10 Amazing Teen Movies You Might Have Missed

Angus is, on the surface, a run-of-the-mill teen film: loser has a hard time, comes through it, and gets the girl of his dreams. However, it stands out from the pack and looks at this simple plot from a different angle.

Angus is an overweight high school kid who is bullied most days about his size and mostly by the popular quarterback, Rick Sanford (James Van Der Beek). The big difference here is Angus never allows himself to be the helpless victim and comes out on top in the altercations shown between him and Rick - physically anyway. This doesn’t seem to help his cause though and he remains an outsider, his only friend being Troy, another unfortunate target for the same treatment.

The main focal point of the story is a cruel prank that results in Angus being voted Prom King for a joke, along with Melissa Lefevre (Ariana Richards) as Queen, the girl he’s been in love with for years. Most of the film plays out as you would expect, but it does so with truly affecting charm. You cannot help but root for Angus and be impressed with his endless resilience despite what he goes through.

There are a number of poignant moments throughout, which lift the film dramatically and the supporting cast are all good, particularly in the case of Angus’s Mother and Grandfather played by Kathy Bates and George C. Scott. The script is a little saccharine in places but it all adds to the feel-good story.

It’s a criminally under-seen film, particularly outside of the U.S, but well worth checking out.