15 Movies that will remind you of your high school days

High school is full of excitement, ambition, questions, and uncertainties. From encountering the cliques of nerds and the jocks to sneaking out for parties, and bunking classes, the depiction of high school life is a favorite topic of Hollywood. Many movies have brought alive the joys and despair of this period on screen. Here is a list of 15 movies that will surely take you down the memory lane.

1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The iconic teen comedy perfectly portrayed teenage angst during the 1980s and, starring Matthew Broderick, was a sweeping hit. The premise is simple: A charming and naughty high schooler, Ferris (Broderick), decides to take a day off from school by pretending to be sick. Soon, his best friend and girlfriend join in his shenanigans. From taking a fake sick leave to ruining his dad’s car, Ferris’s mischiefs make viewers recall their high school days.

2. Mean Girls (2004)

The movie from the early aughts became the go-to high school movie for any pop culture reference upon release. Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams, was a smash hit. New girl, Cady (Lohan) transfers from Africa to a true-blue American high school and finds herself in a world of mean cheerleaders, sports jocks, and awkward nerds. The movie has every high-school clique one can think of and is a classic.

3. Sixteen Candles (1984)

The 1980s was the era when the maximum number of high-school themed movies were made. One of the most popular picks in the genre is the coming-of-age teen comedy, Sixteen Candles, which released in 1984 and featured America’s sweetheart, Molly Ringwald. Directed by John Hughes, who is known for his teenage movies, the film is about Samantha (Molly), who must juggle teenage crushes and self-doubts — a classic growing-up experience. The movie centers around high-school life and is a must-watch.

4. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Starring Molly Ringwald and directed by John Hughes, The Breakfast Club is one of the most influential movies and part of pop culture today. The film is about five teenagers — each denoting a different high-school stereotype including the popular girl, the jock, and the bully — who are detained by the vice principal. As the group spends time in detention, they begin to share their teenage problems and bond together. A classic movie about detention and high-school days.

5. High School Musical (2006)

The teenage musical that became a worldwide hit, High School Musical catapulted its stars, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, to fame. The Disney movie is about Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa), captain of the basketball team and a studious girl respectively. The two fall for each other and overcome various challenges to participate in a musical. The movie takes a fun and colorful look at high-school life and is highly recommended.

6. Easy A (2010)

A humorous take on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this teen comedy features Emma Stone as Olive, who is branded as an “easy” girl after rumor spreads that she slept with a boy. The movie shows that nothing has changed for women since Hawthorne’s time, and how easily rumors circulate through high-school. Olive decides to embrace the image in exchange for various favors but soon gets into trouble. A quirky and fun movie.

7. House Party (1990)

Starring Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin, or the hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, House Party is a teen comedy directed by Reginald Hudlin. It is one of the few movies that revolves around the high school experience of black teenagers. The film is about the thrill of sneaking out and attending parties with friends during high school. From cafeteria fights to party trouble, Kid and Play play out the entire high school experience.

8. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

This Netflix movie became a viral hit for accurately describing social faux pas that might happen during high school days. Awkward and light-hearted, the film stars Lana Condor as the shy junior, Lara, who writes a letter to each of her crushes in a diary. The diary gets leaked, and Lara becomes the butt of jokes in her school. She must now confront her crushes about her feelings. The movie is based on Jenny Han's novel of the same name and also has two sequels.

9. Do Revenge (2022)

Starring Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke, Do Revenge, is a teen black comedy. The movie pays homage to several high-school based chick flicks such as Clueless and Cruel Intentions and is about a straight-A student, Drea (Mendes), whose life turns upside down when a s*x tape becomes public. She decides to join hands with newcomer Eleanor (Hawke), who has her own troubles, to carry out their plan of revenge on those who did them wrong. The movie is full of twists.

10. Election (1999)

Before Reese Witherspoon became famous as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, she had made her mark as the ambitious Tracy in Election, who wants to become the class president. The black comedy based on a novel by Tom Perrotta is a satire on politics and high school life, and features Matthew Broderick as a teacher who dislikes Tracy and tries to derail her campaign. Class presidency elections are a hectic time in high school and the movie brings back memories.

11. Bring It On (2000)

Cheerleading forms an important part of the high school experience, and there are many movies that have tried to capture the spirit, mostly in frivolity. Bring it On is a teen comedy that tries offering depth to the activity. Kirsten Dunst stars as Torrance, who becomes the captain of her school cheerleading squad and realizes that her team’s routines are copied. As a national competition draws near, she must come up with an original set.

12. Booksmart (2019)

High school movies often present stories from the perspective of boys. Booksmart, however, is an exception. The indie movie directed by Olivia Wilde, is scripted by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. The film has a cast toplined by Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, and the storyline aims to highlight the adolescent experience of girls. Dever and Feldstein star in this smart and wickedly funny movie as two studious friends who realize that even hard-partying girls can get into good colleges, and decide to have a raucous time before school gets over. A must-watch.

13. Back to the Future (1985)

A charming eighties classic, Back to the Future, is an iconic sci-fi movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Michael J. Fox. It revolves around teenager Marty (Fox), who goes back in time to 1955 by a time-traveling DeLorean, created by an eccentric scientist friend, Dr. Emmett (Christopher Lloyd). Marty gets into trouble when he meets his parents and his mother falls for him instead of his father. He must now set things right and return to the present. A thoroughly entertaining flick.

14. Heathers (1989)

Heathers is an iconic teen black comedy. Written by Daniel Waters, the film ditched the bubbly optimism one usually associates with teen movies to create a cynical and dark satire around high school life. Waters' film is now deemed a cult hit. The movie is about Veronica (Winona Ryder), whose twisted boyfriend, JD (Christian Slater), ropes her into murdering the mean girls of the school. The movie is subversive and includes themes such as bullying and violence in high school.

15. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Directed by Jared Hess, this independent coming-of-age teen comedy starring Jon Heder, is a quirky movie about a high school nerd and his various problems that include living with a dysfunctional family, becoming friends with an immigrant who want to be the class president, and having an innocent crush. The movie is based on Hess’s own life and impressively presents a picture of high school life.