A Concise Video History of Teens Climbing Through Each Others’ Windows

In the trailer for Paper Towns—the movie based on a John Green novel that is set to be released on Friday—Cara Delevingne’s character performs a teen movie rite of passage: She climbs through another teenager’s window. It’s easy to see why the climbing-through-window trope is an appealing one for filmmakers: It’s a convenient set piece that allows characters to bypass nosy parents and jump straight into a scene. So over the years, teen movies have given us hundreds of notable window entrances. Sometimes it’s your close friend; other times it’s your boyfriend who may or may not also be trying to murder you; and other times it’s that werewolf kid who insists on making your vampire boyfriend—who also loves to climb in through your window to watch you sleep—uncomfortable. The point is, it’s always cool. Especially when it’s done to the tune of the right ’90s song.