Jonah Hill’s directorial debut Mid90s is a nostalgic, raw coming-of-age story set in 1990s Los Angeles that follows 13-year-old Stevie as he spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and the new friends he meets at a local skate shop. The film perfectly captures the look, sound and feel of the era while telling an authentic, character-driven story.
If you loved Mid90s and are looking for more great coming-of-age movies in a similar vein, here are 15 of the best:
1. Eighth Grade (2018)
Comedian Bo Burnham’s directorial debut Eighth Grade is a painfully realistic look at the awkwardness and anxiety of being a teenager in the social media age. It follows 13-year-old Kayla (played by the excellent Elsie Fisher) during her last week of eighth grade as she struggles to fit in at school while navigating the ups and downs of adolescence.
Like Mid90s, the film has an authentic, almost documentary-like feel to it. Burnham perfectly captures what it’s like to be an awkward teen today, with all the self-consciousness and uncertainty magnified by Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Kayla’s journey of self-discovery feels raw and relatable. Eighth Grade is equal parts cringe-inducing, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful.
2. Skate Kitchen (2018)
Released the same year as Mid90s, Skate Kitchen is another coming-of-age tale set in the world of skateboarding. Based on a real group of female skaters in New York City, the film follows introverted teenager Camille, who befriends and joins an all-girl skateboarding crew.
With a mostly non-professional cast of real skateboarders, Skate Kitchen has a laid-back, naturalistic vibe similar to Mid90s. It explores the freedom, camaraderie and identity issues involved in skating subculture from a female perspective. While a little more understated than Hill’s film, it’s another authentic, well-acted coming-of-age gem.
3. Kids (1995)
One of the most controversial films of the 90s, Kids is an unflinching, often shocking look at a day in the life of a group of rebellious, promiscuous teenagers in New York City. Written by a then 19-year-old Harmony Korine and directed by Larry Clark, it caused a moral panic on its release for its frank depiction of underage sex and drug use.
While Mid90s has a certain sweetness and sensitivity, Kids is provocative and nihilistic, presenting a raw, troubling portrait of aimless, hedonistic youth. It’s definitely not for everyone, but remains a landmark coming-of-age film of the decade. The largely non-professional cast, including Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson in their screen debuts, bring a sense of realism, as does the lo-fi filmmaking style.
4. Thirteen (2003)
Thirteen is an uncompromising look at the trials and temptations of being a teenage girl. Co-written by a then 14-year-old Nikki Reed and director Catherine Hardwicke, it follows 13-year-old Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood) whose life spirals out of control when she befriends the troubled Evie (Reed). Rebellion, drugs, sex and crime ensue as Tracy transforms from a promising student into a surly adolescent.
Like Mid90s and Kids, Thirteen benefits from having a young co-creator who brings authenticity and insight to the teen experience. It’s a confronting, emotionally intense film with strong, believable performances from its young leads. Holly Hunter is also excellent as Tracy’s struggling single mother. It may be set a decade later than Mid90s, but Thirteen shares its unflinching, unsentimental approach to adolescent angst and upheaval.
5. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Richard Linklater’s cult classic Dazed and Confused follows a group of teenagers on the last day of high school in 1976 Austin, Texas. Featuring a killer 70s soundtrack and an ensemble cast including early appearances from Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and Milla Jovovich, it’s a nostalgic, freewheeling hangout movie.
While more comedic in tone than Mid90s, Dazed and Confused is similar in how it authentically captures the sights, sounds and attitudes of a particular time and place. Linklater nails the aimless yet exciting feeling of being young and unencumbered. The period details and soundtrack immerse you in the 70s milieu. It’s a funny, heartfelt, relatable portrait of the teenage experience.
6. The Florida Project (2017)
Sean Baker’s The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee and her young single mother Halley over one summer as they live in a budget motel in the shadow of Disney World. Seen through the eyes of the precocious Moonee, it’s a vibrant, bittersweet slice-of-life story about childhood innocence and resilience in the face of poverty and hardship.
While centered on a younger protagonist, The Florida Project shares Mid90s‘ raw, intimate visual style and non-judgmental, observational approach to its characters. The largely non-professional cast, including incredible child actor Brooklynn Prince, bring a sense of realism and spontaneity. Willem Dafoe also gives a warm, understated performance as the motel manager. Like Mid90s, it has a loose, impressionistic plot but packs an emotional wallop.
7. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
The Edge of Seventeen is a smart, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy starring Hailee Steinfeld as awkward 17-year-old Nadine, whose life unravels when her best friend starts dating her popular older brother. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, it’s a witty, perceptive look at the ups and downs of adolescence.
Steinfeld gives a funny, heartfelt performance as the self-deprecating Nadine, with Woody Harrelson providing great support as her sarcastic teacher and mentor. While more polished and conventional than Mid90s, it shares its empathy and insight into the teenage experience, dealing with themes of alienation, self-discovery and family. It’s a smart, entertaining teen movie that rings true.
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Based on the beloved novel by Stephen Chbosky, who also directs, The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows shy, introverted teenager Charlie (Logan Lerman) as he navigates his freshman year of high school and finds acceptance with a group of misfit seniors, including the free-spirited Sam (Emma Watson) and her flamboyant stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller).
With its early 90s setting, great soundtrack and themes of belonging and mental health, The Perks of Being a Wallflower makes for a good companion piece to Mid90s. It has a warm, nostalgic glow and a sensitive, emotionally honest script. The young cast all give earnest, appealing performances, capturing the joys and pains of adolescence.
9. Paranoid Park (2007)
Gus Van Sant’s dreamy, impressionistic Paranoid Park follows a teenage skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard and struggles with the guilt and whether to confess. Based on the novel by Blake Nelson, it’s a haunting, lyrical film that uses a fractured, non-linear narrative and Super 8 footage to capture its protagonist’s troubled inner life.
With its skateboarding milieu, teenage angst and artful visual style, Paranoid Park would make an intriguing double feature with Mid90s. It has a more poetic, experimental approach but a similar rawness and intimacy. The largely non-professional cast (including lead Gabe Nevins, who had never acted before) bring a sense of naturalism and authenticity.
10. American Honey (2016)
Andrea Arnold’s freewheeling epic American Honey follows Star (newcomer Sasha Lane), an Oklahoma teenager who runs away from home to join a “mag crew” – a traveling sales team that sells magazine subscriptions door to door. Along with her hard-partying new friends, including Shia LaBeouf’s rattail-sporting Jake, she traverses the Midwest, finding freedom and a sense of belonging.
At nearly three hours, American Honey is a long, meandering film but one that immerses you in its characters’ world in a similar way to Mid90s. Arnold’s intimate handheld camerawork and use of mostly non-actors gives it a raw, vérité feel. Lane is a magnetic presence, and the film has a great soundtrack capturing the youthful, anarchic energy of its misfit dreamers.
11. The Way, Way Back (2013)
The Way, Way Back is a charming, nostalgic coming-of-age story set over a summer in a small beach town. It follows 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) on vacation with his mother (Toni Collette) and her overbearing new boyfriend (Steve Carell). He finds an unexpected friend and father figure in Owen (Sam Rockwell), the laid-back manager of the local water park.
Written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (the Oscar-winning screenwriters of The Descendants), The Way, Way Back is a funny, heartfelt film with a great sense of time and place. Rockwell steals the show as the wisecracking Owen, and the rest of the cast (including Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph and Rob Corddry) are terrific. Like Mid90s, it captures the feeling of an eventful, transformative summer on the cusp of adulthood.
12. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
Lords of Dogtown is a fictionalized take on the birth of modern skateboarding in 1970s Venice Beach. Written by Stacy Peralta (one of the real-life skaters portrayed in the film) and directed by Catherine Hardwicke, it follows a group of young misfits who revolutionize the sport and deal with the consequences of fame and success.
With its period setting, skateboarding focus and themes of friendship and rebellion, Lords of Dogtown makes for an interesting counterpart to Mid90s. The young cast (including Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch and Victor Rasuk) bring energy and attitude, and the film has a great 70s rock soundtrack. Like Mid90s, it immerses you in the sights, sounds and lingo of its time and subculture.
13. Running with Scissors (2006)
Based on Augusten Burroughs’ bestselling memoir, Running with Scissors is a quirky, tragicomic coming-of-age story set in the 1970s. It follows Augusten (Joseph Cross) as he’s sent to live with his mother’s eccentric psychiatrist (Brian Cox) and his bizarre extended family after his parents’ divorce.
Directed by Ryan Murphy and featuring an all-star cast including Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow and Evan Rachel Wood, Running with Scissors is a darkly funny, often surreal film about a highly unconventional adolescence. Like Mid90s, it deals with themes of belonging, dysfunction and finding your way in a chaotic world. Cross anchors the film with his sensitive performance as the resilient Augusten.
14. Mustang (2015)
Mustang is a powerful, poetic Turkish coming-of-age film about five orphaned sisters whose lives are forever changed after an innocent encounter with some boys. Fearful of their burgeoning sexuality, their conservative guardians confine them to the house, leading to an increasingly oppressive environment as the girls rebel against their fate.
Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Mustang is a beautifully shot, emotionally stirring film that explores female identity, oppression and solidarity. The largely non-professional cast of real-life sisters bring a natural intimacy and spark to their roles. Like Mid90s, it has a vivid sense of time, place and community, with the girls’ wild spirit set against the scenic Turkish countryside.
15. We the Animals (2018)
Based on Justin Torres’ autobiographical novel, We the Animals is a dreamlike, impressionistic coming-of-age story told through the eyes of Jonah, the youngest of three brothers growing up in a volatile, working-class household. As he grapples with his burgeoning sexuality and artistic identity, Jonah finds escape in his vivid imagination and secret drawings.
Directed by Jeremiah Zagar and shot in lyrical 16mm, We the Animals is a visually poetic, emotionally raw film that captures the strange, magical thinking of childhood. The young, mostly non-professional cast bring a sense of spontaneity and realism. Like Mid90s, it’s a sensitive, immersive portrait of a pivotal time in a boy’s life as he starts to find his own voice.
These 15 films all capture the joys, pains and discoveries of coming of age in their own unique ways. Whether set in the recent or distant past, following skaters or misfits, using raw realism or lyrical impressionism, each offers an authentic, empathetic window into the teenage experience. If you liked Mid90s, these movies are well worth seeking out.
