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25 Essential High School Movies of the Last 25 Years
Rotten Tomatoes celebrates its birthday every year right around the same time students/parents are dreading/celebrating the dawn of a new school year. And since Rotten Tomatoes has no kids to send off (being a review aggregation site and not a living sentient organism capable of reproduction — though who knows what the future holds?), we are instead getting into the school spirit with 25 essential high school movies of the last 25 years, dating back to our inception in 1998.
Come gather as we relive the young glory days of peak accomplishments, including attending epic ragers, throwing a football over them mountains, definitely making fetch happen, and occasionally breaking down the social hierarchy of locker room hallways.
The movies include Certified Fresh classics like 21 Jump Street, Juno, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Easy A, and Mean Girls. Then there’s enduring Fresh favorites (Remember the Titans, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Pie), and even Cruel Intentions. Sometimes you gotta throw the ugly outcast a bone, ya know?
Going by release order, see our selections of the 25 essential high school movies since 1998!
72%
Critics Consensus: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger add strong performances to an unexpectedly clever script, elevating 10 Things (slightly) above typical teen fare.
Synopsis: Kat Stratford is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn't attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik
Directed By: Gil Junger
62%
Critics Consensus: So embarrassing it's believable, American Pie succeeds in bringing back the teen movie genre.
Synopsis: A riotous and raunchy exploration of the most eagerly anticipated -- and most humiliating -- rite of adulthood, known as losing one's virginity. In this... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein
Directed By: Paul Weitz
55%
Critics Consensus: This darkly comic drama and its attractive young cast are easy on the eyes, but uneven performances and an uninspired script conspire to foil Cruel Intentions.
Synopsis: Annette (Reese Witherspoon) unwittingly becomes a pawn in Sebastian's (Ryan Phillippe) and Kathryn's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) deliciously diabolical wager of sexual conquest when she writes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair
Directed By: Roger Kumble
72%
Critics Consensus: An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it's also well-crafted and features terrific performances.
Synopsis: In Virginia, high school football is a way of life, an institution revered, each game celebrated more lavishly than Christmas, each playoff distinguished more grandly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Wood Harris
Directed By: Boaz Yakin
65%
Critics Consensus: Despite the formulaic, fluffy storyline, this movie is surprisingly fun to watch, mostly due to its high energy and how it humorously spoofs cheerleading instead of taking itself too seriously.
Synopsis: The Toro cheerleading squad from Rancho Carne High School in San Diego has got spirit, spunk, sass and a killer routine that's sure to land... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union
Directed By: Peyton Reed
81%
Critics Consensus: A promising work by Lin, the energetic Better Luck Tomorrow is disturbing and thought-provoking.
Synopsis: An accomplished high school student, Ben (Parry Shen) seems to excel at almost everything except winning over his dream girl, Stephanie (Karin Anna Cheung). When... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Parry Shen, Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Roger Fan
Directed By: Justin Lin
72%
Critics Consensus: A charming, quirky, and often funny comedy.
Synopsis: In small-town Preston, Idaho, awkward teen Napoleon Dynamite has trouble fitting in. After his grandmother is injured in an accident, his life is made even... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez
Directed By: Jared Hess
84%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by a brilliant screenplay and outstanding ensemble cast, Mean Girls finds fresh, female-fronted humor in the high school experience.
Synopsis: Cady Heron enrolls at North Shore High School near Chicago after living in Africa. She interacts with Regina George, a prominent student who previously dated... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows
Directed By: Mark Waters
79%
Critics Consensus: This entertaining homage to noirs past has been slickly and compellingly updated to a contemporary high school setting.
Synopsis: After receiving a frantic phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body has been found. Vowing to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss
Directed By: Rian Johnson
67%
Critics Consensus: High School Musical is brazenly saccharine, but it makes up for it with its memorable show tunes, eye-popping choreography, and appealing cast.
Synopsis: Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) at a holiday karaoke... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel
Directed By: Kenny Ortega
93%
Critics Consensus: One of the brightest, funniest comedies of the year, Juno's smart script and direction are matched by assured performances in a coming-of-age story with a 21st century twist.
Synopsis: When precocious teen Juno MacGuff becomes pregnant, she chooses a failed rock star and his wife to adopt her unborn child. Complications occur when Mark,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Directed By: Jason Reitman
88%
Critics Consensus: Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.
Synopsis: High school seniors Seth and Evan have high hopes for a graduation party. The co-dependent teens plan to score booze and babes so they can... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader
Directed By: Greg Mottola
69%
Critics Consensus: Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns.
Synopsis: A dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school has a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton
Directed By: Richard LaGravenese
85%
Critics Consensus: It owes a huge debt to older (and better) teen comedies, but Easy A proves a smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star, Emma Stone.
Synopsis: Prompted by her popular best friend to spill details of her boring weekend, Olive, a clean-cut teen, decides to spice things up by telling a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd
Directed By: Will Gluck
85%
Critics Consensus: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that's bolstered by strong lead performances.
Synopsis: Socially awkward Charlie is a wallflower watching from the sidelines, until a pair of charismatic seniors take him under their wing.
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman
Directed By: Stephen Chbosky
85%
Critics Consensus: A smart, affectionate satire of '80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.
Synopsis: When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high-school students. They trade in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco
Directed By: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
92%
Critics Consensus: The Spectacular Now is an adroit, sensitive film that avoids typical coming-of-age story trappings.
Synopsis: High school senior Sutter Keely is an effortless charmer and self-proclaimed life of the party who unexpectedly falls in love with the nice girl Aimee... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed By: James Ponsoldt
81%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully scripted and perfectly cast, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is a coming-of-age movie with uncommon charm and insight.
Synopsis: An awkward high-school senior (Thomas Mann) and a gravely ill classmate (Olivia Cooke) surprise themselves by becoming inseparable friends.
Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman
Directed By: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
88%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a starmaking performance from Shameik Moore and a refreshingly original point of view from writer-director Rick Famuyiwa, Dope is smart, insightful entertainment.
Synopsis: High-school senior Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his friends Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) bond over '90s hip-hop culture, their studies and playing music... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise
Directed By: Rick Famuyiwa
73%
Critics Consensus: The DUFF doesn't achieve teen-movie greatness, but offers enough of a postmodern twist on the genre to recommend -- and boasts typically great work from star Mae Whitman.
Synopsis: Frumpy high-school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) has a rude awakening when she learns that her classmates secretly know her as the DUFF -- designated ugly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca A. Santos
Directed By: Ari Sandel
94%
Critics Consensus: The Edge of Seventeen's sharp script -- and Hailee Steinfeld's outstanding lead performance -- make this more than just another coming-of-age dramedy.
Synopsis: Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick
Directed By: Kelly Fremon Craig
92%
Critics Consensus: Spider-Man: Homecoming does whatever a second reboot can, delivering a colorful, fun adventure that fits snugly in the sprawling MCU without getting bogged down in franchise-building.
Synopsis: Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei
Directed By: Jon Watts
97%
Critics Consensus: Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hitting The Hate U Give emphatically proves the YA genre has room for much more than magic and romance.
Synopsis: Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds -- the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, K.J. Apa
Directed By: George Tillman Jr.
96%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.
Synopsis: Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis
Directed By: Olivia Wilde
89%
Critics Consensus: Sensitive, well-acted, and solidly directed, Words on Bathroom Walls is an admirable addition to a genre that too rarely does justice to its worthy themes.
Synopsis: Diagnosed with a mental illness during his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell, Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb
Directed By: Thor Freudenthal
