Shermer High School

Shermer High School is the suburban Illinois public high school where The Breakfast Club (1985) takes place, serving as a microcosm of teenage social life in the 1980s. The school brings together students from different social groups—athletes, academics, outcasts, rebels, and popular kids—who are forced to spend a Saturday in detention in the school library. Through their interactions, Shermer High becomes a symbol of the rigid labels, expectations, and pressures placed on adolescents by peers, parents, and authority figures. Although fictional, the school feels realistic and relatable, representing the universal high school experience and highlighting how students from different backgrounds often share similar struggles beneath their stereotypes.

• Location: Smallton, IL
• Size: 5 students