40 Best Coming-of-Age Movies of All Time

01

Moonlight (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 98% Metacritic 99

A quiet, three-part coming-of-age story told with real restraint.

Directed by Barry Jenkins · 1h 52m · Rated R

Won 3 Oscars237 wins & 315 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Hulu, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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02

My Life as a Dog (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A young boy sent to live with relatives copes with grief by comparing his troubles to a doomed Soviet space dog.

Directed by Lasse Hallström · 1h 42m

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

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03

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 90% Metacritic 89

A road-trip comedy that turns unexpectedly melancholy about class and mortality.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón · 1h 46m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar39 wins & 48 nominations

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04

Amarcord (1973)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A nostalgic, comic portrait of life in a small Italian coastal town under fascism.

Directed by Federico Fellini · 2h 03m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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05

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

IMDb ★ 8.5 RT 90% Metacritic 80

A filmmaker recalls his childhood friendship with the projectionist at his small Sicilian town's cinema.

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore · 2h 04m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar25 wins & 33 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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06

The 400 Blows (1959)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A neglected Parisian boy drifts into petty trouble that the adults around him keep making worse.

Directed by François Truffaut · 1h 39m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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07

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 90% Metacritic 86

A trans man's new life and relationships in a small Nebraska town end in real, brutal violence.

Directed by Kimberly Peirce · 1h 58m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar50 wins & 39 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

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08

Whale Rider (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A young girl fights to prove she can lead her tribe despite a leadership tradition reserved for boys.

Directed by Niki Caro · 1h 41m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+ · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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09

Into the Wild (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 83% Metacritic 73

A college graduate gives away his savings and walks into the Alaskan wilderness alone.

Directed by Sean Penn · 2h 28m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars23 wins & 106 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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10

The Sandlot (1993)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 66% Metacritic 55

A group of neighbourhood kids spend one perfect summer defined entirely by baseball.

Directed by David Mickey Evans · 1h 41m · Rated PG

2 wins & 1 nomination

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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11

My Girl (1991)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A young girl's first real experience of death arrives through her closest friend.

Directed by Howard Zieff · 1h 43m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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12

Heathers (1988)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A popular clique's casual cruelty turns fatal once a new boyfriend starts staging their deaths.

Directed by Michael Lehmann · 1h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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13

Say Anything (1989)

TMDB ★ 7.3

An underachieving guy falls for the class valedictorian right before she leaves for England.

Directed by Cameron Crowe · 1h 40m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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14

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A loose ensemble of Southern California high schoolers deal with jobs, sex and surfing.

Directed by Amy Heckerling · 1h 30m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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15

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A troubled new kid in town clashes with his parents and a violent local gang in one restless night.

Directed by Nicholas Ray · 1h 51m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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16

The Breakfast Club (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.8

Five students from five different cliques spend a Saturday detention actually talking to each other.

Directed by John Hughes · 1h 38m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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17

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 85% Metacritic 61

A high schooler fakes his way through one perfect, elaborate day off school.

Directed by John Hughes · 1h 43m · Rated PG-13

3 wins & 1 nomination

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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18

Sing Street (2016)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 95% Metacritic 79

A Dublin teenager starts a band purely to impress a girl, and it becomes much more than that.

Directed by John Carney · 1h 45m · Rated PG-13

16 wins & 45 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Starz Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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19

Juno (2007)

TMDB ★ 7.4

The indie-comedy voice that defined a specific late-2000s tone.

Directed by Jason Reitman · 1h 36m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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20

Easy A (2010)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A rumour about her sex life spirals into a whole persona a teenager never asked for.

Directed by Will Gluck · 1h 33m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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21

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A teenager's secret love letters are accidentally mailed to every boy she's ever had a crush on.

Directed by Susan Johnson · 1h 40m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

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22

Clueless (1995)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A pragmatic, popular teenager plays matchmaker for everyone but herself.

Directed by Amy Heckerling · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Starz Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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23

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.9

An awkward small-town teenager helps his friend run for class president.

Directed by Jared Hess · 1h 35m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

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24

13 Going on 30 (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A thirteen-year-old's birthday wish instantly turns her into her thirty-year-old self.

Directed by Gary Winick · 1h 38m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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25

Freaky Friday (2003)

TMDB ★ 6.3

A mother and daughter swap bodies and start understanding each other for the first time.

Directed by Mark Waters · 1h 37m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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26

She's All That (1999)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A popular guy makes a bet that he can transform an unpopular classmate into prom queen.

Directed by Robert Iscove · 1h 35m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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27

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 93% Metacritic 89

A heartbroken man undergoes a procedure to erase all memory of his former relationship.

Directed by Michel Gondry · 1h 48m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar73 wins & 111 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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28

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 95% Metacritic 94

A summer romance between a teenager and his father's research assistant changes how he sees himself.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino · 2h 12m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar107 wins & 263 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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29

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 81% Metacritic 69

Two teenagers with cancer fall in love knowing exactly how limited their time is.

Directed by Josh Boone · 2h 06m · Rated PG-13

23 wins & 18 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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30

Eighth Grade (2018)

TMDB ★ 7.4

An anxious middle schooler documents her own awkward final week before high school.

Directed by Bo Burnham · 1h 34m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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31

Booksmart (2019)

IMDb ★ 7.1 RT 96% Metacritic 84

Two overachieving best friends try to cram four years of fun into one wild night before graduation.

Directed by Olivia Wilde · 1h 42m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award29 wins & 60 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

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32

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A junior's already difficult life gets worse when her best friend starts dating her older brother.

Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig · 1h 45m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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33

Mean Girls (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A homeschooled teenager infiltrates her new school's most powerful and vicious clique.

Directed by Mark Waters · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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34

Dazed and Confused (1993)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Technically about the 70s, made in the 90s, and somehow nostalgic for both eras at once.

Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 42m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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35

Stand by Me (1986)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 89% Metacritic 76

Four young boys set out on a journey to find the body of a missing local teenager.

Directed by Rob Reiner · 1h 29m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar7 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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36

Superbad (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 88% Metacritic 76

Two inseparable best friends face the reality of splitting up for college the night of one legendary party.

Directed by Greg Mottola · 1h 53m · Rated R

11 wins & 24 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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37

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

TMDB ★ 8.0

A withdrawn freshman is pulled out of his shell by two seniors who see him clearly.

Directed by Stephen Chbosky · 1h 43m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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38

Boyhood (2014)

TMDB ★ 7.9

One boy's childhood, filmed with the same cast over twelve real years.

Directed by Richard Linklater · 2h 45m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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39

Lady Bird (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A coming-of-age story that treats a teenage girl's life as genuinely important.

Directed by Greta Gerwig · 1h 34m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

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40

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

IMDb ★ 7.4 RT 72% Metacritic 70

A new boy is paid to date the sharp-tongued older sister so her younger sibling can go to the prom. A teen rom-com that still works.

Directed by Gil Junger · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

2 wins & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

40 Best Coming-of-Age Movies of All Time

Moonlight (2016)

My Life as a Dog (1985)

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Amarcord (1973)

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

The 400 Blows (1959)

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Whale Rider (2002)

Into the Wild (2007)

The Sandlot (1993)

My Girl (1991)

Heathers (1988)

Say Anything (1989)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Sing Street (2016)

Juno (2007)

Easy A (2010)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

Clueless (1995)

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Freaky Friday (2003)

She's All That (1999)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

Eighth Grade (2018)

Booksmart (2019)

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

Mean Girls (2004)

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Stand by Me (1986)

Superbad (2007)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Boyhood (2014)

Lady Bird (2017)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

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