Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Negative: 0 out of 10

Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Oct 13, 2022
    90
    This is a pretty fantastic coming-of-age story, evoking the deep emotions once generated by the likes of My So-Called Life or Pen15, but in a way that is its own thing. Despite the generic title (also borrowed from the memoir), High School is specific in all the best ways.
  2. Reviewed by: Caroline Framke
    Oct 12, 2022
    90
    The show is also great. You don’t have to know who Tegan and Sara are to appreciate their story, which explores loneliness, connection and longing with such palpable empathy. ... DuVall establishes a directing style that takes each of their interior lives — and the young actors embodying them — seriously, capturing moments of pain, love, lust and anger that might otherwise go unnoticed.
  3. Reviewed by: Angie Han
    Sep 27, 2022
    90
    A tender portrait of two teenage girls that draws its strength from its knack for unvarnished details and uncommon sense of empathy. ... It offers them the understanding and space they need to become the fullest versions of themselves, and in doing so tells a story that former teenagers anywhere — rock star or not — might be able to connect with.
  4. Reviewed by: Anna Govert
    Oct 11, 2022
    84
    While High School is a touching and heartfelt portrayal of this iconic band, it’s also a show that can exist beyond them. It’s simultaneously perfect for longtime Tegan and Sara fans, while remaining extremely approachable for those who have never heard a single one of their songs.
  5. Reviewed by: Kristen Baldwin
    Oct 14, 2022
    83
    The eight-episode series, based on Tegan and Sara Quin's 2019 memoir of the same name, is a moody and touching tale of queer adolescence told with artful simplicity and excellent '90s alt-rock.
  6. Reviewed by: Sam Rosenberg
    Oct 11, 2022
    83
    Despite its somewhat muted presentation, High School’s nimble, soft rendering of Tegan and Sara’s teenhood entertains as both a coming-of-age tale and a sincerely sweet depiction of two sisters finding a way to connect through the power of music.
  7. Reviewed by: Abby Monteil
    Oct 14, 2022
    80
    Whether you’re a fan of Tegan and Sara or looking for a queer, playfully nostalgic teen series, High School’s endearing, admirably restrained take on the genre is worth an afternoon of your time. More 30-minute dramas, please!
  8. Reviewed by: Rendy Jones
    Oct 13, 2022
    80
    “High School” functions on its own as a slice-of-life coming-of-age series that's digestible for everyone. Any LGBTQ viewer can feel seen by “High School,” a rich and timely teen drama that's far more than just a gateway to becoming a Tegan & Sara fan.
  9. Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Sep 12, 2022
    75
    “High School” takes its teen heartaches and hang-ups seriously, but it’s also a thoroughly enjoyable series that’s far from just a Tegan and Sara origin story. It’s an antidote to dramas that paint tragic teen portrait after tragic teen portrait. Sometimes, the kids are all right. Sometimes, they’re even kind.
  10. Reviewed by: Lucy Mangan
    Oct 14, 2022
    60
    It is a slow burn. By the end of the first three episodes we have not seen them do much more than any teenager might do: writing some lyrics in a dull lesson, singing a song to a girlfriend, begging for permission to attend a concert, and going to piano lessons (where they don’t even fare that well). You don’t have to be a fan – or even to have heard of – Tegan and Sara to enjoy High School.
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. Oct 18, 2022
    5
    Not terrible, but cliché as all hell, feels like every high school drama you've ever seen.