The Next Coming of Age Movie you Should Watch!

By Nam Woon Kim (he/him)

Growing pains: you either kick and scream your way through or take it one painful step at a time. Coming of age movies will always be a favourite of mine so I've put together a super objective chart to help you pick one out for your next movie night. Whether you woke up and chose violence or p a i n, I’ve got a coming of age movie for you to define the rest of your semester with.

The Florida Project

2017 | U.S.A. | Curiosity

Being six years old is a time for pure chaos – take a page from Moonee’s book who wakes up every day and chooses violence. Set just outside Disneyland, The Florida Project chronicles the everyday life of people living on the margins. Sean Baker does justice to this world and Moonee’s coming of age experience by choosing to highlight the totality of living under precarity. Precarity is all Moonee knows and despite the innate tragedy of her situation, there’s an infectious zest for life that makes this movie special.

Sing Street

2016 | Ireland | Ambition

A coming of age story for those of us who couldn’t imagine life without music, Sing Street offers an earnest, feel-good time without romanticising its setting either. What makes this movie work is that music is much more than just a means of escapism for our ragtag band growing up in the oppressive climate of Ireland in the 1980s. The common thread between each of the narratives, from boy meets girl to getting along with your siblings, is brilliant chemistry and a genuine empathy for everyone on screen.

Pariah

2011 | U.S.A. | Desire

A decade of American coming of age movies later, Pariah may seem familiar but it holds its own amongst its contemporaries as an intimately told story about a queer, black woman written and directed by a queer, black woman. Alike is impossible not to root for as she gradually becomes more confident and refuses to compromise who she is. Dee Rees elevates the story by fleshing out Alike’s parents and taking an empathetic lens without condoning them either. Pariah is unapologetic in what it has to say and its message still holds power in 2021.

Take Care of my Cat

2001 | South Korea | Friends

This is a hidden gem from 2001 that is way, way too real. No one really prepares you for the challenges of maintaining friendships after high school. This is the growing pain Jeong Jae-Eun examines through a group of girls who are each their own main character. With capitalism continuing to spin its wheels and offer empty promises to young people, Take Care... has only grown more relevant. Turns out not much has changed from the days of texting on brick phones. Important note: there’s not that much cat in this movie and rest assured, no harm comes its way either.

Yi Yi

2000 | Taiwan | Questions

The scope of this movie extends past coming of age into all stages of life but I couldn’t resist including it here because it speaks to the theme of this issue so well while also being a modern masterpiece. Yi Yi is a family drama that’s interested in what happens during the quiet moments before and after our big life events, whether it’s a family wedding or starting a relationship. I saw it over lockdown last year and I can tell it’s the type of story that won’t ever stop resonating with me. (If you have trouble tracking it down I might throw an informal screening at the office because I’m due for a rewatch tbh!)

House of Hummingbird

2018 | South Korea | Yearning

Worth watching solely for Kim Sae-byuk’s performance as the warm, laid-back teacher everyone deserved when they were growing up, House of Hummingbird offers a slice of that awkward chapter in our lives we call being 14. Nothing seems to last during this time where problems, people and crushes come and go. Here to comfort and guide our young protagonist, Eun-hee, is her Chinese teacher who is the film’s voice of reassurance. Although she wasn’t as present in the story as I had hoped, she leaves a deep impression on both us and the characters. This is a slow, understated watch best enjoyed on a rainy day that will have you reaching out to your inner-child.

All About Lily Chou-Chou

2001 | Japan | Pain

If you also can’t imagine your life without music but need an excuse to take the rest of the week off, you’ve come to the right place. Pain, despair, rock bottom, the whole gang’s here and it’s done in the dreamiest way possible with a lush soundtrack and even lusher cinematography. Much like Take Care of My Cat, the growing pains in this story are still fresh. Its take on growing up with the internet feels more developed and modern than most coming of age stories coming out today with its focus on bullying and fandom. Lily ChouChou may be a fictional musician, but what she represents is very much real.

P.S. Read a content warning before you watch.