17 “School” Movies to Binge Between Study Breaks

1. The Breakfast Club

This iconic movie not only has a killer last song, but also a totally-relatable “cool” factor that we still look to today despite the movie coming out decades ago. The dynamic characters make a decent representation of a student body we all could find a part in (I am part “Princess” and part “Basket Case”)

2. Adventures in Babysitting

How many of us had babysitting jobs during high school, or at the very least, knew that one person who had some evil kids we’d never want to babysit? This movie is funny and features numerous problems that make you laugh and cringe the whole time, and the 80s- well, enough said.

3. Dead Poets Society

I could list this movie simply for having Robin Williams in it, but this movie is so much more than that. It appeals to the writer in all of us (instead of writing papers, we can watch the students write poems that make the soul SOAR), and also show the tension between students and teachers and parents as well as what happens when students work together.

4. Mean Girls

This move has so many quotable lines and a story-line that is easy to follow and therefore a simple distraction. The characters are funny, and while there is a lot of high school stereotyping, the stereotypes are made fun of throughout the movie.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This movie is quirky and poignant, and features the underdogs of high school that are living their best lives while making some seriously beautiful (and painful) memories along the way.

6. Fast Times At Ridgemont High

I have only seen this movie once, but it is the perfect high school movie- drama, romance, friendship, betrayal, stoner Sean Penn. You fall in love with the characters while at the same time knowing something bad is going to happen eventually. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but it comes off so simply that you can’t help but follow every detail.

7. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

This movie is classic for a lot of reasons, and it’s easy to watch while distractedly half-reading a study guide. The scenes are more memorable to me than the lines, and just the sheer amount of attention Ferris gets throughout one school day is laughable. The crazy factors of this movie outmatch the ‘average’ high school story, but who doesn’t love some wacky hijinks?

8. Heathers

This movie is the ORIGINAL Mean Girls, and no one can tell me different. The three Heathers are brought to justice by oddball Veronica and her psychotic boyfriend, Jason, and while being a pretty dark movie, there are enough chuckle-worthy moments to break up the monotony.

9. Pitch Perfect

I couldn’t make a ‘school movie’ list without branching into the college sector, and this has to be one of the most memorable college movies of my lifetime (since so many good ones still reign supreme from when my parents were growing up). I’m a sucker for a good musical, and this movie, if you haven’t seen it already, serves up a slick combo of new music and old, served up in an aca-amazing way that makes you leave feeling a little bit peppier, if nothing else.

10. PCU

This movie is the perfect movie for freshmen (and freshmen at heart) to take in, showing off a gritty, but hilarious, look at the dangers of Greek life and-

Honestly, it’s so funny it cannot really be taken seriously at times, and it guaranteed to make you laugh, and it has a very unique feel to it that makes the frat guys the ones you want to root for.

11. Grease

This movie-musical based on the Broadway hit is a theater-hater’s dream. The songs are easy to follow and they don’t happen constantly, so the story-line has time to be developed. The characters are fun, the sets are 50s style and chic, and the emotional value is monumental.

12. Clueless

This movie has a wide array of cool lines and cooler fashions, and it’s one of the first high school, coming-of-age stories that 90s kids can really distinguish when asked about good high school movies. Despite struggling to get by, the characters struggle together and make it look easy to get everything they want by the end of the movie.

13. High School Musical

This is by no stretch of the imagination a great movie compared to many others on this list, but it will keep you distracted for a few hours, and looking back on it, some parts are so stupid I question how I liked them when I was in middle school. The high school dynamics are there, though, and it’s fun to see how the different stereotypes play out and get tested.

14. Pretty in Pink

Ducky alone could make the movie go on this last, as he is one of the best movie sidekicks I have ever seen. That being said, this movie is so pure and innocent, and Molly Ringwald makes it so graceful and quirky. Not only does the movie make a great distraction, but it also is one of the best movies of the 80s and it navigates some class and gender issues with ease.

15. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

This movie is so dumb, it’s brilliant. Bill and Ted are slackers (and they make normal student slacking look great) and they travel through time trying to find answers about history for a school report. It’s a little bit sci-fi, a little bit comedy, and a lot of craziness.

16. Better Off Dead

This, admittedly, is a movie I don’t think gets enough attention. The main character daydreams in cartoons the entire length of the movie, and there is enough adult content to make it hilarious without being super weird. I forced my friends to watch it, and now they quote it. I’m not sure other evidence is needed to make the case.

17. Good Will Hunting

This movie is iconic, heartfelt, and soulful, and it’ll cover those well-maintained, finals-induced tears by letting you cry over how wonderful Robin Williams is YET AGAIN (could he be in any bad movie? Let me know if you’ve found one).

That’s the end of my list, and I should get back to studying, but what movies should I keep in mind that weren’t on here?