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Movies taking place in a high school setting have long been a popular trope in cinema. These films invoke a sense of nostalgia and can be enjoyed by any number of viewers. Some of the best films ever made revolve around a narrative based on high school. Today, we look at the 10 greatest high school movies ever made:
10. 10 Things I Hate About You
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A film that takes its story from a famous William Shakespeare play, 10 Things is an adaptation that does the original work justice with a modern take. The film revolves around two sisters played by Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleyik. The younger sister (Oleyik) is forbidden from going on a date until the older sister (Stiles) does. Attempting to win the younger sister over, a new student played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to set up the older sister with the school’s ruffian played by the late, great Heath Ledger. The movie hits all the familiar notes and ties everything together by the end. The chemistry between Ledger and Stiles really brings the audience in, and by the end, you’re cheering for the couple to get together.
9. Friday Night Lights
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High school sports are often a common backdrop in this genre of film. Stakes are raised as neighboring towns battle for athletic supremacy. And, the drama orbiting each week’s game is heightened. Friday Night Lights is perhaps the best film to exhibit the dramas of high school football. In a small town in Texas, we follow a local team and their famed coach, Coach Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton). Throughout the film, we watch the underdog school prepare for its intimidating rival. It all culminates in a final game as both programs battle for gridiron glory.
8. Sixteen Candles
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After gaining notoriety for his screenplays, John Hughes made his directorial debut in 1984 with Sixteen Candles. The film made stars out of its main cast, springboarding Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Michael Schoeffling into stars. Everything in this film is quintessential 80s. One could watch this film and instantly be transported to a different time. The film revolves around Ringwald’s Sam Baker vying for the affection of her crush, Schoeffling’s Jake Ryan. All the while, Ted (Hall) is trying to shake his nerdy disposition. This was the first of three-straight John Hughes films taking place in a high school setting. More on another in just a moment…
7. Dead Poets Society
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One of Robin Williams’ most beloved performances, Dead Poets Society is a film that was ideal for the time and even more poignant today. Williams is the new teacher at school who tries some zany methods to get his students interested in learning. Eventually, his students become inspired and begin writing poetry. Though Williams is captivating in every scene he’s in, there’s no shortage of star power throughout the rest of the cast. A young Ethan Hawke is featured in addition to Kurtwood Smith, Josh Charles, and Robert Sean Leonard.
6. American Pie
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Raunchy, comedic, and heartwarming, American Pie truly has it all. On the surface, it seems like American Pie is just another high school movie with teenage boys looking to get laid. And, while that isn’t completely false, there’s so much more that’s going on in this 1999 classic. At its core, American Pie tells a story of friendship. It takes place in a fictional midwestern town where a group of friends make a pact to end their virginity before the end of the school year. American Pie will have you bust out laughing but it also tells a great story. Sean William Scott’s performance as Stifler is among the most iconic characters of the entire genre.
5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
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A pioneer in the genre, Fast Times is the standard for 80s high school flicks. Instead of focusing on one particular plot or group of people, Fast Times is essentially a series of interconnected stories that are all taking place at the same high school. All the major tropes you expect are tackled across each scenario. Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Robert Romanus are all standouts in their role. However, Sean Penn puts together a star-making performance as the iconic Jeff Spicoli. If you haven’t seen Fast Times yet, it’s highly advised you give it a watch.
4. Superbad
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Fast Times for the 80s, American Pie in the 90s, and Superbad for the 00s. These films are all perfect for the time they came out, but are also done well enough that people of any age can enjoy and appreciate. The plot of Superbad isn’t all too dissimilar from what we’ve seen already. Two friends, played brilliantly by Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, attempt to attend a house party where each of their crushes are. While embarking on their destination, a night of hijinks ensues. A plethora of memorable cameos, and a show-stealing performance from Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin are true highlights of this movie.
3. Grease
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Who could forget this classic flick starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John? Grease set the bar for two separate genres — high school movies and musicals. The plot revolves around Travolta’s Danny Zuko and Newton-John’s Sandy Olsson falling in love. The chemistry between both actors is off-the-charts and draws the audience into the broader story. Watching it today is like unlocking a time capsule filled with nostalgia.
2. Dazed and Confused
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A film that truly has everything going for it, Dazed and Confused is the perfect high school film for the 1970s. We’re talking about a film that touches on each aspect of the era it was conceived. From unforgettable parties in the woods to the high school clique politics to the freshman hazing, anybody who lived through this time could tell you Dazed and Confused left no stone unturned. While the story itself is top-notch, the star-studded cast pulls it all together. Of course, this film is famously known as the acting debut of Matthew McConaughey. But, we also get glimpses of Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Hauser, and Anthony Rapp.
1. The Breakfast Club
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This is the cream of the crop. Among all high school films ever made, perhaps none was more popular than The Breakfast Club. An everlasting story surrounds five students who encapsulate each of the major schoolyard archetypes — the jock, the rich girl, the bad boy, the nerd, and the weirdo. When the film begins, they’re all effectively strangers despite sharing the same campus. All they know about each other is at the surface level and based on stereotypes. By the end, the group opens up to each other and begins to grow closer. The cast was expertly picked, as Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall return to work with director John Hughes and were accompanied by Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy.
