Movie Review: Three O'Clock High (1987)

★★★★★

Three O'Clock High is like a high school anxiety dream with a killer soundtrack. That final showdown? Epic.

Dylan M.

Wisconsin

If John Hughes gave us the warm, nostalgic side of ‘80s high school life, Three O’Clock High shows us the other side, the one filled with dread, desperation, and the feeling that the next eight hours could ruin your life.

I recently rewatched it for BoxReview.com, and it’s even better than I remembered. It’s not just another teen comedy. It’s part thriller, part absurdist farce, and part character study about how a single bad moment can snowball into an entire day of panic.

The Premise: The Longest Day of Jerry Mitchell’s Life

Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is your typical, low-key high schooler. One morning, he’s assigned to interview new student Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson) for the school paper. The problem? Buddy has a reputation for being a violent loner who doesn’t like to be touched.

Jerry, trying to be friendly, makes the mistake of putting his hand on Buddy’s arm, and that’s it. Buddy calmly tells Jerry that at 3:00 PM, after school, they’re going to fight. No excuses. No way out.

What follows is a frantic, almost Ferris Bueller-meets-High Noon countdown as Jerry tries everything to avoid the inevitable showdown.

Casey Siemaszko as Jerry: A Perfect Everyman

Siemaszko doesn’t play Jerry as a loser, but as a relatable, slightly unlucky guy who just doesn’t want trouble. His escalating desperation is both funny and painfully believable. You can almost feel the pit in his stomach growing with each passing period.

What’s great about Jerry is that he’s not some unlikely action hero; he’s just a regular kid trying to think his way out of a problem that refuses to go away.

Richard Tyson as Buddy Revell: A Bully Unlike the Others

Buddy Revell isn’t your standard loud, cocky movie bully. Tyson plays him with a calm, almost soft-spoken menace that’s way more intimidating than someone who’s all bark.

What’s often overlooked is how Buddy doesn’t seem to enjoy being a bully. He’s more like a force of nature, inevitable, unshakable, and completely uninterested in Jerry’s increasingly ridiculous escape plans.

The Direction: Tension as Comedy

Director Phil Joanou leans into a visual style that feels more like a suspense thriller than a teen comedy. There are quick zooms, dramatic camera angles, and a constant sense of motion that mirrors Jerry’s mounting anxiety.

The pacing is razor-sharp. Every failed plan feels like another tick on the clock, building the tension toward the inevitable 3 PM bell.

A Day in the Life of Pure Panic

One of the best things about Three O’Clock High is how it captures the feeling of being trapped in a school day you wish would just end. Jerry’s attempts to avoid Buddy include:

• Trying to get detention (fails).

• Attempting to bribe Buddy (backfires).

• Skipping school (fails spectacularly).

• Enlisting others to fight Buddy for him (no luck).

Each failed plan gets more desperate, and each one is funnier because you know it’s all leading to the fight no matter what.

The Supporting Cast: Colorful Without Stealing the Show

The film is filled with quirky supporting characters: Jerry’s overly enthusiastic little sister, the school store clerk who sells him brass knuckles, the overly dramatic school security guard, but none of them pull focus away from the central storyline.

They’re like little bursts of absurdity that make the world feel alive and unpredictable.

Soundtrack and Score: Underrated Mood-Setting

The soundtrack, featuring Tangerine Dream, adds an unexpected layer of cool to the film. The synth-heavy score makes Jerry’s day feel even more surreal, like he’s living through some dreamlike nightmare he can’t wake up from.

It’s one of those soundtracks that works almost subconsciously; you feel the tension even when nothing is technically happening.

The Fight Itself: Surprisingly Earned

When the inevitable fight finally arrives, it’s not played purely for slapstick. There’s still humor, but it’s surprisingly gritty and satisfying. Without spoiling it, Jerry’s approach to the fight isn’t just about strength; it’s about finding the courage to face what you’ve been running from all day.

Themes That Stick

Beneath the laughs and tension, Three O’Clock High is about:

• Confronting fear — Jerry’s entire day is one long wrestling match with avoidance.

• Reputation — Buddy’s mythos is almost as dangerous as the man himself.

• Self-discovery — Jerry doesn’t become a different person; he just learns what he’s capable of under pressure.

Why Three O’Clock High Still Works

High school anxieties don’t change much, and neither does the humor in watching someone try (and fail) to wriggle out of trouble. The film’s blend of comedy and genuine suspense still feels fresh, and the visual style keeps it from feeling like just another teen comedy of the era.

It’s also one of the rare ‘80s high school movies that doesn’t rely on romance to drive the plot. The stakes here are purely about survival, social, physical, and otherwise.

Final Thoughts

Three O’Clock High is a small gem of ‘80s cinema that deserves more love. It’s funny, tense, and just a little weird in all the right ways. If you’ve ever had a day at school that felt like it would never end, you’ll find something to relate to here.

It’s proof that you can take a simple premise, “one kid vs. the school bully,” and make it feel fresh by cranking up the tension and letting the absurdity take over.