Boarding schools, tweed jackets, Latin classes, black coffee – these are just some of the things that illustrate and describe dark academia in movies. The aesthetic became a popular trend among young adults who are genuinely keen on broadening their perspectives on just about everything under the sun, particularly the art of literature. Dark academia movies embrace an interest in learning - or sometimes, simply use the aesthetic to appear to embrace that interest in learning.

Dark academia is a type of aesthetic that romanticizes the yearning for knowledge, especially in literature and classical studies. It could be expressed through fashion, photography, writing, and films. Dark academia movies are often set in Ivy League or prestigious universities and could involve a case of murder or simply one’s pursuit of self. With the very popular subgenre of drama films holding such a respected spot in film history, there are plenty of movies to go back and watch that possess dark academia traits, from the musty libraries to the love of all things art, literature, and academia.

20 Dead Poets Society (1989)

A Poetry Teacher Leads Students To Their ions

Released in 1989, Dead Poets Society is probably the peak of all dark academia movies. It stars the late Robin Williams as Mr. Keating, Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson, and Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry. The film follows their academic lives inside the boarding school of Welton Academy. Mr. Keating was an English teacher with unconventional methods, which inspired the boys to pursue their love for poetry.

This heartwarming and tear-jerking movie teaches fans the importance of self-discovery and freedom of expression. It also emphasizes the role of teachers and how their lessons can impact the lives of their students in the long run. However, the parents are not always willing to accept their sons following their ions, and when a suicide occurs, it upends everything Keaton tries to accomplish. Dead Poets Society earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Weir), and Best Actor (Robin Williams).

19 School Ties (1992)

A Jewish High School Student Finds Persecution In An Elite Prep School

School Ties is often ed in the same breath as Dead Poets Society, but they are very different films. While the latter actually does focus on learning and the students opening their minds, the former focuses on the intolerance present in a close-knit community. Despite the different story focuses, they do have the same dark academia aesthetic with that elite and classic prep school look.

School Ties boasts an impressive cast that includes Brendan Fraser, Ben Affleck, Chris O’Donnell, and Anthony Rapp in some of their earliest roles. In the movie, Fraser stars as a Jewish teenager from a working-class family who receives a scholarship to an elite prep school because of his exceptional grades and his excellence on the football field. However, when he gets there, he finds himself an outsider with the wealthy and often racist students that he crosses paths with.

18 Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

An Art Teacher In The 1950s Wants To Help Women Achieve Their Dreams

Like School Ties, Mona Lisa Smile is also set in the 1950s. Unlike School Ties, however, the focus of the movie is on the place of women in society at the time as explored through an art history course at Wellesley. Though the film received mixed reviews upon its release, it certainly touches on the different expectations of a university education at the time for women compared to men.

Women were not expected to use the academic education they received, but to become wives and mothers and stay within the home.

Women were not expected to use the academic education they received, but to become wives and mothers and stay within the home. Mona Lisa Smile doesn’t play as hard into the dark academia aspect of the movie as it could, instead allowing the audience to see that there are many paths for the women of the class as long as they are presented with their own choices about their future. Julia Robert led the cast, and the movie received award nominations for the Elton John song "The Heart of Every Girl."

17 The Skulls (2000)

A Secret Society At A Prestigious University

When it comes to more modern takes on dark academia in movies and TV, many are devoted to fantasy stories, like The Magicians. The Skulls, however, which hit theaters in 2000, is still relevant for modern audiences as it focuses on the sinister appeal of secret societies in prestigious universities. Starring Paul Walker and Joshua Jackson, the movie is just as much of a thriller as it is a young adult drama, as conspiracies surrounding a secret society are slowly unearthed.

However, as the movie wears on, Luke realizes the secrets are deeper and darker than he ever suspected.

Luke (Jackson) is a student who wants to be a lawyer and gets his chance to attend a prestigious college on a rowing scholarship. He tries to enter a secret society known as The Skulls, which includes alumni at all levels of society, including a Federal Court Judge who wants a seat on the Supreme Court. However, as the movie wears on, Luke realizes the secrets are deeper and darker than he ever suspected. Director Rob COehn said he based the movie on reality (via Entertainment Focus).

"It was a very intense set because I had in my mind that I was telling the story of George Senior and George W. Bush... It's interesting how many of the critics missed this and didn't understand it and blowed it off as silly. Skull and Bones is a reality and the film got very close to how that reality works at Yale."

16 Cruel Intentions (1999)

A Brother & Sister Play Twisted Mind Games

Cruel Intentions is one of the best-known dark academia movies. After all, the characters go to an elite school where they have the best fashions that money can buy, but they also favor a classic academic aesthetic regarding their books, furniture, and homes. The movie exposes the darkness that can stem from jealousy as well with Sarah Michelle Gellar brilliantly playing a villainous role after audiences were so used to seeing her as the hero.

Ryan Phillippe plays Sebastian, a teenager who uses his money and charm to manipulate and seduce women. When he sets his eyes on a new conquest (Reese Witherspoon), his stepsister (Gellar) makes a bet with her brother that if he successfully seduces this new conquest, then she will sleep with him, but if he fails, she gets his Jaguar car. The movie is an erotic thriller with a very dark turn of events that plays out as the bet progresses. The film received mixed reviews but is something of a cult classic that still gets rewatched today.

15 Harry Potter Films (2001-2011)

A Boy Wizard Finds His Fate At An Exclusive Wizarding Academy

Harry Potter might not be the first film franchise that comes to mind when thinking of dark academia movies, but it certainly fits the bill. Dark academia is an aesthetic that calls to mind a very idealized version of academic institutions. The Harry Potter franchise has just that thanks to its castle of a setting for the bulk of the stories, the intense classes viewers are able to observe, and the sheer amount of knowledge that the Harry Potter characters are able to obtain while attending Hogwarts.

They are also beautiful to watch with immaculately dressed sets and effects

Yes, the movies are a family-friendly fantasy series, but they are also beautiful to watch, with immaculately dressed sets and effects that are perfect for fans of dark academia. There were seven movies in the original series and then three in a spinoff prequel series. However, there will be more coming in the future, as Max will remake every Harry Potter novel into a 10-season-long streaming series, which will likely tell much more of the books' stories in the academic setting.

14 Good Will Hunting (1997)

A Young Prodigy From The Streets Gets A Chance To Find His Place In The World

Good Will Hunting is a dark academia movie that shows what happens when someone from a lower class moves into the high arts, and finds he no longer belongs anywhere he feels comfortable. Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, a brilliant mathematical genius who can solve any problem, earning him a spot at a university, a goal none of his childhood friends could ever achieve. That puts him in a tough spot where his friends don't understand his new pursuits.

Robin Williams won an Oscar for Best ing Actor

Robin Williams enjoyed a breakout performance as his mentor Dr. Sean Maguire, a man who did what he could to help Will fit into the dark academia world that he knew nothing about. Good Will Hunting has a 97% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also picked up great acclaim when released, earning nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Robin Williams won an Oscar for Best ing Actor and Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won for their screenplay.

13 The Theory Of Everything (2014)

The True Story Of Stephen Hawking

The Theory of Everything is a biopic about renowned scientist Stephen Hawking. Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for his performance as Hawking, as he learns about his motor neuron disease and never lets it affect his desire to achieve his goals in life. Given that the movie starts off with Hawking's career at the University of Cambridge as an aspiring astrophysicist, this movie slides quite nicely into the world of dark academia movies.

Eventually, Hawking's drive allows him to eclipse the academics who once taught him. Critics praised the movie, awarding it an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to Redmayne's Oscar win, the film itself had four other nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Redmayne also won awards at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes Awards for his performance.

12 The Goldfinch (2019)

A Young Man Attempts A Career As An Art Thief

The Goldfinch is based on the novel by Donna Tartt, with Ansel Elgort starring as Theodore Decker. When his mother dies in a terrorist bombing, he ends up moving into a life of crime, specifically the world of art thievery. The movie follows Theodore throughout his life as he learns lessons along the way and grows into a man with no parental figures in his life, but an innate desire to both succeed and overcome his childhood trauma.

...many of the reviews praised the beauty and look of the movie but felt the story was mostly disappointing.

The movie is a dark tale, with Theodore involving himself in the world of classic art and literature, making this a dark academia movie without bothering with the university aspects of the genre. Critics mostly dismissed the film, with a low 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although many of the reviews praised the beauty and look of the movie but felt the story was mostly disappointing. Author Tartt disowned the film and fired her agent after it was made (via Looper).

11 The Social Network (2010)

The Creation Of Facebook

The Social Network is a movie that shows what is wrong with dark academia. While the idea of the theme is a romanticism with literature and art, mostly in a university setting, this movie shows the dark side. This included toxic masculinity, snobbish Ivy League cliques, and over-obsessive work habits, followed by betrayal and possible intellectual rights theft.

Directed by David Fincher, the film has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie shows the rise of Facebook by its founders and the idea that the original concept was supposed to help connect those students at Cambridge. However, as with any good idea, there was a darkness behind it that corrupted all it touched. Directed by David Fincher, the film has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Aaron Sorkin won for his screenplay while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won for the score.