Dazed and Confused (1993)

Richard Linklater's hangout comedy follows a crowd of Texas teenagers on the last day of school in 1976, from the hazing of incoming freshmen to a keg party in a field. There is barely a plot, which is exactly the point: it remembers how a single night could feel endless and how little anyone was actually in charge. It was a box office disappointment before becoming a cult favorite, and it is a parade of future stars, with Matthew McConaughey's breakout as the older guy who never quite left high school behind. The paddling scenes are rough to watch, but the film is clear-eyed rather than nostalgic about them.