Three O'Clock High

Find Movie Theaters & Showtimes

for
near
in

Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Phil Joanou, Phil Joanou

Producer:

David E. Vogel

Writer:

Richard Christian Matheson, Thomas E. Szollosi

Release Date:

Oct 9, 1987

Runtime:

1hr 37m

Synopsis

A nerd gets himself in hot water with the new bully, a quiet bad boy who challenges him to fight on the grounds of their high school after the day's end.

Cast

  • Casey Siemaszko
  • Anne Ryan
  • Casey Siemaszko
  • Richard Tyson
  • Anne Ryan
  • Stacey Glick
  • Richard Tyson
  • Jonathan Wise
  • Stacey Glick
  • Jeffrey Tambor
  • Jonathan Wise
  • Philip Baker Hall
  • Jeffrey Tambor
  • John P. Ryan
  • Philip Baker Hall
  • Liza Morrow
  • John P. Ryan
  • Scott Tiler
  • Liza Morrow
  • Scott Tiler

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6
22.4K
7.5K
5.9K
RATINGS 85 FANS
3.6
  • Jan 29, 2024

    I couldn’t find any proof of this, but what are the chances this film directly or indirectly influenced most (if not all) school fighting sequences or TV episodes? Also, feck Spielberg, the man has no problem having his name in all those Transformers movies, but he felt…

    240 Likes
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Apr 22, 2020

    Feels like a frantic 80’s teen comedy mishmash of High Noon and After Hours soundwaved by a low key amazing Tangerine Dream score. Fits in with other comedies of its era but not as sentimental or caricature driven—this just feels like ‘one of those days’. First revisit in…

    226 Likes
    Ian West
    Ian West
    Apr 5, 2025

    this is like the exact opposite of ferris bueller's day off

    155 Likes
    theo
    theo
  •
    Nov 22, 2022

    Three O'Clock High earns its place in the pantheon of high school movies as far as I'm concerned. It's funny, it's tense and it's got a lot of heart. Plus the characters actually look and feel like high school students; these are kids that you could have known yourself. A…

    124 Likes
    Lou (doesn't rhyme with booh! 👻)
    Lou (doesn't rhyme with booh! 👻)
    Jul 7, 2025

    In middle school when boys challenged each other for a fight after school, it was always at the "Vesten" in Herentals. I still don't know where that is exactly. I remember a lot of challenges, but I can't recall a fight that actually took place. I am fan of the swinging…

    104 Likes
    Yves Bouwen
    Yves Bouwen
    Jul 16, 2023

    Another all-timer. Still as great as ever.

    77 Likes
    Brian Saur
    Brian Saur
  •
    May 15, 2019

    AFTER HOURS for teenagers.

    78 Likes
    William McGuire
    William McGuire
    Oct 17, 2023

    Three O’Clock High is one of those movies you just happen across. No one really talks about it and it is definitely not mentioned in the same breath as John Hughes films even though this was obviously inspired by Hughes. The funny thing is, if you like 80’s teen comedies,…

    68 Likes
    Dave Taylor
    Dave Taylor
    Jun 11, 2016

    It's extremely comforting to know there are still 1980s high school comedies I haven't watched yet that are great. I sort of already knew that was a probability anyway because there are at least several VERY popular ones that I haven't seen yet. And no, I'm not going to…

    61 Likes
    🇵🇱 Steve G 🐝
    🇵🇱 Steve G 🐝

Queue Community Reviews

89%
Community 210
❤️ LOVE
46%
👍 LIKE
43%
😐 MEH
11%
👎 DISLIKE
0%
Top Reviews
  • Luisa
    Luisa loved
    Three O'Clock High

    I thought for so many years that I dreamt of this movie but very recently found out it was real

    3Y
    Eddie Santana
    Eddie Santana liked
    Three O'Clock High

    It’s one of the most satisfying stupid funny movies you would ever see. It’s good

    2Y
    Boomer Doomer
    Boomer Doomer loved
    Three O'Clock High

    Great movie peak 80s Highschool comedy.

    2Y
  • Rachel
    Rachel is "meh" on
    Three O'Clock High

    Great visuals of late 80s high school.

    1Y
    Julie Messina
    Julie Messina loved
    Three O'Clock High

    Hysterical

    4Y

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

36
metacritic
Based on 9 Critics
7.8

USER SCORE (5)

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Reviews
25

At the time, I was never interested in getting into a fight with the toughest kid in high school. And now that I'm not in high school, I am even less interested in seeing a movie on the subject, particularly a bad one.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
30

The film jabs so relentlessly at the viscera that the audience is never allowed to notice anything independently; if Mr. Joanou wants you to spot a license plate, for instance, he drives the car right into a floor-level camera.

Metacritic review by Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Three O'Clock High (1987)?
The movie is 1hr 37min long.
What's Three O'Clock High (1987) about?
A nerd gets himself in hot water with the new bully, a quiet bad boy who challenges him to fight on the grounds of their high school after the day's end.
Who's the cast of Three O'Clock High (1987)?
  • Casey Siemaszko
  • Anne Ryan
  • Casey Siemaszko
  • Richard Tyson
  • Anne Ryan
  • Stacey Glick
  • Richard Tyson
  • Jonathan Wise
  • Stacey Glick
  • Jeffrey Tambor
  • Jonathan Wise
  • Philip Baker Hall
  • Jeffrey Tambor
  • John P. Ryan
  • Philip Baker Hall
  • Liza Morrow
  • John P. Ryan
  • Scott Tiler
  • Liza Morrow
  • Scott Tiler
Who's the director behind Three O'Clock High (1987)?
Phil Joanou and Phil Joanou directed Three O'Clock High (1987).
Who produced Three O'Clock High (1987)?
David E. Vogel produced Three O'Clock High (1987).
Back to Showtimes