20 Best Movies About School Shootings That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Movies About School Shootings

This world has a lot of problems. Prejudices abound, leading people to do horrific atrocities against one another. Children are the only thing that can guarantee a brighter future for our planet. In the end, they aren’t completely safe. Children in rich countries like the United States, as well as those in countries like Syria, who are suffering as a result of pointless wars, are also not safe. As the number of school shootings has risen in recent years, the public’s focus has shifted to the country’s lax gun laws. In many cases, the perpetrators of these shootings are young persons who haven’t yet passed the age of adulthood.

Hollywood seems to be avoiding making any films about this subject because of how delicate it is. Perhaps they don’t want to take any chances with inaccurate portrayals that could hurt people’s feelings. However, some directors have daringly poked at this topic. These are the best movies about school shootings ever made. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have some of the best school shooting movies. Included in this list are the filming activities at Columbine High School.

14. Zero Day (2003)

Zero Day (2003)

This film is based on the Columbine High School tragedy of 1999, which depicts the story of two boys who videotape their plans to assault the school. To commemorate this “zero-day,” their video journal chronicles their experiences and goals in real time, starting with the moments leading up to the countdown.

13. Beautiful Boy (2010)

A shooter’s acts have devastating consequences for the people he kills and the people they leave behind. One family, on the other hand, is irreparably damaged as a result of such tragedies. The shooter’s family is behind it. “Beautiful Boy” is predicated on this idea. Sam is the name of Bill and Kate’s son. While the couple is focused on their work, their kid is having difficulties adjusting to college life. Bill and Kate are devastated to learn that he was the gunman behind the shooting at his college. The past keeps resurfacing for them as they try to come to terms with their current predicament.

12. The Dirties (2013)

The Dirties (2013)

Bullying is a daily occurrence for Matt and Owen, two high school students. So they decide to make a movie about it, in order to show the negative effects on students’ mental health and the difficulty in obtaining aid. Despite the principal’s disapproval of their film, the students are humiliated and bullied for it. Things spiral out of control for Matt after this.

11. Home Room (2002)

After a school shooting that claimed the lives of seven classmates, two girls are reunited. The shooting of Deanna Cartwright was somehow avoided. Even though she appears to be a happy-go-lucky girl, she has been damaged for life by the occurrence. Alicia Browning, on the other hand, exists. She’s the only one who saw it happen, and she’s a recluse who doesn’t want to be hassled. These two strangers, brought together by a same experience, create an unlikely relationship.

10. Amish Grace (2010)

The shooting at West Nickel Mines School in Pennsylvania is the subject of this film. Several Amish schoolgirls are kidnapped, and the kidnappers later murder them. The movie tries to figure out why he did what he did. However, the lives of the victims’ families take center stage. The families’ decision to forgive the killer made this even more heartbreaking. There are two extremes of human nature on display in this film. Even at the worst of circumstances, some people still have compassion in their hearts.

9. The Only Way (2004)

Movies About School Shootings

Devon Browning’s life is depicted in this film, which is based on the Columbine High School shooting. Devon’s school life isn’t easy because he’s an outcast and a loner. He has been physically and emotionally abused by his peers because of his disability. In the wake of the death of a family member, he decides to take revenge on the classmates who had made his life a living hell.

8. Blackbird (2012)

This film is about a boy who is labeled as “queer” by his peers. Sean is a young man who enjoys a gothic manner of dressing and living. Sean admires his father’s gun collection and his passion for hunting. Despite the fact that he doesn’t treat anyone unfairly and doesn’t display any anger toward anyone, he is continuously made fun of by others for his garb. When he is asked by a teacher to write down his sentiments in order to deal with them, he imagines a scenario in which he uses the gun his father gave him to shoot the individuals who annoy him. He is not alone. A rumor circulates that he is plotting a school shooting when he posts it online. Even though the claim is false, Sean must face the consequences.

7. And Then I Go (2017)

A novel written by Jim Shepard, ‘Project X,’ is used as a basis for this film. They are two high school students who are continuously harassed by other pupils. Edwin and Flake. They don’t stop at the school gates when it comes to shaming others. Even their own families don’t seem to care much about them. After a series of unfortunate events, Edwin and Flake decide to take dramatic measures to calm the situation.

6. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

In some cases, school shootings are carried out simply because the perpetrators are inclined to do so for whatever justification they choose to give for doing so. They’re just sadists and psychopaths looking for an excuse to harm others. Kevin is one such example. Since he was a small child, he had been a highly troubling individual. Eva, his mother, was particularly concerned about his behavior as he grew older. Kevin, on the other hand, behaved like a typical kid in front of others, notably his father. As a result, Eva can put her worries to rest. So long as Kevin doesn’t do something even more heinous.

5. if… (1968)

Three rowdy boys are the focus of this picture, which is set in a fictitious British high school. The Whips, a group of elder bullies, are sandwiched between the newer pupils and the newcomers, who are forced to obey the Whips’ commands. The three lads resolve to stage a confrontation to put an end to their conflict once and for all when the school administration gets involved.

4. Elephant (2003)

Elephant (2003)

Another film based on the Columbine High School massacre has been made by Gus Van Sant. Students at various stages of adolescence are depicted in their various states of contentment. Two of these students resolve to carry out a shooting at school after being affected by events in their personal lives. The rest of society goes about its business as usual, blissfully ignorant of their true motives.

3. The Class (2007)

Violent behavior toward others is abhorrent. In order to grasp the scenario, one must also look at the lives of those involved. The story of two students who commit a shooting at their high school is told through the eyes of the film. However, it concentrates more on the circumstances leading up to the shooting than on the actual shooting itself.

2. Polytechnique (2009)

Polytechnique (2009)

On the real-life events of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre, which occurred at a Montreal engineering school, this film is based. We see a young man kidnap a class full of women because of his anti-feminist rage, through the eyes of a few characters. The man went on a killing spree targeting women at schools, cafeterias, and everywhere else he could get his hands on them. Observing the school’s actions unfold in the film is a painful experience. As a result, it leaves a sour taste in one’s mouth.

1. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

In the wake of the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, this documentary examines the current situation of American gun regulations and violence. Created by Michael Moore, it follows the two young men who carried out the shooting and examines their activities in detail They are examined in terms of how they live their lives, how they approach schoolwork and other pupils, and how school management may have influenced their actions. Education and locations that don’t take handing out guns to people seriously are highlighted by this article.