“Chick flicks” are the ultimate guilty pleasures, given the title, because they’re primarily geared toward female viewers, and sadly, we’re seeing fewer of these types of films these days. This became apparent in the fan ranking site Ranker‘s recent poll, which deciphers the best chick flicks ever made, as most of the list are throwbacks from the 1990s and 2000s.
It certainly took us down memory lane, remembering the joy we felt while watching Clueless with our girlfriends on a Saturday night, with the popcorn popped and nail polish ready. Even if more chick flicks were made today, we’re not sure if they’d ever compete with the gems of our childhood. However, we look forward to the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series (Lexi Minetree has some big shoes to fill as Reese Witherspoon‘s Elle Woods).
There are hundreds (nearly 500!) of chick flicks fans voted for on Ranker as their favorite, but we’ve narrowed it down to 10 stand-out films. Let this be your guide for the weekend because we know you’ll want to binge every single one.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
It’s been over 25 years since 10 Things I Hate About You hit theaters, and it’s still one of the most popular rom-coms ever to exist. Although it made every teenage girl anxiously await to be serenaded with a song and dance on the football field, accompanied by the school band (thanks to Heath Ledger’s character, Patrick), we loved watching the romantic chase and relatable high school drama unfold.
In October 2024, lead character Julia Stiles reflected on the movie’s legacy in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. “I’m totally appreciative of the fact that that movie still means something to people… To know that other people respond to that movie the same way that I did is really nice,” she told the outlet after gushing over Ledger’s iconic musical scene and another where her character gets emotional while reciting a love poem.
The film starred many beloved actors, including Joseph Gorden-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union, Larry Miller, and Allison Janney. Thankfully, the movie is available to stream on Disney+ so we can relive the glory days at Padua High School.
Legally Blonde (2001)
In 2001, women were inspired to pursue their wildest dreams and woo men with the infamous “bend and snap” thanks to Legally Blonde. The film proved that anything is possible after sorority girl Elle Woods got into Harvard Law School and graduated at the top of her class while dealing with a breakup (#TeamWeHateWarner). The plot was something we hadn’t seen on screen, and Witherspoon brought the story to life, along with Elle’s adorable Chihuahua Bruiser.
As we mentioned, Legally Blonde is being remade into an Amazon Prime TV series following Elle through high school before aspiring to become a lawyer. In February 2025, Witherspoon announced via Instagram that Minetree was replacing her as Elle in the series in a bittersweet moment of her passing the torch.
Witherspoon also starred in the sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde, which premiered in 2003, although the first will always be our favorite. Jennifer Coolidge, Ali Larter, Luke Wilson, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Davis, and Selma Blair are also among the cast.
Mean Girls (2004)
Every chick flick has memorable scenes and lines that live rent-free in our minds, and Mean Girls is no exception. The 2004 comedy showed us that the bullies always finish last (or get hit by a bus. Sorry, Regina George) and to always remember who our true friends are. In our opinion, the film should be a requirement for all high schoolers to watch, and maybe every prom queen will hand out a piece of her crown to other deserving classmates.
Lindsay Lohan portrays the main character, Cady Heron, a transport from Africa who was homeschooled before landing into the popular crowd at an Illinois public school. Her co-stars include Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Jonathan Bennett, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, and Amy Poehler.
In 2011, the movie was revived for Mean Girls 2, but it didn’t have the lasting impression the first film did with a whole new cast. Creator Fey later adapted a Broadway musical of the iconic film, which ran from 2018 to 2020, and fans can currently see Mean Girls on tour, proving that we can never get enough of the “the Plastics.”
Clueless (1995)
Perhaps it was the killer fashion sense of the rich kids at Beverly Hills High School or the undeniable chemistry among the characters that had fans enamored by 1995’s Clueless. Whatever it was, the fandom remains, and, like Means Girls, it has been adapted into a musical. The off-Broadway production premiered in December 2018, putting a different spin on the ’90s classic, and still runs today.
In July 2025, Clueless celebrates 30 years since its opening weekend, surely making many of its fans feel old (we know we do). Thankfully, we still see some of the cast on-screen in newer projects (with the exception of Brittany Murphy, RIP). The rest of the cast includes Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, and Elisa Donovan.
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Who could forget Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway’s first film, The Princess Diaries, which premiered in 2001? It had us dreaming of suddenly discovering we were the princess of a part of Europe, and our grandmother held the reign as the queen. Hathaway also perfectly played the part of an awkward teenager turned royalty, and yes, we wish our foot popped during our first kiss, too.
Alongside Hathaway in the film are Julie Andrews, Mandy Moore, Heather Matarazzo, Robert Schwartzman, Erik von Detten, and Héctor Elizondo. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement came out in 2004, although nothing could live up to the original in our eyes (even when throwing Chris Pine into the mix).
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, a third film is on the way, which Hathaway announced in October 2024 and is scheduled for release sometime in 2025. It’s unknown what cast members are returning, though Pine told Entertainment Tonight in 2023 that he’d be on board.
The Proposal (2009)
The classic tale of a couple who fakes their engagement to save one from being deported from the country. That’s the gist of The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, which premiered in 2009. Reynolds portrays Bullock’s assistant, who would do anything to get on his boss’s good side, even if that means lying to the world about the nature of their relationship.
Betty White, Oscar Nuñez, Mary Steenburgen, and Malin Akerman also star in the Rom/Com. Reynolds and Bullock sold their characters’ love story so much that rumors circulated that they developed a romance off-screen. The actress shut down the chatter while speaking to Al Roker on the red carpet at the 2011 Golden Globes, saying the pair were just good friends, as per E! News (which, at the time, sigh).
Miss Congeniality (2000)
Long before The Proposal, fans were goggling over Bullock in Miss Congeniality, in which she plays a tomboyish FBI agent who goes undercover at a Miss USA pageant after a terrorist threatens to bomb the event. Bullock nailed the part of a rough and tough cop turned beauty queen, and her character eventually learned to walk in high heels.
Her co-stars include Benjamin Bratt, Heather Burns, William Shatner, Michael Caine, and Candace Bergen. The film recently got a major resurgence on Netflix after it joined the streamer, at one point becoming the fourth most popular movie on the platform, according to Movie Web.
We can’t say we’re surprised since it is an iconic film and one of Bullock’s best. And it will forever be better than the 2005 sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, which critics felt missed the mark based on its 41 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
The Notebook (2004)
It turns out the 2000s were the decade of the chick flicks, and we’re totally here for it. The Notebook might be one of the most tear-jerking films on this list, but we wouldn’t expect anything less from a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. It’s still hard to believe that Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams weren’t fond of each other in real life (which the director revealed to VH1 in 2014) because they indeed sold their characters’ love story for the cameras.
We have to say the film hits differently today. We mean, Allie cheating on her fiancé Lon with Noah isn’t model behavior, but we understand why it happened (It wasn’t over. It still isn’t over). The film’s other stars include James Marsden, Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Kevin Connolly, Joan Allen, and Sam Shepard.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
During a 2019 interview on The Graham Norton Show, John Krasinski admitted he’d seen the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, in which his wife Emily Blunt stars, over 70 times, and honestly, same. How could you not want to repeatedly watch fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) reprimand her staff and send her assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway) on tedious errands?
The movie might not stand up as well if it were made today because workplace harassment is more of a hot-button issue, but it’s an entertaining watch. Stanley Tucci and Adrian Grenier also have prominent roles in the film, and the former revealed in March 2025 that he resonates the most with his character, Nigel.
“He’s very stylish, and he can be a bit caustic. But he’s got a good heart,” Tucci said during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. We’re hoping he reprises his role for The Devil Wears Prada sequel, which was announced in July 2024 (via The Hollywood Reporter).
13 Going on 30 (2004)
The last staple chick flick on our list is 13 Going on 30, which dropped in 2004 starring Jennifer Garner. The film is about Garner’s 13-year-old character, who becomes an adult overnight after making a wish on her birthday cake. Being grown-up, however, comes with many responsibilities and isn’t as simple as she thought.
This movie is the sole reason many of us know the choreography of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and scour the grocery store for Razzles every chance we get. Joining Garner is her on-screen love interest, Mark Ruffalo, and BFF Judy Greer, while her younger self is played by Christa B. Allen.
In November 2024, Ruffalo revealed to People that 13 Going on 30 is the film fans mostly approach him about, which is a big compliment for the movie, considering the actor is also The Hulk in numerous Marvel productions. That year commemorated the film’s 20th anniversary, and now we can’t wait until 13 Going on 30 turns 30!
As we said, Ranker‘s list is hundreds of movies long, so we couldn’t touch on each one. However, we strongly encourage you to check out the list for inspiration for your next chick flick binge. However, these might be enough for one weekend.
