Ending your four years of high school is terrifying. The reality of finally celebrating your hard work while acknowledging your future is a mountain to climb compared to the tiny hill you braved. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lonely at the prospect of graduating; however, coming-of-age storylines in film put my experience into perspective. Here are four movies that embody the true teenage experience and encourage you to explore your identity in the final moments of your high school career.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower streaming on Max
Love, friendship, heartbreak, grief and loss. This film perfectly portrays the emotional depth and tragedy of a role model not being who you thought they were. Simultaneously, this film portrays the ultimate teenage experience through beautiful cinematography and moving performances. We begin with Charlie (Logan Lerman), a freshman in high school with a troubled past and an increasingly hard time fitting in. That is until he meets a group of seniors (Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, and Mae Whitman) who allow him to embrace himself for who he is without guilt, shame or embarrassment. He clings to them like a lifeline, hoping that he won’t ever have to let them go. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. If you’re a senior.
Ladybird streaming on Max
This film explores the complex relationship between a teenage girl and her mother while showing the complexity of the universal teenage experience. Christine (Saoirse Ronan), who is known as Ladybird to her peers, struggles to navigate through her social life at school and her relationships at home. As she finishes her senior year of high school at her Catholic private school in Sacramento, she struggles to find ways to fit in with her classmates, leading to conflict between her true identity and the person she pretends to be. In this movie, Ladybird fights to discover her individuality, escape her small town and find a balance between her complicated family dynamic and her dreams.
The Edge of Seventeen streaming on Amazon Prime
Through the mist of complicated relationships and isolation from her schoolmates, Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) struggles to grapple with her unrequited crush and her inability to belong. Her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), becomes romantically involved with Nadine’s brother Darian (Blake Jenner). This development kickstarts a period of mourning for Nadine about the friendship she once had with Krista. Throughout the movie, she struggles to find common ground with her mother while confining herself from social interaction. She is eventually taught that self-acceptance is the greatest common factor to achieving true peace and purpose. With this revelation, she decides to move through high school with an open mind and open heart.
High School Musical 3 streaming on Disney+
A childhood series classic, one we cannot thank Disney Channel enough for. This movie closes the trilogy with Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) experiencing their final months together in their senior year. To close their high school careers with a bang, they do an elaborate spring musical with their classmates to express their gratitude for the past four years and their hopes for many more. There is something particularly nostalgic about watching a childhood movie about graduation when you are also walking across that stage soon, which makes this a perfect watch as your senior year comes to an end.
