8 Best Boarding School Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · March 3, 2026

Boarding school is insular and a natural fit for coming-of-age stories built on rebellion and belonging. The Holdovers has a strict teacher, a troubled student and a grieving cook over a lonely holiday, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone sends an orphan to a school for wizards, and The Emperor’s Club tests a teacher’s ethics. Moonrise Kingdom, Dead Poets Society, School Ties, Au Revoir les Enfants and if… round out the eight.

The Holdovers (2023)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A strict teacher, a troubled student and a grieving cook form an unlikely bond over a lonely holiday.

Directed by Alexander Payne · 2h 13m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

TMDB ★ 7.8

Two twelve-year-olds fall in love and run away together, prompting a town-wide search.

Directed by Wes Anderson · 1h 34m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 80% Metacritic 65

An orphaned boy discovers he's a wizard destined for a war he doesn't yet understand.

Directed by Chris Columbus · 2h 32m · Rated PG

Nominated for 3 Oscars20 wins & 75 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, HBO Max, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Emperor's Club (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A dedicated classics teacher's decades-old ethical compromise with a manipulative student comes back to haunt him.

Directed by Michael Hoffman · 1h 48m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

School Ties (1992)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A Jewish student hides his identity to fit in at an elite prep school, until a rival threatens to expose him.

Directed by Robert Mandel · 1h 46m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Dead Poets Society (1989)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 85% Metacritic 79

An unconventional English teacher inspires his boarding school students to seize the day through poetry.

Directed by Peter Weir · 2h 09m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar20 wins & 19 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A boy at a French boarding school befriends a new classmate and uncovers a dangerous secret under Nazi occupation.

Directed by Louis Malle · 1h 45m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

If.... (1968)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Three rebellious students at an English boarding school plot a shocking uprising against its oppressive hierarchy.

Directed by Lindsay Anderson · 1h 52m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

8 Best Boarding School Movies of All Time

The Holdovers (2023)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

The Emperor's Club (2002)

School Ties (1992)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

If.... (1968)

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