For years, teen movies have told the age-old story of the popular, blonde cheerleader with the hot boyfriend and the forthcoming title of Prom Queen. But Netflix’s Senior Year put a new spin on this trope in making the spunky protagonist nearly 40 years old. In this Rebel Wilson-led comedy, Stephanie, a high school senior in 2002, falls into a coma and wakes up 20 years later. Now, as an adult, she’s ready to finish her last year of high school.
Plenty of films have followed the body swap storyline: for instance, a magical fortune-teller is what turned 12 years old Josh Baskin into an adult played by Tom Hanks, and a wizard is what made a teenage Billy Batson transform into Shazam. Senior Year subverts the traditional expectation of a wish gone wrong in aging its lead character; she essentially ages like the rest of us, but, unfortunately for her, misses out on a huge chunk of her life. Per Outsider, Senior Year has already hit the number one spot on Netflix, so whether you enjoyed it for the story or for Wilson’s charming, comedic performance, here are seven films like it to watch next.
7 13 Going on 30
Like Senior Year, 13 Going on 30 centers on a once-teenage girl who wakes up in the body of an adult (played by Jennifer Garner) with no memory of the past two decades. When 13-year-old Jenna Rink makes a wish to become “30, flirty and thriving,” her dream comes true. But her desire to become a grown up isn’t all it’s made out to be when she discovers she’s rude to almost everyone, no longer speaks to her parents, and hasn’t heard from her best friend in years. She soon learns that adulthood is not all that glamorous and learns to appreciate her youth.
6 17 Again
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In 2009, Zac Efron and Matthew Perry both took on the role of Mike O’Donnell, a man who revisits high school after a mysterious janitor transforms him back into a teenager. Similar to Senior Year, the film sees its protagonist returning to high school to fulfill the dream he never got the chance to do. For this movie, Mike pursues his goal of a basketball career after he initially gave it up to raise his first child with his then girlfriend and current ex-wife. 17 Again is a hilarious teen comedy, and like Senior Year, shows the development of its lead character as he’s grown and matured.
5 Bring it On
Bring it On was the first of many in this six-film cheerleading franchise. The first film centers on Kirsten Dunst’s character Torrance, the captain of the perky Toros cheerleading squad. As she moves into her new head position on the team, events go swimmingly, but things take a turn when she discovers the former captain stole all their routines from the Clovers, a hiphop squad from Compton. While the Toros struggle to come up with an original routine, the Clovers establish a way to get to nationals. It’s a Toros vs Clovers showdown to see who will make it to number one. In addition to the preceding six movies, a seventh Halloween film, Bring it On: Cheer or Die, is in development. Per Collider, the film is expected to release Fall 2022.
4 Clueless
In 1995, Alicia Silverstone, an actress in Senior Year, starred in Clueless as the rich Valley Girl, Cher Horowitz. The film centers on the spoiled teenager who initially is a tad unlikeable for her brattiness, but with time, she changes into a sweet, admirable matchmaker. During the movie, Cher brings together two of her smitten teachers, leads the beach disaster relief group, and, most notably, takes the new ugly duckling, played by the late Brittany Murphy, and makes her over into a confident fashionista.
3 Isn’t it Romantic
In addition to Senior Year, Rebel Wilson fans have the 2019 chick flick Isn’t it Romantic to see the Australian actress shine. Wilson stars as Natalie, a lady who hates the lack of realism in romantic comedies. However, after getting knocked in the head, she wakes up to heart-shaped flocks of birds, musical numbers in the street, and a honking sound every time she cusses — Natalie, sworn hater of romance, has found herself trapped in a romantic comedy. Isn’t it Romantic has its lead character waking up in an environment completely new to her, as with Senior Year. Of course, however, Senior Year’s relocation is far more realistic as, after all, Natalie ends up in a fictional universe, and it’s probably far more likely to awaken from a coma.
2 Mean Girls
A list of iconic high school movies isn’t complete without the 2004 Lindsay Lohan comedy Mean Girls. Lohan leads the movie as Cady Heron, the brand-new student at North Shore High. Though she starts as a humble, down to earth brainiac, her association with the Plastics turns her into someone she never thought she’d become. Mean Girls is an undeniable classic that goes down in history for its catchy lines, ensemble cast and overall just straight funniness. Both Senior Year and Mean Girls revolve around a fish out of water in high school and while they both are presented as comedies, each movie has virtuous messages about student rivalry and popularity.
1 Pitch Perfect
Another Rebel Wilson comedy, the first Pitch Perfect movie debuted in 2012 and was followed by two sequels. The films follow a college a cappella group in dire need of a makeover to save themselves from their abundant dreariness and a disastrous previous year. Anna Kendrick takes on the lead role as Beca, an aspiring DJ who initiates the demand for a new look, new sound, and whatever they can to flourish in the competition. Wilson stars as Fat Amy, the comedic relief and arguably most memorable character.