A Glean movie guide
The Plastics' Guide to High School Satire
You can sit with us.
Sharp wit, brutal cliques, and the complicated art of fitting in.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Clueless
A stylish Beverly Hills classic that defined the high school social hierarchy for a generation.
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother was right about how misguided she was -- and falls for him.
- 02
Easy A
A whip-smart comedy about how one little rumor can completely redefine your high school reputation.
Olive, an average high school student, sees her below-the-radar existence turn around overnight once she decides to use the school's gossip grapevine to advance her social standing. Now her classmates are turning against her and the school board is becoming concerned, including her favorite teacher and the distracted guidance counselor. With the support of her hilariously idiosyncratic parents and a little help from a long-time crush, Olive attempts to take on her notorious new identity and crush the rumor mill once and for all.
- 03
Heathers
The dark, satirical blueprint for every 'mean girl' movie that followed.
A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
- 04
Do Revenge
A colorful, modern homage to 90s teen classics centered on a high-stakes social takedown.
A dethroned queen bee at a posh private high school strikes a secret deal with an unassuming new student to enact revenge on one another’s enemies.
- 05
Jawbreaker
A hyper-stylized cult classic where a popular clique's prank goes dangerously wrong.
When an exclusive clique of teenage socialites accidentally murder their best friend on the morning of her birthday, the three girls responsible conspire to hide the truth.
- 06
Bring It On
A high-energy look at the fierce rivalries and social politics within competitive cheerleading.
The Toro cheerleading squad from Rancho Carne High School in San Diego has got spirit, spunk, sass and a killer routine that's sure to land them the national championship trophy for the sixth year in a row. But for newly-elected team captain Torrance, the Toros' road to total cheer glory takes a shady turn when she discovers that their perfectly-choreographed routines were in fact stolen.
- 07
10 Things I Hate About You
A charming, witty modernization of Shakespeare that perfectly captures 90s high school archetypes.
On the first day at his new school, Cameron instantly falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams. The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out, too. In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad boy with a nasty reputation of his own.
- 08
The Duff
A clever deconstruction of the cruel labels and hierarchies that dominate the teenage social scene.
Bianca's universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Hoping to erase that label, she enlists the help of a charming jock and her favorite teacher. Together they'll face the school's mean girl and remind everyone that we are all someone's DUFF… and that's totally fine.
- 09
Saved!
A sharp, satirical look at the 'queen bee' dynamic within a strict religious high school.
Mary is a good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school where she has good Christian friends and a perfect Christian boyfriend. Her life seems perfect, until the day that she finds out that her boyfriend may be gay — and that she’s pregnant.
- 10
John Tucker Must Die
A fun, revenge-driven comedy where three different cliques unite to take down a serial heartbreaker.
After discovering they are all dating the same same guy, three popular students from different cliques band together for revenge, so they enlist the help of a new gal in town and conspire to break the jerk's heart, while destroying his reputation.
- 11
Booksmart
A fresh, fast-paced celebration of female friendship that subverts every tired high school trope.
Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.
- 12
Legally Blonde
A bright, empowering comedy about a 'fashionable' outsider proving she’s more than just a stereotype.
Fashionable sorority queen Elle Woods has it all, but, she wants nothing more than to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III. But he dumps her before heading to Harvard Law School. Elle rallies all of her resources and gets into Harvard, determined to win him back. While there, she figures out that there is more to herself than just good looks.