Top 11 High School Movies

CJ Tiernan
5 days ago
7 min read

By CJ Tiernan

High School is one of most formative runs of your life. Some people live it up and it's the best time of their lives while others keep their heads down and can't wait to get out. You develop or strengthen friendships that can run through the rest of your days and create a pathway to your future. But, High School is really hard. There is a lot to balance in your life all while hormones course unbridled through your system. It can be isolating, which is why it is nice to see others in your shoes portrayed onscreen. Whether the movie reminds of yourself or someone you know, or just crafts a crazy scenario that's entertaining, it's nice to see high schoolers portrayed in a movie. Below is a list of my 11 favorite movies I've ever seen that feature High School students and their lives.

1. Back to the Future (1985)

Marty McFly, a senior at Hill Valley High, accidentally travels back in time 30 years (courtesy of his adult scientist bestie) and attends high school with his parents. He has knocked his own future out of whack by ruining his parent's meet-cute. He then quests to get them back together and travel back to his time (courtesy of his 30-years younger adult scientist bestie). It's one of the greatest movies of all time. While some of his plights are a skosh unrelatable, there are still a lot of universal High School elements. Bullying, dating, and getting yelled at for running in the halls. Classic! While the Flux Capacitor may be the thing that makes time travel possible, the high school setting is what makes this story relatable.

2. 21 Jump Street (2012)

Guillaume Paumier, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Channing Tatum is funny! That was the first takeaway from this movie. We hadn't gotten to see him be funny before this one. Based on the Johnny Depp TV show from the late '80s, this movie follows two cops that go undercover to find the source of a drug running rampant through a High School. They experience a culture-clash from what they were used to when they went to school. This one really tackles the importance of the feeling of belonging and finding your people. With Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle, and Jonah Hill, "21 Jump Street" is stacked and was highly worthy of its sequel (which falls under the category of "College Movies" so stay tuned for that Top 11 List).

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

It is a lot of fun to watch a superhero go through the same High School stresses as the rest of us. He was bullied and struggled with a dating life and disappointing friends and just feels really human. This iteration of Spider-Man features the life of Peter Parker crashing down to earth a bit after showing up in an epic showdown with Iron Man against Captain America. He has to be school kid while also taking down the big bad (Michael Keaton's Vulture). It is a great movie and fun fact: It was cowritten by John Francis Daley (Sam from "Freaks and Geeks" and Sweets from "Bones") who also wrote for movies like "Game Night," "Horrible Bosses," and "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."

4. Superbad (2007)

Jonah Hill again! I guess he went through a phase there where he was crushing it on the High School circuit. In this one, he and Michael Cera try to go out with a bang on their High School careers. This is another portrayal of High Schoolers as people that are just trying really hard to fit in and hit certain preconceived standards and thresholds for what they feel people their age should do. It is one of the funniest movies ever. It was largely written by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan (guess where they got the names for the main characters) when they were actually in High School.

5. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

What!? The second time travel movie in the Top 5? Bill & Ted travel through time to assemble a legion of actual historical figures to aid and abet their attempt to have a good enough presentation to pass history class. The titular characters are slackers in a metal band (a band, "Wyld Stallyns," whose philosophy will be the foundation of the utopian society humanity experiences 700 years in the future) ushered through time in a phone booth by a guy named Rufus (the irreplaceable George Carlin). This movie highlights the all too real presence of procrastination and the looming threat of being sent to military school. "San Dimas High School football rules!"

6. Booksmart (2019)

This is probably the most underrated movie on my list (or maybe it's just the movie that's had the least amount of time to become a classic since it was released most recently). "Booksmart" is not at all dissimilar to the conceit of Superbad (but the main characters are girls instead of boys). Two High School seniors that have had an impressive academic run start to wonder if their goody-two-shoes approach to life was worth it and decide to cut loose for a night of debauchery. 'Tis a very funny movie, dealing with a sense of belonging, sexuality, friendship, and breaking free of stereotypes, so it's also poignant.

7. Juno (2007)

"Juno" follows the title character navigating teen pregnancy. She is ushered into a lot of adult conversations and feelings at the measly age of 16. High Schoolers navigating pregnancy isn't universal, but navigating their feelings and communication and their home and family life and a sense of belonging is. Casting wise, this movie is stacked. It stars Elliot Page and Michael Cera (another High School Movie staple!) and the supporting actors list is loaded: Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, and J.K. Simmons. I think we all would have strove to be as independent as she was through adolescence. Plus, the aesthetic of this movie might belong in the quirky Hall-of-Fame.

8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

This John Hughes classic follows the titular character taking a day off of High School. He seems to have a foot in every clique as all the students seem to love him #SaveFerris! (except for his sister, that is). Following a kid taking a sick day by fooling his family (minus his sister) and school (minus the principal) is a wild ride spanning a swath of events including stealing (and wrecking) a Ferrari, taking in a Cubs game, and dancing in a parade. Ferris is the rare High School kid in a movie that doesn't have any problems he overcomes. Other than avoiding the pursuit of his sister and principal, he is seemingly unflappable. It is the type of character you wish you were rather than the type you actually are. But then again, he keeps breaking the fourth wall, so in real life he may be institutionalized. Either way, he'll always be the Sausage King of Chicago (Abe Froman) to me.

9. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

I'm not a big Shakespeare fan. The dude used a lot of words I can't fully decipher just to say something boring like "What's up!" However, this movie, which takes "The Taming of the Shrew" into the 20th century, managed to make it approachable and appealing. I don't think that people in Shakespearean times had to attend High School, because it would have led to their mid-life crisis preceding receipt of their diploma, but you can get the sense of universal tribulations. It is a story that deals with love, and finding your place in the world, and being authentic. Plus, who doesn't love a young JGL, Julia Stiles, and Heath Ledger? What is there to hate?

10. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't, Don't you, forget about this movie. "The Breakfast Club" is a coming-of-age staple (classic John Hughes). It follows five kids who've been saddled with the unfathomable concept of Saturday detention. They have to spend the whole day together to write a 1000-word essay explaining "who they think they are." They all have very surface-level stereotypes but, throughout the film, we peel back layers like a parfait or an ogre to get to know them more. It is the pinnacle of High School drama, as these teens deal with living up to the expectations of others (including their own parents), their own identities, and being understood. It is powerful and iconic. [walks away with a fist in the air]

11. Better Off Dead (1985)

"Better Off Dead" is weird in the best possible way. In the middle of the movie, the main character, Lane (a High Schooler played by John Cusack), day-dreams that he Frankensteins a burger to life and the burger proceeds to shred to Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some." Lane gets fired from his fast-food job (ob-v). Other weird things include a Japanese drag racer doing a Howard Cosell impression every time he's onscreen, Lane's genius younger brother who launches a space shuttle from his bedroom during the end credits, and the insane meals that Lane's mom cooks (she can be seen at one point seasoning a pot with flailing tentacles sticking out the top). As far as the actual plot goes, it follows Lane as he gets dumped for a better skier and decides he either needs to win her back skiing or take his own life. It features such High School staples as getting over being dumped, getting bullied, finding a true connection with someone, and being resilient. Highly worth the watch if you get the chance (presently on HBO Max). They don't make movies this goofy anymore.

Final Thoughts

We all had to traverse the halls of High School. Sometimes we like knowing we're not alone and sometimes, especially with the interval of time, we can gain perspective on our own experiences. I'm sure your experiences were different from mine so your list may very well differ too. Please let me know in the comments if I left any of your favorites off the list. I have included a handful that just missed my list below. Thanks!