Plot: Two teenage Australian girls seek acceptance with the cool surfing crowd.

KBZ’s Take: Though the title of this film would make one think it’s a Sex Comedy, it’s much more nuanced than that. The film is more like the female coming-of-age themes of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). While it’s not as funny or dramatic as that film, it’s still an engaging look at early 1980’s teen surf culture in Australia (and it’s similarities to the U.S.). Recommended for fans of the subgenre.

Additional Lists: More Top 80’s Sex Comedies You Haven’t Seen #1

Where to Stream / Buy: https://youtu.be/eS2Tr3uJQCY

Plot: In Scotland, dorky Gregory develops a crush on a female who joins the male football team.

KBZ’s Take: This Scottish film has a great heart and a very likeable lead in John Gordon Sinclair (Gregory). Sinclair plays the awkward Gregory as a teen who stumbles and fumbles his way through a coming-of-age experience. The film’s humor is more offbeat and dry but the story is universal – a young teen discovering his feelings for a member of the opposite sex. Except this crush, is now a teammate. It’s also a film that defies typical teenage coming-of-age film tropes with surprising twists and turns. Highly recommended film of the subgenre.

Additional Lists: Top 1980’s Sex Comedies You Haven’t Seen #2

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XY7ODP

Plot: Two teenage girls from different economic classes compete at camp to see who can lose their virginity first.

KBZ’s Take: An early 1980’s comedy that was unique for its time – a summer camp themed-film with female leads trying to lose their virginity. Starring teen stars (at the time) Tatum O’Neal, Kristy McNichol and a very young Matt Dillon, the film features adult themes but foregoes the raunchiness for a more realistic view of two females coming-of-age. Though the economic status of both girls isn’t explored in-depth, it does feature a unique story of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood at summer camp.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WQxHo3

Plot: Three partying teenage girls convince their uncle to stay at his beach house for vacation.

KBZ’s Take: This is one of the numerous B-film variety Sex Comedies that flooded theaters and drive-ins during the early 1980’s. However, it’s one of the better B-films of the subgenre. It follows most of the same film tropes you’ll see in other teen sex comedy films of the era, but it rises above the rest due to its realistic portrayal of some of the teens and situations they find themselves in. This film won’t win any Academy Awards, but for fans of the subgenre, it’s a recommended film to seek out.

Additional Lists: Top 1980’s Sex Comedies You Haven’t Seen #1

Where to Stream / Buy: https://tubitv.com/movies/694662/the-beach-girls

Plot: Young American hustler sees the woman of his dreams and pursues her to Oxford University.

KBZ’s Take: A forgotten film of the 1980’s and one of Rob Lowe’s earliest starring roles, Oxford Blues doesn’t bring anything new to the subgenre. However, with a UK setting at Oxford and a subplot featuring rowing, it blends the Teen Comedy with Sport Drama for a surprisingly engaging film. The film also stars 80’s icon Ally Sheedy along with Julian Sands and Amanda Pays. It’s a film worth seeking out especially for fans of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Jx0hbj

Plot: Sex shenanigans and escapades between female and male private school students.

KBZ’s Take: One of the better Tier-2 sex comedies set at a school in the early 80’s. While it doesn’t break new ground in the subgenre, it rises above similar films with a great cast. Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine and Michael Zorek are all great in this film despite the lack of depth in their roles (and in the script). It’s one of the lesser-known films of the subgenre but worth seeking out by subgenre fans.

Additional Lists: The Best 1980’s Sex Comedies #20

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3GJTSGF

Plot: Teenagers get caught up with sex, drugs and work while also becoming rivals over a romantic interest.

KBZ’s Take: One of the earlier teenage / coming-of-age sex comedies on the 80’s, The Last American Virgin has a paint-by-the-numbers first 2 acts similar to most other sex comedies. Where it diverges and becomes its own special film, is how it treats the 3^rd act and an ending which is more of a reality than most people are expecting.

Additional Lists: Top Raunchy Comedy Films and Sex Comedies You’ve Never Seen #4, The Best 1980’s Sex Comedies #4

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3iRZfLM

Plot: Four college losers are forced to participate in an intercollegiate raft race.

KBZ’s Take: This film often gets confused with Hot Dog… The Movie (1984) as both films came out in 1984 and were ‘R-rated college sports themed’. However, Up the Creek actually holds up well 35+ years later. It’s much funnier, has better acting, has Tim Matheson basically reprising his role as Otter from Animal House (1978) and of course has Chuck The Wonder Dog.

Additional Lists: Top Sports Comedies You Haven’t Seen #3, Top Raunchy Comedy Films and Sex Comedies You’ve Never Seen #7, The Best 1980’s Sex Comedies #11

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3wa8SIR

Plot: Trust fund kid hires teenage conman to take his place at prep school.

KBZ’s Take: Another lost classic of the early 1980’s, Making the Grade is one of the best Teen & College Comedies and best films of the Fish Out of Water subgenre. We do have some personal bias with this film as its one of our favorites. It’s Judd Nelson’s second-best performance (after The Breakfast Club (1985)), stars an extremely funny Dana Olsen as the real Palmer Woodrow, and even has Andrew Dice Clay in one of his earliest roles. It also has a rather unique setting and theme compared to most other films in the Teen & College Comedy subgenre. As a straight up Fish Out of Water Comedy, it doesn’t create or even reinvent any popular subgenre tropes, but it does use them to great effect repeatedly throughout the film for one of the funniest films of the 80’s.

Additional Lists: Top Fish Out of Water Films You Haven’t Seen #1

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3ufab8j

Plot: Prep student falls for his roommate’s mother.

KBZ’s Take:  Given the prominence of the ‘male jailbait’ theme of the early 1980’s, we had to select one film from this theme, and Class is the best film of the lot. Unlike the other films which feature early years teenagers and sex fantasies with older women (which we’re pretty sure would never be made in this day and age), Class actually is a more realistic coming-of-age story. It’s entirely plausible that Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy) would meet and fall for Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset). Though the remainder of the story is a bit predictable, it’s still engaging due to a stellar cast with McCarthy, Bisset, Rob Lowe, Cliff Robertson, John Cusack, Alan Ruck and Virginia Madsen. It’s also one of better films of the subgenre to balance an adult theme with drama and comedy. The film foregoes raunchiness to bring ‘class’ to the subgenre theme of teens in love with older women. If you still haven’t seen this film, it’s one of the better films of the subgenre and highly recommended.

Additional Lists: The Best 1980’s Sex Comedies #8

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3IVd7j3