Stream these now: AGBO creatives’ top 10 favorite back-to-school films

Brittany Murphy, Alicia Silverstone, and Stacey Dash in Clueless

If there’s one requirement to work at AGBO, it’s that you have to love movies. Walk into our HQ and you’ll see why pretty quickly. There’s always a movie playing here on a big screen in our common rec space, and we often take a few minutes out of each day to appreciate one of our favorites together.

It’s September, so we’ve got back-to-school movies on the brain. We may not be students anymore, but there’s an enduring appeal and a universal commonality of tales from the halls of highschools: the drama of deciding where to sit during lunch, the unguarded chaos that can erupt during recess, the brief yet poignant moments that can happen at a locker in between classes.

Since these memories are all coming back now in full force, we did a survey of the creatives at the AGBO offices, and asked them for their favorite back-to-school movies. The results included a few shared responses, like some 80s’, 90’s, and early aughts classics. “I love underdog narratives with a lot of heart and humor,” explains AGBO’s Etan Marciano, Coordinator of Mythology, who put Rushmore and Juno on his list.

There may be some films here that you’ve forgotten about, or ones you need to discover for the first time. We can’t promise that these films will make you pine for the glory days of high school – in fact, a couple of them will make you wonder how we got out of there alive. But they all remind us of the friends and loves from our teen years, and the lessons we learned then that had absolutely nothing to do with homework.

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Mean Girls

There are a lot of cliches and tropes in high school movies, but Mean Girls set the bar impossibly high with its sharp wit. Lindsay Lohan stars as Cady Heron, a new girl torn between the quirky smart kids and the “Plastics,” the popular pink-clad girls who try to pull her in under their wings. AGBO’s Patrick Bailey, Creative Executive of IP and Development, says “It’s a wickedly smart and hilarious depiction of high school life through the ever-complicated relationships of ‘frenemies.’ It’s one of the most quotable films in recent history and a defining moment in Millennial culture. An instant classic that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s so FETCH!”

Grosse Point Blank

Though technically a highschool reunion film (which is perhaps a sub-genre that needs further exploration), Grosse Point Blank is about facing the consequences of an unrequited love. It stars John Cusack as a hitman who takes a job near his alma mater so he can attempt to explain to his former teen love, played by Minnie Driver, why he stood her up at the prom ten years prior. As Christopher Markus, AGBO’s Co-President of Story, remarks, “nothing says high school reunion better than a good ballpoint pen murder. Also, it functions perfectly as a sequel to Say Anything, so make it a double feature.”

Sky High

Where do the kids of superheroes go to school? Sky High of course, where you quickly get sorted into two camps: heroes or sidekicks. Marketing Manager Sarah Caruso explains why this sometimes-overlooked 2005 Disney film is a back-to-school masterpiece. “As a Harry Potter fan I was drawn to movies that blend relatable teen experiences with a fantasy world,” she says. “Sky High has all the relatability of high school awkwardness, but it also makes you dream about going to a school floating in the sky and having superpowers. And recommend it as a fun watch this year if you’re missing Succession and need to see more Nicholas Braun.”

She’s the Man

With a timeless plot about a young girl trying to pass as a boy in disguise, She’s the Man surprises viewers with its sharp wit while exploring gender stereotypes. As Casey Lapidus, Executive Marketing Assistant says, “It's about discovering who you really are while also being inspiring and entertaining. Plus, the humor and quirky characters make it a feel-good choice for getting back into the school spirit.”

‍Dead Poets Society

Directed by Peter Weir, this 1989 film still holds up as a moving film about an English teacher who inspires his students through poetry. The performances alone make it worth a revisit: Robin Williams stars as the teacher, John Keating, while young Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles steal your hearts as his students. “I rewatched this recently with my 15-year old,” says Angela Matusik, AGBOVERSE contributing editor, “and we were both crying at the end. It’s beautifully shot and its themes feel more relevant than ever.”

Clueless

Few films capture a generation better than 1995’s Clueless. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling (and loosely based on Jane Austin’s Emma) it launched a thousand catch phrases (“As if!”) as well as several careers, including that of star Alicia Silverstone as Cher, and Paul Rudd in his film debut. With Beverly Hills as its fantastical backdrop, Clueless wins by never taking itself too seriously, and still manages to pull at your heart strings.

School of Rock

We had to bend the rules slightly to include School of Rock on this list. It’s set in an elementary school, so it's not about teens. It’s about the teacher every kid wishes they could have – Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a substitute who turns his class of misfits into a kick-ass rock band – and it’s pure joy. Directed by Richard Linklater and written by Mike White, it is impossible to not be in a good mood after watching this film.

‍Rushmore

Wes Anderson’s second film, 1995’s Rushmore, solidified his unique filmmaking style, applying his eccentric aesthetic and esoteric humor to a quirky coming-of-age narrative. Rushmore stars Jason Schwartzman as Max Fisher who is struggling academically at the elite Rushmore academy, but is passionate about many extra curricular activities. “When I first saw Rushmore back in high school, it was a revelation of style and story,” says AGBO’s Etan Marciano. “The subversive humor, Max's unrelenting pursuit of artistic expression, and the weirdly endearing father-son relationship were a perfect storm of edgy 90s teenage angst, love, and self-discovery.”

Juno

Juno is about every high school student’s worst nightmare: getting pregnant after your first time having sex. Written by Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and directed by Jason Reitman, it’s a revelation in its honesty and sharp humor. Elliot Page stars as 16-year old Juno, who decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption to a seemingly perfect couple (played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). When writing his review of the film in 2006, legendary critic Roger Ebert said, “It is so rare to feel the audience joined into one warm, shared enjoyment.” We couldn’t agree more. Watch it with a friend.

Heathers

This film has a lot of things that would never be included in a script now – and rightly so: It makes light of suicide, is casual about date rape, and has jokes around eating disorders, queerness, and body size. It was shocking when it first came out, and still is. Yet, this searing satire of the optimistic teen movies has undeniable charms. You can’t take your eyes off young Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, and now Heathers serves as a powerful time capsule to the universal tortures of teenage angst.

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