Three O'Clock High

PG-13

1987

1 hr. 37 min.

Comedy

List

57%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Preppy high school reporter Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is asked to write a story on a tough new kid named Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson), a boy rumored to have a violent past. Jerry tries to call off the story, but in the process he infuriates Buddy, who challenges him to a parking lot brawl immediately after school that same day. As Jerry desperately attempts to escape the impending fight, he instead ends up finding the courage to stand up to Buddy.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered May 24

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Three O'Clock High on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Augustine J

I really liked this movie. It has one of my favorite opening credit sequences, with everything going wrong, it's a good scene. This movie is also a great metaphor for the inevitability of having to face your fears, you can try to run from them but in the end, you have to confront them. For a movie without any major stars it managed to be a really good flick. Check it out.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/13/24

Full Review

Idiot

Best high school movie ever. A wild ride all the way through. Builds up to a huge after school fight that doesn't disappoint.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/12/23

Full Review

Dave B

Loved this movie when it came out still do. Great little fun film

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

Full Review

allan c

Okay, I know this is not really a five star film, but it's one of my all-time favorites and that's why I've rated it as such. Also, "Three O'Clock High" is probably the second best non-John Hughes high school comedy of the 1980s ("Valley Girl" get's the #1 spot and "Real Genius" a very close #3). The story here, as the title alludes, is "High Noon" with teenagers. Casey "Young Guns" Siemaszko plays a nerdy school newspaper geek who offends the new kid, Richard "Two Moon Junction" Tyson, who supposedly killed a guy at his last school, and then challenges Siemaszko to a fight after school. Siemaszko spends the rest of the day trying to get out of the fight to hilarious effect. There are so many memorable things about the film, but I think most memorable is the exuberant stylized direction by Phil Joanou and the excellent photography by the Coen Brothers regular director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld, right before he went on to direct his own films, such as "The Addams Family," "Men in Black" and "Get Shorty." In lesser hands, this with would have simply been a mildly entertaining comedy, but with Joanou and Sonnenfeld behind the camera, it has the same wild energy and creativity of the Coen Brothers or Sam Raimi. The film is also memorable for it's supporting cast, which includes Jeffery Tambor ("Arrested Development"), Phillip Baker Hall ("Hard Eight"), John P. Ryan ("Bound"), Mitch Pileggi ("The X-Files"), and Paul Feig ("Heavyweights"). &ou may not have heard of these folks, but you'd instantly recognize them. It's also of note that Steven Spielberg, who's mentored Joanou when he worked on his TV show "Amazing Stories," was the executive producer on the picture, but Spielberg asked to have his name removed from the credits. That could be attributed to Spielberg being surprised after screening the film and asking Joanou, "What happened to Karate Kid? You made a Scorsese film!" And true, the film is more akin to "After Hours" than "The Karate Kid," but I think that's why I love it. Overall, I believe this is a pretty irresistible film that I think just about everyone will love. If you've never seen "Three O'Clock High," do yourself a favor and check it out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Casey Siemaszko does a really fine job portraying one ordinary kid's destiny on his very own high school Odyssey. The day drags on forever as he hurtles towards (and tries desperately to avoid) the final conflict awaiting him at 3 O'clock in the high school parking lot. The movie captures yet again the 1980's genius of teen movies where kids inhabit their own independent, separate world not ruled by adult rules - for better and worse. The scenes with Jerry and his English teacher Ms. Farmer are worth the price of admission alone. This movie is often overlooked due to the tsunami of classic teen movies that came out all around it. Well worth the watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best of the 80s teen movies. So what if you haven't heard of it? It takes everything you expect from those movies, adds real drama and subtracts teen stereotypes. See it now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Phil Joanou

Director

Casey Siemaszko

Jerry Mitchell

Annie Ryan

Franny Perrins

Stacey Glick

Brei Mitchell

Richard Tyson

Buddy Revell

Jeffrey Tambor

Mr. Rice

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - The New Guy

2:35

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - School Store Robbery

2:04

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - There Is No Escape

2:32

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - One Big Punch

2:58

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Jerry's Sexy Book Report

2:47

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Inside Job

1:06

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Pep Rally

2:23

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Buddy's Library Dominos

2:05

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Prelude to a Showdown

2:57

Three O'Clock High: Official Clip - Assistant Principal Dolinski

2:44

View more videos

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Trailer Bulletin: Gridiron Gang

Wahlberg Tackles an Old Burt Reynolds "Machine"

"Ocean’s Thirteen" Gets Leading Lady And Start Date

View more photos

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Even a dumb teen movie such as this has to end with one of those fist fights where every blow sounds like the special effects guys are whacking bicycle seats with Ping-Pong paddles. Is that all life is? The vicious define the terms?

Rated: 1/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Eve Tushnet

Patheos

A perfectly serviceable ’80s lockers ‘n’ liplocking flick for those who like such things, utterly lacking what Christians call a conscience or what philosophers call “a point...”

Jul 14, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Until the awful last act, this high school-set picture benefits from some mild black-comedy shadings.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 22, 2021

Full Review

Austin Trunick

Under the Radar

Three O'Clock High is one of the more fun, semi-forgotten teen films of the 1980s.

Oct 18, 2017

Full Review

Brian Costello

Common Sense Media

Dated '80s teen comedy has bullying, cursing, violence.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

Christian Toto

HollywoodInToto.com

Three O'Clock High deserves a slot next to other '80s classics like "Ferris Bueller," "Sixteen Candles" and "Better Off Dead.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 4, 2016

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Preppy high school reporter Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is asked to write a story on a tough new kid named Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson), a boy rumored to have a violent past. Jerry tries to call off the story, but in the process he infuriates Buddy, who challenges him to a parking lot brawl immediately after school that same day. As Jerry desperately attempts to escape the impending fight, he instead ends up finding the courage to stand up to Buddy.

Director: Phil Joanou
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.1M
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now