Top 9 Best High School Movies on Netflix

The Last Summer is a 2019 American romantic comedy film directed by William Bindley, based on a script he co-wrote with Scott Bindley. The movie stars KJ Apa, Maia Mitchell, Jacob Latzar, and others. It follows a group of high school graduates as they navigate personal challenges during their 'last summer' before heading off to college. Griffin Hourigan, a college-bound student, is set to attend Columbia University due to his family's wishes, although he dreams of attending Berklee College of Music. At a party, he reconnects with Phoebe Fisher, a childhood friend he's always had feelings for. Learning that she is working on a documentary, he offers to help. Despite her initial reluctance, as she plans to focus solely on her film project, they grow closer while working together, and soon begin dating.

IMDb Rating: 5.5

Tomatometer: 29%

Audience Rating: 31%

The Perfect Date is a 2019 teen romantic comedy film directed by Chris Nelson, based on the novel The Stand-In by Steve Bloom. The film follows Brooks Rattigan, played by Noah Centineo, who creates an app called Stand In, where people can pay him to pretend to be their boyfriend for various occasions. The story begins when Brooks agrees to take a girl named Celia Lieberman (Laura Marano) to a school dance, sparking the idea for the app. With his best friend Murph (Odiseas Georgiadis) helping him, the app quickly becomes a success. Brooks also finds himself falling for Shelby (Camila Mendes), a popular girl, and begins to navigate his feelings for her while balancing his newfound success and dreams of attending a prestigious university. But is everything as perfect as it seems?

IMDb Rating: 5.8

Tomatometer: 67%

Audience Rating: 36%

Let It Snow is a Netflix original film, released during the 2019 holiday season. The movie revolves around a snowstorm that hits a small town on Christmas Eve, leading to unexpected changes in the relationships and futures of a group of high school seniors. The story follows Julie, who visits her ill mother and faces a day full of unexpected events. It also features Addie, a sweet girl struggling with her shallow boyfriend, and Tobin, who has a secret crush on his long-time friend Angie but is too shy to confess. With a lighthearted plot, the film provides a heartwarming, feel-good experience.

IMDb Rating: 5.9
Tomatometer: 81%
Audience Rating: 46%

Alex Strangelove is a 2018 romantic comedy directed and written by Craig Johnson. The film stars Daniel Doheny, Antonio Marziale, and Madeline Weinstein. Premiering at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 14, 2018, it was released on Netflix on June 8, 2018. The story follows Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny), a high school student in a perfect relationship with his girlfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein). Alex plans to lose his virginity to Claire, but everything changes when he meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), a charming and handsome gay boy from the other side of town. This encounter sends Alex on a journey of sexual discovery, sparking a fun and emotional adventure about love, friendship, and sexuality in modern, complicated times.

IMDb Rating: 6.3
Tomatometer: 81%
Audience Rating: 69%

The Kissing Booth is a 2018 teen romantic comedy directed and written by Vince Marcello, based on the novel by Beth Reekles. The film stars Joey King, Jacob Elordi, Joel Courtney, and Molly Ringwald. The plot centers on Elle Evans, a high school junior who has been best friends with Lee since birth, sharing the same birthday and hospital room. Their friendship is governed by a strict rule: never date each other's family members. However, Elle finds herself attracted to Noah Flynn, Lee's older brother and the popular guy at their high school. As Elle struggles to balance the line between friendship and love, she faces difficult decisions that could change everything.

IMDb Rating: 5.9

Tomatometer: 15%

Audience Rating: 55%

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a romantic drama adapted from Jenny Han's novel. The film explores the messy, tumultuous nature of young love, family bonds, and the emotional rollercoaster of growing up. Lara Jean Song Covey, a 16-year-old high schooler, is a hopeless romantic who writes love letters to boys she's had feelings for but never sends them. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her younger sister, Kitty, secretly mails the letters to all the boys Lara has loved in the past, sparking awkward confrontations. Among them are Josh Sanderson, her sister's ex-boyfriend, and Peter Kavinsky, a guy Lara has liked since middle school, who uses this opportunity to make his ex-girlfriend jealous by asking Lara Jean to be his fake girlfriend.

IMDb Rating: 7.0

Tomatometer: 96%

Audience Rating: 85%

All the Bright Places is a 2020 American romantic drama directed by Brett Haley, with a screenplay by Jennifer Niven and Liz Hannah, based on Niven's novel of the same name. The film is a love letter to youth, a story for the lonely souls seeking connection, hope, and meaning in a harsh world. It follows the journey of two main characters: Violet Markey (Elle Fanning), a bright high school student whose future once seemed limitless but now seems uncertain after the death of her sister in an accident. She feels trapped in a cycle of grief, longing to escape her pain. Then there's Theodore Finch (Justice Smith), a boy often labeled as weird, eccentric, and a loner, with a broken family and little support. The two classmates, who never interacted before, meet when Finch saves Violet from a suicide attempt on a bridge. This event sparks a bond between them, and Finch takes it upon himself to help Violet rediscover the beauty of life.

While Violet's friends believe she saved Finch from his darker thoughts, the truth is Finch had been the one to save her. When Violet faces a major family crisis, Finch helps her heal emotionally, guiding her through her pain, all while developing feelings for her. The first half of the film follows their light-hearted adventures together, with Finch showing Violet the world in a new light, helping her smile again, and even winning her heart. However, as Violet begins to regain faith in life, Finch's own struggles with depression deepen. Despite the love between them, Finch ultimately succumbs to his inner demons, leading to a tragic ending that leaves Violet to cope with the loss of someone who had once helped her find hope.

IMDb Rating: 6.5

Tomatometer: 65%

Audience Rating: 61%

After a 15-year hiatus following her debut film *Saving Face*, director Alice Wu returns to the screen with a Netflix original. The Half of It is a refreshing take on the familiar teen romance genre. Under Wu's direction, the film offers a new perspective on the theme that 'there is no right way to love.' With sharp wit and subtle depth, *The Half of It* delves into the complexities of teenage emotions and relationships. The story centers around Ellie Chu, an exceptionally bright high school student from a modest family. To earn some extra cash, Ellie agrees to write love letters for a popular jock. However, as she helps him express his feelings, Ellie finds herself falling for the same guy. The film explores the humorous yet poignant dynamics that arise when one person is too shy to speak up, and the other is too confident to know what they truly want.

IMDb Rating: 6.9

Tomatometer: 97%

Audience Rating: 80%

After – The Fate Encounter is a 2019 American romantic drama directed by Jenny Gage, adapted from Anna Todd's 2014 novel of the same name. The story began as a fanfiction on Wattpad and follows the tumultuous relationship between the sweet and innocent Tessa Young (played by Josephine Langford) and the rebellious, free-spirited Hardin Scott (played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The film depicts their intense and often rocky love story, which is filled with ups and downs as they navigate their differences. Fans of the *Good Girl – Bad Boy* trope will find *After* a captivating and emotionally charged journey.

Tessa, a first-year college student, begins her journey by moving into a dorm with her mother, Carol, and her mother's boyfriend, Noah. She meets her new roommate, Steph, and Steph's girlfriend, Tristan, who introduce her to Hardin, a friend with a reputation. As their paths cross, the attraction between Tessa and Hardin becomes undeniable, setting the stage for a tumultuous and passionate romance.

IMDb Rating: 5.3

Tomatometer: 18%

Audience Rating: 66%