Coming-of-age is the genre that has it all - heartbreak, girlhood, the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football.
Here are some of our team’s favourite lesser-known coming-of-age films that you should watch (or rewatch!) this weekend. You’re in for a ride of nostalgia, offbeat humour, and maybe some tears. These films are best enjoyed with childhood friends and poorly-made snacks.
You can find this list on our Letterboxd here.
FRICK! (2023)
written and directed by Mateo Bekich & Patrick Keleher
Komal’s Review:
After a rough evening, a young man pedals fervorously to his therapist’s house. When he finds his doctor isn’t home, but their energetic daughter is instead, an interesting connection begins to brew. This 8-minute short has fantastic writing and pacing, with two of the best performances I’ve seen in any YouTube short. This film is a mini-masterpiece that left me wanting more of these characters’ budding connection. The biggest surprise though, is that at the time of this review, this short film has only 6,350 views, when it deserves so much more.
Available on: YouTube
Lucky Fish (2023)
written and directed by Emily May Jampel
Komal’s Review:
This delicate coming-of-age romance begins with two teenagers sharing a glance across a Chinese restaurant, where they’re both having family dinners. With the dreamy backlight of a fish tank, we see Maggie and Celine unfurl gently for a brief moment in this beautifully shot film, a phenomenal directorial debut from Emily May Jampel. A short, sweet, perfect film that tenderly captures a small, glowy moment of sapphic girlhood.
Available on: YouTube
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Danis’ Review:
High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer. This may sound like your classic old coming-of-age plot, but best believe it is far from that in every sense of the word. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl really delves deep into that aspect of our teenage years, especially for anyone who was just a complete nerd (and yes, I mean anyone who had a particular deep rooted passion for a field that they’re into) trying to pursue this obsession of theirs about a particular thing that relates to their interests. Look, in the most basic possible way, this film will make you cry, it’ll make you laugh, reminisce on those good old days of goofing around with your buds, and is asking us, the audience, to look into our own stories of having to face a tragedy that has shaped our teenage years. I still don't understand how this film remains to be overlooked by a bunch of video essay peeps because honestly the filmmaking here is something to be studied profusely. Overall, I love this film from the depths of my heart and it really helped me to navigate my own teenage life and watching this movie once, it will forever be etched into your head like an unforgettable portrait that struck something within you.
Komal’s Review:
Not a review, just want to note that Danis is really, truly, constantly talking about this movie. Maybe watch it for that reason alone - his face will LIGHT UP if you ever bring it up in conversation.
Available on: Hulu and Disney+
Tentang Bulan (2006)
written and directed by Ahmad Idham
Danis’ Review:
The story is about five very close childhood friends, each of which possess unique characters and behavior. Everytime they see a full moon, they dream of 'going to the moon'. One day, their friendship is tested when a pretty new girl, Zurina, enrolls in their school and has every boy falling for her.
So, that’s a pretty generic plot from IMDb, but no worries, I’ll simplify it a little bit. Tentang Bulan is that film that would cause anyone who was watching it to reminisce about their childhood, for better or for worse. The five close childhood friends are all representative of an archetype that one of us probably had when we were kids. It’s mad how a 2006 film is still so representative of most of our childhoods and could tug at anyone’s heartstrings, even the coldest of us. Ahmad Idham has made a classic to be remembered for a looong time and has probably given Aedil Asyraf one of the biggest debuts in Malaysian cinema. Plus, that iconic theme song will not leave your head for years to come. (I’m not kidding, it’s been 13 years since i’ve seen this and occasionally the theme will just pop into my head) The movie may be a bit too old for some folks due to the camera quality, a few of the jokes not really landing with folks anymore, and some of the scenes being a bit too melodramatic - but if you’re fine with most of these things, well you got yourself a real gem here.
Available on: Youtube
Booksmart (2019)
directed by Olivia Wilde
Sophia’s Review:
This movie follows two academically driven high school seniors, Molly and Amy, who are determined to make up for lost time when they realize that they've missed out on the more stereotypical experiences of a high schooler, the day before graduation. What resonated with me most was the authentic portrayal of female friendship. The chemistry between the leads, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, is electric, capturing the nuances of a deep and supportive bond. Their journey is hilariously chaotic yet incredibly relatable, highlighting the bittersweet transition from adolescence to adulthood. It may be too late for me to panic about losing my youth, but I think the loss of consistent companionship that you're used to is an ageless struggle. There's nothing quite like watching teenagers wreak havoc to make you feel nostalgic over the pointless squabbling of your high school friend group.
Available on: Apple TV from RM9.90
Sa Balik Baju (2021)
directed by Umi Salwana Omar
Shekinah’s Review:
I know what you might be thinking, ‘Shekinah, you’re only vouching for this movie because you were in it.’ But hear me out — this movie genuinely hurled Malaysian cinema ahead of its time with the albeit-controversial (yet completely necessary!) issues it brought forth.
The film tells the stories of 6 individual Malaysian women, of different ages, careers and backgrounds, and how they choose to navigate the modern world. One such story was of a young girl named Hannah, who connected with a guy through a dating app. He had a questionable avatar, but knew how to keep an interesting conversation going, which Hannah’s introversion greatly appreciated. After encountering a handsome-yet-standoffish individual in her film class however, she finds herself conflicted about her feelings between the man from the app, and the one she begins to like in person.
Apart from the rather wholesome story of Hannah, the film also addresses pressing, darker matters in Malaysia such as child marriage; additionally divulging into digital-era issues like losing ones “pretty and pristine” image in the age of Instagramable influence.
Whether you’re looking for something to rage and ball your fists over, or would simply love to watch a cutesy compilation of rom-com scenes with an MFMF song playing in the background, Sa Balik Baju has ensured that there is a story for you to bond over with the girlies at your next sleepover.
Available on: Netflix
That's the end of this mini round-up! Tell us what you think of our coming-of-age picks, and then tell us yours!
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