Summer is coming close for many, and for those under 18 (or even those still enrolled in college), that means it is almost time to be done with school. In the words of Alice Cooper, "school's out for summer!" The last day of school is one of the most euphoric feelings a young person feels, right up there with Christmas morning and seeing a host of presents under the tree. The excitement of no longer having to get up for classes and an exciting couple of months with big summer movies, summer camps, and cookouts to look forward to brings a host of excitement that almost boils over on the last day of school as everyone, teachers included, wait for that last bell to ring. Even if one has been out of school for a while, there is a chance one feels a certain wave of nostalgia for that sensation the last day of school used to bring.
Summer also means movies, and there are plenty of movies that perfectly capture that end-of-school feeling. This list is great for those getting out of classes looking to celebrate and kick off their summer, or for those who have been out of school for so long and want to recapture that magic again. These are the best movies about the end of school before summer.
8 Spider-Man: Far From Home
Except Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man was strictly a summer film property, and Spider-Man: Far From Home played into that aspect more than any other movie by setting itself as a summer vacation movie. The movie's opening sequence is set on Peter Parker's last day of his junior year of high school, and the movie draws a parallel between summer vacation and the status of the MCU at the time.
The school year was much like Avengers: Endgame, a massive event, whereas Spider-Man: Far From Home is positioned as summer, a nice easy wind-down reward that will be a fun time that makes way for a new chapter. With a vibe drawing heavily from 80s vacation comedy movies and the hook of the sequel going international that worked for a number of properties before it, like The Muppets and National Lampoon, Spider-Man: Far From Home is a movie about a kid celebrating his much-needed summer vacation.
7 Grease
While Grease takes place through an entire school year, the film's ending and most iconic sequence with its signature song 'You're the One That I Want' is set on the last day of school. The film also starts with the students coming back from summer vacation, so it is bookended by summer sequences. Despite the cast all looking far too old for high school students, and Danny not deserving Sandy's forgiveness, the movie captures a certain teenage energy. With the main characters graduating, a big fair that is a staple of summertime thrills, and the iconography of 50s Americana that is often associated with summer, Grease still stands as a classic to this day.
6 High School Musical 2
High School Musical 2 opens with the song 'What Time Is It?', capturing the anticipation for school to be over and the excitement that follows once one is out, so the film rightfully earns a spot on this list. Combine that with a strong summer aesthetic that follows the cast working summer jobs, and zeroing in on the high school romance with a summer breakup in the film's best song 'Gotta Go My Own Way', High School Musical 2 sees a Disney Channel Original Movie continue to become seasonal staples, as Luck of the Irish for Saint Patricks Day or the Halloweentown films do for the Halloween season.
5 Super 8
From director J.J Abrams, apart from a prologue set in winter, Super 8 takes place during summer vacation. The action of the film is kicked off on the first night of summer vacation, as the kids are seen planning how they will shoot their film as they are getting out of school for the summer. Super 8 taps into that feeling of spending summers with friends, getting into adventures, and finding ways to entertain oneself. Many aspiring filmmakers' stories begin with making movies with their friends in their free time, and summer hosts a large amount of free time. Drawing heavily from the Amblin films of the 80s which have become associated with summer movie season, Super 8 becomes a quintessential movie that feels like summer.
4 A Goofy Movie
A followup to the popular series Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie sees Goofy (the quasi-dog) attempting to bond with his now 14-year-old son Max, in fear that the two are drifting apart. The movie kicks off when, on the last day of school, Max gets in trouble during the assembly dressing up as rock star Powerline but ends up impressing his crush, Roxanne. Goofy takes Max on a father/son bonding road trip, while Max tries to find a way to make it to the Powerline concert to impress Roxanne.
While a movie based around the character of Goofy does not seem like a strong fit for getting out for the summer, many can relate to the experience of blossoming young love and the big summer events like concerts that define those moments. Summer vacations and road trips with family are something many people can relate to during the summer, but so is the rift that grows between parents and their children. A Goofy Movie provides a reasonable point of view for both sides and works to show the understanding parents and children need to have with one another.
3 Eighth Grade
Eighth Grade takes place on the last week of school for middle-grade student Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher). The film is the directorial debut for comedian Bo Burnham and examines a host of issues, like how a generation who has grown up with social media so prevalent in their lives copes with mental health as well as their own sense of self. The movie's view on social media is both negative and positive, as Kayla projects an image of herself on a social media platform that nobody seems to follow but also gives her a sense of control that she does not have in her day-to-day life.
Eighth Grade is a film that treats the complexities and also fears of growing up and changing in a way that is as realistically horrifying but also sweetly mundane, where a pool party is one of the scariest things ever, but also the promise that as one grows up their expectations of themselves change.
2 Booksmart
In many ways, Booksmart is a spiritual successor to Eighth Grade (even with this film being the directorial debut for Olivia Wilde). While Eighth Grade was the last day of middle school, Booksmart follows Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) on the night before their graduation as they look to have fun and party after years of focusing on their academics. While Eighth Grade focuses on the anxiety of entering high school, Booksmart revels in the celebratory nature one feels as high school ends but also the slight uncertainty that awaits after.
The last day of high school is one of both accomplishment but also anxiety, and Booksmart acknowledges both those aspects but really celebrates the end of high school as a momentous occasion worth celebrating. Booksmart's theatrical release even tried to tie into the end of school feeling, as it was released the week before Memorial Day weekend which for many parts of the United States is traditionally the last week of school and when graduations are held.
1 Dazed and Confused
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Arguably the quintessential 'schools out for summer movie,' Dazed and Confused focuses on different groups of students on their last day of school on May 28, 1976, in Texas. There really isn't much of an overriding plot but rather a series of moments with various characters on one very long special night, and is just Richard Linklater making the ultimate hangout movie. This is a film where the plot is less important than the vibe and enjoying the company of the characters. It perfectly captures that ultimate feeling of laid-back summer evenings, where the most important thing is living in the moment and not worrying about what comes tomorrow. The school year ending and the beginning of summer is a time for celebration, and the best way to do it is to fully enjoy oneself be that with others, by oneself, on a trip, or at home but what is really important is living in the moment.