(Photo by Buena Vista/courtesy Everett Collection)
Rotten Tomatoes celebrates its birthday every year right around the same time students/parents and dreading/celebrating the dawn of a new school year. And with Rotten Tomatoes having no kids to send off (being a review aggregation site and not a living sentient organism capable of reproduction — though who knows what the future holds?) RT instead is getting into the school spirit with 25 essential high school movies of the last 25 years, ever since its inception in 1998.
Come gather as we relive the young glory days of peak accomplishments, including attending epic ragers, throwing a football over them mountains, definitely making fetch happen, and occasionally breaking down the social heirachy of locker room hallways.
The movies include Certified Fresh classics like 21 Jump Street, Juno, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Easy A, and Mean Girls. Then there’s enduring Fresh favorites (Remember the Titans, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Pie), and even Cruel Intentions. Sometimes you gotta throw the ugly outcast a bone, ya know?
Going by release order, see our selections of the 25 essential high school movies since 1998!
#1
Adjusted Score: 74248%
Critics Consensus: Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger add strong performances to an unexpectedly clever script, elevating 10 Things (slightly) above typical teen fare.
#2
Adjusted Score: 65910%
Critics Consensus: So embarrassing it’s believable, American Pie succeeds in bringing back the teen movie genre.
#3
Adjusted Score: 58402%
Critics Consensus: This darkly comic drama and its attractive young cast are easy on the eyes, but uneven performances and an uninspired script conspire to foil Cruel Intentions.
#4
Adjusted Score: 76540%
Critics Consensus: An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it’s also well-crafted and features terrific performances.
#5
Adjusted Score: 67974%
Critics Consensus: Despite the formulaic, fluffy storyline, this movie is surprisingly fun to watch, mostly due to its high energy and how it humorously spoofs cheerleading instead of taking itself too seriously.
#6
Adjusted Score: 84044%
Critics Consensus: A promising work by Lin, the energetic Better Luck Tomorrow is disturbing and thought-provoking.
#7
Adjusted Score: 77921%
Critics Consensus: A charming, quirky, and often funny comedy.
#8
Adjusted Score: 90633%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by a brilliant screenplay and outstanding ensemble cast, Mean Girls finds fresh, female-fronted humor in the high school experience.
#9
Adjusted Score: 84986%
Critics Consensus: This entertaining homage to noirs past has been slickly and compellingly updated to a contemporary high school setting.
#10
Adjusted Score: 56849%
Critics Consensus: High School Musical is brazenly saccharine, but it makes up for it with its memorable show tunes, eye-popping choreography, and appealing cast.
#11
Adjusted Score: 102194%
Critics Consensus: One of the brightest, funniest comedies of the year, Juno‘s smart script and direction are matched by assured performances in a coming-of-age story with a 21st century twist.
#12
Adjusted Score: 95812%
Critics Consensus: Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.
#13
Adjusted Score: 74423%
Critics Consensus: Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns.
#14
Adjusted Score: 91877%
Critics Consensus: It owes a huge debt to older (and better) teen comedies, but Easy A proves a smart, witty showcase for its irresistibly charming star, Emma Stone.
#15
Adjusted Score: 91477%
Critics Consensus: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heartfelt and sincere adaptation that’s bolstered by strong lead performances.
#16
Adjusted Score: 93955%
Critics Consensus: A smart, affectionate satire of ’80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.
#17
Adjusted Score: 97267%
Critics Consensus: The Spectacular Now is an adroit, sensitive film that avoids typical coming-of-age story trappings.
#18
Adjusted Score: 88888%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully scripted and perfectly cast, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is a coming-of-age movie with uncommon charm and insight.
#19
Adjusted Score: 93770%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a starmaking performance from Shameik Moore and a refreshingly original point of view from writer-director Rick Famuyiwa, Dope is smart, insightful entertainment.
#20
Adjusted Score: 77025%
Critics Consensus: The DUFF doesn’t achieve teen-movie greatness, but offers enough of a postmodern twist on the genre to recommend — and boasts typically great work from star Mae Whitman.
#21
Adjusted Score: 106198%
Critics Consensus: The Edge of Seventeen‘s sharp script — and Hailee Steinfeld’s outstanding lead performance — make this more than just another coming-of-age dramedy.
#22
Adjusted Score: 120203%
Critics Consensus: Spider-Man: Homecoming does whatever a second reboot can, delivering a colorful, fun adventure that fits snugly in the sprawling MCU without getting bogged down in franchise-building.
#23
Adjusted Score: 107969%
Critics Consensus: Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hitting The Hate U Give emphatically proves the YA genre has room for much more than magic and romance.
#24
Adjusted Score: 118299%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.
#25
Adjusted Score: 94327%
Critics Consensus: Sensitive, well-acted, and solidly directed, Words on Bathroom Walls is an admirable addition to a genre that too rarely does justice to its worthy themes.