TOP OF THE CLASS: 16 FUNNY MOVIES (MOSTLY) SET IN HIGH SCHOOL
Going back to school for some may not be something to be excited about. Then there’s others who love it. I’d certainly be the former, though as someone who (I think) does like some sense of routine, maybe there would weirdly be part of this I wouldn’t mind? Either way, because it’s that going back to school timeframe, we’re looking at some movies set in school. Probably not a very thorough list, but this is where you come in.
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Some of these are movies I grew up with. Others are movies that released in my growing up years, I didn’t experience at the time. Either way, while most are about teenagers (because who else is primary in a high school setting?), some of these are cult classics and in the right mood, they can be a fun watch. Let’s get back to school and find out which titles these are.
MOVIES SET AT SCHOOL
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
Featuring Julia Stiles and Heath Leger, this one is one of those cult classics that features teens and re-tells a kind of The Taming of the Shrew. It’s also very much a love-to-hate rom-com.
Stream with Disney+; or digitally purchase this film on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: New high school student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) is smitten with Bianca (Oleynik), but in order to get around her father’s strict rules on dating, he must get bad boy Patrick (Ledger) to date Bianca’s ill-tempered sister, Kat (Stiles). – via Prime Video
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TOP OF THE CLASS: 16 FUNNY MOVIES (MOSTLY) SET IN HIGH SCHOOL #HIGHSCHOOL #BACKTOSCHOOL #MOVIES #MOVIELIST #FUNMOVIES #COMEDY #MOVIE #JULIASTILES #JULIAROBERTS #VANESSAHUDGENS Share on XANNE OF AVONLEA
Now also known as Anne of Green Gables: the Sequel, this is A classic from my childhood. While Anne of Green Gables has some schoolhouse scenes (important ones, too!), Anne of Avonlea is more scholarly telling the stories of Anne’s years as a teacher.
Stream with Gazebo TV; or search places like Amazon for DVD copies.
BANDSLAM
I re-watched this a few years ago and forgot about how it is. It’s maybe the “youngest” on this list in terms of how the characters act or their age, but it’s got some heart plus features Disney stars Vanessa Hudgens and Aly Michalka.
Stream with Plex, Roku or Tubi; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: Music-obsessed misfits (Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell) cope with high school life by forming a band for the big Bandslam competition. – via Prime Video
THE DUFF
In stark contrast to Anne of Avonlea, we have this modern high school comedy. It follows a teen girl who is anything but popular who learns from a cool guy that she’s considered the DUFF – a “designated ugly fat friend.” Determined to shed this moniker, she tries to remake herself.
Stream with Prime Video or Roku
Synopsis: A high-school senior (Mae Whitman) sets out to reinvent herself and revolutionize the student body’s social order after learning that a judgmental classmate has given her an embarrassing nickname. – via Prime Video
HE’S ALL THAT
A remake, Netflix plops some unknown cinematic talent in lead roles in this teen comedy, and for the most part, it’s actually pretty cute. It follows a popular girl re-making the geeky guy in high school.
Stream exclusively with Netflix
Logline: In this reimagining of 1999’s She’s All That, teen social media influencer Padgett’s humiliating on-camera breakup goes viral, leading her to make a risky bet to save her reputation: She swears she can turn scruffy antisocial Cameron into prom king material. But things get complicated when she finds herself falling for him IRL. – via Netflix
LEGALLY BLONDE
A cult and nostalgic favorite Reese Witherspoon stars as Elle Woods, playing a college girl chasing the perfect guy to Harvard. It’s all kinds of girly, and cute, and fun, and ultimately, about learning what you’re capable of.
Stream with HBO Max or with Prime Video; or find to digitally purchase on places like Prime Video back to school movies
Synopsis: Elle has it all. She’s president of her sorority, a natural blonde, and she dates the cutest fraternity boy on campus. There’s just one thing stopping him from popping the question: Elle is too blonde. So, when he packs up for Harvard Law, Elle rallies all her resources and gets into Harvard, determined to win him back. – via Prime Video
MEAN GIRLS
Possibly as popular in terms of name recognition if nothing else, this film features Lindsay Lohan in one of her earlier roles. She plays a homeschooled teen entering public high school for the first time.
Stream with Paramount+; or digitally purchase this film on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: Cady thinks she understands “survival of the fittest.” However, the law of the wild takes a whole new meaning when the homeschooled 15-year-old enters public high school for the first time. – via Prime Video
MONA LISA SMILE
A period title set in the 1950s about a teacher who leaves behind a life and career in LA to teach on the east coast at a conservative women’s college. Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllanhaal co-star.
Digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: Mona Lisa Smile is a funny, inspiring and uplifting film about an art history professor with a lot to teach about life and much to learn about romance. – via Prime Video
NEVER BEEN KISSED
Drew Barrymore stars in this classic (that many hate in 2026) as a reporter who goes undercover hoping to have a better high school experience.
Stream with Disney+; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: A former high-school nerd, now a reporter, gets a second chance when she goes under cover for a story on cool teens. – via Prime Video
PITCH PERFECT
Set in college, this film, the first of three movies, features Anna Kendrick as an incoming rebel freshman who winds up a part of an acapella group. back to school movies
Digitally purchase the film on places like Prime Video
THE PRINCESS DIARIES
This one’s theme really isn’t about “school” life or a plot about school but much of this breakout role for Anne Hathaway does take place inside the school. It’s also just really fun and a throwback movie I enjoy anytime.
Stream with Disney+; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: A socially awkward but very bright 15-year-old girl being raised by a single mom discovers that she is the princess of a small European country because of the recent death of her long-absent father, who, unknown to her, was the prince of Genovia. – via Prime Video
TOP OF THE CLASS: 16 FUNNY MOVIES (MOSTLY) SET IN HIGH SCHOOL #MOVIES #HIGHSCHOOL #BACKTOSCHOOL #MOVIELIST #MOVIES #ANNEHATHAWAY #JULIAROBERTS #GOODMOVIES #FUNNYMOVIES Share on XSHE’S ALL THAT
One of those cult classics with Freddie Prinze Jr. This is the original that Netflix remade, and while the newer is actually pretty cute. This one is still the more senior classic.
Stream with MGM+; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: A high-school student wagers he can remake a plain Jane. – via Prime Video
SHE’S THE MAN
Amanda Bynes stars as a girl who decides to impersonate her brother when her girls’ soccer team is cut. So, she decides to take the place of her brother on his team and thus, the shenanigans begin!
Stream with Hulu or Paramount+; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: In this twisted telling of Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT, Amanda Bynes proves that girls can do anything guys can do. – via Prime Video
SIERRA BURGESS is a LOSER
Cute and funny about a case of mistaken identity. This one also was a follow up role for Noah Centineo (from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) and fun fact, it also featured Kristine Froseth who now stars in The Buccaneers.
Stream exclusively with Netflix
Synopsis: SIERRA BURGESS IS A LOSER is a modern rom-com retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story set in high school. The story centers on Sierra (Shannon Purser), an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Kristine Froseth) in order to win her crush (Noah Centineo). – via Netflix
TALL GIRL
A cute and sometimes silly young adult dramady that is actually better than I gave it credit for. Follows a girl who, like the title suggests, just doesn’t fit in with her peers. It also has Sabrina Carpenter.
Stream exclusively on Netflix back to school movies
Synopsis: Jodi (Ava Michelle) has always been the tallest girl in school — and she’s always been uncomfortable with it. – via Netflix
YOU AGAIN
This one isn’t set in school per se, but I kind of must include it as one of my own rules just because it does have roots in high school. Kristen Bell stars as a now successful woman who comes face to face with her high school nemesis again in the worst kind of way.
Stream with Disney+; or digitally purchase on places like Prime Video
Synopsis: A young woman realizes her brother is about to marry her high school nemesis – and that the evil one’s aunt was a bully towards her mom in school! – via Prime Video
Off to you all; which of these have you seen? Do you watch any of them multiple times? What movies would you put on this list? Any featured here that you loathe – let’s talk about it all! Comment all the comments below.
editorial note; this list was updated Aust 12, 2026.
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