Bringing Back High School Comedies
High school comedies are not what they used to be. Today, teens and young adults are imagining themselves as superheroes and wizards. Where did the high school ensemble comedy go? When is this generation gonna get an American Pie, Wet Hot American Summer, or Dazed and Confused. Maybe the time is now?
Movie trends come and go, but in a world of reboots and sequels it’s time to bring the high school ensemble comedy back. The elements that make these movies work are that you don’t have to think while watching them and that they’re relatable. There are way too many movies nowadays that make your expectations of high school so unrealistic that the story isn’t enjoyable.
If we look at recent TV shows of this genre, many of the popular programs are dramas. Audiences don’t watch One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, or Riverdale because they can shut their brain off and relate to the characters. These shows are appealing because the plots are so ridiculous and twisted that you can’t turn it off.
What the industry needs is another Can’t Hardly Wait, Dazed and Confused, or Wet Hot American Summer. Something all these classics have in common is they take place on a singular day. Unlike newer movies, such as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which focus more on the emotional aspects of the plot, these movies were solely meant to entertain. The majority of movies in the high school genre that have been released over the past few years have tried to make the audience think about their own lives and experiences. But we don’t need to think, we need a break from reality. We want to sit back with a joint and watch a bunch of high schoolers in different cliques socialize with each other.
Some movies, like Netflix’s The Outcasts, have tried to encompass these tropes, but they don’t quite capture the essence of early 2000s teen culture. I understand that it’s time to move on and make a movie in the present day, but the aesthetic, themes, and quotable dialogue can still be carried into the now.
In these times, blockbuster action movies and heartfelt historical pieces are what make the big bucks in the theaters. But, with the rise of streaming services, an increase of high school ensemble comedy movies may be on the horizon. People go to the movies to experience something on the big screen. You want to feel a part of the fight, riot, or immerse yourself in whatever time period the film is taking place in. The high school ensemble genre is meant to be shared with your friends on a Friday night crowded around a TV and passing a bowl of popcorn around. Between Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and all the other services we have to pay for, there’s bound to be a new wave of American Pie’s right around the corner.
A recent movie that almost brings us back to the late 90s and early 2000s is Booksmart. This movie covers all the bases of these classic comedy films. It takes place in one night, it has a colorful cast of characters that all have their own gimmicks and stories, there’s a party involved, and there’s conflict. The only thing that keeps it from being like the others, besides that it was made in 2019, is that the main issue of the film is extremely serious. In American Pie the guys wanted to get laid, the same goes for Wet Hot American Summer. In Booksmart the conflict between the two main characters addresses the fear of missing out and losing your best friend. The theme is a little too real for the movie to be categorised as a mindless high school ensemble comedy. That being said, it checks most of the boxes.
The issue is that in today’s culture this genre does not make money. It’s not popular at the moment and recent films that have attempted to replicate the classics, like Everybody Wants Some, haven’t done amazing at the box office. But we need these movies now more than ever. With everything going on in the world, society needs a stupid film with incredible characters to throw on for a Zoom movie night. There is something about a movie that is essentially about nothing that brings people together. Throw in some hilarious dialogue, trendy wardrobe and a catchy soundtrack, and you know you’ll have a good night.