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.

Beautiful Disaster

1. Beautiful Disaster

Romance Drama Comedy Romantic Comedy Coming-of-Age Drama
5.3
20231h 36min

Overview

College freshman Abby tries to distance herself from her dark past while resisting her attraction to bad boy Travis.

Themes

Secret past, Economic pressure, Forbidden attraction, Family ties, Underground subculture, Gambling and debt

Available on

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

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

2. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Comedy Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.3
20231h 46min

Overview

When her family moves from New York City to New Jersey, an 11-year-old girl navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence.

Themes

Adolescence and belonging, Rumor-driven social pressure, Interfaith family dynamics, Parental expectations and agency, Religious identity formation, Peer groups and acceptance

Available on

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

True Spirit

3. True Spirit

Adventure Drama History Maritime Adventure Coming-of-Age Drama
6.8
20231h 49min

Overview

When the tenacious young sailor Jessica Watson sets out to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, many expect her to fail. With the support of her sailing coach and mentor Ben Bryant and her parents, Jessica is determined to accomplish what was thought to be impossible, navigating some of the world’s most challenging stretches of ocean over the course of 210 days.

Themes

Based on true story, Solo endurance under pressure, Sailing trip, Public scrutiny and doubt, Loneliness and perseverance, Risk management and decision making

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Eight Mountains

4. The Eight Mountains

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.7
20222h 27min

Overview

An epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno.

Themes

Self reinvention, Longstanding friendship, Creative ambition, Belonging and dislocation, Parental tensions, Mountain lifeworld

Available on

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

Return to Seoul

5. Return to Seoul

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.9
20221h 59min

Overview

After an impulsive travel decision to visit friends, Freddie, 25, returns to South Korea for the first time, where she was born before being adopted and raised in France. Freddie suddenly finds herself embarking on an unexpected journey in a country she knows so little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.

Themes

Identity negotiation, Family reunion strain, Adoption journey tension, International adoption ripple, Searching for biological parents, Korean culture influence

Available on

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

The Fabelmans

6. The Fabelmans

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.5
20222h 31min

Overview

Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.

Themes

Coming of age pressure, Parental conflict and divorce, Family vs art, Pursuit of dreams vs stability, Antisemitism and outsider status, Relocation shaping identity

Available on

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

Close

7. Close

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.8
20221h 44min

Overview

Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.

Themes

Grief and guilt, Peer pressure dynamics, Masculinity under pressure, Lgbt visibility, Bullying and ostracism, Ice hockey distance, Death of best friend

Available on

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

Armageddon Time

8. Armageddon Time

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
6.5
20221h 54min

Overview

In 1980, Queens, New York, a young Jewish boy befriends a rebellious African-American classmate to the disapproval of his privileged family and begins to reckon with growing up in a world of inequality and prejudice.

Themes

Class inequality, Interracial friendship under pressure, Parental expectations, Foster care instability, Education funding pressures, Racial prejudice in schooling, White privilege

Available on

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

Aftersun

9. Aftersun

Drama Coming-of-Age Drama
7.6
20221h 41min

Overview

Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories fill the gaps between camcorder footages as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the troubled man she didn't.

Themes

Depression masking outward calm, Memory shaping family bonds, Deferred coming of age, Complex parental bonds, Queer loneliness

Available on

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

Piggy

10. Piggy

Drama Horror Coming-of-Age Drama Psychological Horror
6.2
20221h 39min

Overview

A bullied overweight teenager sees a glimpse of hope when her tormentors are brutally abducted by a mesmerizing stranger.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Lie and exposure within gossip, Rural isolation and suspicion, Bullying leads to stigma, Fat shaming drives isolation, Grieving parents and community response

Available on

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