Back to school season is in full swing. As you begin assembling shopping lists for academic supplies and writing out class schedules-to-be, becoming overwhelmed seems inevitable.
So what better way to treat the first-day-of-school scaries than by having a back to school movies marathon? From To All the Boys I Loved Before to Sixteen Candles, we’ve put together a list of the 33 best school movies of all time to power you through bumpy bus rides, re-memorizing locker combinations, and early morning alarms that seem to shake the deepest depths of your soul.
With these cult-classic films, returning to the routine of classwork doesn’t have to remain the dreaded thing it’s always made out to be (though the alarms are a different story). Below, check out the best back to school movies to get you ready for the upcoming school year.
Rushmore (1998)
This has to be Wes Anderson's best film (sorry, Grand Budapest Hotel enthusiasts), and it leaves us itching to return to campus in the hopes of meeting someone nearly half as idiosyncratic as Max Fischer. President of the Calligraphy Club, Fencing Team captain, and ardent wearer of red berets, this snarky kid is among the coolest high schoolers in media.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
School of Rock (2003)
This has to be Wes Anderson's best film (sorry, Grand Budapest Hotel enthusiasts), and it leaves us itching to return to campus in the hopes of meeting someone nearly half as idiosyncratic as Max Fischer. President of the Calligraphy Club, Fencing Team captain, and ardent wearer of red berets, this snarky kid is among the coolest high schoolers in media.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
The Craft (1996)
This cult-horror film from the ‘90s gave rise to an entirely new generation of aspiring goths and witches-in-the-making. The Craft’s stylish appeal is as immortal as its wardrobe, which, by the way, has surely cast its own spell on us.
Where to stream: The Roku Channel
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
An indie classic, Napoleon Dynamite is a proud lesson in being different, celebrating eccentricity, and remembering that the seeming "class nerd" is sometimes the most skilled person in school. We’re voting for Pedro.
Where to stream: Hulu
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
No matter how much you might be dreading the first day of school, think about it this way: hopefully your parents aren’t as strict as Kat and Bianca’s dad is. It’s likely you don’t have to wait until your sibling starts dating before you can go out on your own. And if your luck is anything like the Stratford girls', maybe this is the year you start talking with that classmate who has been right under your nose the whole time.
Where to stream: Hulu
Sing Street (2016)
Full of synthy ‘80s classics and original songs, this indie dramedy-musical lives up to its title. It’s set against the economic recession in Dublin during the 1980s and follows high schooler Conor as he navigates surviving a tough public school and starting a new wave band.
Where to stream: Redbox, Tubi
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Entering a new school is distressing enough, and when you add discovering you’re a wizard to the mix, the situation becomes much more complicated. This is the first film adaptation of the iconic seven-part series, and its plot can resonate with any returning student, regardless of whether or not you possess supernatural abilities.
Where to stream: Max, Peacock
Clueless (1995)
Negotiating your grades like Cher Horowitz does is very much out of the question (as if!), but when you’re in search of the perfect back-to-school outfits, take notes on hers. We still dream about her high-tech virtual closet, and her distinct preppy style will keep you inspired for the first week back to classes.
Where to stream: The Roku Channel
But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)
Starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, this romantic satire seems to be the lesbian coming-of-age movie. It pokes fun at stereotypes and heteronormativity, featuring overly-artificial, Barbie-inspired set and costume design.
Where to stream: Tubi
Matilda (1996)
This fantasy classic seems to be so deeply engrained in our collective conscience. Clever child-genius Matilda already deals with a home life of neglect, and when she attends a new school, she is forced to face yet another theatrical villain: Principal Trunchbull, who's feared by the student body and faculty alike.
Where to stream: YouTube
Easy A (2010)
Although high school can seem to become quite the cut-throat competition, watching Emma Stone grapple with bullying and the stress of popularity in Easy A is a great reminder that everyone should try remaining unabashedly true to themselves.
Where to stream: Hulu
Mean Girls (2004)
If you are about to start a new school, may you be as lucky as Lindsay Lohan’s Cady Heron and bond with the “greatest people you will ever meet.." Mean Girls serves as a strong reminder that popularity is by no means everything, and that it is never worth sacrificing your best qualities for the sake of fitting in. But on Wednesdays we still wear pink, and especially during this summer.
Where to stream: Netflix, The Roku Channel
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Let’s face it: detention can be an inevitable part of high school. You may be a perfect student and somehow still wind up with a pink slip every once in a while. Maybe it’s because you were late one-time-too-many, or perhaps you just can’t help yourself from peeking at your phone notifs in algebra. It might happen to you this year. Luckily, this movie is here to remind you that it happens to even the best of us, and you never know who you may meet while there. Just don’t make it a habit.
Where to stream: Netflix
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
If any director is going to make a movie about the dark underbelly of girlhood, it's Sofia Coppola. This hauntingly dreamlike film follows the lives of five young sisters in a devout Catholic household and the neighborhood boys who are intrigued by their mystery and eventual memory.
Where to stream: Paramount+, The Roku Channel
High School Musical (2006)
HSM is the quintessential high school movie for any Y2K baby. Thanks to the Wildcats, we know sticking to the status quo is ultimately anything but fulfilling. From an unforgettable wardrobe to an even more unforgettable soundtrack of original songs, this movie and its franchise has got our heads in the game to make this school year a success.
Where to stream: Disney Plus
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Say it with us: “I’m not Josie Grossie anymore!” The beauty of starting a new school year – or even better, a new school – is you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself. The appeal of new beginnings is thrilling, though hopefully you’re not an investigative-journalist-turned-undercover-student, as is the case with Drew Barrymore’s protagonist.
Where to stream: Hulu
Center Stage (2000)
You do not have to be a ballerina like the characters in Center Stage to appreciate the novelty of starting a new school. Meeting your roommates for the first time, wondering if you’ll get along, and scoping out a class crush are all part of the beauty of immersing yourself into the first day at a boarding school or college.
Where to stream: Hulu
Monsters University (2013)
This animated comedy reveals the beginnings of rivals-to-best-friends Mike and Sulley as they explore, and are eventually expelled from, college and incidentally, the human world. The Monsters, Inc. lore of our childhood deepens.
Where to stream: Disney Plus
Bring It On (2000)
When the originality of a SoCal high school’s cheerleading routine comes into question, so do discussions of race and privilege within the grade school space. This dramedy highlights cultural appropriation and inequality across high school and its social strata through the lens of cheer competition.
Where to stream: YouTube
Back to the Future (1985)
By no means will our back-to-school experiences threaten the course of time, though if we’re being honest, this sci-fi flick makes us want to hop into a time-traveling DeLorean a bit more than it makes us want to return to class.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a romantic and sob-inducing indie drama, but it's also a lesson in friendship, compassion, and vulnerability. Watching high school senior Greg Gaines (portrayed by Thomas Mann) care for his dying friend is a reminder that school is just as much about forging life-long bonds as it is about getting good grades.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
__Lucas __(1986)
Brilliant and thoughtful yet meek, 14-year-old Lucas gets the brunt of bullies, which only worsens once he joins the football team at his high school as a means of impressing his crush. This rom-com ends on a triumphant note, but not without its fair share of adversity and conflict.
Where to stream: Hulu
Where to stream: Hulu
__Grease __(1978)
Together now: “This year, we’re gonna rule the school!” There’s something exhilarating about stepping onto campus for that first morning, with 180 days of countless possibilities and opportunities ahead of you. Just don’t forget to be nice to the new kids, as you never know if you’ll become best friends. Plus, stay in school – the Teen Angel says so.
Where to stream: Hulu
__Heathers __(1988)
Dealing with cliques and high school social hierarchies takes a morbid turn in this iconic black comedy, which features Winona Ryder as Veronica and Christian Slater as J.D. Though excessively cynical, Heathers does tackle very serious issues that continue to burden teens today.
Where to stream: The Roku Channel, Tubi
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Attending a strict, stuffy boarding school makes returning to the classroom after summer all the more difficult. However, it’s the dedicated professors and teachers, such as Robin Williams’ heartfelt John Keating, who truly make a school year memorable and push us to seize the day.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
__Jawbreaker __(1999)
This comedy was inspired by Heathers and can be considered its darker, more chaotic equivalent, with noteworthy fashion moments and one of our favorite hallway strut-down scenes. When a quad of high school social elites get caught up in an accidental murder, tensions continue building up until the night of prom.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
__Fame __(1980)
At the prestigious New York High School for Performing Arts, students navigate sexuality, weights of mental health, and hopes of stardom. This gritty musical drama explores the day-to-day lives of its aspiring performers – blood, sweat, tears, and all.
Where to stream: Max
Stand and Deliver (1988)
This Latine-directed drama is based upon the true story of Bolivian-American educator Jaime Escalante. Set in East Los Angeles, the film navigates the high school math teacher’s continued determination to increase his students’ test scores and transform their classroom culture.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Although we cannot imagine what we would do if our most personal letters to our crushes were somehow released into the world, Lana Condor’s shy protagonist tries handling it to the best of her abilities. Of course, all works out in the end, and this franchise sprouted an equally successful spin-off.
Where to stream: Netflix
Lady Bird (2017)
We all have our inner Lady Bird. Whether it be from residual teenage angst or a strained relationship with our mothers, this A24 film tackles it all, as its star, portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, comes into her own.
Where to stream: Hulu
Sixteen Candles (1984)
When all hope of a transformative school year goes south, it’s easy to allow defeat to set in. An unfortunate string of miscommunications and a forgotten sweet sixteen plague Molly Ringwald’s main character, though, in the end, her sophomore year lightens up in this John Hughes classic.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
This poignant, coming-of-age film is nothing short of gut-punching, heart-wrenching, soul-crushing, you-name-it. It captures the ability to find pockets of joy amidst pain and make it seem infinite, even if it is just momentary.
Where to stream: Tubi
