One of the most effective and emblematic stories in cinema is the tumultuous coming-of-age film, focusing on a young protagonist growing up and learning more about themselves. Each generation has distinct differences and perspectives on what growing up is like, creating great levels of variety in each coming-of-age film despite the universal experience of self-growth. Some of the greatest and most acclaimed films of all time belong to the coming-of-age genre, from pillars of classic filmmaking like The 400 Blows to modern masterpieces like Lady Bird.
Even though the decade isn’t even halfway over, the 2020s have already seen a great selection of diverse and exciting coming-of-age films being released. Whether it be new, up-and-coming filmmakers telling diverse and unique stories based on their 21st-century experiences or classic directors reflecting on eras of the past, the 2020s have seen more varying types of coming-of-age films than ever before. Especially for those looking for a great modern coming-of-age fix, there are countless personal stories just waiting to be experienced.
10 ‘Didi’ (2024)
Directed by Sean Wang
Social media and the digital era as a whole have had an overwhelming effect on all of society, youths included. While other films like Eighth Grade have tackled the concept of a coming-of-age film with the current social climate and latest technology, Didi takes a step back into the often-forgotten early years of the digital era. The film follows 13-year-old Taiwanese American Chris (Izaac Wang) during the summer of 2008, the last month of summer before high school, as he deals with the social pressures of the MySpace generation and continuing family struggles.
Didi finds an effective balance of tackling the struggles not only of growing up in a strange, still developing digital era, but also the pains of high expectations and self-doubt in a Taiwanese household. It’s a love letter to a distinct time and culture that simply isn’t nearly explored enough in many coming-of-age stories and is just another sign of the exciting possibilities of young filmmakers who grew up in the digital era.
Watch in Theaters
9 ‘Shiva Baby’ (2020)
Directed by Emma Seligman
Before director Emma Seligman delighted audiences with the chaotic satirical comedy Bottoms, she made waves with a deeply intense and uncomfortable comedy, Shiva Baby. The film follows college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott), who finds herself in the worst situation possible when she encounters her sugar daddy at a family shiva. She attempts to navigate the situation to not incriminate herself in front of her parents, family friends, or her ex-girlfriend.
Shiva Baby does a great job finding the inherent awkward humor in its story and characters and maintaining the tension and stakes throughout. Shiva Baby shares a lot of parallels with the great coming-of-age movies of old, acting as powerful statements about the zeitgeist surrounding the culture of young adults in current society. It’s brought together by an exceptional lead performance from Sennott, who brings her all in a perfect mixture of comedy, desperation, and contained rage.
8 ‘Licorice Pizza’ (2021)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Romantic comedies have always lent themselves to being the perfect fit for coming-of-age stories. Licorice Pizza combines the two with an awkward young relationship that seems doomed to fail but perseveres anyway, resulting in a cinematic tour de force. The film follows Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and Alana Kane (Alana Haim), a duo of rambunctious troublemakers attempting to make their voices heard in the San Fernando Valley in 1973. Despite their notable age difference, they can’t deny the connection between each other.
Licorice Pizza takes a unique and inspired approach to young love. The mismatched central couple proves that not all love is perfect, highlighting the fleeting, flash-in-the-pan dumb decisions of youth. It makes for a deeply inspiring and commendable approach to a love story that feels more reflective of the mistakes in youth and the fleeting yet powerful nature of emotions, further compounded by director Paul Thomas Anderson‘s exceptional directing.
7 ‘Turning Red’ (2022)
Directed by Domee Shi
While Pixar has a long and exceptional history of creating a legendary line of animated films, they have only occasionally dipped their toes into the waters of creating a true, coming-of-age film. Easily their most prominent effort to date has been Turning Red, combining the classic Pixar style and heart with a deeply personal and intimate story of growing up in early 2000s Toronto. The film follows thirteen-year-old Mei, who, on top of the standard awkwardness and adjustments of being a teenager, has her worldview changed when she learns she can transform into a giant red panda.
Turning Red‘s themes and symbolic representation of puberty and the pains of teenage years are not exactly subtle, but the execution is done with enough care and respect that it strikes a nerve with audiences of all ages. It certainly helps that most of the child characters in Turning Red truly do feel like they come from the early 2000s, complete with cliques, gossip, and all the dated lingo of the era. Turning Red is one of the most visually enthralling and creative things to come out of Pixar during the 2020s and will only continue to be appreciated as the years go by.
6 ‘CODA’ (2021)
Directed by Siân Heder
The Best Picture-winning feel-good dramedy that gave a voice to a group of people so often forgotten by society, CODA was a landmark title for the deaf community and an exceptional coming-of-age film. The film follows Ruby (Emilia Jones), the only hearing person in her deaf family, attempting to find her path beyond her family’s fishing business. She soon finds herself torn between her loving family and her growing passion for music, which only exacerbates her fear of abandoning her parents.
It’s rare to see a Best Picture-winning film in the modern era be so undeniably heartwarming as a genuine crowdpleaser, yet CODA‘s inherent charm and loving story couldn’t help but enchant critics and audiences. The pains and fears of leaving the household and following one’s dreams are timeless and always effective concepts, with CODA being the latest film to capitalize on the emotional strengths of the story. Its dedication and love for the deaf community are also greatly felt, especially with its casting and usage of deaf actors.
5 ‘The Worst Person in the World’ (2021)
Directed by Joachim Trier
The difficulties that come from growing up and finding oneself are concepts felt not just in the U.S. but all around the world, and cinema has many great international coming-of-age stories. The Norwegian film The Worst Person in the World is one of the most prominent and acclaimed, telling an effective and stylized story of self-growth in young adulthood. The film follows Julie (Renate Reinsve), a young woman who, across four years, sees herself in numerous chaotic relationships, attempting to balance them with her career path and life goals.
One of The Worst Person in the World‘s biggest strengths compared to other coming-of-age films is its focus on a period of life that is rarely given the coming-of-age focus: the transition from young adulthood to regular adulthood. It doesn’t shy away from glorifying the beautiful moments that come from these relationships because they are fun in the moment. However, the film also shows their inevitable and sour endings, proving that some stories are always meant to end, but that doesn’t make them less meaningful.
Watch on Hulu
4 ‘Petite Maman’ (2021)
Directed by Céline Sciamma
Combining coming-of-age themes with an ingenious fantasy premise to create what truly feels like a modern-day fairy tale come to life, Petite Maman is a special work of art that deserves more praise and recognition. The film follows eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz), who, after having just recently lost her grandmother, travels with her family to her mother’s old childhood home to pick up relics from her past. Nelly soon finds herself befriending a mysterious friend in the nearby woods, who helps her deal with these new feelings of loss.
Petite Maman has a fantastical, otherworldly execution that makes it feel unlike any other coming-of-age film released in the current decade. Its style doesn’t take away from the themes of loss and generational communication, weaving together one of the most loving and heartwarming depictions of a mother-daughter relationship in modern film. Loss is such a painful yet inescapable part of the human experience, and this film finds a way to make it more manageable.
Watch on Hulu
3 ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ (2023)
Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig
Adapted from the classic novel by Judy Blume released over 50 years ago, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. perfectly translates the quirky and timeless message, feeling as relevant today as it did decades ago. The film follows 11-year-old Margaret dealing with the struggles and pain of her family moving from comfortable New York City to an unfamiliar suburban town in New Jersey. This new environment brings into question several feelings about friends, religion, and her place in the world as Margaret begins a new chapter of adolescence.
It’s a masterful feat that an adaptation of such a widely beloved and classic novel can break new ground and expand upon the original in ways that could only be accomplished in the medium of film. Margaret’s story receives the exact amount of gravitas and weight required to make it work, grounding her experiences as both relatable and meaningful so that any audience member can relate to its emotional crux. The film’s themes of growth and self-actualization feel timeless, creating the quintessential version of the story.
Watch on Starz
2 ‘Aftersun’ (2022)
Directed by Charlotte Wells
As much a story about the growth and beginning of one’s life as it is about the harrowing and regretful end of another, Aftersun is the type of tearjerker emotional drama that won’t fail to leave you in a puddle of somber tears. The film follows the story and memories of a simple vacation between a young girl, Sophie (Frankie Corio), and her father, Calum (Paul Mescal), in Turkey. A mixture of video footage from the vacation, combined with a reexamination of specific memories, serves to hopefully garner some understanding of the real man her father was.
It’s difficult to get into the harsh specifics and genius of Aftersun without spoiling its core story, but suffice it to say the way that the film plays with time, self-reflection, and growth is masterful in scope. It’s a powerful type of coming-of-age film that works on multiple levels, showing the direct growth Sophie experiences on screen as a child and the growth she undergoes in her quest for answers and closure as an adult. At the same time, Calum’s evolution and the inevitability of his character throughout become harrowing on subsequent watches, almost acting as the polar reverse of a coming-of-age story.
1 ‘The Fabelmans’ (2022)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
It’s always interesting to see a filmmaker tackle the stories and experiences of their life, especially if he’s one of the most critically acclaimed and iconic of all time. The Fabelmans provides a personal look inside the childhood and origins of auteur Steven Spielberg, giving him the chance to reflect and show the truths of his coming-of-age. The film sees young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) as he aspires to become a filmmaker, reaching adolescence and pursuing his dreams in the midst of a painful secret threatening his family.
It’s clear from the get-go that Spielberg is working through deeply intimate material when adapting the story of his childhood, allowing him to give a personal touch to everything surrounding the film. Even outside the semi-autobiographical context, the core story and growth within The Fabelmans is still a sight to uphold, with pitch-perfect pacing and acting as a love letter to the art of creation and cinema. With so many masterpieces under his belt already, it seemed unlikely for Spielberg to reach new heights as a filmmaker, yet The Fabelmans achieved this impossible feat.
