“High School Musical 3” (2006)

“High School Musical 3” is the final installment in the High School Musical series and follows the East High seniors through their final year of high school. The movie goes through the second semester of the school year and covers prom, graduation, and the final spring musical for East High.  

There is a surprising amount of high school aged kids who haven’t seen the High School Musical movies, and honestly it’s a little disappointing. My parents can confirm, these movies were my absolute favorite as a little kid and they would constantly be on loop in my house. 

“High School Musical 3” was always my favorite as a budding film snob. The film has an obviously higher budget and production quality in comparison to its predecessors, and the musical numbers tend to be more reminiscent of music videos than random dance numbers, which I always thought was a really fun way to put a twist on the musical aspect of the movie.

There’s romance, as with many Disney movies, but this one feels a little more realistic. Troy and Gabriella are having problems in their relationship as they grow nearer and nearer to graduation, and their inevitable departure to college. Gabriella’s best friend, Taylor, says that Gabriella should just drop Troy and focus on her future, but as any other teenage girl would, she ignores her best friend and chooses Troy instead. 

This movie is a surprisingly relatable addition to the High School Musical franchise, and can make for a fun, yet understanding, movie to watch as this school year comes to a close. Seniors can enjoy a story filled with songs that feel reminiscent of how it actually feels to be graduating high school and moving onto the next chapter of their lives. 

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year” is available to stream on Disney+.