For many people, high school isn’t the easiest time. Between the not-so-great fashion choices (whose idea was it to layer two polos on top of each other?), awkward exchanges with your crush and the insane pressure to decide what you want to do with your life, simply trying to, well, be a normal person is hard. And it’s not even just about school: Coming into your own is arguably even harder than passing any class with a B+ average. While this may never be a time that you would want to relive, stories on-screen can often show that there was beauty in the process. 

Even if you did have a table to sit at in the lunchroom during high school, these coming-of-age films, including the newly released Tall Girl 2, capture many relatable facets of growing up — in all its painful glory. 

Tall Girl

Jodi (Ava Michelle) is a high school junior who’s just a little insecure about her height. You can’t blame her for wanting to seem smaller — she faces relentless bullying from her peers and constantly compares herself to her older (shorter) pageant queen sister, Harper (Sabrina Carpenter). But when Jodi falls for a foreign exchange student, she’s able to see the beauty in herself — and yes, stand a bit taller. 

How high school does it get? Tall Girl will bring you back to sitting with those actually cool kids who were classified as “nerds” or “geeks” by the popular crew in the lunchroom. Jodi has a big heart, and her best friend Fareeda’s (Anjelika Washington) confidence is contagious. Throw in Jodi’s stylish childhood bestie, Jack Dunkleman (Griffin Gluck) — who has a huge crush on her — and you’ve got yourself the most chill, entertaining crew to eat lunch with.

Tall Girl

1h 43m   TV-PG   2019

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Tall Girl 2

Just when Jodi (Ava Michelle) has her self-criticism under control, she finds herself saddled with a whole new set of insecurities to deal with — ones that come with having a boyfriend and being the star of the school musical. 

How high school does it get? If you thought that Jodi and her friends were cool in the first movie, then you will be very pleased with their character progression in Tall Girl 2. Although they still have a lot to learn about relationships and investing in their own interests, Jodi and her friends are able to grow in a way that feels so true to themselves. 

Tall Girl 2

1h 41m   TV-PG   2022

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The DUFF

When Bianca (Mae Whitman) discovers that her high school peers refer to her as the DUFF, or “the designated ugly fat friend,” she enlists the help of the charming star football player, Wesley (Robbie Amell), to give her a makeover and overthrow the school’s social order. 

How high school does it get? The DUFF will put you back in those painfully insecure days of growing up, when you weren’t really sure who was truly your friend. But thankfully, Bianca’s humor will have you wishing you could start a lunch table of your own.

The DUFF

1h 40m   PG-13   2015

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All The Bright Places

Two lonely teenagers, Violet (Elle Fanning) and Finch (Justice Smith), pair up together for a school project, which involves exploring their home state of Indiana. When left alone together, they begin to open up, and they embark on a new adventure, which ends in tragedy.

How high school does it get? The quietest students always have the most to say, and Violet and Finch are no exception. Although All the Bright Places is a classic coming-of-age film, it’s on the heavier side, showing that fitting in and being seen for who you truly are is not always easy.

All The Bright Places

1h 48m   TV-MA   2020

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Moxie

Sick of her male-dominated classroom and inspired by her mom’s riot grrrl past, Vivian (Hadley Robinson), a shy teenager, starts a zine that calls out the unfair treatment of girls by the school’s administration and other students. Unknowingly, she also starts a movement that inspires girls all over campus to stand up for themselves.

How high school does it get? It will immediately take you back to those annoying days of high school injustice — where the jocks get all of the attention and wearing a tank top is enough to warrant detention. But at least Vivian is trying to do something about it.

Moxie

1h 51m   PG-13   2021

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All Together Now

Every teenager has secrets, and Amber (Auli’i Cravalho) is no exception. At school, she’s an optimistic student who tries her best at everything, but when the final bell rings, she goes home to the school bus that she secretly lives in with her mother. When tragedy strikes, Amber finds faith in others to help her live happily again.

How high school does it get? There’s “I can’t get this trig problem” hard, and then there’s actual personal trauma hard. But Amber’s optimism in the face of adversity is infectious, and you can’t help but root for her, especially since she’s so determined to overcome the darkness in her life. 

All Together Now

1h 33m   PG   2020

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

When five different love letters get mailed to Lara Jean (Lana Condor)’s secret crushes throughout her life, her quiet world is turned upside down. Suddenly, Lara Jean finds herself in a fake relationship with her former crush — and begins to develop real feelings for him.

How high school does it get? Harboring a secret crush is basically Teen 101. Pulling off a fake relationship, though, is a bit more AP. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

1h 40m   TV-14   2018

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Work It

Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) is a brilliant but clumsy senior in high school who dreams of getting into Duke University, but fears she can’t stand out from the other applicants. In the hopes of being a standout to the admissions team, Quinn, more of a nerd than a coordinated person, starts a dance team and finds that there is more passion there than she realized. 

How high school does it get? Work It is your classic high school transformation story. Quinn goes from a nerd to a dancer, and she is able to find herself and her passion along the way. Her determination is infectious, and it’s the kind that would certainly rub off on you — even if you were just sitting next to her in English class.

Work It

1h 33m   TV-14   2020

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Jessica Darling's It List

Jessica Darling (Chloe East) needs just a little bit of help when it comes to navigating the hierarchy of middle school. Luckily, her older sister, Bethany (Blair Fowler), has an It List — a checklist for navigating middle school popularity — to help her. But the pathway to popularity is never easy, and although she has the list, Jessica finds that she needs a little bit of help along the way.

How high school does it get? OK, so since the film takes place in a middle school, it doesn’t veer too high school at all — but it’s a peek at the next four years to come.

Jessica Darling's It List

1h 19m   TV-Y   2016

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