From First Love To Anguish And Heartbreak – 16 Teen Movies That Made Us Feel Seen

"It was really accurate. Punches you in the gut in a lot of different ways."

Being a teen is a real rollercoaster, so it's always a great feeling when a film speaks to your very specific experience.

Gramercy Pictures

So we asked you to tell us the most relatable coming-of-age movie you've seen – here's what you said!

1. Love, Simon

20th Century Fox

"I just watched it and thought that there were so many elements of that movie that were relatable."

—catandty11

2. The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Filmrise

"It really stuck with me. I've never been sent to one of these wilderness camps, but as a queer person who lives in a very religious state and has dealt with the homophobia, the secrets, the lies and the pain and suffering really stuck out to me. the acting is excellent, the storyline is good, and everything is good! I would recommend it for all the lgbtqia+ people who struggle with this kind of stuff."

—clairejonescdj

3. Stand by Me

Columbia Pictures

"At the end, the narrator says you never have friends again like you did when you were 12 and then discusses how an incredibly close group of friends who shared a life-altering experience together slowly became strangers in the hall. It resonates every single time."

—annelister

4. The Breakfast Club

Universal Pictures

"It perfectly summed up what high school was like for me."

—rebbil68

5. The Inbetweeners Movie

Entertainment Film Distributors

"It's s the only real portrayal of teenagers in the UK I have seen. The friendships, crushes, relationships with parents, general awkwardness and embarrassment... it's hilariously accurate."

—bouniejellyfish

6. As you are

Votiv Films

"It does such a good job of showing like being closeted and exploring your sexuality and parental problems, I've never seen a movie portray internalised homophobia better."

—esjm

7. Booksmart

United Artists Releasing

"I remember watching it and just thinking “damn I have BEEN there”. Obviously, the movie has silly parts, but the overall tone is so relatable. This urgency to make up for lost time, realistic friendship, and also the unrequited crush storyline. It gave me serious high school deja vu."

—sunflowersugar

8. Kevin and Perry Go Large

Icon Film Distribution

"Sorry, but it needs to be mentioned. It's gross and ridiculous but it captures those years at times  – how huge everything feels, how idealistic we can be."

—jborrett793

9. American Pie

Summit Entertainment

"While the movies are exaggerated to a point, as a teenage boy at the time, it was validating to see me and my friends represented on screen. We all knew those characters in real life (I was somewhere between Jim and Sherman). And while it may seem horrifying, yes, teenage boys really were that disgusting in the late '90s/early '00s. 

As much as we'd probably like to deny it now, it was a pretty accurate snapshot of our perverted hormonal minds, but written in a way where the characters weren't two-dimensional like a lot of raunchy teen comedies – they actually had a lot of heart, pre-9/11 innocence and you were hopeful for their future."

—jonsharky

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Sony Pictures Releasing

 "It does a great job as a coming-of-age story with a superhero element."

—brown_539

11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Summit Entertainment

"I can’t tell you how much my 14-year-old self related to the main character, Charlie."

—wheresmymind

12. Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

Paramount Pictures

"It may as well have been a biopic of my school years – from being in that awkward in-between phase, to the friendships, and getting crushed by your crush."

–hanifahrahman

13. Thirteen

United International Pictures / Fox Searchlight

"It really made me reflect on what happened to me in those years. Terrifying now to look back on."

—rhiank22

14. Turning Red

Walt Disney StudiosMotion Pictures

"Like Mei, I too was a 13-year-old in 2001 utterly obsessed with a boyband and wrestling with my 'not a girl, not yet a woman' hormones and emotions, so that film really hit home. It is a funny, sympathetic and accurate representation of what it’s like to be a teenager and all the angst that goes with it."

—needausername

15. Lady Bird

a24 / Focus Features

"It was really accurate. Punches you in the gut in a lot of different ways."

—mariat4e50d731d

16. The Edge of Seventeen

STX Entertainment

"I remember watching this on my laptop in my room and crying because of how relatable it was. Seven years later and it still makes me emotional!"

—dhertel101

"Hands down; I will forever love that movie. Hailee Steinfield's character was exactly how I was at 17. It almost felt like someone filmed my life at that time."

—hollystrenad

What coming-of-age movie will you always relate to? Let us know in the comments!

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