5 Coming-Of-Age Hidden Gem Films That Shaped My Personality After Watching

Selah and the Spades still needs the attention it deserves.

Sometimes, you're in one of those moods where you feel like reinventing your life or you want to reminisce and daydream.

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Perhaps, you think that you want to live a life where you start journaling, baking, and just simply being in nature. Or maybe you just need to find an escape from the bleak world we live in.

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Either way, I got you covered for any (and all) or those moods with these hidden gems:

1. Princess Cyd

Wolfe Video

In this slice-of-life film, a 16-year old Cyd is sent to stay with her aunt after her mother dies. Things may seem a bit uneasy between Cyd and her writer aunt, but they soon exchange moments that teach them both about themselves, the lives they live, and the people they interact with. This is an beautifully-gentle film about a queer teenager that doesn't derive its plot from a spectacle of queerness.

This film is available for streaming on Tubi.

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2. Cobalt Blue

Netflix

Based on the novel of the same name, Cobalt Blue depicts the story of a Marathi family living in the Indian state of Kerala and the entrance of a paying guest who changes their lives. The cinematography, the dialogue, the characters — this film is beautiful through and through, and I can definitely see myself coming back to it when I'm feeling down.

This film is available for streaming on Netflix.

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3. Happy Together

Golden Harvest Company

Maybe I'm exposing myself as an annoying film student, but this Wong Kar-Wai film is something that EVERYONE needs to see. This is the story of a queer couple from Hong Kong, now living in Argentina, who interacts with and comes to terms with the ever-changing boundaries of love. The film really makes you think about space, intimacy, and what it means to call a place "home." Definitely should be on your list if you're ever in an existential mood or if you need to cry your heart out.

This film is available to rent on Prime Video.

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4. Selah and the Spades

Prime Video

Were you really in the mood for a high-school drama that really explored the social implications of divisions and surveillance? Okay, maybe only some of you... but regardless of that, Selah and the Spades is the film you need to watch if you missed teenage drama. Set in a prestigious boarding school, this film discusses the ins-and-outs of the predominantly-wealthy student body and the ways in which they learn the dangers and intricacies of socializing. Also, Lovie Simone is an ICON.

This film is available for streaming on Prime Video.

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5. And Donkeyhead

ARRAY

Ever feel like the world and everyone you knew are lightyears ahead of you? This film is the perfect case study of catharsis on feeling "behind." Set in a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada, Donkeyhead tells the story of a daughter within a Sikh-Canadian family who cares for her ailing father while trying to figure out her life in her 20s. This film specifies on certain family dynamics within South Asian households, yet holds universal meaning for all of those who feel exhausted and confused about the situations they find in their lives.

This film is available for streaming on Netflix.

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Now, go forth and let these films inspire you to feel something! Binge-watching them all in one night is preferred for chasing that ~main character~ energy.