Three O’Clock High is a 1987 teen comedy directed by Phil Joanou, starring:
Casey Siemaszko as Jerry
Anne Ryan as Franny
Richard Tyson as Buddy Revell
Whit Bissell Award winners Stacey Glick as Brei (Jerry’s sister), and co-winners Scott Tiler & Guy Massey as Bruce and Scott, amateur documentary filmmakers.
Written by Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szollosi.
Released in 1987, a critical moment for teen comedies. Just two years prior, we got Weird Science (twice!), Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This one didn’t quite land the same way. It underperformed at the box office and didn’t win over critics for the most part.
So… what happened?We don’t really know. But we're talking about why we liked it!
Today, we’re talking about this overlooked gem of the genre. Loosely riffing on the 1952 western High Noon, Three O’Clock High gives us a surreal, anxiety-laced day in the life of Jerry Mitchell. He’s just a regular student who accidentally crosses paths with Buddy Revell—a hulking new kid with a violent reputation. The showdown is set: 3 o’clock, after school, in the parking lot. No escape.
Unlike its teen comedy peers, this one leans darker. It’s not Bad Boys, but there’s definitely more blood and missing teeth than the movies above.
Instead of cliques and awkward prom moments, we get likable characters squaring off against a clear villain. It’s a refreshing twist—less detention hall, more clumsy sheriff-vs-bandit showdown.
Also we get a killer soundtrack by Tangerine Dream!
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