2024 marks the 25th anniversary of 10 Things I Hate About You, the quintessential 1990s romantic comedy with a star-studded cast including Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As a self-proclaimed rom-com connoisseur, I highly recommend this film to everyone. It takes a typical romantic comedy and warmly satirizes the genre to create a film that any viewer will appreciate.

The film follows two teenage sisters, Kat (Julia Stiles) and Bianca (Larissa Olyenik), through their romantic trials in a loose adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare.” As in most romantic comedies, stereotypes permeate the plot. Kat is the archetypal rebel: she frowns, dresses in black, and blasts Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” in a broken-down car. Meanwhile, Bianca is the sophomore class princess, rocking an adorable sundress while catching the eye of freshman Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) and senior Joey (Andrew Keegan). As one might expect, the differences between the sisters create some antagonism. Kat often beats Bianca for her cookie-cutter ways, while Bianca despises her sister’s desire to stand out.

If those were the extent of the stereotypes, there wouldn’t be much to discuss in “10 Things.” If you want to see another black cat — ironically named Kat — fall in love, watch She’s All That. If you want to see the Queen Bee from another school – Bianca – find her an unlikely match, watch Clueless.

But “10 Things I Hate About You” amplifies stereotypes to the point of ridiculousness. When Cameron visits his new school, his guide and soon-to-be best friend Michael (David Krumholtz) – and predictably the object of comic relief – introduces him to the school cliques without question. The labels start out casual enough — “AV Geeks” and “Basic Beautiful People,” to name a few — but quickly take a turn. The school doesn’t just have gamers and nerds, but also hilariously obscure groups like Future MBA—for us Duke students, this nerdy, preppy bunch might hit close to home—and Urban Cowboy, who often lasso immovable objects.

“10 Things I Hate About You” doesn’t shy away from perceptions of the rom-com genre. The film embraces them, before adding a twist of edgy humor.

The film’s plot structure resembles others from the 1990s rom-com era: two white, straight, upper-middle-class, conventionally attractive teenagers fall in love against the odds! However, there are a few key differences that allow the film to stand out.

First of all, Kat is somewhat different from the typical protagonist of the Romanian comedy of the 1990s. She remains true to herself, even if she often conflicts with the social standard. The queen bee protagonists love it Elle Woods she already “fits in” with her peers, while outcasts like Samantha Baker strive to fit in, changing until they do.

Kat, however, is highly disliked by the school for making her controversial views known. In English class, for example, she causes a scene by calling for more female authors to be included in the curriculum (while the class rolls their eyes). Even the guidance counselor considers her an “obnoxious bitch.” Kat continues to be unpleasant until the end of the film, confronting the oddballs while presenting a dramatic poetry assignment in front of the class.