The School of Rock

Play trailer

2:23

The School of Rock

PG-13

Released Oct 3, 2003

1h 48m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

201 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Overly enthusiastic guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets thrown out of his bar band and finds himself in desperate need of work. Posing as a substitute music teacher at an elite private elementary school, he exposes his students to the hard rock gods he idolizes and emulates -- much to the consternation of the uptight principal (Joan Cusack). As he gets his privileged and precocious charges in touch with their inner rock 'n' roll animals, he imagines redemption at a local Battle of the Bands.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Black's exuberant, gleeful performance turns School of Rock into a hilarious, rocking good time.

Read Critics Reviews

Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

Yet there are subversive details that elevate it beyond standard feelgood fare, notably Black’s insistence on treating his young charges like battle-hardened veterans...

Rated: 4/5

Sep 8, 2023

Full Review

Antonia Quirke

London Evening Standard

School of Rock just doesn't rock. It has no appetite for destruction. No raw power. It's like late Whitesnake. Tidied-up, over-produced. Jack Black is not, sad to say, Jack White.

Dec 20, 2017

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Standout Jack Black in nerd-becomes-cool comedy.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Jack Walters

Loud and Clear Reviews

"School of Rock is a hilarious comedy that places Jack Black right in his comfort zone with a charming narrative about the power of self-belief."

Rated: 4/5

Jan 18, 2025

Full Review

Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Vibrant, charming and adorable, School of Rock delivers on all fronts thanks to Jack Black's peak performance, talented young cast and amazing music/soundtrack. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 9, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It sounds like the sort of sanitized product that might have starred Eddie Murphy (Dokken Day Care?), yet what gives the movie any semblance of an edge is Jack Black.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 4, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Nancy

Such a good throw back. Loved how they played it on the big screen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

David

one of the best movies of all time. jack black is phenomenal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Alexander S

School of Rock from Richard Linklater strikes the right chord with Jack Black's most suited role that perfectly orchestrates comedy, entertainment, casting, chemistry and plot, allowing Black's charisma to take center stage. Grading: A-

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Funny in 1 hour and 48 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 (Some Rude Humor and Some Drug References!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $81,300,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/03/25

Full Review

Mate P

School of Rock is about nothing but pure joy and constant smiling. I expected a goofy and funny movie, but this is so much more fun and amazing than I expected. This film reminded me how much I love music, making it and listening to it. I have a special connection to it, because a similar thing happened to me in elementary school. The characters are quite simple and stereotypical, but surprisingly that works perfectly here. All the characters have some kind of arc even if it's just a small one. There are great themes, but Dewey also makes some very questionable things. The direction could not be better, this movie is pure magic. The opening credits are so creative. The cinematography is good and with great editing the two work perfectly in sync. The soundtrack is awesome with some great picks and the original songs rock hard too. The cast is not too famous, but every role went to the right actor. The kids are so great and there are a few longer takes where they had to perform for a relatively long time. I could say Jack Black disappears into the role, but it's kind of his real self. School of Rock is such pure magic that I couldn't stop smiling despite the questionable things the protagonist did.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

Jake S

Name another movie like this? I honestly can’t. The kids, the adults, the story, the music, all one of a kind. Such a fun movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Richard Linklater

Director

Jack Black

Dewey Finn

Joan Cusack

Rosalie Mullins

Mike White

Ned Schneebly

Sarah Silverman

Patty

Jordan-Claire Green

Michelle

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Stick-it-to-the-man-eosis

1:40

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Telling Off Schneebly

1:25

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Dewey's Code of Conduct

1:07

The School of Rock: Official Clip - The Rock Band Project

1:23

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Wound Too Tight

1:18

The School of Rock: Official Clip - The Man

1:57

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Creating Musical Fusion

1:54

The School of Rock: Official Clip - New Schedule

1:24

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Hung Over

2:06

The School of Rock: Official Clip - Learning in Song

2:13

View more videos

Mother

87%

76%

Mother

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mother

Zoolander

64%

80%

Zoolander

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Zoolander

Orange County

47%

61%

Orange County

Watchlist

Mean Girls

84%

66%

Mean Girls

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Mean Girls

The Stepford Wives

25%

30%

The Stepford Wives

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Stepford Wives

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Fifteen Years Later, School of Rock Still Earns A Big, Rocking “A+”

Rank Jack Black’s 10 Best Movies

Definitive Jack Black Movies

School of Rock: Trailer 1

2:23

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Overly enthusiastic guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets thrown out of his bar band and finds himself in desperate need of work. Posing as a substitute music teacher at an elite private elementary school, he exposes his students to the hard rock gods he idolizes and emulates -- much to the consternation of the uptight principal (Joan Cusack). As he gets his privileged and precocious charges in touch with their inner rock 'n' roll animals, he imagines redemption at a local Battle of the Bands.

Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Scott Rudin
Screenwriter: Mike White
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Some Rude Humor|Some Drug References)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $81.3M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now