Coming of Age Films for Gen Z
Booksmart
Buckle your seatbelts folks, because you are in for a wild ride. Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart (2019) is an unfiltered comedy about two graduating high school seniors, named Amy and Molly. It’s not until the eve of their graduation that these academic overachievers come to realize all the fun and excitement they have missed throughout the past four years. As a result, they set out to break their own rules in a night of chaos and partying. Though somewhat flamboyant and over-the-top, Booksmart effectively remains relatable to its teenage audience through a combination of witty dialogue and an endearing friendship duo. The strong and supportive dynamic shared between Molly and Amy is a key piece in the film’s excellence. From over-complimenting each others’ outfits, to encouraging the other to make a move on their crush, these best friends are sure to be loved by all who watch Booksmart.
Waves
This film initially seems to be nothing out of the ordinary, centering around an ordinary African American family living in Florida. In the first half of the film, we see popular high school senior Tyler navigate the burden of expectations from his ‘perfect’ family, girlfriend, and wrestling team. However all goes south after he is violently thrown during one of his matches, causing irreparable damage to his shoulder and ultimately ending his season and wrestling career. If this wasn’t enough, his girlfriend Alexis reveals that she is pregnant and has decided to keep the baby. Disagreeing on the matter, they break up. The suspense escalates when Tyler drunkenly confronts his ex-girlfriend at a house party, leading to a heated argument and the accidental yet violent death of Alexis. The second act of the film promptly opens with Tyler’s family and younger sister Emily, receiving the news of his life sentence in prison. The remainder of the film follows Emily as she copes with her brother’s trauma, only finding solace in her new boyfriend Luke, but ultimately reconciling with her father and learning to accept that she is not to blame for her brother’s fault. When I watched the premiere of this film in theaters, I was absolutely blown away. The concept of telling two different sibling stories was fascinating - seeing what led up to the chaotic crash, and the aftermath that followed, with the rippling effect of Tyler’s actions upon his family and their relationships. Also, Waves has one of my favorite soundtracks, featuring an abundance of Frank Ocean, Tame Impala, and Kanye West, in addition to stunning, vibrant cinematography similar to the likes of Euphoria. I highly recommend watching it late at night, on the biggest screen you have and with the speakers blaring loud, because it seriously makes all the difference, in the best way possible.
Eighth Grade
To put it bluntly, middle school is the worst. Nothing sounds more terrible than being a fourteen-year-old tween filled with raging hormones and anxiety. Mix this with social media and peer pressure - it’s a recipe for disaster. Bo Burnham’s directorial debut perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness and angst of being a middle schooler in this new digital age. We follow eighth-grader Kayla as she navigates through her insecurities, as well as her relationship with her father and classmates, in her last few weeks of middle school. From 8am to 3pm, Kayla is the shy girl who stays on the sidelines in the hallways, (she even receives the class superlative award for ‘Most Quiet’). But once she’s alone in her bedroom, she emanates a cool and confident persona in her motivational videos which she posts on Youtube. Eighth Grade also captures the quirks of mainstream tweenage culture in the 2010s, like hearing ‘Lebron James’ be called out in the middle of an assembly or having a crush on the same copy-and-paste white boy who sports Thrasher tees and slides. However, what sets this film apart from other movies about middle school is that it addresses several nuanced yet prevalent topics - including depression, anxiety, sexual harassment, and negative self-image - which many other movies portraying the middle school experience failure to capture. In addition to this, the casting of actual eighth graders makes the viewing experience so much more authentic and relatable for younger audiences.
Love, Simon
Crazily enough, Love, Simon was the first studio film to feature a gay protagonist. It is shocking to think that it took until 2018 for a member of the LGBTQ+ community to star in a leading role of a mainstream teen movie. This film adds an interesting spin to the classic coming of age story by centering around Simon Spier, a closeted gay high school boy who struggles to find a balance between his family, friends, and secret love life. Simon finds solace by exchanging back and forth emails with an anonymous classmate who also shares this same secret. But right when he thinks all is going well in his life, Simon is threatened to be outed to everyone he loves. Throughout the film, we see Simon come to terms with his own sexuality, once he realizes that all of his friends and family still love him just the same as before he had come out. One of my favorite moments in the film is when, in a heart-to-heart talk, Simon’s mother tells him; “you get to exhale now.” It’s comforting to see Simon have all the weight he had carried being lifted off his shoulders. Whilst it is certainly true that not every LGBTQ+ person can relate to having such a positive coming out experience, Love, Simon was the first time that mainstream media portrayed this community through a sweet and warm-hearted story - one which young queer people can somewhat identify with and watch for years to come.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is the kind of film that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end. We first see Charlie begin his freshman year of high school after being discharged from a mental health care institution. Being the shy and socially awkward person he is, Charlie initially has difficulty making any friends. However, once welcomed by two charismatic seniors - Sam and her stepbrother Patrick - Charlie’s life seems to be heading in a positive direction. Ultimately, they help him discover the joys of life through friendship, music, and love. When this trio isn’t performing in their regular Rocky Horror Picture Show, you can find them going on adventures throughout Pittsburg, discovering underground music, or attending artsy, outsider type parties. Their friendship supports Charlie as he confronts his depression and anxieties, by teaching him to embrace who he is rather than trying to repress how he really feels. The Perks of Being a Wallflower was one of the first films I felt accurately depicted what it’s like to struggle with self-confidence issues and mental health as a young person. Anxiety and depression do not simply disappear on their own; this reality is conveyed through Charlie’s fluctuating emotional states throughout the movie. On a positive note, this film shows how those suffering past trauma can overcome their personal battles by finding a supportive community or group of friends with whom they are able to be vulnerable and feel listened to.
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give (2018) is a powerful and racially charged film that effectively addresses the corrupt social and political climate of today. The Carter family lives in Garden Heights, a predominantly black neighborhood, as 16-year-old Starr attends Williamson Prep, a predominantly white private school. Starr is suddenly confronted by the murder of her childhood friend as she witnesses a police officer fatally shoot him, wrongly mistaking the hairbrush he was carrying for a gun. Upon this news becoming a national story, Starr struggles to conceal her connection to the incident from her friends in Garden Heights and Williamson Prep. She begins to feel the pressures from both communities, the neighborhood gang, and the media, as they push her to either reveal what really happened or to keep quiet altogether. Starr ultimately testifies on behalf of her deceased friend, however the grand jury decides to not indict the officer. Filled with frustration, anger, and despair, Starr decides to head out to the streets in protest. She uses her voice to speak out about the injustices that Black people face, crying aloud; “No matter what we say, no matter how loud we shout, they refuse to hear us.” Just as in this film, 2020 has shown the power of Gen Z in standing up against the ongoing system of police brutality towards Black communities; we will stop at nothing to have justice and peace restored - even if that means starting a revolution to abolish the corrupt police and justice system. Overall, The Hate U Give conveys the dire urgency for young people not only to educate themselves about the current events happening around them, but also to actively demand change within the system, through protesting and voting.
Skate Kitchen
Set in the bustling city of Manhattan, New York, Skate Kitchen (2018) follows 18-year-old Camille who befriends a group of girls that share the same passion for skateboarding. Together, they tackle the male-dominated skate park as they perform tricks and film videos of each other for fun. Camille’s new friends also support her while she experiences a rocky relationship with her mother. However, Camile jeopardizes this friendship once she starts seeing one of her friend’s on and off ex-boyfriends behind her back. After this secret is revealed, she is briefly cut off from the group. Only when Camille realizes that her feelings for him are not reciprocated does she apologize, and reunites with the girls in a skate sesh, zooming through the streets of New York. Skate Kitchen is a simple, yet loveable film that depicts the power of sisterhood and the joys of being young and carefree.
Lady Bird
Of course, I could not leave out one of my all time favorite movies from this list. Lady Bird (2017) perfectly captures the ups and downs of adolescence and adulthood as demonstrated by the turbulent relationship between Lady Bird and her mother. One day they are bickering about how eggs should be properly cooked, the next they’ll be peacefully partaking in their favorite pastime of house hunting. Though set in the early 2000s, almost every teenage girl today can relate to some aspect of Lady Bird’s character and life, such as feeling stuck in a do-nothing town, (like Sacramento is for Lady Bird), or butting heads with a parental figure every other day. This is the kind of movie that I will never get tired of rewatching over and over. It’s almost like the childhood blanket that you can never seem to get rid of, out of sentimental value. Lady Bird will always be the movie I go back to when I’m feeling nostalgic or need a positive reminder that life gets better and goes on after high school.
**Honorable mentions: Dope, Pariah, Palo Alto, The Half of It, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Edge of Seventeen, and The Kings of Summer.
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