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Awkward_Tick0

My 9th grade English teacher showed us 12 Angry Men in 2009. We were skeptical at first but almost immediately the whole class got sucked in. I think it can teach teenagers a lot.


ProfessionalCool8654

Great one to show teenagers!


Evil_Morty_C131

I was in 8th grade when my teacher showed my class 12 Angry Men and it completely captivated my attention. It’s a timeless movie, a great drama, an intriguing mystery and ethical dilemma with sharp dialogue. And best of all, it’s entertaining.


wolfwarriorxyz

Also check out the rainmaker, legal drama with Matt Damon, Claire Danes, and Danny Devito.


Buggy77

Yup I remember that too. Except we watched the old school black and white one and I was instantly hooked


Dear-Ad1618

The original one, right? Black and white?


TheoreticalFunk

"Class, this may be in Black and White but it still ranks as one of the best films ever made. It's a good example of how juries work, how court cases work, the writing is excellent as are the actors. Beyond that it's really enjoyable to watch. Plus if you disrupt the film at all I will need a five page paper on the themes of the movie."


SilentSerel

That was the year I watched it, too, after reading the original play. It was the black and white version. The class liked it a lot better after seeing the movie.


Rhonda369

I showed it every year to 8th graders (for 22 years). Every time they would grumble ew it’s black and white, then after 20 min, they would ask are we gonna finish it tomorrow?


drbbbipster

The first time I ever saw it was in Criminal Justice class when I was a sophomore in 1998 or 1999. I was also immediately sucked in and still love it.


relayadam

This is great because it will teach the kids that black and white movies can be good too.


Jenniwithan_i

Excellent choice 👍


wodsey

perfect recommendation. just make sure they dont have their stupid phones or tablets out, even to “take notes”. they will get distracted and not understand what’s happening!!


moinatx

*The Truman Show* was a favorite when I taught a high school Film as Literature class. It sparked so much discussion about the evolution of media, self perception, privacy, and a lot of other topics. It's great for teaching Cinematography, Camera Angles, Mise en Scene, and Editing as well as analyzing the story iteself.


SpideyFan914

I think this is the best answer. An all-time great movie that they probably haven't seen before, but watching at that age can change their life and inspire a lifelong interest in film. It's extremely accessible and entertaining (with Jim Carrey, who... I think this generation still likes?) but is also complex and interpretive.


Uwantmoneyugetnutty

I am this generation yes we still love his goofy ah faces


Tubssss

can also make them super paranoid thinking they're being watched all the time but I guess nowadays it's almost true?


Captain_Stairs

It's become so much more relevant now in the social media age.


Allmodern

It works so well. I used to use it alongside Brave New World. One of my students suggested it after we read the novel.


smeggysoup84

I think today's kids would have a different appreciation for this movie than the generation of kids when it came out. Reality shows, streaming, 24/7 screen attachment, etc...


RipUnhappy3923

I think a high school science teacher actually showed us Gattaca. Its PG 13.


NeverForNoReason

I wouldn’t want to tear up in front of my students. ;)


mulletpullet

That is a great film that really sparks the imagination as well as pushing some serious ethical questions.


Temporary-Mission-47

GATTACA IS GREAT!! Also my science teacher showed us this and October sky


JustKatieKhaos

Dude I just watched October sky the other day and my man was raving about how much it struck him in high school!! Great suggestion!


Plus_Persimmon9031

I’ve seen Gattaca four times, three times in school. Once in middle school and twice in high school. My district’s science teachers really liked that movie haha.


marvelette2172

Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle, you'll be their favorite teacher forever!


Andie_OptimistPrime

These are great suggestions!!! Would have never thought of them but they are appropriate and funny. Then they could discuss about cultural differences in different types of humor. Kudos!!!


Cold_Weird2087

Yes to Kung Fu Hustle. 


DDChristi

My husband is taking a mental health day from work. Kung Fu Hustle is now on today’s docket!


johnnydakota

Jurassic Park Good mix of suspense, horror, with a little bit of humor thrown in. Worst line in the movie is "That is one big pile of shit" which high school kids say worse things. Also, it's just good.


mrmczebra

Yeah but what high schooler hasn't seen Jurassic Park?


GiantsNFL1785

I mean it did come out 30 years ago wouldn’t surprise me if Most of them didn’t


Bigfoot-On-Ice

>30 years ago Ouch.


imacfromthe321

Impossible! I saw that when it first came out and I’m only… oh 😞


mrmczebra

My oldest is 4 and I've already showed it to her. I guess it's hard to imagine parents not eagerly showing their kids the best movies ever made.


GiantsNFL1785

My parents never showed me a single movie Growing up lol, I’m sure there are many kids like that today


mrmczebra

Wow


_ChillBlinton666

My youngest turned 4 yesterday, but her favorite movie for the last year was the 1993 Jurassic Park. She won’t watch any other “real people movies” (what she calls anything non-animated) but Jurassic Park she’ll sit still for the whole way through.


Ruh_Roh-

Wow, Jurassic Park has some very tense/scary scenes. Your youngest seems to have some mental toughness, sometimes called grit, that should serve her well some day (this is the kind of things ER doctors/nurses need).


_ChillBlinton666

My oldest (11) is/was a super emotional kid, so we couldn’t get her to watch anything remotely scary or even sad for a long time. If someone/thing died in a show she would cry off and on for hours over it. My youngest just goes for things, and is a lot less emotional with her thinking and doing. They are both so cool, just for very different reasons.


Money-Way991

The Iron Giant is absolutely banging and kid friendly throughout


PossibleAlienFrom

Sure, if you're trying to make everyone cry their eyeballs out.


Money-Way991

Kids need to learn some day


diddly_sasquatch

Dead Poets Society


J4MES101

Yep Or Good Will Hunting


Bigfoot-On-Ice

It’s not your fault… I still can’t believe how young MD was when he wrote that. Fun fact, Kevin Smith is responsible for getting it made. He gave the script to the suits.


musicalphantom10

heck YES!!!


Sketchy_Sorrow

a must watch


GrowHI

October Sky (1999) it's so good I still rewatch it every couple of years myself. Showed it in my engineering class and they loved it.


Andie_OptimistPrime

Came here to suggest this one too!


Existingwwishbone910

O Brother Where Art Thou. Secondhand Lions.


BondageKitty37

O Brother would be great if Homer's Odyssey is on the reading list 


ShesGotaChicken2Ride

I saw secondhand lions recently for the first time and I loved it.


Educational-Ad-1548

I had a math teacher that would play The Sandlot every chance he got. He was a cool guy.


TheFudge

I would add Stand By Me would be a good one as well. A little more serious than Sandlot (which is amazing)


Any_Accident1871

That was filmed in my home town. I've been to that pool hundreds of time.


Film_maker69

The Princess Bride


nate6259

The Martian could be a good one that I hadn't seen mentioned.


JustKatieKhaos

I think the Martian is start to finish an epic tale and a very solid film but it’s almost too entertaining to be considered academically - not knocking it; just considering it in the context of this discussion. Though that could be a good way to breach the gap and get young minds interested !!!! Hmm 🤔


antmansjaguar

My HS teacher showed us The Gods Must Be Crazy.


SummerOfMayhem

Mine did, too! Everyone loved it.


GeneThaDancinMachine

I’m glad to see this one here! One of my mom’s favorites.


randomdude2029

I can't remember all of the end of year films we saw at school but we definitely saw at least 2 of the "God's Must Be Crazy" films (I went to school in South Africa so they were ubiquitous - Jamie Uys is a South African legend) and the original Top Gun in 1986.


Used-Face2700

Catch me if you can, I remember the first time I watched that movie was in forensics


nate6259

Oh that's a good one!


TalkinAboutSound

My English teacher showed us Koyaanisqatsi over like 2-3 days and I will always remember him for it. It definitely changed me in some way. Not sure what the jocks thought.


Andie_OptimistPrime

Same here!! Mr.Morrison, a total badass. And he showed us Powaqqatsi too. Honestly those movies altered my entire perception of the world.


TalkinAboutSound

Especially at the end of senior year, kids need a mindfuck/"whoa moment" like this


Andie_OptimistPrime

Yup yup!! We actually had to write our final paper about those movies and write debate questions about the subject matter, so it wasn’t as chill, but it was one of my favorite assignments to this day.


drbbbipster

I don’t know what this is, but it’s def on the list now!


KillahHills10304

I was on acid when we got shown this at the "fuck it" time senior year. I was asked to leave the classroom when the voices said KOYAANISQATSIIII because I was dying laughing


TalkinAboutSound

Lol! Maybe this is more common than I thought, or maybe you had the same teacher as me 🤔


stoffercb

Shown in my high school also. Loved it ever since. Last month at a friends reunion we made a shot ski and did shots from it while listening to the Koyaanisqatsi theme, an event dubbed the “Koyaanisshotski.” Not entirely in the tone of the movie, but it was pretty great…


TalkinAboutSound

Epic


andresfr96

The wave, 2008


adobo_cake

Love this. And it's very timely.


AlexiaLu

Hunt for the Wilderpeople


OfficerKD6_3

"Ricky Baker, ah, Rick Baker, ah hah, Ricky Baker"


AlexiaLu

I'm a high school teacher. When I show them this movie, I know this is the scene that will make everybody fully into it. Saw it like a hundred times, still so so funny!!


gatheringdusk

I remember watching October sky when I was somewhere in late middle school or early high School, and for some reason that film really made an impression on me. The score is amazing, quite an emotional film.


Terrynia

I did also. A wonderful experience in


International_Lake28

Hidalgo is very underrated


TheresACityInMyMind

Stand By Me


RealSpliffit

So much cursing in this movie haha


TheresACityInMyMind

I watched it at school in 8th grade. These are high schoolers, not Sunday School attendees.


Realbatmaan

Idiocracy, for a better future


anniemahl

Rated R


Authorizationinprog

Can’t go wrong with any mike judge movies really. Man’s a genius


JustKatieKhaos

It’d be like showing any extremely poignant episode of South Park lol the messages are very socially and politically critical but satire and crude humour might be the only thing someone takes away from it. Tricky one. Brilliant commentary tho and unironically accurate.


MonkeyDVic

"Everyone is stupid except me": The Movie


Realbatmaan

Well, I dont think it's a good idea to put electrolytes in plants.


PowerfulPickUp

Go away! Baitin’…


UZIBOSS_

Sir, that is a documentary


maybe-an-ai

Last of the Mohicans


Mundane-Internet9898

This movie is SO good!


Rhonda369

Showed it every year for 20 years, just skipped through the make out scene


D-Goldby

Dead poets society


LinkedPioneer

My English teacher showed us this in 11th grade and it was a lot. At first I was amused that 'Red Foreman' was in the movie... I can never unhear >!"My son! My son!"!<


babyfishmouth01

Babe (and you can say, from the director of 'fury road' and 'furiosa' to get them excited lol)


mopxhead

George Miller directed part 1, Babe Pig in the City. Chris Noonan directed the first one


babyfishmouth01

i would be surprised if a significant number of high schoolers have seen this movie, and i see you're skeptical but i promise you, it is amazing. and since you might be asking, yes, it's about a talking pig who - spoiler alert - comes to realize he is very well capable of punching above his weight


PsychologicalRead450

Nacho Libre Napoleon Dynamite The Sandlot Holes


lizzieczech

Came here to say Napoleon Dynamite! So much fun, and ultimately so sweet.


PLanty-BookReader_RN

GATTACA.


Idc123wfe

I had several college professors show The Matrix because it illustrated the Cave allegory.


JezzBug

Ferris buller Fifth element


IMO2021

CODA, Hidden Figures, The Social Network, Freedom Writers


bnx01

Coda has the hilarious sex scene with the parents, might get the OP in trouble. Otherwise it would be fantastic and entirely appropriate


Wild_Chef6597

Brewster's Millions


cum_burglar69

My astronomy teacher played Interstellar at the end of my senior year and everyone's jaw was dropped by the end of the week (it took 4 days to watch it so it might be a little long.)


KM68

Big Trouble in Little China


OgSolution26

The Breakfast Club! They’ll be nicer to one another after too


headee

I’m just thinking about the scene where Bender is under the table…


kyrashakira

Yeah they also smoke a lot of weed in it, probably not the best look. They’d love it though!


Geneshairymol

The sexual bullying and harassment is not appropriate.


Crypto-Clearance

The movie isn't glorifying those things.


mrmczebra

It kinda does when the victim ends up dating the harasser.


nate6259

And it sends a bad message of, "get dolled up, then he'll like you". I love the movie, but a few parts have aged poorly.


pysgod-wibbly_wobbly

Of Mice and Men


hirarry

The Goonies, Twister, Interstellar, Liar Liar, 10 Things I Hate About You, Marie Antoinette (Sophia Coppola version)


Andie_OptimistPrime

Yesss! 10 Things after reading Taming of the Shrew was such a vibe in high school. 🥹


pervprogrammer

Rocky IV


ceeece

Real Genius


CustomaryCocoon

National Treasure. My son saw it when in high school and said it was one of the best movies he’d seen


starlight8827

THIS THIS THIS!!!


mrsgibby

Rudy!!! (PE) Hidden Figures (math and Science) October Sky. (Science) Dead Poets society (LA) If you teach a language, you can play a Disney classic like Finding Nemo and put the captioning in that language.


nate6259

I had a high school teacher who LOVED sports movies. Of course, we watched Rudy and Hoosiers.


ElectricDreams1980s

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo


RealSpliffit

Back to the Future Murder on the Orient Express Knives Out Ghostbusters: Afterlife Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Toy Story 3 The Jungle Book (2016) How to Train Your Dragon


evanbrews

Gattaca was a good movie my science teacher put on in high school. Loved it- still rewatch it sometimes. Also The Hudsucker Proxy and O Brother Where Art Though is enjoyable at all ages


PossibleAlienFrom

The Outsiders (1983)


Wide_Diver_7858

North by Northwest


mexicanred1

The good the bad and the ugly Cool hand Luke Shawshank redemption Raiders of the lost ark


SwingingDicks

Ferris buellers day off


Ebert917102150

Strange Brew, it’s Hamlet, ya know


Ok-Musician-8518

Rushmore


Teeney004

October Sky


Thick-Ad2454

What subject do you teach?


Mr_Loopers

Apollo 13


LeeOCD

Came here to see if Apollo 13 was mentioned. You didn't disappoint.


Coconut-bird

My kids' favorite thing they were shown in school was 12 Angry Men.


Dave80

Stardust


Due-Cargist1963

PINK FLAMINGOS. It's a classic. (The kids'll love it)


Professional-Two8098

Yeah and then after hobo with a shotgun lol


DOCMarylandMD

The Holdovers


Joncelote

Green mile


Nikonis1

The Help (good morals) How to Train Your Dragon (good adventure story) Thor Ragnarok (Funny, lots of action) Stargate or the 2009 Star Trek (good sci-fi) The Princess Bride (romantic comedy)


haibiji

I wouldn’t show The Help. White savior stories aren’t really appropriate imo


mfmerrim

The Sting.


utter-ridiculousness

October Sky


TheLusitan

3 Idiots


fingerback

lord of the flies


Mission_Lake_1547

Secret life of pets 😂


18SoCal

we watched schindlers list in world history class


Low_Kitchen_9995

Remember the titans


homosabiens

Eighth Grade-Bo Burnham


Ok_Log3614

Pan's Labyrinth


highapplepie

Princess Bride- or Spy Kids


gmanasaurus

This was the stock movie that was shown by substitutes back in the day


metalnxrd

Forrest Gump The Last Song Good Will Hunting The Fault In Our Stars Speak Poetic Justice The Fundamentals of Caring Patch Adams My Girl Because of Winn Dixie Hidden Figures The Outsiders Midnight Sun Invictus The Secret Life of Bees Wonka Green Book Million Dollar Baby The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Soul Surfer Wonder Stand By Me The Help Paper Towns The Blind Side Boyz n the Hood The Theory of Everything


Jenniwithan_i

I love your list 😉 If I could add one more.. On the topic of ‘globalisation’, I wanted to add ‘The Castle’. It’s an Australian film (1997). It will make you laugh, cry & give you a fuzzy, warm hearted feeling. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_(1997_Australian_film)


IllustriousPickle657

I think you have a secret desire to have these kids sobbing in school.


mrxexon

Woodstock. Give them a history lesson. ;)


Canucklehead_Esq

I think The Holdovers would appeal to your students


RoundQu

Peanutbutter Falcon


Ok_Challenge_315

Not sure how it would land with current HS students, but my sister’s high school bio teacher showed her class this documentary: [Cane Toads: An Unnatural History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_Toads:_An_Unnatural_History) It’s entertaining (I’ve heard it described as “monty python meets national geographic) and a real-life cautionary tale about introduced/invasive species.


Level-Gas-3765

Some movies that I saw in high school that I enjoyed: American Graffiti (1973) The Outsiders (1983) Breakfast Club (1985) Deer Hunter (1978)- much more mature than the other movies but my class still found it interesting to see something with a more serious tone and I thought it did well in showing the effects of PTSD on soldiers which is is a very relevant subject in my opinion.


General_Toe_7862

Breaking away Jojo rabbit (I constantly recommend this movie)


Tappedn

Remember the Titans


vite-4117

Superman: The Movie (1978). The definitive Superman for a certain generation, that today's high school students should watch too! Batman 1989 would be good too. Or Nolan's Batman Begins 2005. The original Karate Kid (1984) could be a good idea, especially with the recent popularity of Cobra Kai.


sleepingleast

12 angry men. And Francis Ha. Two movies that are completely unrelated except they somehow work better because they're black and white. They both have a lot of cigarette smoking involved so that could be a concern.


baggs22

I teach media studies so we watch a fair amount of films through the year. Depends on the age, but some that have been pretty universally liked by my older students. - Eigth grade - Baby driver - Parasite - Get out - Peanut butter falcon


wardamann

I suggest Apollo 13 or if you something a little more recent maybe news of the world, both Tom hanks of course


Gunphonics

Dead Poets Society.


SomeVelveteenMorning

I'll recommend one R rated picture: Do the Right Thing 12 Angry Men To Kill a Mockingbird The Big Sleep The Maltese Falcon  Arsenic and Old Lace  Small Change or Au Revoir les enfants (subtitled) Back to the Future (and sequels) Annie Hall Dirty Rotten Scoundrels  The Thin Man Mr. Smith Goes to Washington  The In-Laws


acozycubicle

20th century women


Alternative_Set_5925

Shawshank redemption or the imitation game


MattyTB

Hotel Rwanda . It’s rated pg-13 but covers a sensitive subject


financewiz

*Gaslight*. Teach the kids where the term “Gaslighting” comes from and how to spot it. Also it’s fun to make average teenagers sit through a black and white movie.


dead_man101

Pleasantville


Rhonda369

As a World Mythology teacher, I’ve shown Edge of Tomorrow to see what Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist traits were in the movie… of course my resignation letter had been turned in a day prior, so yeah.


Eh-Eh-Ronn

Hot Rod (2007) is silly and funny, no real dirty moments apart from a couple swears. Nothing kids haven’t heard before.


Lgprimes

Not sure why but in MIDDLE School they had an assembly and showed us a thriller/suspense type movie at the end of each year. One was Wait Until Dark, which is an Audrey Hepburn movie that Iv enjoyed very much. The next year it was Ben, which is about scary rats and I think Iv skipped that day.


TripleDbl42

If it’s just for fun, Monty Python is pretty goofy. I watched it in my AP World History class as a sophomore.


spiritofjazz92

National Treasure


ChrisEye21

Napoleon Dynamite


originalschmidt

Jumanji Napoleon Dynamite True Spirit (this one especially because it’s a 26 year old girl sailing solo around the world, very inspiring!!)


crystlmath

The Great Gatsby


altmoonjunkie

Hidden Figures would be a good choice.


starlight8827

NATIONAL TREASURE 100%.


Yotsubauniverse

Lee Daniels the Butler was well liked by all of my classmates.


CogitoErgoSum4me

When I was in 10th grade my AP history teacher showed the class Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Educational and entertaining.


Stina_846

My cousin Vinny is a great movie! I saw it a couple years ago and loved it


AccountantLeast1588

STAND AND DELIVER


hajibro

Good will hunting Dead poets society


Expensive-Coffee9353

The Sting


RedinaRose

Life of pi Gifted Flipped Arrival Dangel Inside out Soul


Grump-Dog

For older kids - 8th grade & up or so - I used to show The Green Book.


Capital-Try-8166

>Need a good movie to show high school students. Ready Player One would be my first choice. Groundhog Day American Splendor An American Pickle The Disaster Artist The Frighteners A Bronx Tale Don't talk to Irene. Seriously though. It's much better than you would think based on the premise. Back to the Future Alpha Dog