Movies Similar to Pen-Hi Grad

Harlem School 1970(2018)

A unique 'direct cinema' feature length documentary (no narration or interviews) originally filmed in the Spring of 1970 and concluded during the Summer of 2017 (footage added, restored, and re-edited). A day in the life of an inner-city Harlem elementary school. In 2018 filmmaker Phil Gries reunited with seven of his former Harlem elementary students whom he hadn't seen in 50 years.

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Permission to Exist(2020)

In just sixty years, South Korea went from being one of the poorest countries on the Asian continent to having the 12th largest economy in the entire world. Every year, it is measured that Korean students have some of the highest test scores and a higher rate of acceptance into Ivy League schools compared to all other nations. But on the flip side, South Korea also has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world, the highest gender pay gap of all developed countries, and the highest plastic surgery rate per capita. Always expected to receive top scores and constantly bombarded by media and messages that seem to demand nothing short of visual “perfection,” how do these individuals come to accept and learn to love themselves as they are?

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American Teen(2008)

A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.

6.4

The First Class(2023)

An intimate verité film that follows students and educators at a groundbreaking new high school in Memphis. Their inspiring journey shows what learning can look like—and accomplish—when a city comes together to rethink what high school can be.

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Science Fair(2018)

Filmmakers follow nine high school students from around the globe as they compete at an international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest teens from 78 countries, only one will be named Best in Fair.

7.2

American Teenager

A young woman reflects on her high school drug addiction on a weekend trip to her hometown in Pennsylvania where it took place.

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More than a Game(2008)

This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.

7.2

We Did It on a Song(2014)

This film tells the stormy tale of a group of friends from Boulogne-sur-Mer, a French town hit by the financial crisis. A year between dreams and disillusion, imagined by teenagers from a working or middle class background, with songs that regularly add poetry, laughter, and emotion to reality.

5.9

Freakonomics(2010)

Some of the world's most innovative documentary filmmakers will explore the hidden side of everything.

6.1

How to Dance in Ohio(2015)

In Columbus, Ohio, a group of autistic teenagers and young adults role-play this transition by going through the deceptively complex social interactions of preparing for a spring formal. Focusing on several young women as they go through an iconic American rite of passage, we are given intimate access to people who are often unable to share their experiences with others. With humor and heartbreak, How to Dance in Ohio shows the daily courage of people facing their fears and opening themselves to the pain, worry, and joy of the social world.

6.6

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Leader of the Pack(2019)

Billy Hicks has been coaching basketball for over 40 years. He is the winningest high school basketball coach in the state of Kentucky. This documentary will dive into his "basketball philosophy" and his successful time at Scott County.

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My So-Called High School Rank(2022)

A deep dive into the lives of high school students in three radically disparate communities as they navigate the pressures around college while staging a musical, until seismic events upend their dreams and expectations.

6.0

Resolved(2007)

The fascinating complexity of high school debate gives way to a portrait of the equally complex racial and class bias of American education in Greg Whiteley's riveting documentary.

7.2

From Paseo To Pembroke: Kansas City's Golden Age(2021)

From Paseo to Pembroke is a Kansas City documentary retrospective on the golden age of high school basketball. From '88 to '98—from the Dotte all the way to Raytown. Told by the era's premier coaches, players and media personalities.

9.0

Pressure Cooker(2008)

A committed, passionate teacher tries to make all the difference in the lives of disadvantaged students.

7.8

Going Varsity in Mariachi(2023)

A year in the life of an underdog competitive high school mariachi band in the Texas borderlands.

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All American(2024)

In this modern, coming of age documentary, Naomi, Jojo and Arham grapple with economic divides, gender roles, and family dynamics while competing in the fastest growing high school sport in the country: girl’s wrestling.

10.0

This Is Going to Be Big(2023)

Peer behind the curtain as a cast of neurodivergent teens prepare to come of age and hit the stage in their school’s time-travelling, John Farnham–themed musical.

8.0

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MsC: The Movie(2006)

If you liked Jackass, Superbad and the Titanic, you'll shit your pants over this fairy tale. 4 years in the making, this film documents a group of young men as they take their first steps into high school and follows their questionable behaviour until graduating night. Some crazy fucking shit goes down. Honest…

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Seventeen(1983)

In their final year at Muncie's Southside High School, a group of seniors hurtles toward maturity with a combination of joy, despair, and an aggravated sense of urgency. They are also learning a great deal about life, both in and out of school, and not what school officials think they are teaching.

6.0