The most relatable narrative to watch, without a doubt, is coming-of-age stories. Bildungsroman plots incorporate a dramatic change in a character — often the dorky, loner, confused type — as they navigate tough situations that mark a defining moment in their youth. The coming-of-age narrative combined with thriller aspects transforms the audience’s viewing journey. They allow themselves to relate to a character and watch them bloom while simultaneously engaging in a suspenseful narrative that builds to a dramatic climax. Watching the underdog — the once incapable character turn capable — is a universally loved trope.
'Where The Crawdads Sing' Is The Kind Of Movie Your Mom Will Love
Where The Crawdads Sing is a movie adapted from the novel of the same name by Delia Owens. The movie centers around Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) — an orphaned girl living on the outskirts of town — who becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. While some films focus on teenage protagonist characters and their transformation from youth to adulthood, a coming-of-age can occur anytime in an individual’s life. Marked as a moment when a character defines themselves in a new way, if there’s a revolutionary change in their personality, it’s a coming-of-age story.
'Kill Your Darlings' (2013)
Starring Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe alongside Dane DeHaan and Jack Huston, Kill Your Darlings is a drama-romance set in the 1940s. Based on a true story of The Beat Generation — a post-war literary movement — and their first members in college, the film explores rebellion against institutions and laws through literary counterculture. Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) arrives at Columbia University, quickly befriending Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) — an anti-establishment student who engages in a sexual relationship with a janitor (Michael C. Hall) in exchange for term papers.
Together with William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston), the men start a literary club between drug-fuelled creative sparks and sexual adventures. The group becomes fractured after the murder of the janitor, but at the forefront of the murder mystery is Allen Ginsberg’s coming-of-age. Trying to understand his role in the world, Allen navigates between his sexuality and his passion as a writer. He transitions from immature and unsure to a moralistic writer who matures in the wake of the murder — and is inspired by it.
'Disturbia' (2007)
The psychological thriller Disturbia starts with an innocent protagonist, Kale Brecht (Shia LaBeouf): a young boy under house arrest after punching his teacher. With the novelty of swapping school for days of gaming and television, Kale is quickly bored in his three-month lockdown when his mother bans him from fun. In a boredom-busting attempt, Kale spies on his neighbors — his love interest Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and suspicious single-man Robert Turner (David Morse).
When Robert’s Ford Mustang matches that of the car of a serial killer reported on the news, Kale, Ashley, and Kale’s best friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) investigate the reclusive neighbor, leading to a climactic interrogation. Throughout the suspense in catching who the audience already knows is the killer, Kale’s transition to find his identity occurs through his budding relationship with Ashley, which matures him in ways that transpire from being an immature peeping-tom to a mature man who wants to keep the neighborhood safe from a murderer.
'Carrie' (1976)
Possibly the most iconic coming-of-age story with murder elements, the original version of Carrie is a horror thriller adapted from Stephen King’s novel. Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) is a young, naive sixteen-year-old who lives a friendless, sheltered life under the religious extremes of her mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie). When her first period arrives in the school showers, Carrie freaks out, unaware of what is happening to her body, and her classmates taunt her by throwing tampons at her.
Carrie is locked in a small room at home and forced to pray away her "sins." Frustrated by her mother’s harshness, Carrie realizes she has special powers. Meanwhile, Carrie’s bullies plot their revenge for being banned from the school prom. In a twisted plot that sees Carrie turn into the villain, Carrie’s coming-of-age arrives in the face of adversity, where she grows from a recluse girl into an empowered woman who stands up for herself — though this manifests in gruesome ways.
'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011)
The neo-noir psychological thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is based on the novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson and directed by Fight Club’s David Fincher. The film follows Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a skilled computer hacker who is hired by disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to help investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of a wealthy man’s niece, Harriet (Joely Richardson).
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While the film follows Mikael’s need to re-establish himself as a journalist after a libel case against successful businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström (Ulf Friberg), whom he believes is involved in corruption, the true protagonist is Lisbeth. With a past involving emotional abuse and sexual assault, Lisbeth transfigures from a victim to an avenger.
'American Fable' (2016)
American Fable is a thriller guided through the eyes of eleven-year-old Gitty (Peyton Kennedy), a young girl who escapes her family troubles in a world of fantasy and make-believe. Learning that her family might lose their beloved farm, Gitty heads out to explore the land, only to stumble across an imprisoned developer Jonathan (Richard Schiff), in a silo, who once took away her home.
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As Gitty befriends Jonathan, it becomes more difficult for her to understand where her loyalty lies. Bringing him food and books, Gitty becomes less oblivious about why Jonathan is held captive as she uncovers family secrets. Torn between her friend and her family, Gitty experiences her coming-of-age, where she shifts into maturity and steps away from her fantasy world.
'Jasper Jones' (2017)
A typical coming-of-age story, Jasper Jones is an Australian mystery drama that sees the bookish turn brave, adapted from the novel by Craig Silvey. Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller) is a fourteen-year-old boy who involves his time in childish banter with best friend Jeffery Lu (Kevin Long) and fawning over his crush, Eliza Wishart (Angourie Rice). One night, Charlie is awakened by the town’s outcast, Jasper Jones (Aaron McGrath) — an Aboriginal boy subject to racism in the wake of his misleading rebellion.
Convincing Charlie to sneak out, Jasper leads him to the body of his girlfriend, Laura Wishart. The boys decide to hide her body in a nearby river, knowing that Jasper will be blamed for her death, and they vow to source the murderer. Opening his eyes to the unjust world around him, Charlie begins his journey into adulthood through his developing relationship with Eliza and the realization that adults aren’t always morally inclined as he once thought.
'The Woman in the Window' (2021)
The Woman in the Window is a psychological thriller that follows a storyline similar to Disturbia. Anna Fox (Amy Adams) is housebound due to her agoraphobia and, as a result, drinks her days away. To cure her boredom, she begins to spy on her neighbors, particularly the Russell family. Visited by Jane (Julianne Moore) and son Ethan Russell (Fred Hechinger), it is suggested that the family’s head, Alistair (Gary Oldman), is abusive.
However, when Anna witnesses Alistair stabbing Jane to death, the police inform her that Jane is alive and well — except the Jane she met is no longer the same woman (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Confused, Anna continues spying on the family, leading to her finding out some fascinating truths with severe consequences. Although not focused on a young protagonist, the change Anna undergoes in the film is akin to an older coming-of-age, whereby she escapes her life constrained by her agoraphobia and alcoholism, assisted by her drive to uncover the truth about Jane’s death.
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