Dramatic coming-of-age films exploring the struggles and beauty of growing up.
Coming Of Age Drama Movies — 52 entries in the movies category, sortable by Title, Year, Director. Every row is ranked by community votes, giving you a crowd-sourced perspective you won't find on Wikipedia or IMDb.
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In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.
Cinema Paradiso
1988
Giuseppe Tornatore
8.4
Drama, Romance
Italy
124
A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.
A Silent Voice: The Movie
2016
Naoko Yamada
8.4
Animation, Drama, Romance
Japan
129
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an ol...
The Lion King
1994
Roger Allers
8.3
Family, Animation, Drama, Adventure
United States of America
89
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in ...
Dead Poets Society
1989
Peter Weir
8.3
Drama
United States of America
129
At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
Mommy
2014
Xavier Dolan
8.2
Drama
Canada
138
A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.
Call Me by Your Name
2017
Luca Guadagnino
8.1
Romance, Drama
Brazil
132
In the summer of 1983, a 17-year-old Elio spends his days in his family's villa in Italy. One day Oliver, a graduate student, arrives to assist Elio's father, a professor of Greco-Roman culture. Soon, Elio and Oliver discover a summer that will alter their lives forever.
The 400 Blows
1959
François Truffaut
8
Drama
France
99
For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in...
Little Women
2019
Greta Gerwig
7.9
Drama, Romance, History
United States of America
135
Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.
CODA
2021
Sian Heder
7.9
Drama, Music, Romance
France
112
As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
Persepolis
2007
Marjane Satrapi
7.9
Animation, Drama
France
95
In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundament...
The Boy and the Beast
2015
Mamoru Hosoda
7.9
Action, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Japan
119
Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
2012
Stephen Chbosky
7.8
Drama
United States of America
103
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1991. High school freshman Charlie is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two senior students, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, become his mentors, helping him discover the joys of friendship, music and love.
Stand by Me
1986
Rob Reiner
7.8
Crime, Drama
United States of America
89
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just ...
Kiki's Delivery Service
1989
Hayao Miyazaki
7.8
Animation, Family, Fantasy, Drama
Japan
103
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
A Walk to Remember
2002
Adam Shankman
7.8
Drama, Romance
United States of America
102
When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production, he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life, as well as a very big secret she must keep from Landon.
Aftersun
2022
Charlotte Wells
7.7
Drama
United Kingdom
101
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.
Mysterious Skin
2005
Gregg Araki
7.7
Drama
United States of America
105
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
Boogie Nights
1997
Paul Thomas Anderson
7.6
Drama
United States of America
156
Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams, a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family o...
The Fabelmans
2022
Steven Spielberg
7.6
Drama
United States of America
151
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.
Boyhood
2014
Richard Linklater
7.5
Drama
United States of America
165
The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.
Almost Famous
2000
Cameron Crowe
7.5
Drama, Music
United States of America
124
In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration to become a rock journalist lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band, Stillwater.
Where the Crawdads Sing
2022
Olivia Newman
7.5
Drama, Mystery, Romance
United States of America
126
Abandoned by her family, Kya raises herself all alone in the marshes outside of her small town. When her former boyfriend is found dead, Kya is instantly branded by the local townspeople and law enforcement as the prime suspect for his murder.
Empire of the Sun
1987
Steven Spielberg
7.5
Drama, History, War
United States of America
153
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile en...
The Hand of God
2021
Paolo Sorrentino
7.5
Drama
Italy
130
In 1980s Naples, Italy, an awkward Italian teen struggling to find his place experiences heartbreak and liberation after he's inadvertently saved from a freak accident by football legend Diego Maradona.
Rebel Without a Cause
1955
Nicholas Ray
7.5
Drama
United States of America
111
After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. However, Judy is the gir...
The Fallout
2021
Megan Park
7.5
Drama
United States of America
96
In the wake of a school tragedy, Vada, Mia and Quinton form a unique and dynamic bond as they navigate the never linear, often confusing journey to heal in a world that feels forever changed.
Moonlight
2016
Barry Jenkins
7.4
Drama
United States of America
111
The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.
The Boy and the Heron
2023
Hayao Miyazaki
7.4
Animation, Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Family
Japan
124
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even strang...
Y Tu Mamá También
2001
Alfonso Cuarón
7.4
Drama, Romance
Mexico
106
In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other.
The Red Turtle
2016
Michael Dudok de Wit
7.4
Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Family
Belgium
81
The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.
I Killed My Mother
2009
Xavier Dolan
7.4
Drama
Canada
96
Hubert, a brash 17-year-old, is confused and torn by a love-hate relationship with his mother that consumes him more and more each day. After distressing ordeals and tragic episodes, Hubert will find his mother on the banks of Saint Lawrence river, where he grew up, and where a murder will be com...
Dirty Dancing
1987
Emile Ardolino
7.3
Drama, Music, Romance
United States of America
100
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love.
5 Centimeters per Second
2007
Makoto Shinkai
7.3
Animation, Romance, Drama
Japan
63
Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.
20th Century Women
2016
Mike Mills
7.3
Drama
United States of America
118
In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarde...
Chemical Hearts
2020
Richard Tanne
7.3
Drama, Romance
United States of America
93
When a hopelessly romantic high school senior falls for a mysterious new classmate, it sets them both on an unexpected journey that teaches them about love, loss, and most importantly themselves.
The Outsider
1983
Jacques Deray
7.2
Crime, Drama
France
91
In 1960s Tulsa, class divisions ignite a violent rivalry between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs. When a deadly encounter forces two Greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, to flee, their struggle for survival and redemption exposes the fragile innocence and enduring bonds of youth on th...
8 Mile
2002
Curtis Hanson
7.1
Drama, Music
Germany
111
For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.
Blue Is the Warmest Color
2013
Abdellatif Kechiche
7.1
Romance, Drama
Belgium
180
Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself, finds herself.
The Virgin Suicides
2000
Sofia Coppola
7.1
Drama, Romance
United States of America
97
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents.
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