High School Musical

Play trailer

High School Musical

TV-G

2006

1h 36m

Kids & Family

Musical

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to campus, Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

High School Musical is brazenly saccharine, but it makes up for it with its memorable show tunes, eye-popping choreography, and appealing cast.

Read Critics Reviews

Laura Fries

Variety

Although the plot's not particularly novel, writer Peter Barsocchini's script maintains the fantasy elements while incorporating topical and relevant themes into the story.

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Anita Gates

New York Times

It would be unfair not to salute the movie's message about broadening one's horizons and not being limited by stereotypes or peer pressure. But when an admirable message is packaged in such treacle, it just makes the message seem treacly, too.

Sep 9, 2019

Full Review

Noel Murray

AV Club

Mostly, High School Musical makes an appealing case for an idealized vision of high school, where individuality is celebrated and even the mean kids know everyone's name.

Rated: B

Sep 9, 2019

Full Review

Kate Halliwell

The Ringer

School spirit is forever, though. May the legacy of the East High Wildcats never die.

Apr 25, 2023

Full Review

Kate Robertson

Stuff.co.nz

If a pre-teen in your life hasn't seen this coming-of-age classic, it's time to sit down and educate them.

Aug 10, 2021

Full Review

Nick Levine

Digital Spy

High School Musical is kitsch, sexless and hopelessly clichéd, but it manages to offer a giddy sense of fun to a generation that's overdosing on seriousness.

Sep 10, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Matthew E

Childhood Kids & Family drama music drama music comedy romance-drama Teen Drama-comedy musical comedy-family High School Musical

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

Full Review

Hailee B

It's one of the best movie genres ugh, I still rewatch this once a year how can you miss out? I hate how terrible everyone was against their dreams of being a singer and a basketball player like damn, let them be. It's a great first song and a great beginning on how to start everything off into place. Sharpe and Ryan in this one are very annoying, and that plan against Troy was so damn mean jeez, really did that!!!. Ugh, I love the apology scenes they are getting my sensitive ass. Sharpie so evilllll she always up to something but she wont get away!!!!!! ever I love once they started singing everyone started standing up and singing enjotying everything!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/16/24

Full Review

Katya T

IDGAF about all the negative things the critics had to say about HSM but this movie raised an entire generation and it’s very iconic and this movie will forever be part of my childhood. 🤍

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/03/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Arguably the most iconic and important Disney Channel Original Movie of all time! The Disneyfication of Grease has cleaner-cut cliques such as basketball players, academic competitors and theater kids, while delivering a more positive message about conformity. Its unprecedented success shifted the focus of the entire Disney Channel to be more music-centric, from its content to its “commercial” breaks. Kenny Ortega is one of the contemporary greats when it comes to shooting and choreographing dance sequences for film in ways that play to the medium’s strengths. It probably has the most talented main ensemble cast out of all the Disney Channel Original Movies, led by the culture-icon couple: Zac Efron (voiced by Drew Seeley) and Vanessa Hudgens. However, it’s Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans who steals the spotlight throughout the series.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

Ry Y

Too much singing. Overtragic, ridiculous, boring and they seem like they're in kindergarten and not high school

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/08/24

Full Review

Payton D

This movie is extremely overrated. The plot is extremely basic, and the songs are below mediocre.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/30/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Kenny Ortega

Director

Zac Efron

Troy Bolton

Vanessa Hudgens

Gabriella Montez

Ashley Tisdale

Sharpay Evans

Lucas Grabeel

Ryan Evans

Alyson Reed

Ms. Darbus

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

64%

72%

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Watchlist

High School Musical 2

83%

72%

High School Musical 2

Watchlist

TRAILER

for High School Musical 2

Hannah Montana: The Movie

44%

67%

Hannah Montana: The Movie

Watchlist

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

14%

35%

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Watchlist

Enchanted

93%

80%

Enchanted

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Enchanted

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

High School Musical Getting Reality Show Treatment

High School Musical Cast Enters Senior Year

The Weekly Ketchup: Dark Knight Prologue Coming; Wolverine Gets Official Title; Star Trek Gets Kirk And Bones

View more photos

Synopsis

Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to campus, Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon.

Director: Kenny Ortega
Producer: Don Schain
Screenwriter: Peter Barsocchini
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures, Salty Pictures Inc., First Street Films
Rating: TV-G
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2016
Runtime: 1h 36m

Most Popular at Home Now