Plenty of films since have turned the high school election into a cliché, but 1999's "Election" is an iconic example that's worth revisiting. It's razor-sharp political satire masquerading as a high school comedy; it's "Heathers" meets "Yellow Jackets," Reese Witherspoon at her Witherspoon-iest two years before "Legally Blonde" taught us how to bend and snap. And with Election Day now in the rearview mirror, it should be your next must-watch movie on Netflix.
"Election," which landed on Netflix November 5, comes from "The Holdovers" director Alexander Payne—a fact I just learned but that really shouldn't have surprised me, considering they're both overflowing with charm and memorable characters that are oh so much fun to hate. Despite plenty of love from critics (just look at its 92% Rotten Tomatoes score), "Election" was a bust at the box office, overshadowed by class-of-’99 highlights like "The Matrix," "Fight Club," and "American Beauty."
