20 Post-"Superbad" High School Movies That Are Definitely Good
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Last week, Seth Rogen commented on the legacy of Superbad, the 2007 teen comedy that skyrocketed the careers of stars Michael Cera and Jonah Hill while cementing Rogen and his co-writer Evan Goldberg as the hottest writing duo in Hollywood.
Columbia Pictures
15 years later, though, Rogen caused a stir among film fanatics when he told People that "no one's made a good high school movie" since the release of the now-classic comedy. Even though Rogen's comments are surely meant in jest, there's no denying that there have been a number of awesome teen films to drop in the years since Superbad, including dramas, comedy, and horror offerings that you can find below:
1.Booksmart
Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Molly Gordon, and Jason SudeikisDirector: Olivia WildeRuntime: 102 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
It’s fitting that the spiritual successor to Superbad would star Jonah Hill’s real-life sister, Beanie Feldstein, who broke out big thanks to her hysterical performance in Olivia Wilde’s love letter to teen sex comedies. With several laugh-out-loud set pieces, an attitude akin to the productions of Judd Apatow and John Hughes, and an inspired pairing of Feldstein and co-star Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart is one of the best comedies of the past several years as well as an essential new take on such a familiar and dependable genre.
2.Dope
Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, and Zoë KravitzDirector: Rick FamuyiwaRuntime: 103 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
Produced by Pharrell Williams and Sean Combs, Dope surrounds a trio of high school "geeks" coming of age in a high-crime neighborhood in Inglewood who accidentally find themselves in the center of a treacherous drug transaction. A stylish and insightful blend of comedy and drama, Dope has slowly but surely grown in profile since its 2015 release went largely under the radar, though the film helped to shine a light on filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa, as well as stars Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and Kiersey Clemons.
3.The Way, Way Back
Cast: Liam James, AnnaSophia Robb, Toni Collette, and Steve CarellDirector: Nat Faxon & Jim RashRuntime: 103 MinutesRating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes
A long-in-development comedy-drama from the Academy Award-winning duo of Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Way, Way Back tells the story of a 14-year-old who develops a summer romance with a neighbor while vacationing with his dysfunctional family and learning about life from an unlikely mentor. An old-school teenage summer story that doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, The Way, Way Back carries an infectious nostalgic charm guaranteed to please any well-versed fan of the genre.
4.Excision
Cast: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, and Malcolm McDowellDirector: Richard Bates Jr.Runtime: 81 MinutesRating: Not RatedRotten Tomatoes
The directorial debut of cinematic provocateur Richard Bates Jr., Excision follows a disturbed teenage girl whose demoralizing home life and ambitions to become a surgeon have led to bizarre and gruesome delusions. A critically acclaimed genre picture that blends the coming-of-age story with fantastical body horror, Excision is also noted for its against-type lead performance from AnnaLynne McCord, who eschewed her previously established sex symbol image and garnered rave reviews for her twisted turn in the film.
5.Easy A
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, and Thomas Haden ChurchDirector: Will GluckRuntime: 93 MinutesRating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes
One of the most ironic things about Seth Rogen's comments on high school movies is that it directly disregards a beloved teen movie from one of Superbad's breakout stars, Emma Stone, who later headlined a stellar modern adaptation of The Scarlet Letter in Will Gluck's Easy A. A critical and commercial smash hit, Easy A cemented Emma Stone as a performer to watch, subverted the tropes of sex comedies, and found new life in recent years via memes and streaming.
6.Luce
Cast: Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth, Naomi Watts, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.Director: Julius OnahRuntime: 109 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
A high school movie that doubles as one of the best and most tense domestic thrillers in recent memory, Luce surrounds the mind games between a manipulative high school student and his outspoken teacher which shakes the presumptions of the student’s adoptive parents. Tackling “nature vs. nurture” thinking with a prescient argument on contemporary racial politics, Luce is a captivating film that will keep you guessing and even questioning your own beliefs by the time the end credits roll.
7.Lady Bird
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet, and Lucas HedgesDirector: Greta GerwigRuntime: 94 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
Praised by critics as one of the best films of 2017, Lady Bird surrounds a high school senior who deals with her rocky love life, her academic ambitions, and her complicated relationship with her mother while preparing for adulthood. Elevated by the stellar performances on display and the outstanding direction from Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird is not only an exceptional contemporary high school movie, but one of the best dramatic entries in the genre, full-stop.
8.Blockers
Cast: John Cena, Leslie Mann, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Kathryn NewtonDirector: Kay CannonRuntime: 102 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
Produced by Superbad’s Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Blockers follows a group of concerned parents who aim to prevent their teenage children from losing their virginity on prom night. Directed by Pitch Perfect producer Kay Cannon, this underrated sex comedy not only packs a strong punch of “OMG” humor, but offers a feeling of genuine, sometimes self-aware sweetness so often lacking in various raunchy Superbad clones (we're looking at you, Project X).
9.Spider-Man: Homecoming
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and Michael KeatonDirector: Jon WattsRuntime: 133 MinutesRating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes
Who could have guessed that Spider-Man's first major showcase within the MCU had more in common with The Breakfast Club than Iron Man? Mixing spectacle with fantastic coming-of-age drama and comedy moments, Spider-Man: Homecoming works as both a stellar superhero flick and throwback to classic high school movies, with the two tones perfectly converging in the scene in which Peter Parker and his nemesis, Adrian Toomes, have a tense confrontation outside of his prom under the guise of the typical "father-prom date" conversation.
10.Tragedy Girls
Gunpowder & Sky
Cast: Alexandra Shipp, Brianna Hildebrand, Jack Quaid, and Craig RobinsonDirector: Tyler MacIntyreRuntime: 96 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
A contemporary mix between Heathers and Scream accentuated by an impressive ensemble cast, Tragedy Girls surrounds a pair of teenage sociopaths who decide to commit a series of copycat killings in order to boost the relevancy of their true crime blog. A biting and hilarious satire that offers both jaw-dropping slasher movie moments as well as sordid spins on teen movie tropes, Tragedy Girls seems destined to become the next great horror-comedy cult classic.
11.Detention (2011)
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke, and Dane CookDirector: Joseph KahnRuntime: 89 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
The second off-the-wall horror-comedy featuring Josh Hutcherson on this list, Detention is a genre-hopping high school tale that deals with a disaffected generation in the most bonkers and unpredictable way possible. Driven by a unique visual language and rebellious attitude one can now expect from Bodied director Joseph Kahn, Detention definitely leans closer to the likes of Everything Everywhere All At Once than, say, Pretty in Pink.
12.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Cast: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, and Nick OffermanDirector: Alfonso Gomez-RejonRuntime: 105 MinutesRating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes
Based on the novel by Jesse Andrews, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl follows a teenage film buff, his coworker, and his leukemia-battling childhood friend as they navigate their kinship as the latter's illness worsens. A heartfelt and emotional teen movie with a refreshingly off-beat sense of humor, this underrated teen movie is frequently insightful and touching, despite its inherently bleak premise.
13.Honor Society
Cast: Angourie Rice, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gaten Matarazzo, and Armani JacksonDirector: Oran ZegmanRuntime: 97 MinutesRating: Not RatedRotten Tomatoes
An unorthodox and surprisingly risqué Paramount+ original, Honor Society surrounds a viciously ambitious high school student who attempts to secure an important letter of recommendation by sabotaging the other potential recipients while avoiding the lecherous advances of her guidance counselor. With shades of Young Adult and Clueless, Honor Society is witty and funny while presenting enough new twists on the teen movie format to keep things unconventional.
14.Jennifer's Body
Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, and J.K. SimmonsDirector: Karyn KusamaRuntime: 101 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody's follow-up to Juno, Jennifer's Body surrounds a pair of teenage girls whose bond is tested when one of them becomes possessed and begins consuming her classmates. A box office bomb upon its theatrical release, Jennifer's Body has since found a critical and commercial reappraisal in recent years as a a high-camp feminist classic.
15.My Friend Dahmer
Cast: Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche, and Miles RobbinsDirector: Marc MeyersRuntime: 107 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
Based on the true memoir and graphic novel from John Backderf about his teenage friendship with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, My Friend Dahmer toes the line between teenage drama and psychological horror to great effect. Beyond the historical accuracy and unnerving atmosphere established by the film, My Friend Dahmer explores the story of a disturbed and lonely teenager exhibiting the warning signs of a potential serial killer as well as those who lived on the fringes of his high school experience, making this a must-watch for fans of true crime films.
16.Your Name
Cast: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Masami Nagasawa, and Ryô NaritaDirector: Makoto ShinkaiRuntime: 106 MinutesRating: PGRotten Tomatoes
A modern anime masterpiece that was acknowledged as the Best Animated Feature at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, Your Name surrounds two Japanese high schoolers who intermittently begin switching bodies and incidentally fall in love. A financial smash hit in Japan and a crossover success with international audiences, Your Name exhibits amazing animation, tangible emotional stakes, and a deft balance of fantasy and reality that pays off in a big way.
17.Sing Street
Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, and Aidan GillenDirector: John CarneyRuntime: 106 MinutesRating: PG-13Rotten Tomatoes
A solid mix between heartfelt coming-of-age drama with toe-tapping musical, Sing Street follows a budding young musician and an aspiring model who rage against their conservative upbringing while focusing on their blossoming romance and their band's ambitious music videos. Even if you're not swept off your feet by this fantastic high school comedy-drama, Sing Street's soundtrack is guaranteed to become a staple of your go-to playlist, especially the film's standout original track, "Drive It Like You Stole It."
18.Super Dark Times
The Orchard
Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Elizabeth Cappuccino, and Amy HargreavesDirector: Kevin PhillipsRuntime: 102 MinutesRating: Not RatedRotten Tomatoes
A pulse-pounding, atmospheric thriller presented like a dark twist on Stand by Me, Super Dark Times transforms the coming-of-age teen movie into a loss-of-innocence psychological drama when a pair of inseparable teenage boys fall into a paranoid spiral after a traumatic accident takes the life of a close friend. To say anything more would delve into spoiler material, but Super Dark Times plays like Superbad by the way of Elephant, with a pair of extraordinary performances from Ozark's Charlie Tahan and X's Owen Campbell that will keep you glued to the screen.
19.Spontaneous
Awesomeness Films
Cast: Katherine Langford, Charlie Plummer, Yvonne Orji, and Rob HuebelDirector: Brian DuffieldRuntime: 102 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
A really wonderful teenage romance film that was sadly released without bells and whistles during the COVID-19 pandemic, Spontaneous surrounds a pair of young lovers who are drawn together when a string of bizarre spontaneous combustions plague their high school classmates. It's a bloody and occasionally bizarre affair, but Spontaneous contains buckets of heartfelt emotion, some genuine suspense, and a demented sense of humor that will garner a chuckle out of even the most straight-laced viewer.
20.The Edge of Seventeen
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, and Woody HarrelsonDirector: Kelly Fremon CraigRuntime: 105 MinutesRating: RRotten Tomatoes
A refreshingly R-rated take on the high school movie that addresses the mature realities of growing up without kid gloves, The Edge of Seventeen surrounds a teenage girl who tries to navigate her strained family relationship, her emotionally confusing romantic prospects, and her mentorship with a no-B.S. teacher. Although audiences did not embrace the film upon its release in 2016, The Edge of Seventeen has slowly but surely found an audience and even put filmmaker Kelly Fremon Craig in the director's chair for the long-awaited adaptation of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.
