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Aside from graduation, prom is probably the biggest night of high school. Hey, there's an entire musical number in High School Musical 3: Senior Year called "A Night to Remember" dedicated to the big event, after all.
Whether you're going to your first prom or even your fifth, it is still one of those special moments that will last with you forever. From wild dance parties to iconic monologues to even some pretty scary scenes, these movies have certainly stood out for their epic prom scenes. So, whether you decide to host the ultimate prom movie marathon at your next sleepover or plan to binge-watch these as you get ready for your own prom, all these movies will get you in the spirit of prom season.
The Prom (2020)
Adapted from the hit Broadway musical, this movie follows a gaggle of narcissistic theater stars who flock to a small conservative town in Indiana to help a high school girl be able to take her girlfriend to prom.
Prom Night (2008)
Hey, who said prom had to be ~perfect~?
This horror remake of the 1980 slasher hit starring Jamie Lee Curtis, puts Brittany Snow in the leading role. She plays Donna, a senior who is being stalked by a killer on what's supposed to be the biggest night of her life.
F the Prom (2017)
Starring Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch and The Kissing Booth's Joel Courtney, this comedy is about ex-friends who team up to help sabotage prom.
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Lady Bird (2017)
This coming-of-age movie and Best Picture nominee follows a high school senior as she deals with boy drama, a difficult relationship with her mother, and what to do after she graduates.
Lady Bird's (Saoirse Ronan) prom date will make you so glad you went with your besties instead of with a guy.
He's All That (2021)
Addison Rae's movie debut is a gender-swapped remake of the 1999 movie, She's All That. Addison plays Padgett, a popular girl who takes on a bet to turn the most unpopular kid in school into the prom king.
21 Jump Street (2012)
A remake of the hit '80s TV series of the same name, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play undercover cops who pose as high school students to infiltrate a drug ring.
The movie starts out with a flashback of both of their characters missing their senior prom. Going "back" to high school allows them to have a second chance at the big night... as long as they remember not to blow their own covers.
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Dude (2018)
Getting ready to graduate from high school is both exciting and low-key terrifying. Luckily, closing one chapter and opening another is easier to do with your BFFs by your side.
This Netflix coming-of-age film includes scenes featuring both junior and senior proms.
Alex Strangelove (2018)
After Alex (Daniel Doheny) makes plans with his girlfriend, Claire (Madeline Weinstein), to sleep together, he meets an openly gay teen named Elliot (Antonio Marziale) at a party. Alex starts to question his sexuality as he begins catching feelings for Elliot. Who will be Alex's prom date?
Senior Year (2022)
After waking up from a 20-year coma, Stephanie (Rebel Wilson), now 37 years old, wants to relive her senior year she had to miss — and finally achieve her goal of becoming prom queen.
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Jawbreaker (1999)
What happens when three popular girls accidentally kill the prom queen with a jawbreaker during a botched kidnapping prank? Chaos, pure chaos.
The Kissing Booth (2018)
Elle's (Joey King) friendship with her BFF, Lee (Joel Courtney), is put to the test after she starts catching feelings for Lee's older brother, Noah (Jacob Elordi).
Noah's big prom scene with Elle will leave you speechless.
Blockers (2018)
The girls from Blockers are ready to do anything to lose their virginity on prom night. However, little do they know that their parents are trying to stop them in any way possible. What can possibly go wrong?
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Mean Girls (2004)
While technically not a prom (it's Spring Fling), Cady (Lindsay Lohan) is still crowned queen and gives one of the best movie speeches of all time.
In case you live under a rock and don't know what this beloved movie is about, Lindsay plays a high school student who infiltrates the popular girls' group with the hopes of destroying them from the inside.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
While we don't ever get to see their actual prom, the fun prom number in the musical they put on is still one of the best moments from the entire franchise.
HSM 3 follows our favorite Wildcats as they gear up for the end of their high school careers and figure out their next moves.
Prom (2011)
Not only is it fun to see these characters prepare for the biggest night of their lives, but seeing all their faces as they walk into prom at the end will certainly give you goosebumps.
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Carrie (1976)
It's pretty impossible to hear the word Carrie and not think of prom. Carrie's prom scene is still one of the scariest and most iconic moments in a horror film. It's been referenced in many different TV shows, including Glee, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, and Riverdale.
There's a 2013 remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz you should also check out!
Watch the original on Amazon Prime Video
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
This modern retelling of William Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew, is about a teen whose dad won't let her go out on a date until her unlikeable older sister does.
Prom night is a huge deal in this classic film, and it's also where a lot of stuff gets revealed for these characters. There's a huge fight, a breakup, and even an appearance by Letters to Cleo who end up playing some pretty great covers throughout the night.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Based on Stephen Chbosky's novel of the same name (he also wrote the screenplay and directed the movie), Perks is about a quiet freshman who quickly strikes up a friendship with two outgoing seniors.
Prom night is a big night for Charlie (Logan Lerman), Sam (Emma Watson), and Patrick (Ezra Miller) as they try to have a good time after some pretty crappy situations. Luckily, it also gives viewers one of the best uses of "Come On Eileen" in a film thanks to their amazing dance scene.
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American Pie (1999)
Four best friends vow to lose their virginity by prom night. Unsurprisingly, things don't exactly go as planned for them.
For those who've already seen the movie, who can forget Jim's monologue at prom? It's a turning point for these characters as they realize the dance didn't end up being what they originally imagined it to be.
Twilight (2008)
The new girl in school quickly falls for the mysterious kid in her class... who turns out to be a vampire.
Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) didn't let a crazy stalker and a broken foot keep them away from the biggest dance of the year. While Edward didn't end up turning Bella into a vampire as she hoped, the two still shared a very special moment under the gazebo lights at prom.
Tamara Fuentes
Entertainment Editor
Tamara Fuentes is the current Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers TV, movies, books, celebrities, and more. She can often be found in front of a screen fangirling about something new. Before joining Cosmopolitan, she was the entertainment editor over at Seventeen. She is also a member of the Television Critics Association and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Stacey Grant
Senior Editor
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
