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This Quintessential $235 Million High School Comedy Is a Sleeper Hit on Streaming in America

Published

4 days ago

4th July 2025

You know it. You’ve probably quoted it. And now it’s back in the top 10. American Pie – the raunchy, heartfelt comedy that turned apple desserts into punchlines and band camp into cultural shorthand – is having a serious resurgence. As of this July 4th weekend, the 1999 teen comedy classic is sitting pretty at #9 on Peacock, proving that awkward high school horniness never really goes out of style. Now, as we eat hot dogs and light fireworks, fans are rediscovering (or discovering for the first time) what made American Pie such a surprise hit in the first place.

The film introduced the world to Jim (Jason Biggs) and his chaotic group of best friends – Oz (Chris Klein), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and, of course, the eternally unfiltered Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott). Their mission? Lose their virginity before prom night. What followed was a sex comedy filled with absurdity, cringe-worthy mishaps, and just enough sincerity to make it stick.

Right from the opening scene – Jim watching scrambled porn before his parents walk in – American Pie makes it clear: Embarrassment is the name of the game. But under the gross-out gags and iconic pie-related incidents, the film has heart. Lots of it. While Jim stumbles through everything from premature… baking incidents to accidental live streams of Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), he ultimately ends up with Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), the sweetly unhinged band geek with a secret freak streak. The movie doesn’t shame its characters as much as it embraces their clumsiness – and, in doing so, makes them relatable.

What Other ‘American Pie’ Films Are There?

Depending on how you view straight-to-video fare, this answer could range from “some” to “too many”. Set the summer after freshman year of college, the second film brings the whole gang back for a wild beach house adventure. The romance between Jim and Michelle starts to blossom here – along with Jim’s panic that he’s terrible in bed, prompting more “research.” Finch still lusts after Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge), Stifler still drinks all the wrong fluids, and the movie somehow manages to be both messier and sweeter than the first.

By the time we get to American Wedding, the cast is a little older, the hijinks a little more forced, but the heart is still intact. Jim and Michelle tie the knot, and Stifler – now the series’ unofficial second lead – is given a redemption arc involving a dance-off in a gay bar and eating a surprising variety of things. It’s not high art, but it’s oddly satisfying. Then there’s American Reunion, and it’s best if we don’t talk about that one.

However, if you want to get a mouthful of warm, American apple pie, then be sure to check out Peacock this July 4th.