Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like you blinked and summer is almost over? Now that August is here, it’s time to gear up and get ready for back-to-school. Just because classes are back in session, though, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun or continue getting your fill of entertainment.
As your new semester approacheth, if you find yourself dreading it, get yourself in the mood with these 13 back-to-school movies.
These movies were selected based on the experience of returning to or starting school, whether it be high school or college. All capture the unique atmosphere and awkward social roller-coaster ride of being a teenager during a key transitional period in life, and they share themes of coming-of-age, self-discovery, friendship, and navigating the complexities of education with self-development.
1 hour 37 minutes
Starring
Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
10 Things I Hate About Youis a sweet, coming-of-age, back-to-school tale reminding us that the people we love the most are often the ones who drive us the craziest. It’s also a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’sThe Taming of the Shrewwith a heavy focus on cliques, dating, and shattering stereotypes.
In one of his greatest roles, the late Heath Ledger stars as a handsome, effortlessly charming but moody rebel who’s the new guy at school. When he’s set up with the beautiful, smart, but quite abrasive Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles), who hates men, she finds herself falling for him … until she finds out it was all a set-up.
Disney+
Go back to school with Heath Ledger and shatter those stereotypes.
1 hour 49 minutes
John Belushi, Kevin Bacon, Tim Matheson, Donald Sutherland
Animal Houseis one of the most iconic back-to-school movies in existence, and it’s the quintessential college gross-out movie that defined the phrase “frat party.”
With its over-the-top, raunchy humor and unforgettable cast of characters (and performances),Animal Houseis a classic cinematic gem that’s sure to get you in the mood for those college parties that await you—after your homework is done, of course.
Netflix
Experience what it was like heading off to college in the late 70s with this Jim Belushi classic.
1 hour 36 minutes
Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey Jr., William Zabka
Imagine this: You’re a misfit discouraged about going to college, so to help encourage you, your uneducated father, who’s a self-made millionaire, enrolls with you. Now it’s a party, right?
That’s the case for Jason Melon (Keith Gordon) inBack to School. While he tries to make new friends and join the diving team, his dad, Thornton (Rodney Dangerfield) flirts with hot professors and gets others to do his homework. When the dean finds out, it’s up to Thornton to prove he can survive academically.
Dangerfield was a comedic genius during his time, and you’ll love his steady stream of fast-paced one-liners, crude humor, and the film’s witty writing. This one is guaranteed to get you in the mood—at least for college.
AMC+
Get ready for back-to-school with this 80s comedy hit starring the late Rodney Dangerfield.
1 hour 30 minutes
Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
Need some proof that History class doesn’t have to be boring? You got it.
InBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, two underachieving teens (Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter) are failing History, and if they don’t pass, it’s military school for Ted, which would seriously interfere with their dream of starting a band. After noticing one night that “strange things are afoot at the Circle K,” they’re presented with the opportunity to traverse 7,000 years of history to gather what they need for their project.
No way, dude! Yes way.
MGM+
Join Ted Theodore Logan and William S. Preston, Esquire and find out what strange things are afoot at the Circle K.
1 hour 32 minutes
Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church, Penn Badgley
Easy Abelongs on a list ofmust-see movies available on Hulu. It’s one of my favorite back-to-school flicks because of its humorous, relatable themes and criticisms of the high school experience—specifically the effects of rumors and the pressure of social dynamics.
After a tiny white lie about losing her virginity makes its way around her high school, Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), a clean-cut high school teen, finds her life paralleling that of Hester Prynne’s inThe Scarlet Letter, which she’s studying in school. After becoming notorious for the wrong reasons, she embraces the romor mill and rides the wave to advance her social status.
Who says rumors have to drag you down?
1 hour 43 minutes
Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Klein
Electionis a razor-sharp, extremely clever black comedy satirizing politics and high school life, which is why you’ll love it. It’s still relevant over 20 years later and is sure to gear you up for those popularity battles that back-to-school brings.
Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a well-liked government teacher, notices over-achieving student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) using less-than-ethical tactics in her race to win student government president. So, he convinces a dim-witted student athlete to run against her, setting off a bitter feud full of wit and unchecked power.
Paramount Plus
This is one student-teacher battle of wits you don’t want to miss!
Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold
What high school student wouldn’t rather ignore their studies and indulge in teenage distractions? I know grownups who do this. I may or may not be one of them.
Fast Times at Ridgemont Highis another brilliant coming-of-age film, this one about a group of teens in Southern California grappling with school, part-time jobs, relationships, insecurities, and the realities of growing up.
Its humorous portrayal of 1980s high school life is rife with iconic characters and cultural impact, realistically capturing the awkwardness, anxieties, and humor of the teenage experience.
Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is the king of faking illnesses. He’s also the most iconic slacker of all time.
He’s a brash, cocky high school slacker equipped with an uncanny knack for cutting classes and getting away with it. Bueller proves himself a master of mischief when he calls in sick, borrows—i.e., steals—his best friend’s dad’s Ferrari, then embarks on an epic hooky-day through Chicago, with his best friend and his girlfriend in tow. Knowing his student is lying, Principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) is determined to catch him in the act.
One of iconic writer-director John Hughes' best, there’s so much to laugh at and love aboutFerris Bueller’s Day Off, but it’s most important for its message about remembering to live fully, without apology or fear.
Cut class and spend your day with the most iconic slacker of all time, Ferris Bueller.
Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, Ali Larter
If you’re headed to law school,Legally Blondeis the movie to watch to bring on that cheery, back-to-school mood.
Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), a spoiled California sorority girl, is certain her college boyfriend, who’s on his way to Harvard Law School, is about to propose. She’s left humiliated when he breaks up with her for being too blonde. To win him back, she applies to Harvard and gets in.
Mostly consumed with her hair, nails, outfits, and her bejeweled Chihuahua, everyone is shocked when Elle valley-girls her way right through law school.
What? Like it’s hard?
Elle Woods is here to make sure you look your best at college while also knowing your rights.
1 hour 38 minutes
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert
Ah, mean girls: the one group all school dwellers dread, and rightly so.
Mean Girlsstars Lindsay Lohan as a high school transplant educated in Africa by her scientist parents. When she attends public school for the first time, she gets a quick primer on the cruel laws of popularity. The movie’s realistic portrayal of high school social dynamics, cliques, and pressures will resonate deeply and inspire your own journey towards self-discovery as you navigate the complexities of a whole new year.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, then take ‘em down from the inside.
