never Been Kissed runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Never Been Kissed?
- In United States, Never Been Kissed streams on Disney Plus, USA Network.
