Coming of age movies hold a special place in our hearts, showing us that no matter what we plan for in life, we’ll have to overcome certain obstacles and challenges and embark on several unexpected changes that will lead us to an ultimate, fulfilling life.
From childhood to teenage years, the experiences faced during a school year or a year in adulthood, to how a character evolves while handling a specific situation in their life, coming of age have warmed our hearts, inspired us, and (mostly) shown us the good always prevails over evil.
Many of these movies have focused on the ever-so-enlightening teenage years and given us some absolutely hilarious classics such as The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Superbad and Saoirse Ronan’s Lady Bird. Other teen movies have had much darker, serious storylines, such as Thirteen, in which a new friend negatively influences a straight-A high-school student, and The Fallout, starring Jenna Ortega, in which her character navigates her life following a traumatic high school shooting.
However, if you want something more light-hearted, look no further than Pixar’s Turning Red.
Other movies transcend past the teenage years and into adulthood, such as Boyhood, famously shot over 12 years, and saw its lead actor Ellar Coltrane transform from a young boy to a college-going student. Coming of age movies have also focused on people navigating difficult, unjust situations, such as a teenager travelling from her rural hometown to New York for an abortion in Never Rarely Sometimes Always and a young man sent to a conversion therapy camp after coming out to his religious parents in Boy Erased.
With countless stories in their genre, there’s certainly something that everyone can relate to, so without further ado, we’ve compiled a list of the 27 best coming of age movies to get lost in.