Our Favorite Coming-of-Age Movies on Redbox Now
Eighth Grade
You know how most coming-of-age-movies throw rose-colored glasses over the concept of coming of age? This movie doesn’t do that, at all, and that is what makes it special. It’s just pure, unfiltered middle school drama and insecurity, featuring an incredibly grounded performance by Elsie Fisher. Young viewers will relate to Fisher’s Kayla, and older viewers will remember the days they stood in her shoes.
The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is among my top three movies of all time. First of all, the entire movie takes place in one location, over the course of a single day. I’m a sucker for movies like this because they encourage us to pay attention to the characters and their relationships with each other, not changing scenery and action sequences. And it will never get old seeing the rebel, the princess, the outcast, the brain, and the jock overlooking their differences to bond over their day in detention. We wish all high school cliques could come to the realization that we are more alike than different, but watching The Breakfast Club swap stories and share laughs and tears is satisfying and heartwarming, even after a million rewatches.
Dazed and Confused
Dazed and Confused is on our list not only because it features an insane ensemble of actors before they became stars, including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, and Parker Posey, but because it’s a cult classic. The film, which follows the adventures and misadventures of a rowdy group of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976, was even named “among the best teen films ever made” by The Criterion Collection. Alright, alright, alright.
Lady Bird
There’s a reason this film is what first put Greta Gerwig on many of our radars. It is a raw look at a strained, but loving relationship between a mother and daughter. The strong-willed, artistically-inclined Christine, aka “Lady Bird,” and her equally strong-willed mother clash over different dreams for Lady Bird’s future. The movie is a heartfelt testament to the idea that intentions are everything: Lady Bird’s mom has a different idea of what success looks like for her daughter, but her intentions are good. A great watch for someone who is struggling with their own rocky family dynamic, with a hopeful ending.
Sixteen Candles
This is the second John Hughes movie on the list because the truth is, he’s the king of coming- of-age movies. The tagline of this movie is “It’s the time of your life that may last a lifetime,” which is really thought-provoking and reminds me of the Bowling for Soup song “High School Never Ends.” If high school is never going to end, I would at least like it to be with Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald as The Geek and The Princess, respectively. John Hughes, direct my life!
Superbad
I saved Superbad for last because my gosh, the bittersweet ending of this movie is something else. It comes out of absolutely nowhere, and is the icing on the cake for what was already a memorable movie, based on the number of times I laughed out loud alone. It’s funny, and then it ends on a truly heartwarming note that I think sets it apart from most buddy comedies. I’m still hoping for a sequel, but in the meantime, this will remain a go-to for when I feel like (literally) laughing until I cry.