Featuring the beloved Rebel Wilson in its lead role, Netflix’s Senior Year is a must-watch comedy of the year. Charming and popular, high school senior Stephanie Conway (Angourie Rice) is destined for success— until cheerleading accidentally leaves her in a coma for twenty years. Waking up in 2022, she must navigate the exciting but complex milieu of a new millennium. New flames are kindled, while old friendships and dreams are tested.
Senior Year is a feel-good blast from the past, backed with the tunes of Nelly and Avril Lavigne, Y2K outfits, and witty references to the Aughts. On the other hand, it’s a hopeful nod to the future, and a heartfelt celebration of today’s youth as well.
Here is the scoop on quotes from Netflix’s Senior Year!
1. “When I moved to the US, I knew fitting in was gonna be hard. I just didn’t know how bloody hard it was going to be.” -Stephanie Conway
The movie begins with Stephanie’s recount of her early teenage days. Freshly moved to America from Australia, she struggles with the judgment and harsh treatment of her peers.
2. “Being there made me feel cool for the first time in my life.” -Stephanie Conway
A place for teenagers to gather, Rock ‘N’ Bowl is described by Stephanie as “basically a VMAs after-party.” Wanting to boost her confidence, she decides to host her birthday party at the bowling joint.
3. “If they were this amazing in high school, imagine how perfect the rest of their lives would be.” -Stephanie Conway
At her party, Stephanie spots a few of the popular kids from her school. She longs to be a part of them, to feel beautiful and seen by others. To her, they represent success, fame, and love— ingredients for the perfect life.
4. “I wanted to be something more. And that’s when I decided, that’s it, I’m gonna become popular.” -Stephanie Conway
Determined to elevate her status at school, Steph decides to undergo a rigorous makeover. She learns to put on makeup, becomes the cheer captain, and gets together with Blaine Balbo, the school stud.
5. “You drive here every morning just so Stephie can drive you to school.” -Jim Conway
Seth is Steph’s old friend from her first days of living in the States. Sweet and sincere, he harbors a secret crush on Steph but is unable to act on his feelings due to her and Blaine being together.
6. “You’re a catch, Mr. Conway. A sad woman would totally go out with you.” -Seth Novacelik
7. “They’re just like me and Blaine. I want it so bad I can practically taste them frenching.” -Stephanie Conway
On her way to school every day, Steph drives past the house of Deanna Russo, a former cheer captain and prom queen of her school. Impressed by Deanna’s seemingly idyllic life and marriage, Steph aspires to be like her in every way.
8. “It’s called love, Marth. That’s what couples do. When you get a boyfriend, you’ll understand.” -Stephanie Conway
Martha is another old friend of Steph’s — loyal and down-to-earth, she disapproves of Blaine’s vulgar personality. To no avail, she tries to warn the infatuated Steph of his behavior.
9. “Cause I’m MTV, and you’re VH1. I’m the real deal, and you’re a poser.” -Tiffany Blanchette-Balbo
Another popular figure at school and Blaine’s ex-girlfriend, Tiffany sees Steph as her nemesis. Jealous of Steph’s success, she seeks to sabotage her plans to throw a prom after-party.
10. “This defies scientific explanation.” -Dr. Jean Johnson
During a pep rally, Tiff schemes to humiliate Steph. When performing a flip, Steph falls onto the ground and ends up in a coma. Twenty years later, she miraculously wakes up.
11. “Stephanie, it’s 2022.” -Dr. Jean Johnson
12. “Are you sure I haven’t been Freaky Friday’d into some old lady’s body?” -Stephanie Conway
13. “Physically she’s aged, but mentally she’s still 17.” -Dr. Jean Johnson
Upon waking up, Steph is immediately greeted by her dad and Martha. They’re elated to see her conscious, but Steph is in shock over her now matured body.
14. “Marth, oh my god, what is that, a tiny TV?” -Stephanie Conway
Now grown up, Martha has become the principal of her and Steph’s high school. When she whips out a cellphone in the car, Steph is left in awe of the new technology.
15. “Wait, what does ‘viral’ mean?” -Stephanie Conway
Seeing her friend’s curiosity, Marth shows Steph her phone. Steph then discovers that, since her awakening, a video of her accident twenty years ago has gone viral.
16. “I’ve always felt terrible about what happened.” -Tiffany Blanchette-Balbo
17. “Look, I know we never saw eye-to-eye back then, but you know, the beautiful thing about time is you move on.” -Tiffany Blanchette-Balbo
On the car ride back home, Steph passes Deanna Russo’s former house. She discovers that Tiffany now resides there and has married Blaine. Steph feels robbed of the perfect life that she dreams of incessantly.
18. “You know me, never very good at letting things go.” -Jim Conway
19. “Wait, Madonna’s now called Lady Gaga?” -Stephanie Conway
20. “You know, bodies change, and soon you’ll be going into menopause.” -Jim Conway
21. “I was so close to having my dream life.” -Stephanie Conway
Still coping with the aftermath of her coma, Stephanie feels dejected that her perfect life has slipped out of her grasp. She thinks her previous efforts have all gone to waste.
22. “If anyone can do it, it’s you.” -Jim Conway
Seeing her disappointment, Steph’s dad encourages her to keep moving forward and rediscover her path. He believes in her strength and tenacity.
23. “I’m just tired of being made fun of.” -Stephanie Conway
24. “I just want to be like the populars.” -Stephanie Conway
25. “Well, I think that you are beautiful and smart and funny, and I think the accent makes you unique.” -Lydia Conway
In a flashback to Steph before her makeover, we see her anxieties and insecurities about herself being pronounced. Her mother, however, assures Steph that she is great just the way she is.
26. “Mums have senses about things like this.” -Lydia Conway
27. “I want to go back to school.” -Stephanie Conway
In the present, Steph is determined to regain her previous success and popularity. As such, she decides to return to high school and complete her senior year.
28. “I cannot move on to the next chapter of my life if I’m still stuck in the old one for 20 years.” -Stephanie Conway
29. “High school was like yesterday for me. It will not be weird at all.” -Stephanie Conway
30. “Look, high school, it’s an intense but delicate ecosystem.” -Martha Reiser
Fearful that Steph’s (re)transition into high school would be strenuous, Martha attempts to persuade her friend otherwise. She points out to Steph the intricate mechanisms of 21st-century American teenage life.
31. “Oh, that is, like, fate. Like, Destiny’s Child.” -Stephanie Conway
32. “You look so cool and suave and adult.” -Stephanie Conway
On her first day back at school, Steph is reunited with adult Seth. He welcomes her warmly and reveals that he has become the school librarian.
Then, in a particularly comical moment, Steph promises to call Seth and catch up— but proceeds to mistake her calculator for a phone.
33. “I don’t wanna be 20 years and 10 minutes late.” -Stephanie Conway
34. “This head still needs a crown.” -Stephanie Conway
Winning prom queen is on the top of Steph’s priority list, as she believes that it will take her one step closer to the perfect life. To the senior’s chagrin, however, Martha reveals that the prom king and queen at the school have become relics of the past.
35. “Competitions like that, they’re dangerous.” -Martha Reiser
36. “Winning things, it just, it doesn’t reflect our school values.” -Martha Reiser
To console a visibly distressed Steph, Martha explains her decision to discontinue the prom king and queen tradition. She thinks the contest promotes unhealthy comparisons amongst the students.
37. “With no winners, there aren’t any losers.” -Martha Reiser
38. “Well when there’s just one table, we’re all the popular kids.” -Janet Singh
During lunch, Steph befriends students Janet, Yaz, and Neil in the cafeteria. To her surprise, however, the high school popularity landscape is no longer familiar. Kids do not sit at separate tables according to cliques, but rather at a long table all together.
39. “There’s only, like, three ways to become popular: to be a cheerleader, to work at Abercrombie, or to let guys go in the back door.” -Stephanie Conway
40. “Bri Luvs. That’s just her name on social media.” -Janet Singh
High school in the present might work a bit differently from Steph’s time, but the popular character remains a staple. Janet introduces Bri, the most favored student who also has a huge following on social media.
41. “Okay, everyone’s friends with her, but she’s friends with no one.” -Janet Singh
42. “I’m just trying to build my most authentic, socially conscious, body-positive, environmentally aware, and economically compassionate brand that’s a home for inclusion, focused fashion, food, and fun-filled lifestyles.” -Britney Balbo
Unlike Janet and the others, Steph meets Bri in an aloof greeting. In a shocking turn of events, the social media star is revealed to be Tiffany’s daughter. The cycle of enmity seems to continue.
43. “Um, seeing as you’re my librarian now, you’re legally obligated to help me research something, yeah?” -Stephanie Conway
44. “Social platforms have become a vital tool for communication.” -Seth Novacelik
To better adjust to school life and expand her influence, Steph employs the help of Seth in setting up her first social media account. Now initiated into the world of “likes,” “comments,” and “followers,” Steph is determined to utilize it the most.
45. “So it’s just a popularity contest, but instead of just high school, it’s now the whole world, and the whole world is your phone.” -Stephanie Conway
48. “Just to be clear, this is a way for people to pretend their life and skin texture is better than it is.” -Seth Novacelik
49. “Phones are like the new Tamagotchis.” -Stephanie Conway
50. “I am not my mom. I’m nothing like her. So whatever happened between you two has nothing to do with me.” -Britney Balbo
51. “You don’t realize how many people don’t care about you until you see it as a number on your phone.” -Stephanie Conway
52. “Dad, I’m just still adjusting. I just found out there were eight more Fast and Furious movies.” -Stephanie Conway
Too occupied with her social life, Steph begins to fall back on her studies. Concerned, Martha and Mr. Conway plan an intervention— they decide to confiscate Steph’s phone until she catches up with her school work.
53. “You’re smart, Steph, always have been. I don’t wanna see you using this second chance incorrectly.” -Martha Reiser
54. “Guys, what kind of psycho world is this where the cheerleaders don’t get invited to a party?” -Stephanie Conway
55. “I can’t have a video record of my partying. The media’s gonna use it to try and discredit me when I run for office like they did with AOC.” -Janet Singh
56. “We need to dance because we need to show everybody that we’re the cool ones.” -Stephanie Conway
Realizing that the cheer squad is no longer being taken seriously at the school, Steph vows to restore the cheerleaders’ former glory. They begin making changes to the previously dull dance routine without Martha’s knowledge.
57. “Now, don’t worry, I’ve spoken with the school nurse. And with less than three weeks until graduation, we are prepared for an epidemic of senioritis.” -Martha Reiser
58. “Okay, guys, the energy in this place is sucking wiens.” -Stephanie Conway
59. “Thank you for the computer tampon. Shove that where that goes.” -Stephanie Conway
Another funny instance arises at the pep rally when Steph is handed a thumb drive to play music for the cheer team’s dance routine. Unfamiliar with the device, she proceeds to call it a “computer tampon” for its shape.
60. “Really, guys, you’re the bomb diggity.” -Stephanie Conway
61. “Are you ready for the remix?” -Stephanie Conway
During the pep rally, Steph leads the cheer team in a particularly bawdy performance. Some of the audience, including Martha and Tiffany, are appalled— but the rest find it refreshingly entertaining.
62. “Well, even though I was pretty much brain-dead, you were the one that kept my heart beating.” -Stephanie Conway
63. “But if you’re the man that I think you are, I’m sure you’ll make the right choice.” -Stephanie Conway
After the performance, Blaine seeks Steph out in the parking lot. Though charmed, she refuses to get back together with him, as Blaine is now a married man.
64. “You turned the cafeteria into a Hogwarts without the magic.” -Stephanie Conway
65. “I had more fun in a coma.” -Stephanie Conway
Steph and Martha argue with each other over the performance, revealing buried feelings of resentment in the process. While Steph accuses Marth of “sanitizing” student life, Marth believes her acts of attracting attention to be rash and inappropriate.
66. “Freshman year, you bailed on Seth and I to go be some popular girl.” -Martha Reiser
67. “Stephanie, I wouldn’t understand because I’m gay.” -Martha Reiser
68. “And it, it made high school a living hell for me.” -Martha Reiser
A frustrated Martha reveals to Steph her loneliness and pain during high school. Forced to hide her sexuality due to the hostile treatment of her peers, Martha’s anguish is compounded by Steph’s fickle attitude towards their friendship.
69. “Back then, I felt very alone, and angry and so threatened that if I showed one iota of my real self then I would be ripped to shreds, by Tiffany or Blaine or you.” -Martha Reiser
70. “Because, Steph, sometimes I didn’t know who you were. Or, are.” -Martha Reiser
71. “Two decades later, and I still love watching Tiff lose her mind.” -Stephanie Conway
72. “You’d use our attention to make the popular kids crave yours.” -Seth Novacelik
Wanting to make Blaine jealous, Steph agrees to go on a movie date with Seth at the Natural History Museum. The two also discuss Seth’s crush on Steph, and where their relationship seems to be heading.
73. “We always wondered if those kids ever got to really meet you. Like, the real you.” -Seth Novacelik
74. “You said it rewards archaic gender roles.” -Britney Balbo
75. “Mom, I’m not doing this. And don’t say ‘woke’ or ‘supes’.” -Britney Balbo
76. “Well, what I remember about prom is that it was overhyped, you weren’t there, and it sucked.” -Seth Novacelik
77. “It’s more than just a crown to me.” -Stephanie Conway
Caught in a vulnerable and nostalgic moment, Steph opens up about her fixation on winning prom queen. They distract her from the pain of her mother’s death, as well as the burden of judgment and exclusion at school.
78. “I was so miserable.” -Stephanie Conway
79. “And I was getting there and then all of a sudden… boom, coma, lights out.” -Stephanie Conway
80. “Mom chose great.” -Stephanie Conway
Prom night finally arrives, and Steph dons a beautiful pink dress gifted by her mother. Seth also accompanies her as her date.
81. “Vote for Bri. Is it spelled like the cheese?” -Stephanie Conway
82. “Please just try and remember this is my prom, not yours.” -Britney Balbo
Increasingly annoyed with Tiffany’s scheming, Bri warns her to be respectful of her prom night. She does not want her mother to control every facet of her life, nor does she wish to win prom queen through cheating.
83. “You teenage-tricked me, Steph.” -Seth Novacelik
84. “The 2022 prom queen will go to…Stephanie Conway!” -Martha Reiser
With Bri withdrawing from the contest, Steph wins prom queen. She and Lance perform a dramatic dance to Celine Dion’s “Power of Love” as the crowd cheers them on.
85. “Oh my god, they’re gonna make a Netflix documentary about me.” -Martha Reiser
86. “You need to grow up. You’re not a teenager!” -Martha Reiser
Steph throws an after-party at Martha’s lakehouse without her permission, which is then shut down by the police. An angry Martha arrives to confront Steph about her callous behavior both in the past and present.
87. “You had me, and you had Seth.” -Martha Reiser
88. “Everybody else just got to go on and live their lives. And what, I’m supposed to just jump forward?” -Stephanie Conway
89. “Making mistakes is different than willfully screwing over the people who care about you.” -Martha Reiser
90. “They were not your friends. We were your friends.” -Martha Reiser
91. “I want you to have the perfect life, like me.” -Tiffany Blanchette-Balbo
92. “The perfect life online means nothing when you’re miserable in real life.” -Britney Balbo
93. “My advice, throw that crown away now. You know what prom queen got me? An even spray tan and the ability to dodge bleach poisoning every time I get my hair done.” -Deanna Russo
On the car ride back home, Steph realizes that her Lyft driver is Deanna Russo, her idol. Divorced and struggling to make ends meet, Deanna dissuades Steph from obsessing over popularity. She encourages Steph to pursue other passions.
94. “And for the first time in my life, I’m excited about the future instead of holding on to the past.” -Deanna Russo
95. “One of the last things that she said to me was to make sure that you knew how to receive love.” -Jim Conway
96. “So let me be clear: don’t waste your time telling the people who love you the most that they don’t count. They are the only ones who count.” -Jim Conway
97. “Yeah, like, f*ck being popular. f*ck being cool.” -Stephanie Conway
98. “I never planned on taking two decades to graduate, obvi, but the class of 2022 has shown me something that I could never have learned back when I was in high school the first time.” -Stephanie Conway
99. “Why fit in when you can stand out?” -Stephanie Conway
Trying to make amends with Seth and Marth, Steph starts an Instagram live to make a heartfelt statement about her mistakes. Disillusioned with fame and the idea of a perfect life, she proclaims that no opinion matters except that from people who care about her.
100. “And yeah, I’m still afraid that if I show everyone my real self, the wrong people will make fun of me. But it’s the only way for the right people to see me.” -Stephanie Conway
101. “Stop competing with her. There’s enough room for both of you. There’s enough room for all of us.” -Stephanie Conway
Under Bri’s prompting, Tiffany and Steph finally reconcile and place their differences aside. In the end, family and forgiveness are what prevail.
102. “It is hot as hell, and this ceremony is way too long.” -Janet Singh
103. “Who you are in high school doesn’t define you.” -Janet Singh
At the graduation ceremony, Janet makes an uplifting speech to remind her peers that the future is bright. High school is an important time for many, but it should not define one’s character. There is always room to grow and reflect.
Hope you enjoyed these quotes from Netflix’s Senior Year! Comment down below if you have a favorite Senior Year quote as well.
Watch Senior Year on Netflix!
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