The Best High School Movies of the 2010s
by kjtenorman | created - 22 Aug 2016 | updated - 08 Dec 2019 | PublicFollow me on Letterboxd for more great film lists: https://letterboxd.com/kjtenorman
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1. Easy A (2010)
PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When Olive lies to her best friend about losing her virginity to one of the college boys, a girl overhears their conversation. Soon, her story spreads across the entire school like wildfire.
Director: Will Gluck | Stars: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley, Dan Byrd
Votes: 416,404 | Gross: $58.40M
2. Submarine (2010)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
15-year-old Oliver Tate has two objectives: to lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.
Director: Richard Ayoade | Stars: Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, Paddy Considine, Noah Taylor
Votes: 96,308 | Gross: $0.47M
3. Kick-Ass (2010)
R | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.
Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Garrett M. Brown
Votes: 591,637 | Gross: $48.07M
4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick
Votes: 463,885 | Gross: $31.49M
5. The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010)
TV-14 | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Four young people navigate the suburban wonderland of metro-Detroit looking for love and adventure on the last weekend of summer.
Director: David Robert Mitchell | Stars: Claire Sloma, Marlon Morton, Amanda Bauer, Brett Jacobsen
Votes: 4,652 | Gross: $0.04M
6. Terri (2011)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama
In a small town, a morbidly-obese, 15yo's bullied, as he struggles to adjust to his difficult life.
Director: Azazel Jacobs | Stars: John C. Reilly, Jacob Wysocki, Bridger Zadina, Creed Bratton
Votes: 10,299 | Gross: $0.65M
7. Detention (2011)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Horror, Romance
As a copycat killer named after movie villain Cinderhella stalks the student body at Grizzly Lake High School, a group of co-eds band together to survive while serving detention.
Director: Joseph Kahn | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke, Dane Cook
Votes: 16,481
8. Prom (2011)
PG | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A group of teenagers get ready for their high school prom.
Director: Joe Nussbaum | Stars: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell
Votes: 15,690 | Gross: $10.13M
9. Scream 4 (2011)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Lucy Hale
Votes: 170,589 | Gross: $38.18M
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 546,207 | Gross: $17.74M
11. 21 Jump Street (2012)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller | Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson
Votes: 596,433 | Gross: $138.45M
12. What Richard Did (2012)
TV-MA | 88 min | Drama
A promising young man about to start university suddenly throws his life into uncertainty when he accidentally commits a serious crime.
Director: Lenny Abrahamson | Stars: Jack Reynor, Fionn Ó Loingsigh, Gavin Drea, Patrick Gibson
Votes: 5,315
13. The First Time (I) (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A shy senior and a down-to-earth junior fall in love over one weekend.
Director: Jonathan Kasdan | Stars: Dylan O'Brien, Britt Robertson, Victoria Justice, James Frecheville
Votes: 73,535 | Gross: $0.02M
14. Project X (2012)
R | 88 min | Comedy
Three high-school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads.
Director: Nima Nourizadeh | Stars: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Dax Flame
Votes: 232,305 | Gross: $54.73M
15. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan
Votes: 699,841 | Gross: $262.03M
16. Struck by Lightning (2012)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
A high schooler recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine.
Director: Brian Dannelly | Stars: Chris Colfer, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney
Votes: 15,130 | Gross: $0.02M
17. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
NC-17 | 180 min | Drama, Romance
Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche | Stars: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing
Votes: 162,605 | Gross: $2.20M
18. The Spectacular Now (2013)
R | 95 min | Drama, Romance
A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."
Director: James Ponsoldt | Stars: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Votes: 161,052 | Gross: $6.85M
19. Palo Alto (2013)
R | 100 min | Drama
An unflinching portrait of adolescent lust, boredom, and self-destruction that centers around a shy young girl on the cusp of an illicit relationship with her soccer coach.
Director: Gia Coppola | Stars: Emma Roberts, James Franco, Jack Kilmer, Zoe Levin
Votes: 31,049 | Gross: $0.75M
20. The Bling Ring (2013)
R | 90 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Claire Julien
Votes: 91,997 | Gross: $5.84M
21. The To Do List (2013)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Romance
Feeling pressured to become more sexually experienced before she goes to college, Brandy Klark makes a list of things to accomplish before hitting campus in the fall.
Director: Maggie Carey | Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat
Votes: 41,843 | Gross: $3.45M
22. We Are the Best! (2013)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama, Music
Three girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band -- despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead.
Director: Lukas Moodysson | Stars: Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, Liv LeMoyne, Johan Liljemark
Votes: 11,304 | Gross: $0.18M
23. Geography Club (2013)
PG-13 | 84 min | Comedy, Drama
At Goodkind High School, a group of students with varying sexual orientations form an after-school club as a discreet way to share their feelings and experiences.
Director: Gary Entin | Stars: Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Meaghan Martin, Wesley Eure
Votes: 6,243
24. The Kings of Summer (2013)
R | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Three teenage friends, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land.
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts | Stars: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman
Votes: 84,260 | Gross: $1.29M
25. Carrie (2013)
R | 100 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A shy girl, outcast by her peers and sheltered by her religious mother, unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
Director: Kimberly Peirce | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Portia Doubleday
Votes: 147,854 | Gross: $35.27M
26. G.B.F. (2013)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
What happens after Tanner is outed by his classmates and becomes the title "gay best friend" for three high school queen bees?
Director: Darren Stein | Stars: Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Andrea Bowen
Votes: 11,411
27. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Romance
Hazel and Gus are teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially "An Imperial Affliction", so they embark on a journey to visit an author in Amsterdam.
Director: Josh Boone | Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern
Votes: 400,044 | Gross: $124.87M
28. Unfriended (2014)
R | 83 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A group of online chatroom friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.
Director: Levan Gabriadze | Stars: Heather Sossaman, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig
Votes: 81,183 | Gross: $32.48M
29. The Way He Looks (2014)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Romance
Leonardo is a blind teenager searching for independence. His everyday life, the relationship with his best friend Giovana, and the way he sees the world change completely with the arrival of Gabriel.
Director: Daniel Ribeiro | Stars: Ghilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi, Tess Amorim, Lúcia Romano
Votes: 27,586 | Gross: $0.10M
30. It Follows (2014)
R | 100 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.
Director: David Robert Mitchell | Stars: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe
Votes: 267,605 | Gross: $14.67M
31. I Believe in Unicorns (2014)
TV-14 | 80 min | Drama
A road trip through the stunning and complex landscape of troubled young love.
Director: Leah Meyerhoff | Stars: Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack, Julia Garner, Amy Seimetz
Votes: 1,419
32. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | Stars: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman
Votes: 137,937 | Gross: $6.74M
33. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A teen artist living in 1970s San Francisco enters into an affair with her mother's boyfriend.
Director: Marielle Heller | Stars: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Meloni
Votes: 33,475 | Gross: $1.48M
34. Deathgasm (2015)
Not Rated | 86 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
Two teenage boys unwittingly summon an ancient evil entity known as The Blind One by delving into black magic while trying to escape their mundane lives.
Director: Jason Howden | Stars: Milo Cawthorne, James Joshua Blake, Kimberley Crossman, Sam Berkley
Votes: 19,146
35. The DUFF (2015)
PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Romance
A high school senior instigates a social pecking order revolution after finding out that she has been labeled the DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - by her prettier, more popular counterparts.
Director: Ari Sandel | Stars: Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Robbie Amell, Allison Janney
Votes: 101,354 | Gross: $34.03M
36. Dope (2015)
R | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Life changes for Malcolm, a geek who's surviving life in a tough neighborhood, after a chance invitation to an underground party leads him and his friends into a Los Angeles adventure.
Director: Rick Famuyiwa | Stars: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise
Votes: 89,182 | Gross: $17.51M
37. Paper Towns (2015)
PG-13 | 109 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
After an all-night adventure, Quentin's lifelong crush, Margo, disappears, leaving behind clues that Quentin and his friends follow on the journey of a lifetime.
Director: Jake Schreier | Stars: Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Austin Abrams, Justice Smith
Votes: 107,797 | Gross: $32.00M
38. Freaks of Nature (2015)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the town of Dillford, humans, vampires and zombies were all living in peace - until the alien apocalypse arrived. Now three teenagers - one human, one vampire, and one zombie - have to team up to figure out how to get rid of the visitors.
Director: Robbie Pickering | Stars: Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Denis Leary
Votes: 13,322
39. Closet Monster (2015)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
A creative and driven teenager is desperate to escape his hometown and the haunting memories of his turbulent childhood.
Director: Stephen Dunn | Stars: Aaron Abrams, Jack Fulton, Joanne Kelly, Isabella Rossellini
Votes: 9,191 | Gross: $0.04M
40. Sing Street (2016)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jack Reynor
Votes: 100,656 | Gross: $3.24M
41. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig | Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick
Votes: 139,728 | Gross: $14.43M
42. Slash (I) (2016)
Not Rated | 100 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Freshman Neil's Vanguard stories are all he cares about...until he meets the older Julia, who pushes him to put his own fan fic online. When the website's moderator takes a special interest in Neil's work, it opens up a whole new universe.
Director: Clay Liford | Stars: Tishuan Scott, Lucas Neff, Courtney Bandeko, Michael Johnston
Votes: 1,205
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