Coming-of-Age Drama backdrop

Coming-of-Age Drama movies

Growing-up drama about identity, belonging, first independence, and life choices that can’t be undone.

281. Step Up 2: The Streets

Step Up 2: The Streets
Music Drama Romance Dance-Centered Music Film Coming-of-Age Drama
6.2
20081h 38minUnited States
Director: Jon M. Chu

Overview

When rebellious street dancer Andie West lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's hottest dancer, Chase Collins, to form a crew of fellow outcasts to compete in Baltimore s underground dance battle The Streets.

Themes

Underdog persistence, Institutional gatekeeping, Outcast solidarity, Street culture tension, Artistic legitimacy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

282. Juno

Juno
Comedy Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Romantic Comedy
7.4
20071h 36minUnited States
Director: Jason Reitman

Overview

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, sixteen year old high-schooler, Juno MacGuff, makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

Themes

Unplanned pregnancy decisions, Adoption as bounded choice, Coming of age tensions, Teenage pregnancy pressure, Partnership under scrutiny, Sexuality and precocity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

283. Into the Wild

Into the Wild
Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Coming-of-Age Drama
8.0
20072h 28minUnited States
Director: Sean Penn

Overview

With winter closing in and his supplies nearly gone, a young drifter in the Alaskan wild races to outlast the cold, the hunger, and his own past—alone in a broken-down bus at the edge of the world.

Themes

Search for belonging, Self-sufficiency vs society, Isolation vs connection, Disillusionment with progress, Rebellion against modern life, Quest for meaning

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

284. City of Men

City of Men
Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.2
20071h 46minBrazil
Director: Paulo Morelli

Overview

Best buddies Acerola and Laranjinha, about to turn 18, discover things about their missing fathers' pasts which will shatter their solid friendship, in the middle of a war between rival drug gangs from Rio's favelas.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Poverty and opportunity, Absent father impact, Violence and survival, Coming of age in danger, Gang dynamics and power

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

285. Ben X

Ben X
Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.3
20071h 30minBelgium
Director: Nic Balthazar

Overview

Harassed by bullies because of his mild autism, teen Ben finds refuge in an online computer game, which leads him to his virtual dream girl, Scarlite. Together, the odd couple seeks revenge against Ben's tormentors.

Themes

Bullying and resilience, Identity and self-expression, Neurodiversity and stigma, Online refuge coping, Surveillance and exposure, Collective cruelty and accountability

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Rakuten TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

286. Hairspray

Hairspray
Comedy Romance Drama Romantic Comedy Satire
6.7
20071h 57minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Adam Shankman

Overview

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.

Themes

Body image pressure, Media influence, Racial integration, Family tension, Protest for change, Entertainment bias

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

287. Paranoid Park

Paranoid Park
Drama Crime Mystery Coming-of-Age Drama Detective Mystery Crime
6.6
20071h 24minUnited States, France
Director: Gus Van Sant

Overview

A teenage skateboarder becomes suspected of being connected with a security guard who suffered a brutal death in a skate park called "Paranoid Park".

Themes

Secrecy and exposure, Coming of age under pressure, Consequences of recklessness, Trauma and guilt, Male friendship under strain, Nonlinear narrative form

Available on

Kanopy
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

288. Shelter

Shelter
Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Passionate Romance
7.6
20071h 29minUnited States
Director: Jonah Markowitz

Overview

Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach works dead-end jobs to support his sister and her son. Questioning his life, he paints, surfs and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe. When Gabe's older brother returns home for the summer, Zach suddenly finds himself drawn into a relationship he didn't expect.

Themes

Romance under social scrutiny, Family obligation vs ambition, Identity and acceptance pressures, Creative dreams under pressure, Class tensions and aspiration, Caregiving vs personal growth

Available on

Here TV
Here TV  Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

289. XXY

XXY
Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.0
20071h 26minArgentina, Spain
Director: Lucía Puenzo

Overview

Alex, an intersexed 15-year-old, is living as a girl, but she and her family begin to wonder whether she's emotionally a boy when another teenager's sexual advances bring the issue to a head. As Alex faces a final decision regarding her gender, she meets both hostility and compassion.

Themes

Gender role expectations, Family decision-making, Transsexuality negotiation, Intersexuality questions, Public scrutiny, Body autonomy

Available on

Amazon Video
The Roku Channel
Kanopy
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

290. Water Lilies

Water Lilies
Drama Romance Coming-of-Age Drama Passionate Romance
6.7
20071h 25minFrance
Director: Céline Sciamma

Overview

Set during a sultry summer in a French suburb, Marie is desperate to join the local pool's synchronized swimming team, but is her interest solely for the sake of sport or for a chance to get close to Floriane, the bad girl of the team? Sciamma, and the two leads, capture the uncertainty of teenage sexuality with a sympathetic eye in this delicate drama of the angst of coming-of-age.

Themes

Forbidden love dynamics, Peer pressure and belonging, Female friendship under strain, Rumors and reputation, Coming of age identity, Competition and desire in sport

Available on

Criterion Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.