My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea

Unabashedly trippy and weird, this animated coming-of-age disaster film is darkly comedic, and, like the catastrophe it portrays, impossible not to get sucked into. Graphic novelist-turned-animator Dash Shaw knows how to create an absurd, hilarious, and unforgettable movie that's likely to become a cult favorite with cool kids, film geeks, and anyone who appreciates a well-crafted, if psychedelic, animated feature. Dash isn't exactly an endearing protagonist at first, but he grows on viewers as he tries to convince others to push their way up to the senior floor -- and possibly to freedom -- before everyone and everything sinks.

Many of My Entire High School Is Sinking Into the Sea's social-status and doomsday jokes might go over the head of younger audiences, but older viewers will find them laugh-out-loud funny. Like most high school comedies, it's probably easier to appreciate when you're done with that stage in life. But there's a lot for teens to enjoy as well, particularly the various cliques, the surprisingly observant lunch lady, and the senior cult that forms around a senior golden boy. But the bloodthirsty sharks and the unmitigated danger of the ocean don't distinguish between the popular and the unpopular. So the unlikely crew of Dash, Assaf, Verti, Mary, the lunch lady, and a few other stragglers prove that, with enough will and resolve, you can overcome even the unlikeliest of disasters.