Hollywood College Movies: Student’s Struggles and Triumphs of College Life

Adm Desk Sep 03, 2024

In reality, the journey of coming of age does not suddenly stop upon graduating high school. It extends throughout college, when students move away from familiar lunch groups and high school football games to enter the real world.

Movies that take place in college show us the experiences of our favorite high school characters as they transition into adulthood and enter the workforce. We have compiled a selection of films, from the iconic Legally Blonde to the more modern Whiplash, that accurately depict the various experiences and emotions of college existence.

Check out the top hollywood college movies to help you acclimate to campus living

1. Legally Blonde (2001

IMDb Rating: 6.5/10

Where to watch: Netflix

This early-2000s romantic comedy is considered one of the perfect hollywood college movies in our opinion and requires little explanation in our books. However, just to remind you, Elle Woods switches from being a sorority sister to an Ivy League student after her breakup, aiming to win back her boyfriend by attending Harvard Law School. Reese Witherspoon, playing Woods, introduces high fashion to the legal setting, and her pink outfits continue to influence Halloween costumes and styles worn by celebrities.

2. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

This lively movie, considered a follow-up to Dazed and Confused, celebrates the nostalgia of the 1980s. As the start of the semester approaches, players from a college baseball team rent a house off-campus and immediately ignore their coach's instructions. From throwing parties to wearing costumes and going from bar to bar, the group of male college students enjoy their final carefree days of summer. It is considered to be one of the best Hollywood college movies to watch.

3. Kill Your Darlings (2013)

IMDb Rating: 6.4/10

Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, You Tube

A slightly exaggerated recounting of the early days of the Beat Generation in New York, Kill Your Darlings is as lively as the creative work of its characters and among the top hollywood college movies. The story centers around a new student, young Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), who joins the artistic group of Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) soon after starting at Columbia University as a freshman. From this point onwards, they engage in wild parties and intense poetry sessions under the influence of nitrous oxide. The movie explores intricate queer themes and follows a group of youthful individuals unhappy with conventional norms, seeking fresh ways to convey themselves.

4. Dear White People (2014)

IMDb Rating: 6.2/10

Where to stream: Peacock

Through a radio program, media arts student Samantha White (played by Tessa Thompson) openly addresses the racial issues at her mostly white Ivy League university. Throughout the movie, different Black students, such as queer reporter Lionel Higgins and White's former lover, Troy Fairbanks, are used to examine these tensions, providing a complex examination of the genuine problem of diversity in universities. To watch Hollywood college movies, it is the perfect option.

5. Spring Breakers (2012)

IMDb Rating: 5.3/10

Where to stream: Hulu

Harmony Korine directed the surreal film following four college freshman girls in Florida who rob a restaurant to pay for their spring break trip. Featuring primarily Skrillex on the soundtrack, Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez, known for their work with Disney, play the roles of Candy and Faith, with Ashley Benson as Brit and Rachel Korine as Cotty. However, the comedic crime movie set in Florida is not just about fun disguises and flashy swimsuits, as they soon face the repercussions of their choices, including a character named Alien played by James Franco.

6. Whiplash (2014)

IMDb Rating: 85/10

Where to stream: Amazon Prime Video, You Tube

Enter the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band: a daunting prospect for new college students. Whiplash explores the theme of the dedicated artist through the character of young jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller). The highly driven musician joins the band and faces conductor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), whose teaching method is based more on verbal insults than on helpful feedback. Viewers are constantly waiting for the moment when Neiman breaks, trapped in a state of anticipation by the film's fast editing and pacing, which mirror the title perfectly. Watch this one of the top hollywood college movies to lift up your spirit.

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