Mark the passage to adulthood with these moving films.
The 30 Best Coming-of-Age Movies Ever
Mark the passage to adulthood with these moving films.
Whatever your age, there’s something so comforting about curling up in front of a film featuring characters who – like most of us – don’t have it all figured out quite just yet. The coming-of-age genre (and the films that define it) is one we never tire of, loved for the way it explores universal emotions from teenage angst to first loves to adulting and everything in between.
There are many things worth ticking off the list in your lifetime – and no passage to adulthood is complete without watching these 30 incredible movies that tackle the entire spectrum of human experience. From 2021’s The Worst Person in the World to 2013’s Her and 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, here are 30 classic coming-of-age movies you simply must see once (or twice).
1. The Worst Person in the World
Director Joachim Trier takes the notion that you’re supposed to have it all figured out by 30 and exposes it for falsehood that it is in this comedy of crisis starring Renate Reinsve as Julie, freshly 30 and very much still figuring out her career path and love life. Does she make some bad decisions? Sure. But isn’t that part of the journey? Millennial anguish explained in two hours flat.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Love hurts, and don’t you forget it. Unless you really want to. In Michel Gondry’s memory-based masterpiece, a heartbroken Clementine (Kate Winslet) and her ex-boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) both opt to undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories post-breakup. But is it really better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? A timeless take on one of life’s most relatable riddles.
3. An Education
A film that will stay with you long after its credits roll (and perhaps leave you re-examining some relationships), 2009’s An Education is warped tale of seduction by a predator in gentleman’s clothing. Based on the bestselling memoir by Lynn Barber, it tells the true story of how a 16-year-old schoolgirl (played by Carey Mulligan) is preyed on by David (Peter Sarsgaard), a manipulative conman who charms both her and her parents.
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel in one of the most yearnful love stories ever told on screen, this French film wistfully recounts a fleeting affair between a painter, Marianne, and her subject, Héloïse. Set in the 18th Century yet as relatable as any passionate fling with an expiration date, Portrait of a Lady on Fire will leave you wondering about the one who got away - hopefully with a smile on your face.
5. The ‘Before’ Trilogy
There’s the one that got away, and then there’s the one who stays. In director Richard Linklater’s three iconic romance films, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, they are one and the same. Set and filmed over nine-year intervals, each film stars Ethan Hawke as Jesse and Julie Delpy as Céline as they lose and find themselves and each other time and again, first at 23 and then finally at 42.
6. Call Me by Your Name
Home to the most heartbreakingly torturous international telephone call ever to play out on screen (“Elio, Elio, Elio…”), Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name stars Timothee Chalamat and deserves a spot on every ‘must-watch’ list. Set in Italy in the 80’s, it’s a sexy Euro summer love story that’s as aesthetically appealing as it is emotionally gut-wrenching. Everyone remembers their first love, and this film captures the passion, urgency, confusion, and anguish perfectly.
7. Now and Then
A playful and poignant reflection on the journey from girlhood to womanhood, this mid 90s coming-of-age classic walked so that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants could fly. Starring Christina Ricci, Demi Moore, and Rosie O’Donnell, a group of once inseparable besties reconnect in their early 30’s, reminiscing on the past while looking to the future as their friend prepares to give birth.
8. 500 Days of Summer
Your twenties are a tumultuous time, peppered with relationships that will leave you wondering, “Where did it all go wrong?” Joseph Gordon-Levitt takes that question and examines it with a fine, 500-day-long tooth comb, revisiting each day he shared with Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the girl he thought he’d spend forever with. Clever, off-beat and honest, 500 Days of Summer is a rom-com that at times feels so relatable you have to double check no one hacked your iCloud.
9. Eighth Grade
By now, you’ve made it through the perils of high school, but its lingering effects can take a lifetime to work through. Bo Burnham’s powerful, poignant and at times heartbreaking portrayal of adolescence, bullying, and self-esteem should be mandatory viewing for adults and teenagers alike. Whether you were the cool kid at school or the girl desperately negotiating with her swimsuit in the changerooms, Eighth Grade will teach you more about empathy than any classroom could. Gucci!
10. Empire Records
Watching this 90’s indie takedown of corporate capitalism feels like a cultural rite of passage. Starring a young Liv Tyler and Renée Zellweger and packed with some of the most quotable moments in movie history (“Not on Rex Manning Day!”), the film follows a motley crew of record store employees fighting to keep their shop from being sold – spawning its catchphrase, “Damn the Man, Save the Empire!”
11. Almost Famous
Widely considered one of the best coming-of-age films ever made, Almost Famous flips its way through the ultimate groupie playbook while serving up some sobering truths about addiction, exploitation, and betrayal. Hit the road with band fan Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) and band man Russell (Billy Crudup) as 70s rock group Stillwater drive their tour bus across the US, collecting (and breaking) hearts along the way. And the only thing better than the soundtrack? Penny’s vintage wardrobe.
12. Bridget Jones’s Diary
This 2001 romantic comedy classic plays like a how-to (or how-not-to, depending how you look at it) navigate your thirties. Relatable, hilarious, and at times heartbreaking, it follows the chaotic work and love life of Bridget (played by Renée Zellweger), a single 30-something living in London. Boasting a cast of rom-com royalty that includes Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Emma Thompson, this one’s best paired with a bottle of vodka or a tub of ice cream. Or both.
13. Romeo + Juliet
If you want to know where Euphoria got its entire mood board, watch Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1996 adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest ever love story. Starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and 17-year-old Claire Danes as Juliet, the tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers comes to life in a reimaged, neon-lit reality, backed by one of the most influential movie soundtracks of all time.
14. Amélie
The film that birthed a million crushes, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s quirky French rom-com is considered one of the most quintessential romantic comedies of all time. Released in 2002, the film stars the ever-charming Audrey Tautou as Amélie, a young waitress with social anxiety who spends her days committing random acts of kindness while neglecting her own happiness. But her gestures have a big impact on those around her, ultimately leading her to love – by way of a sophisticated scavenger hunt that goes down in rom-com history.
15. Y tu mamá también
Every twenties bucket list includes a free-spirited road trip, though what unfolds on this one mightn’t be on the cards for everyone. A sexy and wistful nod to the fleetingness of youth, this 2001 Mexican speaking film follows two teenage best friends, Julio and Tenoch, who take a trip with a woman in her late twenties that begins in a car and ends in a bed. Ménage à tres, if you will.
16. Her
Written, directed, and co-produced by Spike Jonze, this 2013 sci-fi romance is as relevant as ever as we grapple with the future of AI. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Theo, a lonely writer recovering from heartbreak, who falls in love with his operating system, Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Taking a leaf out of Black Mirror’s book, it’s an intriguing exploration of humanity’s relationship with technology and how we crave connection.
17. 13 Going On 30
The title alone says it all, really. Wishing her youth away, 13-year-old Jenna wants nothing more than to be thirty, flirty, and thriving! But when she transforms overnight into a 30-year-old woman (played by Jennifer Garner), the life she imagined is far from her reality. A timeless reminder that karma is real, kindness is king, and a rainbow-striped Versace mini is a worthwhile investment piece.
18. Mustang
Set in a remote village in Turkey, 2015’s Mustang tells the gripping tale of five young orphaned sisters attempting to break from the shackles of their conservative society while navigating puberty and adolescence without any guidance. A rebellious ode to sisterhood and the enduring feminist fight for freedom.
19. Muriel’s Wedding
The iconic Australian film that catapulted Toni Collette to fame and made the quote, “You’re terrible, Muriel!” a household phrase. Following the life of Muriel Heslop, an ABBA-obsessed social outcast who spends her twenties trying to reshape her life in the hopes of impressing the popular clique who didn’t pay her the time of day at school. Hilarious as it is heartbreaking, it’s a powerful musing on family, self-worth, and the meaning of true friendship.
20. Bridesmaids
If you want to know what kind of fun awaits you in your thirties, here’s a taste. From soaring champagne highs to bathroom basin lows, this all-woman comedy is one of the funniest bridal party plotted films of all time. Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy, it’s a must watch for any maid of honour trying desperately to play the part, or bride-to-be in need of a reality check.
21. Clueless
Is there a more classic coming of age drama than Clueless? The clothes, the cliques, the cattiness, the savage one-liners. Starring Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz and Paul Rudd with essentially the same face he has now, Clueless is like watching Jane Austen’s Emma through a very 90s, very LA lens.
22. Silver Linings Playbook
An optimistic outlook is ideal, and no matter your age it’s valuable to see the silver lining in every situation. Behind the star power of Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper is a dance-infused dramedy delving into the nuanced impact of mental illness on those diagnosed as well as their friends, family, and partners.
23. Little Women
Greta Gerwig's stunning adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's iconic novel is a tear-soaked love letter sent from a cottage core dream. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet, Little Women is a feminist fable about carving your own path in life, as each March sister does, with an important reminder that at the end of the day - no matter how much of a dreamboat he is - a woman doesn’t need a man to be content.
24. Parasite
Winning six Oscars for good reason, Bong Joon Ho’s scathing dissection of class and human nature leaves you asking who is the leech and who is the host? In this searingly dark satire, two Korean families of opposite socio-economic status exploit each other in different ways, with an explosive ending that leaves you questioning who deserved what. A poignant reminder to always check your privilege.
25. Moonlight
Powerful, poetic, and cinematically spectacular, 2017’s Best Picture features an all-Black cast who tell the coming-of-age story of a young Black boy grappling with his sexuality and identity. Growing up in the projects of Miami, sexuality is a taboo subject, and this film is one of the first to explore Black LGBTQ themes in such a considered way.
26. Past Lives
This generation’s Sliding Doors (which only narrowly missed a spot on this very list), Celine Song’s Past Lives asks the ultimate “What If…?” as Nora reconnects with her childhood love back in South Korea, decades after she immigrated to Canada with her family. Anyone who has ever fallen asleep on the phone to a long-distance love will be able to relate to so much of this film, along with every single one of us who’ve dealt with lingering feelings over a nostalgic love affair.
27. Booksmart
For a refreshingly authentic take on a coming-of-age comedy, Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart is about as relatable as they come. Delivering the life-affirming lesson that nobody’s a stereotype, the film stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as Amy and Molly, two best friends who try to shed their smarts to fit in with the rulebreakers on their last day of school. A comic reminder that there’s nothing uncool about using your brain.
28. Juno
In this brilliant teen-pregnancy dramedy, Elliot Page stars as Juno, a rebellious 16-year-old know it all who soon comes to realise she doesn’t know much at all. Directed by Jason Reitman and released in 2007, this coming-of-age film inspired an entire indie girl aesthetic while delivering some hard truths about consequences, responsibility, and unplanned motherhood.
29. Sound of Metal
A ground-breaking story about love and loss, 2019’s Sound of Metal is a film like no other. An addiction-recovery drama about a heavy-metal drummer named Ruben (Riz Ahmed) who loses his hearing, it’s a painful yet thoughtful film centred around change and acceptance. As you get older, things that used to make sense no longer do, and you come to realise that in order to move forward, you have to let go of the past. And this film is the ultimate ode to letting go.
30. Aftersun
Sometimes, a poignant scene can assign a new meaning to an old song – and such is the case with Queen & David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” thanks to this subtly devastating film. Starring Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and Celia Rowlson-Hall, 2022’s Aftersun delves into the complex father-daughter relationship between Calum and Sophie, decades after the last vacation they took together when she was 11 and he was 30.
