Age is no barrier to watching movies set in high school. We like to rekindle memories, enjoy reminders of what school was like for us, judge how far removed the movies are from our own real-life high school experiences, and when we’re still in our high school years, all of the above as well as fuelling our expectations. And let’s not forget some of the most iconic movies are set in high school. Let’s remind ourselves of some of them.
Snapshot Survey
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The Breakfast Club
The quintessential high school movie with five characters that we can all identify with in different ways.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Easy a
Emma Stone stars as a smart high school girl who falls victim to the vicious teen rumor mill.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Bring It on
The high school cheerleading movie starring Kirsten Dunst that took the world by storm in the 90s.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Heathers
A high school movie with a twist about young love that gets super dangerous, super fast!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Mean Girls
A modern masterpiece from the genius mind of Tina Fey - an absolute must see in the high school genre!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Craft
Forget Sabrina, these four teen witches were the talk of the school in the 90s.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Grease
10 Things I Hate about You
A great modern retelling of a Shakespeare classic starring the late great Heath Ledger.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Pretty in Pink
Another one of John Hughes’ 80s high school classics starring young actress of the decade Molly Ringwald.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Sixteen Candles
John Hughes and Molly Ringwald combine again for fun comedy about a girl whose birthday is forgotten by her family.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Princess Diaries
Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews are a dream team as a dowdy high schooler discovers she is a princess.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Faculty
We’ve all wondered if our teachers were aliens, but in this film, they actually were!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Spectacular Now
A great modern high school film about the complications of love starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
She’s All That
Another 90s classic, this time starring one of the decade’s biggest heartthrobs, Freddie Prinze Jr.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Clueless
Perhaps the most iconic high school film of all, Clueless showed 90s’ teens how the rich kids lived!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Paper Towns
Adapted from a John Green novel, Paper Towns is a fun romance about a high school boy who goes in search of his one true love.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
21 Jump Street
A hilarious remake of the 80s TV show starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
American Pie
The original raunchy high school sex comedy that sparked a whole new modern genre.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Ferris Bueller’s Day off
An 80s classic that made all of us want to skip school for the day and run riot!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
17 Again
A middle aged man gets the chance to rewrite his high school days when he wakes up as a 17 year old again.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Carrie
A creepy remake of the original starring Chloe Grace Moretz as the high school girl with supernatural powers.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Dead Poets Society
The late great Robin Williams gives a performance as the high school teacher that we all wish we’d had.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Say Anything
John Cusack gives a memorable performance in one of the most beloved high school romances films of the 80s.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Napoleon Dynamite
There is nothing quite like Napoleon Dynamite; a hilarious high school comedy that is truly original!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Never Been Kissed
Drew Barrymore plays a journalist who enrolls back at her old high school as part of a news story.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Can’t Hardly Wait
Full of different characters and crazy situations, Can’t Hardly Wait gives the audience a fun insight in to graduating from high school.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Lindsay Lohan stars as a drama queen city girl whose family chooses to move to the suburbs.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Karate Kid
A bullied high school boy learns to defend himself with the help of a faithful martial arts teacher.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Rushmore
A unique film by Wes Anderson about the life and loves of a bizarre but genius high school student.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Dangerous Minds
An ex-marine turned teacher fights against the odds to give her class of inner city kids a chance to graduate.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Scream
An iconic movie that spawned an entirely new genre of horror starring Neve Campbell.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
It Follows
A great modern horror about a group of high school students plagued by a curse that is passed through sex.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Friday Night Lights
A moving tale based on a true story about a Southern high school football team.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Can’t Buy Me Love
The school nerd pays the popular girl in school to pretend to be his girlfriend.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Fame
A classic movie about a group of young and aspiring performers at a talent academy in New York.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Dazed and Confused
Back to the Future
A charismatic high schooler is sent back in time to ensure that his parents get together in their own high school days.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
A group of Californian high school students excel at their favorite subjects: sex, drugs and rock and roll!
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Election
A fun high school comedy about the internal politics and struggles of a student council election.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Donnie Darko
A cult classic about a troubled teenage boy who sees visions of a human sized bunny rabbit.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Last Picture Show
A classic coming of age tale about a group of high schools kids in 1950s Texas.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Cracks
A tense and dramatic tale about a group of private school girls and the teacher whom they adore.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
To Sir, with Love
Sidney Poitier stars as an inspiring teacher who must confront race issues in an all-white East London school in the 60s.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The History Boys
A fun film about a group of gifted teenage boys as they strive to get in to Oxford and Cambridge.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Sister Act 2
Whoopi Goldberg goes back in disguise to coach a talented high school choir to competition glory.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Twilight
The modern phenomenon about an awkward high school girl who falls madly in love with a vampire.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
A charming tale about a shy freshman who is befriended by two of his high school’s oddest students.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The DUFF
A recent comedy starring Mae Whitman about who discovers she is her friendship group’s DUFF – designated ugly fat friend.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
The Outsiders
A gripping drama about high schools gangs and the violence that can ensue between them.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
Juno
A charming and memorable comedy drama about a high school girl who becomes pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption.
Buy at: itunes.apple.com
What’s your favorite high school movie? I love Pretty in Pink because the soundtrack just speaks to me.
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