If you’re a fan of Richard Linklater’s classic coming-of-age film Dazed and Confused, you know there’s something special about movies that perfectly capture the carefree spirit and bittersweet nostalgia of youth. Set in 1976, Dazed and Confused follows a group of Texas high schoolers on the last day of school as they cruise around town, attend parties, and ponder their uncertain futures.
While Dazed and Confused may be one-of-a-kind, there are plenty of other great films that explore similar themes and evoke the same feelings of freedom and possibility mixed with teenage angst and restlessness. Here are 20 movies like Dazed and Confused that will transport you back to your own glory days:
1. American Graffiti (1973)
Before Star Wars, George Lucas directed this classic hangout movie set in 1962 California. Like Dazed and Confused, it takes place over the course of one night as a group of recent high school graduates cruise the strip, go to a school dance, and face major life decisions. The ensemble cast includes Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford in an early role. American Graffiti received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Amy Heckerling’s directorial debut is a hilarious and surprisingly poignant look at a year in the life of Southern California high school students navigating romance, friendship, and the struggles of adolescence. Written by Cameron Crowe and featuring breakout performances from Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Phoebe Cates, Fast Times is a teen movie classic full of iconic moments and quotable lines. It even spawned a short-lived TV series.
3. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
John Hughes was the master of 80s teen movies, and this is one of his most beloved. In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a charming and resourceful high school senior (Matthew Broderick) skips school for the day and goes on an epic adventure in Chicago with his girlfriend and anxious best friend, all while evading the suspicious dean of students. Endlessly rewatchable and full of fourth wall breaks, it’s a joyful ode to living life to the fullest.
4. Superbad (2007)
From the minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad is a raunchy yet heartfelt comedy about two codependent high school seniors (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) trying to get alcohol for a party where they hope to lose their virginity before graduation. Christopher Mintz-Plasse nearly steals the show as their nerdy friend Fogell, AKA McLovin. Underneath the crass humor are insightful observations about friendship and the anxieties of growing up.
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Another John Hughes classic, The Breakfast Club assembles five high school stereotypes – the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal – for a Saturday in detention where they bare their souls and discover how much they actually have in common. With an iconic cast including Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, and Anthony Michael Hall, it’s a moving look at the pressures of teenage life and how people are more than their labels.
6. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Considered a “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, this Richard Linklater film follows a group of college baseball players navigating their newfound freedom over the course of a weekend before classes begin. With a killer soundtrack and an ensemble cast of up-and-comers (including Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch), it perfectly captures the excitement, debauchery, and uncertainty of leaving home for the first time.
7. The Sandlot (1993)
For a more innocent and nostalgic take on the coming-of-age hangout movie, look no further than The Sandlot. Set in the summer of 1962, it follows a group of young boys bonding over their love of baseball and going on misadventures in their neighborhood. It’s sweet, funny, and full of memorable lines (“You’re killing me, Smalls!”). The young cast’s endearing performances make it a true feel-good classic.
8. Stand By Me (1986)
Based on a Stephen King novella, Stand By Me centers on four 12-year-old boys who set out to find the body of a missing kid in 1950s Oregon. Starring River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Wil Wheaton, it’s a poignant and at times intense look at the pains of growing up and the power of friendship. The young cast is incredible, and the film is full of both humor and heartbreak.
9. Adventureland (2009)
Superbad director Greg Mottola helms this sweet and understated comedy set in the summer of 1987. Jesse Eisenberg stars as a recent college grad who takes a job at a local amusement park, where he falls for a co-worker (Kristen Stewart) and experiences the ups and downs of first love and entering adulthood. With a great cast that also includes Ryan Reynolds and Bill Hader, Adventureland is a sincere and relatable coming-of-age tale.
10. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
It’s graduation night in this 90s teen comedy with an all-star ensemble cast including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, and Lauren Ambrose. Various storylines collide at a huge house party as new graduates confront their high school identities and wonder what the future holds. While some parts haven’t aged well, Can’t Hardly Wait is still a fun snapshot of late 90s teen culture with a surprisingly sweet center.
11. Dope (2015)
This fresh and stylish coming-of-age film stars Shameik Moore as Malcolm, a nerdy 90s hip-hop geek trying to survive in his tough Los Angeles neighborhood and make it to his dream college. When a chance invitation to an underground party leads to a wild adventure involving drugs and offbeat characters, Malcolm and his friends discover untapped talents and new sides of themselves. Dope is a unique and energetic spin on familiar tropes.
12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Based on the beloved novel by Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows a shy and troubled freshman (Logan Lerman) who comes out of his shell when he befriends a free-spirited group of seniors, including Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. Set in the early 90s and with an amazing soundtrack, it’s a moving and beautifully acted portrait of the joys and pains of adolescence and the friends who help us through it all.
13. Dirty Dancing (1987)
An iconic 80s romance with a killer soundtrack, Dirty Dancing stars Jennifer Grey as Baby, an idealistic 17-year-old vacationing with her family in the Catskills in 1963. When she falls for the resort’s working-class dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze), Baby experiences a sensual and social awakening while learning some unforgettable moves. It’s a sexy, feel-good classic with themes of classism, female empowerment, and dancing like nobody’s watching.
14. The To Do List (2013)
Aubrey Plaza stars in this raunchy and hilarious 90s-set comedy about an overachieving high school valedictorian who feels pressured to become more sexually experienced the summer before college. She makes a “to do list” of sexual acts and seeks to check them off one by one. With a game cast including Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, and Andy Samberg, The To Do List is a rare teen sex comedy told from a female perspective.
15. The Kings of Summer (2013)
This underrated gem follows three teenage friends who decide to build a house in the woods and live off the land for the summer, hoping to escape their parents and their problems. With breakout performances from Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, and Moises Arias, it’s a funny, poignant, and beautifully shot ode to the wild abandon and heartbreaks of youth. The sharp screenplay perfectly captures how it feels to be young and dream of a different life.
16. The Spectacular Now (2013)
Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley star as two very different teenagers – a hard-partying popular guy and a shy, studious girl – who form an unlikely bond that changes the trajectory of their lives. Based on the novel by Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now is a raw and realistic look at the way love can both heal and hurt when you’re young and trying to figure yourself out. Teller and Woodley’s soulful performances anchor the film.
17. Say Anything… (1989)
The directorial debut of Cameron Crowe, Say Anything… stars John Cusack as an aimless high school grad pursuing a brilliant and sheltered valedictorian (Ione Skye) the summer before she leaves for a fellowship in England. With iconic moments like Lloyd Dobler blasting “In Your Eyes” from a boombox, it’s a romantic classic full of humor, heart, and insight into the scary but exciting time between adolescence and adulthood.
18. Empire Records (1995)
This 90s cult favorite follows the young employees of an independent record store over the course of one eventful day as they take on corporate encroachment, their own personal dramas, and a washed-up rock star. With a cast that includes Liv Tyler, Renee Zellweger, and Ethan Embry, Empire Records is a fun, nostalgic hangout movie with a killer alt-rock soundtrack. “Damn the man, save the Empire!”
19. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
A parody of 1980s summer camp movies, Wet Hot American Summer features an all-star cast of comedic actors (including Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and Paul Rudd) as counselors on the last day of camp in 1981. Absurd, irreverent, and endlessly quotable, it’s a cult classic that captures the raunchy hijinks and teenage horniness of the genre while completely skewering it. The Netflix prequel and sequel series are also worth checking out.
20. Booksmart (2019)
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut puts a fresh and feminist spin on the teen buddy comedy. On the eve of graduation, two overachieving best friends (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) decide to finally break the rules and party, leading to a wild and revelatory night. Booksmart is hilarious and heartfelt, capturing the intensity of female friendship and the bittersweet feeling of one chapter ending and another beginning. It’s a instant classic for a new generation.
These 20 movies like Dazed and Confused all tap into the universal experiences and emotions of being young, whether it’s the restless desire for freedom and adventure, the awkward pains of first love and heartbreak, or the bittersweetness of friendships and one stage of life ending. Through their honest, humorous, and heartfelt depictions of youth, they make us feel those adolescent feelings all over again.
So next time you’re in the mood for a healthy dose of teenage nostalgia, queue up one of these great coming-of-age films and take a trip back in time to your own youth. You might just discover an old favorite or a new classic. Alright, alright, alright.
