Not Only Dead Poets Society: 5 Cult Movies About School to Watch Before Christmas
What if you teleported back to your high school days?
These stories take place in elite boarding schools and regular public schools. They are united by characters who buck the system, make friends, fall in love, make mistakes, find themselves, and defend the principles they hold dear.
1. Sixteen Candles, 1984
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Samantha's mood is at its worst. Tomorrow is her older sister's wedding, and Samantha's parents have forgotten all about her celebration.
Worst of all, the senior she has a crush on, Jake, is dating the most popular girl in school and doesn't even notice Sam. While the girl is torn apart by doubts, a guy from school argues with his friends that he will sleep with Samantha before the end of the prom and get her underwear.
2. The Holdovers, 2023
It's Christmas Eve 1970. The students of a prestigious boys' school are leaving for the holidays – except for those whose parents couldn't or wouldn't take them. Among them is Angus, whose mother is honeymooning with her new husband.
He's stuck on campus with a picky and grumpy history teacher, Paul, whom the students unanimously hate. Mary, the cook, who recently lost her son in the Vietnam War, is also staying with them. Angus, Mary, and the obnoxious historian are forced to celebrate the holiday together.
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, 2012
Charlie is going through the loss of two loved ones at once, and in an attempt to cope, he writes letters to a person he has never met in person. He has no friends, and the only thing that lightens his loneliness is literature class. Seeing Charlie's interest, the teacher gives him an extra list of books to help him believe in himself.
But real changes happen when Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, brother and sister. The popular kids accept him into their group, and Charlie begins to believe that life really can be good. But soon Sam and his brother graduate from school and head off to college. Is the boy ready for another loss?
4. School Ties, 1992
David, from a simple family, gets into a prestigious men's college. The sons of the richest people, the future elite of the country, study here. Now the road to the Ivy League universities is open to him, and he must get there at all costs.
David is an excellent student and joins the school sports team. Gradually, class prejudices fade and the other students forget about their classmate's background. But when the boys find out that he is Jewish, his quiet life comes to an end.
5. The Breakfast Club, 1985
High school students Allison, Andrew, John, Brian, and Claire are kept after school as punishment for their misbehavior. They are given the task of writing an essay.
At first the five characters argue, but eventually they make peace: after all, they have to stay here until the evening. The enterprising John offers the boys to smoke something stronger than cigarettes, and they agree. Gradually, the kids tell each other their problems, and it turns out that there is a complicated story behind each of their misdeeds.