The Beloved Jack Black Comedy That's Crushing It On Netflix

That film, naturally, is the classic 2003 comedy "School of Rock," which found Black playing an egocentric, down-on-his-luck slacker with little ambition beyond rocking out. Directed with boundless style and energy by indie auteur Richard Linklater "School of Rock" also found Black balancing his frequently over-the-top screen persona with more restrained dramatic instincts barely teased in earlier films. 

In dialing back some of his antics, Black delivers one of his most iconic performances (per GQ) as Dewey Finn, the lovable loser at the heart of "School of Rock" narrative. As the film opens, Dewey is unceremoniously booted from his own band and is forced to forge ahead in his quest to "service society by rocking" more or less on his own. He's also forced to get a paying job, since his roomie Ned — "School of Rock" scribe and co-star Mike White — gives an ultimatum to pay the rent or get packing. 

Dewey does so by impersonating Ned and booking a substitute teaching gig at a posh private school. Once there, he's seizes on his students' musical skills, schooling them in the ways of rock in hopes of making them his new backing band. Things get about as hilariously complicated as you might imagine from there as Dewey builds a rock-&-roll house of cards that inevitably comes crashing down around him. Along the way, Black, White, and Linklater craft a razor-sharp, family-friendly-ish comedy with heart, soul, and hilariously hard-rocking energy to spare.    

While fans (and Black himself) have hoped for a sequel to the beloved movie, it doesn't look likely. However, much of the cast of "School of Rock" have gone on to create successful careers in film, comedy, and music.