10 Things I Hate About You – A Nostalgic, Imperfect, but Endlessly Rewatchable Classic

 

There are some movies that just feel like a comfort watch, and 10 Things I Hate About You is definitely one of them. It’s lighthearted, fun, and full of charm, yet it still has enough depth to make it engaging. It’s one of those rom-coms that never quite fades into the background, thanks to its strong performances, witty dialogue, and iconic moments. That being said, watching it with a critical eye reveals a few cracks beneath the nostalgia.

The Strengths: What Makes It So Good?

The biggest reason this movie holds up so well is its cast. Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona is effortlessly charismatic, with a bad-boy charm that never feels forced. Julia Stiles, as Kat Stratford, delivers a standout performance, making Kat feel layered and real rather than just a rebellious stereotype. Their chemistry? Absolutely top-tier. Their moments together—especially that stadium serenade scene—are the kind of classic rom-com moments that make you swoon every time.

The humor is another highlight. Unlike many teen rom-coms that rely on slapstick, this one leans into sharp, sarcastic comedy, making it genuinely funny even decades later. It also modernizes Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in a way that feels fresh and relevant, updating the core story while keeping the themes intact. And of course, there’s that one scene—Kat’s sonnet reading in class—that remains one of the most emotional and memorable moments in teen movie history.

The Flaws: What Doesn’t Hold Up?

While Kat is a strong female lead, she still falls into the classic “I’m not like other girls” trope, which, while acceptable in 1999, feels a bit tired today. Yes, she’s opinionated, stands up for herself, and embraces feminism, but her arc revolves around softening up for a guy, which contradicts her otherwise fiercely independent nature. Bianca, her younger sister, is frustratingly shallow for most of the film, and Joey, the designated high school villain, is so exaggerated that he barely feels real.

And while Patrick Verona is undeniably swoon-worthy, his entire romance with Kat is built on a deal—he was paid to date her. The movie does a great job of making us forgive this, but when you step back and think about it, it’s not exactly an ideal foundation for a love story. The film also doesn’t completely shake off the outdated themes of The Taming of the Shrew—there’s still a lingering sense of “taming” Kat rather than just letting her be herself.

Final Verdict

Despite its flaws, 10 Things I Hate About You remains a timeless rom-com that’s easy to love. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. The charm of the cast, the snappy dialogue, and the perfect mix of humor and romance make it endlessly rewatchable. Whether you’re watching it for the first time or revisiting it with nostalgia, it’s hard not to enjoy.

To put it simply, 10 Things I Hate About You is still a masterwork of rom-com writing, which is why many movies these days, regardless of genre, tend to try to do too much and be too many different things at once. This is ultimately a relatively straightforward movie, but the way everything comes together and how each character interacts with the others in some manner makes complete sense; nothing about it seems forced, put on, or out of place. Perhaps because it is one of the many modern 2000s movies based on Shakespeare, yet this film is still as timeless as it has ever been.

This is as entertaining for adults as it is for its target adolescent audience since it is well-paced, entertaining, and humorous. There are definitely more great aspects of the movie than negative ones, so I doubt I could list ten things I hate about 10 Things I hate About You.

 

Score: 9/10 – An iconic classic that never gets old.