As summer approaches, so does the end of a long school year and in turn, graduation season. For many, graduating high school or college is the moment they’ve been waiting for their whole lives. For some of us, though, this time of the year is filled with anxiety and stress. Right now, what many need is to unwind, and what better way to do that than with a movie?
Here are 10 movies about graduating that may make you feel better about the big day.
1. Superbad (2007)
Without a doubt, Superbad is Seth Rogen’s best movie and a hallmark for the coming-of-age genre. For Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill), high school can’t end soon enough. They are unpopular, inexperienced, and ready for college. In a few weeks, they’ll go their separate ways. In an effort to seize their last chances with the girls they like, Jules and Becca (Emma Stone and Martha MacIsaac), Evan and Seth agree to provide alcohol for an enormous party that Jules is throwing.
Along the way, they evade immature cops (Bill Hader and Seth Rogen), crash a cocaine-filled house party, and come to terms with the reality of graduating. With strong comedic performances and the generational icon “McLovin” (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), this 2007 buddy comedy is one you can’t miss!
IMDb: 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
2. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Much like Superbad, Can’t Hardly Wait follows an ensemble of high schoolers who are making a last-ditch effort to enjoy high school before it ends. Of course, it all goes down at a massive party. In the suburbs of Los Angeles, Preston Meyers (Ethan Embry) attends this party, hoping to confess his unrequited love for Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love-Hewitt), the most popular girl in school. In ensemble roles, Seth Green and Lauren Ambrose are unexpectedly locked in a bathroom together, and Charlie Korsmo enacts revenge on his bully.
This movie is like stepping into a 1990s time capsule. From the fashion to the music to the actors we know from future roles, it has something for everybody. Can’t Hardly Wait is an underdog story that reminds everyone who watches it just how beautiful the final moments of school can be. We are all waiting for that final moment with the people we grew up with, and in the case of this movie, those final moments are sweet, hilarious, and worth the wait.
IMDb: 6.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Where to Watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
3. The Breakfast Club (1985)
John Hughes revolutionized the coming-of-age movie, and The Breakfast Club is no exception. Set in a suburb of Illinois, this indie film follows five high school students with nothing in common–except the Saturday detention that they are sitting through. Each character is vivid and unique, fitting the stereotypes of classic high school movies; Judd Nelson plays the bad boy, Emilio Estevez plays the jock, Anthony Michael Hall plays the nerd, Molly Ringwald plays the popular girl, and Ally Sheedy plays the basket case. All of them have their perceptions about each other, but over the course of one Saturday detention, they come to learn intimate secrets that change their minds. The Breakfast Club is all about defying the boundaries that society sets for you and not judging books by their covers.
IMDb: 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
4. Say Anything… (1989)
With Say Anything…, a genre of house party movies was born. This 1989 romantic comedy served as the blueprint for a generation of movies to come, including Can’t Hardly Wait. The film follows Lloyd Dobler, a high school graduate who has no idea what he wants to do. The only thing Lloyd is certain about is Diane Court, the quiet valedictorian that he likes. Lloyd’s only problem is that Diane belongs to a much different world, one with money, a devoted parent, and a future laid out for her. On a whim, Lloyd invites Diane to one final party after graduation; to his surprise, Diane agrees to go. From there, their whirlwind romance evolves into one of the greatest coming-of-age romances to date.
John Cusack and Ione Skye perfectly fit their roles in this film, and it is no wonder it inspired decades of high school movies to come. If you aren’t sure what you want to do next, this movie is the perfect way to feel more at ease.
IMDb: 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
5. Carrie (1976)
For anyone who wants something a bit different, try Carrie. There are three adaptations, but the 1976 version with Sissy Spacek as Carrie is by far the best. Carrie, a sheltered teen who has telekinetic powers, has been bullied her whole life, by classmates and her mother. In the aftermath of a vicious Prom Night prank, Carrie gets her revenge. Every bit of this movie is wonderful, with brilliant acting, plenty of blood for horror fans, and sentimental moments to cater to true empaths. If you want a distraction from the gushy movies about graduation, check out this one!
IMDb: 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
6. Dazed and Confused (1993)
For those of you who want something with a little something for everyone, look no further than Dazed and Confused. Featuring a strong ensemble cast with familiar faces like Matthew McConaughey and The White Lotus‘s Parker Posey, this movie is entertaining from start to finish. Jason London stars as Pink, the star of Lee High School’s football team, while Wiley Wiggins is Mitch, an incoming freshman who is ready to experience high school antics. On the last day of school, after some light hazing rituals (that definitely leave the movie a bit dated), Mitch manages to get a ride home from Pink. That night, the teens drink and smoke, smash mailboxes, and end up at a keg party in the middle of nowhere. There’s shenanigans, romance, and above all, the refreshing wonder that growing up provides us all.
IMDb: 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
7. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
With Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, John Hughes hit another homerun. Ferris Bueller, a Chicago high school senior played by Matthew Broderick, plays hooky in the last weeks of high school, hoping to have a full day to goof off with his best friend and girlfriend. Ferris’s antics match his charm, creating a lovable character to anybody watching. Ferris breaks the fourth wall plenty, dragging the viewer into the world of chaos that ensues when a sly student borrows a classic car and evades a villainous principal. This film perfectly encapsulates the joy of being young. If you watch any movie on this list, let it be this classic.
IMDb: 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube
8. Booksmart (2019)
How about we talk about something a little more recent? Booksmart is sort of the female-led version of Superbad, but with all the modern fittings of technology driving the plot into chaos. Molly Davidson (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy Antsler (Kailtyn Dever) star in this comedy as life-long, nerdy best friends. Before they go to Yale and Columbia, Molly and Amy want to spend one night doing all the things they missed in high school. They embark on a quest to embrace adolescent disregard and go to parties thrown by the people they like. In this smart, funny, and critically acclaimed film, Molly and Amy explore sexuality, youth, and their last chance to enjoy high school.
IMDb: 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Where to Watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
9. American Graffiti (1973)
If you love the 60s, Harrison Ford, and the vintage hills of California, look no further! American Graffiti is another ensemble movie about a group of high school senior as they finish out their summer after graduation. On their last day in California, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Me Mat), and Toad (Charles Martin Smith) grapple with the fact that they are going to college. Wanting to make the most of the night, they fall in love with beautiful women, drag race, and haggle with local gangs. With the Vietnam War approaching, the movie’s existence in history acts as a final hurrah for these graduates, but also as one last night together before they enter adulthood and war.
If you love the critically acclaimed movies of the 70s and 80s, you’ll love this one! Some of the greatest actors of the time had their big break in this comedy.
IMDb: 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
10. St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
We’ve hit plenty of high school movies, but how about college? John Hughes once again hit the nail on the head with this 1985 classic set at Georgetown University. With big names like Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and a couple of our friends from The Breakfast Club, this film touches on love, infidelity, and the stresses of the world. Having graduated college, a group of friends–some married and some single–meet at St. Elmo’s Bar, where they share secrets, laughs, and lean on one another in times of hurt. Not only is this movie more mature for those of you graduating college, but it sits right in the sweet spot of answering questions you may have about what happens when you really enter the world.
IMDb: 6.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 44%
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Where do we go from here?
Nobody knows what they will do after graduating. Maybe you have school lined up or a job that you are super excited for. Maybe you have regrets or have no idea where to begin after you get your diploma. Whatever the case is, you’re not alone. Plenty of us are lost, but those same people find their way. Hopefully these classics can make you feel a little less alone as you prepare for the beginning of your new normal.
