We understand why high school teachers show their students films like Stand and Deliver (1988) and Romeo and Juliet (1968) — they bestow important lessons about apathy, commitment, love, prejudice, and how people used to wear really silly outfits.
But we’ve come a long way from the struggles of inner city calculus and misplaced poison. Shouldn’t the cinematic offerings presented to our high school students speak to life lessons they can actually use? We think so, which is why we submit this list of more appropriate films for your consideration.
Kids (1995)
Lesson: Be careful who you sleep with.
The movie may seem dated — those kids don’t even own smartphones! — but the warnings about the risks of contracting STDS (specifically HIV) if you don’t practice safe sex or be selective with the people they hook up with will hit horny teens a lot harder than the “Our Changing Bodies” filmstrips from health class.