12 Movies Every High School Senior Should Watch ASAP
Ah, to be a high school senior. Cares about classes are nowhere to be found and the buzz in the hall is who’s taking who to prom and what college everyone will attend in the fall. For those of you in the midst of these blissful months, we offer a simple bit of advice: enjoy them while you can – seriously. And whilst you discuss the benefits of in-state vs. out-of-state schooling, take some time to unwind with one of these essential flicks that will make you appreciate your final days of high school. Kick back with your favorite films and soak up the few months you have left to eat all the food out of your parents’ fridge, and you know, appreciate this time you have. You’re still ruling the school.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection1/13Mean Girls
Anything that Tina Fey writes turns to gold, and Mean Girls was no exception. If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen the 2004 classic, get thee and thy besties to Netflix.com, stat. You’ll laugh, finally understand so many quotes, and hopefully recognize that you weren’t clique-centric in high school.
Photo: Getty Images2/1310 Things I Hate About You
“But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” A story inspired by Shakespeare — and Heath Ledger’s glorious locks — make this movie a must-see. Sure, the high school antics aren’t exactly realistic (do you know any high school boys organized enough to serenade you during gym class while being accompanied by a marching band?), but the movie has a certain ‘90s charm that will melt your heart.
Photo: Getty Images3/13Dead Poets Society
Feeling like your high school encourages conformity? So did the boys at the center of Dead Poets Society. That is, until they wound up in Mr. Keating’s English class. There, the boys are encouraged to follow their passions, no matter what their parents think. They form the Dead Poets Society and meet in secret – an act that will ultimately change their lives forever.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection4/13High School Musical 3
You can’t go through high school without having a soft spot for the Wildcats. Grab your favorite pajamas, your best friend, and sing your hearts out to “We’re All in This Together” one last time before you head off to live out your very own College Musical.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection5/13Boyhood
As touching as it was revolutionary, Boyhood will make you feel nostalgic for the years leading up to your senior year. The story follows Mason Evans from age six until he leaves home for his freshman year of college, and although the story is fiction, it was truly filmed over a 12-year span. You’ll see the actors age and their characters go through the trials and tribulations of growing up, which will definitely give you all the feels.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection6/13Pitch Perfect
Need a little extracurricular inspiration for college? The Barden Bellas know just the thing. This hilarious flick about an all-girl a cappella group will make you squeeze your girlfriends a little tighter (and wish you had pipes like Anna Kendrick).
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection7/13Superbad
Warning: you may laugh so hard that you pee your pants when watching this movie. To the chagrin of parents everywhere, Superbad has become a quintessential movie for high school students. The movie follows two chronically uncool best friends as they attempt to close out their senior year with one last epic party.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection8/13The Breakfast Club
The Criminal, the Princess, the Brain, the Athlete, and the Basket Case: what do these characters have in common? They all got stuck in detention on Saturday, March 24th, 1984. Their five worlds collide as they confront issues that have been following them for years, and as it turns out, they discover they might not be so different from each other after all. Cue “Don’t You Forget About Me.”
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection9/13Bring It On
“I’m T-T-T-Torrence, your captain Torrence!” Watching Bring It On will simultaneously make you want to take up cheerleading and cut your hair like Kirsten Dunst circa 2000. The outfits, scandalous cheers, and Gabrielle Union’s undeniable fierceness are everything in this early 2000s flick about two rival cheer squads competing to see who’s got what it takes to win Nationals.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection10/13Juno
The original teen mom. Smart-mouthed Juno MacGuff finds out she has a serious problem on her hands…or at least she will in nine months. Yep, our leading lady is pregnant in high school. Luckily, Juno has more tenacity than most, and she’s just looking for someone to be the cheese to her macaroni.
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection11/13Clueless
Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, and Brittany Murphy made this 1995 comedy rise to meteoric fame. Sure, Cher might be superficial and self-centered, but she gets her priorities in check when it comes to matters of the heart. If anything, Cher Horowitz’s closet is enough reason to watch this movie — serious #ClosetGoals.
Photo: Getty Images12/13Almost Famous
Ever wondered what it’d be like to tour with a rock band? William Miller did. Not only does he get to go on tour with an up-and-coming band, but he gets to write about his experience for Rolling Stone. Except they don’t know he’s only 15 years old. And he didn’t realize he’d develop feelings for the lead singer’s pseudo-girlfriend, Penny Lane. As you might have guessed, things begin to go horribly wrong on the road, but will William still be able to write a kickass story? Almost Famous will leave you feeling glad that your high school experience involved attending concerts, and double glad that you didn’t live on a tour bus while trying to figure out pre-calc.
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