Movies Like State Debate

If you liked State Debate (2013), a movie directed by Erich Rettstadt, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
High School Musical (2006)
★ 6.5/10
A popular high school athlete and an academically gifted girl get roles in the school musical and develop a friendship that threatens East High's social order.
2
Work It (2020)
★ 7.5/10
A brilliant but clumsy high school senior vows to get into her late father's alma mater by transforming herself and a misfit squad into dance champions.
3
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
★ 6.5/10
As seniors in high school, Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their…
4
Footloose (2011)
★ 6.6/10
Ren MacCormack is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where loud music and dancing are prohibited. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling…
5
The Cheetah Girls (2003)
★ 6.1/10
A four-member teen girl group named the Cheetah Girls go to a Manhattan High School for the Performing Arts and try to become the first freshmen to win the talent show in the school's history. During the talent show…
6
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010)
★ 6.3/10
Mitchie can't wait to go back to Camp Rock and spend the summer making new music with her friends and superstar Shane Gray. But the slick new camp across the lake, Camp Star, has drummed up some serious competition…
7
Grease (1978)
★ 7.4/10
Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric…
8
Spontaneous (2020)
★ 6.7/10
When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally), seniors Mara and Dylan struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last.
9
Sidelined 2: Intercepted (2025)
★ 7.1/10
Freshman star quarterback Drayton struggles with the weight of expectations after a devastating setback, while dancer Dallas begins to question the future she thought she wanted. As their high school relationship…
10
The Last Picture Show (1971)
★ 7.6/10
High school seniors and best friends, Sonny and Duane, live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating a local beauty, while Sonny is having an affair with the coach's wife. As graduation nears and both boys…
11
Date with Love (2016)
★ 6.3/10
When a boy’s video to a female star goes viral, it scores him a date with his celebrity crush to the prom. Complications arise when the famous starlet falls for the boy’s small-town teacher.
12
Do Revenge (2022)
★ 6.4/10
A dethroned queen bee at a posh private high school strikes a secret deal with an unassuming new student to enact revenge on one another’s enemies.
13
Honey 3: Dare to Dance (2016)
★ 6.7/10
While attending college in Cape Town, Melea Martin feels constrained by the school's strict policies, and decides to set out on her own. Searching for a way to use her talents as a dancer and inspire the community…
14
Mean Girls (2024)
★ 5.8/10
New student Cady Heron is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called ‘The Plastics,’ ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George and her minions Gretchen and Karen…
15
The Best of Me (2014)
★ 7.5/10
A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.
16
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks (2014)
★ 8.1/10
Music rules and rainbows rock as Twilight Sparkle and pals compete for the top spot in the Canterlot High "Mane Event" talent show. The girls must rock their way to the top, and outshine rival Adagio Dazzle and her…
17
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
★ 6.3/10
Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each…
18
Camp Rock 3 (2026)
★ 6.4/10
When pop group Connect 3 returns to Camp Rock to search for an opening act for their reunion tour, rising tensions and fierce competition among campers test old friendships and spark unexpected romances.
19
Don't Say Good Luck (2026)
★ 7.3/10
Sophie Birenbaum is ready for the spotlight as the lead in her high school musical—until she's suddenly facing more drama at home than on the stage.
20
Chemical Hearts (2020)
★ 7.3/10
When a hopelessly romantic high school senior falls for a mysterious new classmate, it sets them both on an unexpected journey that teaches them about love, loss, and most importantly themselves.