Ah, high school—the love-hate relationship we all remember a little too well. Between the cliques, first loves, football games, and the whole concept of figuring out who you are, there's enough drama to keep thing interesting. And even if your high school days are long behind you, there's something totally nostalgic about watching a dramatic coming-of-age movie about kids (*cough* 25-year-olds playing teens *cough*) who are still figuring it all out.
We'll be the first to admit that some high school movies feel almost like fantasy movies. Like, where tf were the Zac Efrons and John Tuckers when I was in high school? And, um, I would have also loved to find out that I was a full-blown princess like Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries. But I digress. There are definitely much more realistic high school movies (enter stage right: the most cringe-worthy teenage moments), but hey, we all have to stay humble somehow.
These 60 best high school movies will make you feel like a teen again (but only for a couple hours, so chill out). Oh, and if you're not actually a teen anymore, you're totally allowed to enjoy a bottle of Trader Joe's wine with these movies.
Do Revenge
Two teen girls, one a former queen bee and one a new exchange student, team up for revenge on both their enemies at a private school.
Dead Poets Society
“Oh captain, my captain.” This 1989 tearjerker takes place in a Vermont boarding school, and more specifically, an English classroom—aka, the most magical place on Earth. Robin Williams plays the most angelic high school teacher you’ve ever seen with a love of poetry and compassion for his students. Feel good flick? Not so much. Will you ugly cry? Yes.
Fame
This 2009 remake of the 1980 classic film of the same name stars Kelsey Grammer, Kay Panabaker, and current Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cameo star: Diana’s husband Asher Monroe! Fame is a fictionalization of a very real school, New York City’s famed LaGuardia High School. Some of LaGuardia’s top alums include Timothée Chalamet, Nicki Minaj, Sarah Paulson, and Jennifer Aniston.
Footloose
Another '80s remake for you, the 2011 version of Footloose stars Kenny Wormald, Julianna Hough, and Dennis Quaid and follows the same story as the original: rebellious teens in a high school that has banned dancing and rock music.
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Who does high school melodrama better than LiLo? No one. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen follows an aspiring teen actress who struggles with her family’s move from the glamorous New York City to the less-glamorous state of New Jersey.
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Released in 1996, Mr. Holland’s Opus follows a composer-turned-music teacher whose passion for music supersedes his disdain for teaching.
Project X
Ah, yes, the movie that sparked a cultural shift. If you were in high school circa 2012, you may remember life in two halves–before and after Project X. The film, made of found footage à la The Blair Witch Project, is about a house party gone wrong, thrown by a trio of high school students hoping it will boost their popularity.
Waves
An A24 sleeper, Waves is the best movie you’ve never seen. Released in 2019, Waves stars Sterling K. Brown, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell (who you’ll see in the upcoming film Bones and All), and Euphoria’s Alexa Demie. As the log-line goes, it follows “the emotional journey of a suburban American family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the wake of a tragic loss.” No spoilers on that “tragic loss.”
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
This classic just might make you want to call out sick, spring your best friends from school despite a suspicious vice principal, "borrow" a Ferrari, and spend the day treating yourself to museums and lavish meals. Extra credit if you end up performing in a parade before the day is over.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This tender movie based on the book of the same name follows Charlie, a socially awkward high school freshman struggling with his mental health after the death of his best friend by suicide. He meets two charismatic high school seniors who take him under their wing and teach him about friendship, love, heartbreak, and how to stop watching life from the sidelines. Get the tissues ready.
Licorice Pizza
The 2021 Oscar buzz for this one was real. This movie follows Gary Valentine, a precocious high school student/child actor who becomes enamored with Alana, an aimless 25-year-old working for a school photographer. It follows them through the next few years as they start businesses together, become close friends, fight, make up, and live through the ups and downs of the early 1970s.
She's the Man
Based very loosely on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this 2006 movie follows Viola, who disguises herself as her twin brother to attend an elite boarding school in his place. Naturally, shenanigans ensue.
17 Again
Two words: Zac Efron! This follows Mike, a 37-year-old whose life is kinda falling apart. One night, he's miraculously transformed back into his 17-year-old self and given the opportunity to relive his glory days as a high school basketball player.
The Half of It
The Half of It follows Ellie Chu, a bookish teenager who agrees to write a love letter to her classmate Aster on behalf of a jock-ish classmate, Paul. Paul and Ellie get close, but tensions arise as Ellie develops romantic feelings for Aster.
Banana Split
This messy, relatable movie about heartbreak and friendship is definitely worth a watch. April and Nick break up near the end of their senior year of high school. He starts dating a girl named Clara shortly after, and April is devastated. But then, she and Clara realize they have more in common (besides Nick) and become close friends. It's surprisingly sweet!
Sierra Burgess Is a Loser
Smart but unpopular high school student Sierra starts texting with a cute guy, only to realize he thinks he's texting another person, and that person just happens to be Sierra's popular mean-girl classmate Veronica. Awkward! Sierra offers to tutor Veronica in exchange for help with texting him, but of course, things don't go according to plan.
The Kissing Booth
Elle and Lee have been best friends since birth, but they have a few rules for their friendship, including one that says Lee's older brother Noah is *very* off-limits. But when Noah and Elle kiss as part of their school fundraiser, it kicks off a romance that definitely breaks the rules. If you like this one, good news: There's a Kissing Booth 2 and a Kissing Booth 3 available to stream on Netflix.
Moxie
Fed up with the constant sexism at her school from boys ranking girls on their body parts (um, EWW) to administrators who don't do anything about reported harassment, a shy 16-year-old decides to make a change. Inspired by her mom's rebellious past, she publishes an anonymous 'zine calling all of it out.
The Prom
Talk about an all-star cast. I mean, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, AND Kerry Washington?? Wow. This flick revolves around a high school in small-town Indiana, where the PTA has decided to cancel prom rather than let a lesbian student bring her girlfriend to the dance. A group of struggling Broadway actors hears about this, and they head to Indiana to show their support (and give their careers a nice lil publicity boost).
Tall Girl
High school is awkward enough already, but when you're a young woman over six feet tall, it sure doesn't make things easier. Jodi is the eponymous tall girl, who starts to fall for a handsome Swedish exchange student.
Juno
This quirky movie about a pregnant high school student gave us so much, like hamburger phones and the reintroduction of the word "homeskillet." Plus Michael Cera being adorably awkward in gold shorts.
Napoleon Dynamite
Remember when everyone was wearing Vote for Pedro T-shirts in 2004? You have this movie to blame. It follows a geeky high schooler as he fights with his brother, tries to impress a girl, and attempts to get his best friend elected to student government with a choreographed dance. Truly iconic.
Dazed and Confused
This stoner comedy follows a group of teenagers in Texas as they celebrate their last day of high school in 1976. Also, this movie is when Matthew McConaughey said his iconic catchphrase for the first time: "Alright, alright, alright."
Jennifer's Body
Now that the Megan Foxissance is here, can we agree that this campy horror flick is also a smart feminist classic?? Megan Fox plays Jennifer, a popular cheerleader who is "actually evil, not high-school evil" after a weird encounter. Her best friend Needy might be the only person who can stop her.
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A Walk to Remember
Get the tissues ready for this heartfelt drama about two teenagers from different social groups as they fall in love. Sounds pretty basic, until you add in the fact that she has leukemia that's not responding to treatment. Mandy Moore, why did you do this to me???
Plan B
If you liked Booksmart, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this movie about a high schooler who has sex for the first time. When she finds herself in need of a Plan B pill, she and her best friend go on quite an adventure trying to get one.
Easy A
Scandal-less student Olive Penderghast (aka bb Emma Stone) sheds her nobody status after making up a story about losing her virginity, which spreads around school faster than the common cold. She uses her new-found cool-girl reputation to help other misfits by pretending to hook up with them. Oh, high school.
Mean Girls
Who else but teen queen Lindsay Lohan plays the previously-homeschooled Cady Heron as she enters the political world of public high school and its complicated social scene for the first time. I'm guessing you don't need me to tell you this, but it's one of the most iconic movies in this genre, and it pretty much launched Rachel McAdams's career.
Sixteen Candles
A timeless John Hughes classic starring both Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall. High school sophomore Sam thinks her 16th birthday is gonna be an epic new beginning to her high school life....but then her family completely forgets it's her special day. And her crush Jake Ryan still has no idea she exists!
The Breakfast Club
Another John Hughes classic about five students from different high school groups who are forced together for one day while they serve detention. They start out thinking they have absolutely nothing in common but soon learn there's more to each of them than their stereotyped exterior.
Grease
If you don't already know every single lyric to every single song that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John sing in this charming (but at times, pretttttty problematic) movie, you need to stream it right freaking now. Get ready for poodle skirts and big hair galore.
Clueless
Even if you've seen this cult-favorite rom-com 75 times, the '90s fashion and the lingo will hook you over and over again.
The Princess Diaries
Having Julie Andrews show up and inform you that she's your grandmother and you're actually a princess in line to take over the throne of a small European country sounds like a dream come true—well, for everyone except Mia Thermopolis.
The DUFF
The DUFF is short for the cringe-worthy "Designated Ugly Fat Friend," but don't let that scare you off. The movie is the closest thing the 2010s got to a Mean Girls successor, and Mae Whitman is incredible in the lead role.
Hairspray
If every high school had a singing, dancing, coiffed-beyond-belief Zac Efron to gaze at longingly throughout all of class, attendance would be 100%.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Lara Jean Covey writes letters to all the boys she's ever loved in her life and then stashes the notes away in her room. But when these letters somehow get mysteriously mailed to each of her intended recipients, Lara has to deal with the hot mess that is now her love life. (Psst! This is one of those YA movies that even YA haters can't help but love.)
Superbad
A little raunchier than your average high school movie, this Judd Apatow comedy will make you laugh out loud no matter how many times you've seen it. Two high school boys (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) want to live it up before they go off to college, which means, in other words, they want to party their butts off and lose their virginities.
10 Things I Hate About You
New kid Cameron can't get a date with hottie Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So what does Cameron do? Pays bad boy Patrick to try to charm Kat, duh. The cast on this one is the very definition of stacked: I'm talking Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
High School Musical
Yes, this is the Disney film that introduced Zac Efron and his luscious locks to the world. Don’t act like you don’t still fantasize about meeting your own Troy Bolton on a New Year's Eve vacation with your family. This film—about a high school full of unrealistically talented students—will forever be a fave.
Drive Me Crazy
Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier become the unexpected high school “It” couple of the year, as Britney Spears’ greatest hit plays in the background. What more could you want?
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Dope
Dope got rave reviews for a reason: high school senior Malcolm struggles to find the balance between being a geek, trying to be cool, getting into Harvard, and impressing a girl by going to a party that almost ruins his life. (We’ve all been there.)
John Tucker Must Die
Just four badass girls getting the ultimate revenge on a high school playboy. Watch solely for pleasure or for personal revenge inspo.
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Bring It On
This cheerleading classic follows national high school cheer champions the Toros after Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) finds out their winning routines have actually been stolen from other teams. Cue spirit fingers.
Never Been Kissed
Drew Barrymore goes undercover as a high school student only to fall for her new English teacher. It’s got everything: '90s fashion, high school cliques, and, of course, the prom.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Cameron Crowe wrote this movie based on his actual experiences going undercover as a high school student (he was 22 at the time).
A Cinderella Story
Hilary Duff is fabulous as ever as the school nerd who falls in love with the football star (AKA Chad Michael Murray). You can find him on Riverdale reruns, by the way, if you've been missing him.
She's All That
Love, Simon
This coming-of-age (and coming-out) movie is worth the tears. Seventeen-year-old Simon comes to terms with his sexuality while dealing with his family, friends, and the anonymous guy he fell in love with online.
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The Hate U Give
Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) for prez, please. After witnessing a close childhood friend get shot and killed by a police officer, Starr is forced to come to terms with how racial identity affects her community...and her relationships with the teens at her super white private school.
Election
Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, a slightly unethical high school student—who could be a young Madeline Mackenzie, TBH—running for class president. Oh, and she stages a war with her history teacher, played by Matthew Broderick. Good ol’ high school politics.
Freedom Writers
Another high school classic, Freedom Writers is a 2007 film starring Hilary Swank as an eager high school teacher at a school for at-risk students. The film was based on a true story and the book The Freedom Writers Diary, compiled by the real-life teacher, Erin Gruwell, and written collectively by her students at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California.
Take the Lead
God, 2000s dance movies were SUCH a time. Antonio Banderas teaches "troubled" high school kids how to succeed at ballroom dancing and so, so much more.
Heathers
Winona Ryder plays a bad-girl-gone-good who leaves her clique of ladies literally all named Heather, and tries to stop her boyfriend from full-on MURDERING people at their high school. It’s hilariously dark, but that’s kind of the point.
Can’t Hardly Wait
A classic story about high school seniors throwing an infamous last-day-of-school banger before going off to college. Think American Pie...but less creepy.
Booksmart
Yet another end-of-high-school-extravaganza film, Booksmart is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut about two academics who try to make the most of their last night before graduation.
Lady Bird
Yes, that movie everyone’s been talking about ever since it came out in 2017. It's Greta Gerwig's directorial debut and stars not only Saoirse Ronan but also Timothée Chalamat *and* Lucas Hedges. If you haven’t seen Lady Bird yet, honestly, IDK what you’ve been doing.
Varsity Blues
Before there was Friday Night Lights, there was Varsity Blues, the James Van Der Beek football movie best known for Ali Larter's iconic whipped cream bikini.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland makes "awkward charm" look like a superpower as Peter Parker, and we can all just choose to believe we looked as adorable in our awkward high school moments as he does in pretty much every non-CGI moment of Homecoming.
Charlie Bartlett
This under-the-radar teen movie follows Charlie Bartlett, a teen who struggles to fit in at his new high school—until he decides to become the school's unofficial psychiatrist.
Dangerous Minds
"Creative/unconventional-but-determined teacher inspires underprivileged teens" is basically a sub-genre of high school movies, and 1995's Dangerous Minds (which stars Michelle Pfeiffer as said unconventional-but-determined teacher) is a classic if that kind of story hits your feels in a good way.
