Heartbreak High and 5 messy teen dramas to stream right now

High school years can be filled with drama and angst in our real lives, and for some reason we like to see that portrayed on television as well. Perhaps it gives us some reassurance that what happens to us happens to others as well, and some viewers feel seen. Other times, I think teen dramas are comfort shows because some of the storylines just aren't realistic.

Heartbreak High, The O.C., and other series' fall into those categories. No matter what you're looking for, I've got your back! Need some recs? Here are 6 messy teen dramas to stream right now. Find them listed below, and keep reading for detaisl about each show!

• Heartbreak High
• Everything Now
• The O.C.
• Pretty Little Liars
• Bel-Air
• The Summer I Turned Pretty

Heartbreak High

Stream on Netflix

Heartbreak High sort of gives off the Mean Girls movie vibes, but is much more mature. Instead of the Burn Book, you've got a map with details of Hartley High's sexual exploits revealed. Yup. I think the Australian series also relates to Euphoria pretty well. There's themes of gender and sexual identity, students with challenging circumstances, characters not making the best choices, romances of course, and general teen angst.

So really, the show has it all. Get ready for twists and turns and all sorts of mess. The drama also has an element of mystery and intrigue as Amerie Wadia, the co-creator of the map, admits to creating it and leaving her former friend Harper McLean out of it after some event happened at a music festival. The series stars Ayesha Madon, Asher Yasbincek, Thomas Weatherall, Bryn Chapman Parish, James Majoos, Chloé Hayden, and more. Heartbreak High has a total of two seasons so far with eight episodes each. Netflix has not renewed or cancelled it yet.

Everything Now

Stream on Netflix

Sophie Wilde proved her talent and became a breakout star following her horror movie Talk to Me. So it was really exciting to see the actress leading a new British series, Everything Now. Unfortunately Netflix has cancelled the series and so we only have the one season. But I definitely still think it's worth watching if you're a fan of dramatic teen dramas.

Wilde takes on the role of 16-year-old Mia, a young teen who has recovered from an eating disorder. While she was away in recovery, her friends have all sort of grown up and moved on without her. From drinking and partying to hooking up, she hasn't had the opportunity to do any of the "normal" teen things like her peers. She creates a bucket list to do all of that, but there's no shortage of secrets and truths that come out along the way. This is a really good show that you'll enjoy!

The O.C.

Stream on Hulu and Max

This one's an oldie but a goodie for sure! The O.C. ran for 4 seasons, and brought with it lots of ups and downs for the characters. And I mean a lot. The series ran from 2003 to 2007. But trust me. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should. The four main characters - Ben McKenzie as Ryan Atwood, Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper, Adam Brody as Seth Cohen, and Rachel Bilson as Summer Roberts - are put through some pretty mature challenges, as well as living in the world of the rich and elite.

Make sure you have tissues on hand, because believe me you'll need them. I definitely did! What I like about the series is that though it's a teen drama, it explores important issues that can actually be relatable to many viewers. So be sure to give it a shot! The story mostly centers around Ryan who is a troubled teen from a broken home adopted by the wealthy Cohen family.

Pretty Little Liars

Stream on Hulu and Max

Right now more recently we've got Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and the second season titled Summer School, but all the little lies and secrets started with the OG Pretty Little Liars in 2010. "Got a secret, can you keep it?" truly defines this teen drama. Each of the main girls - Troian Bellisario as Spencer; Ashley Benson as Hannah; Lucy Hale as Aria; and Shay Mitchell as Emily - has their own personal secret and lies that they're keeping. And of course "A" is aware of these and uses it against the foursome.

With 7 seasons of the show, you can believe a lot of twists and turns happens in each of their own personal lives, as well as them as a group. For a messy but mysterious drama, PLL is the place to go! While I'm not a fan of Original Sin as much, that series actually has a more slasher theme to it with bigger secrets from the mothers and could be another to add to your list.

Bel-Air

Stream on Peacock

Bel-Air on Peacock is a much, much more dramatized version of the hit comedy Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The same character names and rough story are used, but the journeys of the characters are very different and it's not connected to the original show. The series starts off with a bang as Will, who lives in West Philadelphia, is caught up in an encounter with a gang member to no fault of his own. His mother and uncle, Philip Banks bail him out of jail and it's decided he's moving in with his uncle's family in Bel-Air, Los Angeles.

This version of Carlton, Will's cousin, is much more complicated where the character struggles with self-identity and living up to big expectations in his family. The Banks family is wealthy, and Will has to adjust to that and more in his new home. And add to all of that are the pressures of high school of course as well. The series stars Jabari Banks as Will Smith, Adrian Holmes as Phillip Banks, Cassandra Freeman as Vivian Banks, Olly Sholotan as Carlton Banks, Coco Jones as Hilary Banks, Akira Akbar as Ashley Banks, and more. The first two seasons are currently streaming, and a third has been confirmed but no release date has been announced yet.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Stream on Prime Video

You want a teen love triangle? You can get that with The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video! The show is centered around Belly who is spending the summer as always at Cousins Beach with her mom and brother, as well as family friends - the Fisher family. She's always liked Conrad but he's never seen her that way. But he might finally open his eyes this summer and realize his feelings may have gone from friendly to romantic. Too bad Belly is also starting to grow feelings for his brother Jeremiah.

Any story that has to do with a love triangle, especially involving siblings, is bound to be messy and dramatic. The first two seasons are out, and a third one is on the way. The romantic teen drama is based on the trilogy of books of the same name by author Jenny Han who also created the series.