Films and TV shows that feel like Popular by Nada Surf

The toxic, insecure high school hierarchy of the 1990s distilled into cynical, spoken-word teenage advice.

1. Clueless (1995): It dissects the exact same high school social ladder and obsession with being popular that the song mocks.
2. Election (1999): It captures the ruthless, backstabbing ambition and inflated self-importance of teenage social politics.
3. Heathers (1989): It shares the song's dark, satirical edge toward the cruelty of high school cliques.
4. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999): It lives in the exact same 90s alt-rock high school ecosystem and dating pressures.
5. Daria (1997): The ultimate animated embodiment of the song's sarcastic, misanthropic view of teenage popularity.
6. Jawbreaker (1999): It matches the song's brightly colored yet deeply cynical look at the horrors of high school royalty.
7. Freaks and Geeks (1999): It explores the brutal reality of being on the outside looking in at the popular crowd.
8. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996): It captures the agonizing, unglamorous awkwardness of teenage social rejection.