What Movies Like After Are Based On Popular YA Novels?

When I want more of the 'After' energy—angsty, relationship‑first YA adaptations—I usually reach for a short watchlist: 'The Kissing Booth' (a sweet but messy romance with friend/forbidden elements), 'Beautiful Disaster' (darker new‑adult vibes and volatile leads), 'If I Stay' and 'The Fault in Our Stars' (both emotionally intense, book‑faithful tearjerkers), and 'Fallen' or 'Beautiful Creatures' if you prefer supernatural stakes. A quick heads‑up: some of these come from online/fanfic origins like 'After' did, so they can feel serialized and sometimes glorify toxic dynamics — which is part of the appeal for some viewers but worth being mindful about. If you want a simple viewing order, start with 'The Kissing Booth' for light fun, then try 'Beautiful Disaster' for heavier romance, and finish with 'If I Stay' or 'The Fault in Our Stars' if you’re in the mood to cry.

If you liked 'After' for its messy, pulpy romance and the way it leans hard into chemistry and drama, there are plenty of movie adaptations of YA or new‑adult novels that hit similar beats. I binged a few of these on a rainy weekend once, curled up with snacks and my copy of 'After' on my phone, and loved how each one handled the tension between characters in different ways.

Start with 'The Kissing Booth' — it’s lightweight, flirty, and has that forbidden‑friendship vibe that fuels a lot of teen romance. Then there's 'Beautiful Disaster' (based on Jamie McGuire’s book), which sits closer to the new‑adult territory with angsty, volatile romance that can feel a lot like 'After'. If you want more tearjerkers, 'If I Stay' and 'The Fault in Our Stars' adapt very emotionally charged YA novels and focus on intimate relationships under extreme circumstances. For paranormal spice, 'Fallen' and 'Beautiful Creatures' bring supernatural romantic tension rather than straight contemporary drama.

A couple of notes from someone who reads the book after watching the film (guilty habit): adaptations often streamline the internal monologue and ratchet up physical moments to sell chemistry, so if the emotional pull of 'After' was the main draw, read the book versions for more nuance. If it was the steam and late‑night binge feel, go for 'The Kissing Booth' and 'Beautiful Disaster' first. Also, if you’re curious about origins, 'After' and 'The Kissing Booth' both have roots in online writing communities, which explains that raw, serialized energy. Happy watching — and maybe keep a box of tissues nearby for the sappy ones.

I love trashy, all‑in romances on screen, and whenever someone asks for movies like 'After' I get way too excited. From my late‑night perspective (I’m the friend who texts you at 1 a.m. saying “You HAVE to watch this”), some films nail the toxic-but-addictive vibe while others bring the heartbreak.

The essentials for that vibe: 'The Kissing Booth' (think messy choices and loud chemistry), 'Beautiful Disaster' (new‑adult tension and alpha leads), and 'Twilight' (if you want broody obsession, yes, it’s older but foundational). For softer but still intense love stories, 'If I Stay' and 'The Fault in Our Stars' are gorgeously sad and focus on emotional stakes over spectacle. If you like a paranormal twist with your angst, 'Fallen' and 'Beautiful Creatures' do that supernatural-romance thing which can amplify the drama.

A little pro tip from my late‑night movie habit: check how faithful the adaptation is to the book if you care about character depth. Some movies opt for big moments and lose the inner monologue that made the novel addictive. Also, a few of these started life online — that serialized feel often makes the pacing very bingeable. If you want recs for a weekend lineup based on mood (steamy vs. tearjerker vs. supernatural), I can map that out too.