With summer only days away, I can practically see the finish line of this year. While I am excited for the summer–really it can’t come quick enough, I have found myself reflecting on this year a lot, both the highs and lows.

Playing on top of my hours spent in retrospect have been some classic high school-set movies. Among these, to wrap up the 2024-25 school year, I have chosen to highlight four personal favorites: “Grease,” “Mean Girls,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club.” Notably, none of these selections fit in with the horror/thriller movies that we usually choose to feature, but I feel like high school-set horror movies tend to be too cheesy to find enjoyable, though there are some that don’t fit in with this generalization.

Now playing. “Grease” is available to watch on Peacock and fuboTV. The movie ran for 105 minutes. (Emmalee Martyak)

In no way is “Grease” an accurate portrayal of the high school experience, but it’s still a cult classic film, and I can’t help but to enjoy it. I do understand that cheesy, romantic movie musicals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they do hold a special place in my heart.

“Grease” follows Australian transfer student Sandy Olsen (played by Olivia Newton-John) and heartthrob bad boy Danny Zuko (played by John Travolta) through the school year following a summer fling. Sandy quickly becomes a member of the Pink Ladies, a group of friends whose goal during their senior year is to rule the school. Alongside Pink Ladies Rizzo (Stockard Channing), Frenchy (Didi Conn), Jan (Jamie Donnelly) and Marty (Dinah Manoff), Sandy works to get used to her new home and win back Danny’s heart. Danny, on the other hand, is a seasoned member of the T-Birds, the male counterpart to the Pink Ladies. Alongside T-Birds Kenickie (Jeff Conaway), Putzie (Kelly Ward), Doody (Barry Pearl) and Sonny (Michael Tucci).

I’ve seen this movie tens of times, and it’s the kind of movie I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of. The characters are each so similar, but so different. Even though the movie came out in 1978, many of the topics explored remain relevant to this day.

Admittedly, I have to mentally put aside how noticeable it is that the high school-aged characters are being played by actors who are much older, and the eventual theme of Sandy changing her whole personality to be with Danny isn’t something I can agree with. However, when these are put aside, the movie is a favorite.

Now playing. “Mean Girls” is available to watch on Paramount+. The movie ran for 98 minutes. (Emmalee Martyak)

“Mean Girls” is the kind of movie that I can watch in any circumstance and still find something to enjoy and relate to. The high school experience isn’t perfect, but far too many movies portray it as being flawless. “Mean Girls” isn’t one of those movies.

It explores the struggles of shifting friend groups, body dysmorphia, first relationships and much more. It does this all while being a hilarious, feel-good favorite.

“Mean Girls” follows transfer student Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) in her first year at a new school. Between being friends with outcast duo Janice Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damien (Daniel Franzese) and trying to become a member of–but also break up–popular girl clique “the plastics,” made up of queen bee Regina George (Rachel McAdams), gossip Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert) and “one of the dumbest girls you will ever meet” Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried).

My only critique of the movie is that it ends up falling victim to an array of stereotypes and cliches–both in its characters and plot. However, all of this is pretty unnoticeable in the grand scheme of things, as even the cliches and stereotypes have their own unique spin put on them.

Now playing. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is available to watch on Pluto TV, Paramount+, AMC+ and Philo. The movie ran for 103 minutes. (Emmalee Martyak)

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” follows high school seniors Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), his best friend Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) on a day off of school–rather, a day they took off of school.

Infamous in the school’s main office for frequently skipping school, Ferris Bueller usually takes the day off of his classes and just stays home. However, on the day the movie takes place, he decides to hit the town. Alongside his best friend and girlfriend, Ferris finds himself in all kinds of different comical situations.

Like “Mean Girls” and “Grease,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a feel-good favorite of mine. It’s a classic 80s comedy, which plays into both its strengths and weaknesses. One of the movie’s biggest strengths is that it doesn’t have any moments that are too heavy. The biggest weakness of the movie. In my opinion, is its lack of believability, though I could also argue this as one of its strengths. Movies aren’t all meant to be realistic; often the best ones are the ones that couldn’t happen.

Now playing. “The Breakfast Club” is available to watch on Netflix and Philo. The movie ran for 97 minutes. (Emmalee Martyak)

An often seen trop of unlikely friends being made through unlikely circumstances, “The Breakfast Club” puts five students from different cliques in Saturday detention, forcing them to pass the time together. The movie features “criminal” John Bender (Judd Nelson), “princess” Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald), “brain” Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall), “athlete” Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez) and “basket case” Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy).

I can’t say that I’ve ever been to a Saturday detention, but judging from what I’ve heard, it’s nothing like the Saturday detention in “The Breakfast Club.” However, like the rest of the movies on this list, the movie’s realism–or lack thereof–isn’t why I love it.

It’s probably not hard to figure out that a plot stereotype is something I can easily look past when the movie has other redeeming qualities, which “The Breakfast Club” is full of. Among these redeeming qualities are a fantastic soundtrack, a dance break, characters that are three-dimensional and a killer ending monologue.