No one wants to rush the rest of summer, but it’s hard to deny the season is starting to come to an end. While originally, the school year started after Labor Day weekend, now the school year starts earlier and earlier, and August tends to be the kick-off of the back-to-school season for those in attendance. The feeling of heading back to school after a summer break is one of those feelings that just about everyone can relate to. We’ve all felt it. The dread of your lax summer days coming to an end, stores transitioning to carrying pencils and paper rather than pool noodles — it’s enough to make your stomach turn just thinking about it.
Update August 12, 2025: It is almost time to go back to school, so this list has been updated with more films byAmira Abdel-Fadil.
Luckily, there are plenty of movies out there that sort of romanticize being at school to combat those back-to-school blues. There are fun movies about skipping school and gallivanting around town, conquering your fears and making new friends, and ultimately finding yourself at a time when self-discovery is essentially a top priority. There are still plenty of summers left to enjoy if the idea of fall creeping in stresses you out. But if you’re ready to embrace a new season — and even a new school year — here are some back-to-school movies sure to get you in the mood.
10A Walk to Remember (2002)
A Walk to Rememberis the ultimate romance by authorNicholas Sparks. It’s a much watch for those who are a fan of the genre. The touching story revolves around two high-school students who are brought together by a turn of events in a high school filled with mean people. After Landon Carter (Shane West), a reckless boy, gets himself into trouble, he is forced to do community service. He asks for the help of good-hearted student Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore) to help him run his lines for his theater performances.
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The two unlikely duo set out on an intimate journey they never imagined.A Walk to Rememberhas it all, the school setting, the mean and the kind, the struggles of figuring out who you are, and the complexities of wanting to feel alive while trying to be a good person. It’s a beautiful character study with a beautiful bond at the heart of it.A Walk to Rememberis one that you’ll remember.
9She’s The Man (2006)
Amanda Byrnes gives one of her most fun and charming roles inShe’s the Manalongside Channing Tatum and Laura Ramsey. Viola (Bynes) makes a rebellious move and disguises herself as her brother while he’s away to get into an elite boarding school. She wants to be part of the soccer team after not being allowed to because she’s a girl. However, Viola not only is at risk of being busted at every minute, she gets entangled in some prettymessy love triangle.She’s the Manis such a feel-good and entertaining film that just is filled with hearty and memorable scenes and lines.
8Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
The latest film on this list, and in fact just opened this week,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemrelease date, feels perfectly tied into cash in on kids going back to school. This new incarnation of the heroes in a half shell truly embraces the teenage aspect of the characters, even getting actually teenagers to voice the main heroes. It taps into the hero’s anxiety to want to be part of the human world and just live a normal teenage life.
A major subplot of the film is how the Turtles want to be embraced by society so they can actually attend high school. These young boys have always been denied this chance, so something that most kids dread, like going back to school, is something they embrace.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis a breath of fresh air for the franchise and works as a great superhero film and also a great back-to-school movie.
7Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
What made Spider-Man such a breath of fresh air in the comics was that he was a high schooler. Yet both the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield films rushed through the character’s high school settings.Spider-Man: Homecoming, the character’s first solo MCU film, truly embraces the high school setting. Here Peter Parker is left to balance his school life with his responsibilities as a superhero.
Many of the kids who will be going back to school can likely relate to Peter Parker’s struggles here. While they can’t imagine fighting a supervillain, they can relate to the stress of needing to balance school while thinking about the future. Or the anxiety of meeting your date’s parents and how monumental an event like a homecoming dance can be.Spider-Man: Homecomingnot only embraced a long-ignored element of the character’s history but also brought Spider-Man into a new generation. Also, while this film makes for a great movie about going back to school, it’s sequelSpider-Man: Far From Home,is a great movie about the end of the school year.
6Mean Girls (2004)
Although it came out in 2004,Mean Girlshas maintained its popularity over the years with its signature 2000s fashion and iconic one-liners. It’s about Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a teenager who originally went to school in Africa, but moves to the suburbs in Illinois and gets a taste of public school. She essentially gets a crash course in popularity, cliques, and the social hierarchy of high school. She finds herself falling into the elite group, dubbed The Plastics, and has to go on a journey of self-discovery to realize not only who she is but who her real friends are.
Simply put,Mean Girlsis hilarious. With its ensemble cast and excellent writing, it captures so much of the high school experience that people are familiar with, both good and bad. The movie also features one of the most iconic"mean girl" charactersof all time, Regina George (Rachel McAdams).Mean Girlsis a fun back-to-school movie for those looking for an embellishment of the survival-of-the-fittest mentality often seen in high school and is especially great for anyone who lovedHeathers.
5Clueless (1995)
This coming-of-age comedy is about popular rich girl Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), who befriends a “tragically unhip” new student at her Beverly Hills High School and gives her a makeover to boost her confidence and popularity.Cluelessis loosely based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novelEmmaand since its premiere has become a cult classic and even led to a spin-off TV show and a series of books.
Cluelessis a masterclass in teen comedy. It’s witty, full of satire, and genuinely hilarious. Even though it premiered in 1995, it still holds up today as a quirky, fun teen movie that’s totally worth a watch. Along with its charming humor,Cluelessalsoemphasizes female friendshipsand the power of a chic outfit.
4The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Based on Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 novel of the same name,The Perks of Being a Wallflowerisone of the best book-to-movie adaptationsout there. It’s all about friendship, love, the deeply complex teenage experience, and the process of finding yourself with the help of those around you. Chbosky wrote the screenplay and directed the movie, and it’s evident in each scene that he approached the project with the utmost care, because the characters perfectly mirror what he created in the book and virtually jump off the screen.
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The Perks of Being a Wallfloweris one of the best modern coming-of-age films, making it a great watch for those in the back-to-school age bracket who are also trying to discover who they are. The movie also deals with serious topics like depression, suicide and anxiety, really beautifully capturing the highs and lows of being a teen.
3Easy A (2010)
Easy Ais a film with a deeply entertaining and strong female protagonist. Starring the amazing Emma Stone, Olive is not your typical high school girl. After a rumor breaks out of her losing her virginity, she welcomes the attention and even feeds it with more stories despite nothing ever being true. Now she’s the most popular girl in high school, and she is even benefiting from it. However, like all things, too much of anything can prove to be a problem. How will Olive clear the mess?Easy Ais a refreshing film, brought to life by its great cast performancesand vibrant dialoguethat is so easy to like.
2The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Breakfast Clubis well-known and well-loved by just about everyone. This coming-of-age teen dramedy is about five students (Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson) from different walks of life who all find themselves in a Saturday detention. Each student tells their story and gets to know one another over the course of the detention, leading them to wonder if school will ever be the same now that they really know each other.
The Breakfast Clubis one of John Hughes' best works. It represents the polarizing nature of cliques and high school but also emphasizes how similar we can be despite our surface-level differences. The cast of misfits managed to be funny, touching, and easy to relate to. So much so thateven decades later, the movie still holds a special place in the hearts of those who enjoyed it. Of all the teen coming-of-age movies,The Breakfast Clubfeels the most authentic.
1Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Who didn’t want to skip school and have an adventurous day like Ferris Bueller? Premiering in 1986,Ferris Bueller’s Day Offis one ofJohn Hughes' best movies. Ferris (Matthew Broderick) skips school one last time before his high school graduation, accompanied by his timid best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). Ferris steals a Ferrari, visits an art museum, and performs in a parade, all while Dean of Students Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) is on his tail.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Offis a fun, romanticized day of playing hooky with the bustling city of Chicago as its backdrop. It’s all about being young, carefree, and having fun. Broderick often breaks the fourth wall, telling the audience about his thoughts and insights, making you feel like you’re in on the scheme with him. This is such a groundbreaking high school movie it is referenced in two other entries on this list,Spdier-Man: HomecomingandTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.Ferris Bueller’s Day Offis a timeless classicand a great feel-good movie if you have the back-to-school blues.
