As you plan your next movie night, add these movies about high school to your must-watch list.
Whether you’re gearing up for back to school or just looking for some nostalgic entertainment, these movies are sure to bring back all those teenage feels.
High school movies are always a hit for movie night! That’s because they’re great at capturing the ups and downs of the teenage experience, making them relatable for adults and teens alike.
Movies About High School
From classic coming-of-age stories to hilarious comedies, there’s something for everyone in the world of high school movies. Get ready to relive those awkward hallway encounters, first crushes, and unforgettable prom nights when you watch these iconic back to school movies with your teen.
Mean Girls
Rated PG-13
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried
When a homeschooled teen gets a chance to attend public high school, she unexpectedly finds herself in the good graces of the popular clique, where she quickly learns how cut-throat the high school social scene can be.
The Breakfast Club
Rated R
Starring Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez
Five high school students from different social groups spend a Saturday detention together under the watchful eye of their power-hungry principal.
Clueless
Rated PG-13
Starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy
The most popular girl at a Beverly Hills High School uses her matchmaking skills to bring her friends and teachers together but struggles to find love for herself.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Rated R
Starring Phoebe Cates, Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh
An inexperienced teen gets trapped in a love triangle after taking relationship advice from her more experienced older high school friend.
Heathers
Rated R
Starring Christian Slater, Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty
After confronting her friend about her mean behavior at school, a member of the most popular high school clique becomes a murderer. In order to cover up her accidental crime, she employs the help of her boyfriend, who relishes in taking out all the mean-spirited high school queens.
Carrie
Rated R
Starring Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie
A bullied high school girl discovers she has telekinetic powers and uses her newly found strength to seek vengeance on those who caused her pain.
Grease
Rated PG
Starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
After a whirlwind summer romance, a high school girl starts her first day at a new school only to discover that her summer love is not the man she thought he was in this movie musical.
Sixteen Candles
Rated PG-13
Starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Shoeffling, Anthony Michael Hall
When her 16th birthday is overshadowed by her sister’s upcoming wedding, a high schooler spends her big day pining over the most popular boy in school.
Dazed and Confused
Rated R
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Parker Posey
A group of Texas high school students celebrate their last day of school with an impromptu keg party.
Napoleon Dynamite
Rated PG
Starring John Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries
An awkward teenager hopes to improve his status at his Idaho high school by running for class president with the help of his best friend.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Rated PG-13
Starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller
After enjoying most of his life as a wallflower, a shy teenager befriends two charismatic students who help bring him out of his shell to discover the joys of friendship.
Friday Night Lights
Rated PG-13
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Britton, Lucas Black
When the star player of a Texas high school football team is injured, it’s up to the new coach to help bring the team (and the town) back together again.
10 Things I Hate About You
Rated PG-13
Starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Larisa Oleynik
Since house rules state that Bianca can’t start dating until her abrasive older sister Kat finds a boyfriend, it’s up to Bianca to bribe the new kid in town to convince her sister to go on a date with him.
She’s All That
Rated PG-13
Starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Matthew Lillard
After his girlfriend leaves him for a sleazy reality TV star, Zach is desperate to get back his top-tier status at school. But when he takes a bet to turn the school nerd into the next prom queen, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
Do Revenge
Rated R
Starring Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams
Two teenagers team up to take revenge on their tormentors after a rumor and sex tape threaten to ruin their lives.
Say Anything
Rated PG-13
Starring John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney
After Lloyd captures the heart of the most popular girl in school, he’s forced to contend with her overprotective father in order to make the relationship work.
Easy A
Rated PG-13
Starring Emna Stone, Penn Badgly, Amanda Bines
When a teen lies to her friend about her boring weekend, telling her she lost her virginity, the rumor quickly spreads around the school.
Booksmart
Rated R
Starring Kaitlyn Denver, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams
On the night before their high school graduation, two friends realize they may have put too much effort into studying, causing them to miss out on some important teenage milestones. Determined to make up for lost time, the girls enjoy one epic night together cramming four years of fun into one evening.
Rebel Without a Cause
Rated PG-13
Starring James Dean, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood
After moving to a new school, troubled teen Jim hopes to start with a clean slate and falls for the girlfriend of the neighborhood bully. When his rival challenges him to a drag race, real trouble begins for Jim.
Bring It On
Rated PG-13
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Eliza Dushku
When the newly elected captain of the Toro High School cheer squad finds out their killer routine was stolen from an East Compton hip-hop team, she does everything she can to make things right before the championship meet.
Election
Rated R
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Klein
A high school government teacher convinces a popular athlete to run against unethical candidate Tracy Flick for school president, sparking a bitter feud between the student and teacher.
Pretty In Pink
Rated PG-13
Starring Molly Ringwald, John Cryer, Andrew McCarthy
When one of the rich and popular kids at school asks misfit student Andie out, it seems too good to be true. And she quickly begins to realize that dating someone of a different social status isn’t easy.
17 Again
Rated PG-13
Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann
Faced with the many failures in his life, a man gets a chance to correct the mistakes of his past and change his life when he is transformed into a teenager.
She’s the Man
Rated PG-13
Starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey
After posing as her twin brother to get into an elite boarding school, Viola’s plans are soon foiled when she develops feelings for her handsome roommate.
American Pie
Rated R
Starring Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan
A group of high school friends fed up with their reputations as relationship failures decide to take action in hopes of losing their virginity as quickly as possible.
Freedom Writers
Rated PG-13
Starring Hilary Swank, April Lee Hernandez, Patrick Dempsey
A dedicated teacher in a racially divided high school inspires her students to take an interest in their education by assigning reading material that relates to their lives and encouraging them to keep journals.
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Rated PG
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Alicia Witt
What started as a temporary position for composer Glenn Holland turns into a decades-long teaching career at an Oregon high school.
Scream
Rated R
Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette
A group of suburban high school students attempt to outwit a ruthless serial killer by using the rules of classic slasher movies against him.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Rated PG-13
Starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
Hoping to make the most of his senior year, high schooler Ferris Bueller uses all the tricks up his sleeve to plan an epic skip day for his best friend and girlfriend.
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Rated PG
Starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Ed Solomon
With the help of a time traveler from the future, Bill and Ted travel to various points in history in order to ace their final history presentation.
Dead Poet’s Society
Rated PG
Starring Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Robert Shaw Leonard
A new teacher at an all boys preparatory school uses unorthodox methods to reach his students and help them break out of their shells.
Rocket Science
Rated R
Starring Anna Kendrick, Reece Thompson, Candace Sholz
High school student Hal thinks his life is falling apart all around him until a pretty classmate asks him to join the school’s debate team.
Dangerous Minds
Rated R
Starring Michele Pfeifer, Wade Dominguez, Bruklin Harris
When a former Marine takes a job teaching underachieving teens at an inner-city high school, she uses her military background to do whatever she can to better the lives of her students.
Dope
Rated R
Starring Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons, Zoe Kravitz
A group of high school students who bond over 90s hip hop are roped into a wild adventure when they accidently steal a backpack full of drugs from a notorious drug dealer.
Super Bad
Rated R
Starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Stone
When they volunteer to supply the alcohol for a wild house party, a trio of misfit teens embark on a wild adventure to score the booze.
Hoosiers
Rated PG
Starring Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper, Brad Boyle
A failed college coach gets a chance at redemption when he’s charged with heading up the basketball program at a small Indiana town but struggles to develop a winning team.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Rated PG-13
Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Michael Keaton
When he returns from his adventure with the Avengers, Peter Parker attempts to get back into his regular routine – high school student by day and Spider-Man by night. But a new villain soon disrupts his plans for normalcy.
The Edge of Seventeen
Rated R
Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Haley Lu Richardson
At the height of her teen angst, a high school junior finds solace in a disgruntled teacher and a new friendship with a thoughtful student.
American Graffiti
Rated PG
Starring Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss
Four teen friends cruise the streets of a small town in California soaking in the last day of summer before school starts for the year.
Never Been Kissed
Rated PG-13
Starring Drew Barrymore, Michael Vartan, David Arquette
A junior copywriter poses as a student at her former high school to research contemporary teenage culture, all the while getting a second chance at her high school career.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Rated PG-13
Starring Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Anna Cathcart
While working through her feelings, a shy high school student writes soul-bearing letters to each of her crushes. And while she never intended to send them, the letters get out and wreak havoc on her life.
High School Musical
Rated G
Starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale
After falling for each other at a karaoke competition, a high school athlete and nerdy beauty find a way to be together by auditioning for the school’s annual musical.
Love, Simon
Rated PG-13
Starring Nick Robinson, Keiynan Lonsdale, Katherine Langford
A high school student struggles to come out to his parents while also searching for the identity of a fellow student he’s fallen for online.
Stand and Deliver
Rated PG
Starring Edward James Olmos, Lou Diamond Phillips, Andy Garcia
In order to appease his bosses and get the attention of his rowdy students, an LA high school teacher challenges his class to learn higher math – leading them to ace their state calculus test.
House Party
Rated R
Starring Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Tisha Campbell
After getting into a fight, a teen gets grounded, forcing him to miss his best friend’s house party. In order to make it to the end of year bash, he’ll do whatever it takes.
Peggy Sue Got Married
Rated PG-13
Starring Kathleen Turner, Nicholas Cage, Jim Carey
While at her 25th high school reunion, Peggy faints and wakes up in 1960 with a chance to relive her teen years and fix her past mistakes.
Back to the Future
Rated PG
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
A small town teen gets sent back in time when his eccentric scientist friend invites him on a test drive of his time machine. During his visit to the past, he’s forced to assume the life of a 1950s student in order to bring his parents together before he’s erased from existence.
Fame
Rated R
Starring Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Debbie Allen
A group of teens attending the New York School of Performing Arts grapple with deep issues like homosexuality and abortion while also tackling mundane high school tasks, like homework.
Varsity Blues
Rated R
Starring James Van Der Beek, Ron Lester, Paul Walker
After the star quarterback is injured, benchwarmer Mox is thrust into the spotlight and forced to carry the weight of the entire towns’ expectations on his shoulders.
Jawbreaker
Rated R
Starring Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, Rebecca Gayheart
When an exclusive clique of high school girls accidently murders their best friend, they quickly cover up the crime. But their hard work doesn’t fool a local detective, who plans to turn the school upside down to uncover the truth.
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