10 Best Coming-Of-Age Movies Nobody Talks About Anymore

Through filmmakers like John Hughes and any number of irreverent teen comedies, the coming-of-age genre has been robust for years. But while we've covered the gold standard of coming-of-age movies before, we're ready to go a bit off the beaten track in our latest look at the genre. This time around, we're looking at movies that aren't as enduringly celebrated or well-known as their peers like "Clueless" or "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Several of these movies don't take place primarily in high school, but still feature teenagers and young adults coming to terms with their burgeoning maturity.

While the movies we're citing here aren't as widely recognized as the best teen movies of all time, they still effectively capture the nuances of growing up. From surrealist teen comedies that got lost in the shuffle compared to their contemporaries or period piece dramas, these films each have something distinct to add to the genre. Despite this, each of these films seems to have fallen out of wider discourse over the passage of time. These are the 10 best coming-of-age movies nobody talks about anymore, and each one is well worth checking out.

While everyone may remember 1979's "Meatballs" primarily for Bill Murray's performance in his first leading film role, there is a coming-of-age story at the heart of it. Murray stars as camp counselor Tripper Harrison at a low-rent summer camp in Ontario, where he serves as the de facto leader of the other counselors. Among the campers this particular summer is young outcast Rudy Gerner (Chris Makepeace), who wants to run away while grieving the recent death of his mother. In between Tripper's antics, the other counselors get into their own hijinks and summertime romances while barely keeping the camp running.

Not as ribald as its contemporaries "Animal House" or "Porky's," "Meatballs" instead lives and dies by Bill Murray, lighting up whenever he's on screen. On its own merits, the 1979 movie offers the template that movies like "Wet Hot American Summer" would improve upon, but it still holds up nearly 50 years later. There is a multifaceted coming-of-age undercurrent to the story here that feels secondary to the laughs, but gives it a solid emotional grounding. Unassuming in getting its laughs compared to raunchier '80s comedies to follow, "Meatballs" is a must-watch for Murray fans.

Compared to the more mainstream-friendly John Hughes teen movies that dominated the '80s, 1985's "Better Off Dead" feels like a surrealistic counterpoint. Starring John Cusack in one of his best movies, the story opens with high schooler Lane Meyer (Cusack) being dumped by his girlfriend, sending him on a downward spiral. As Lane tries to cope, joined by his kooky suburban family, he meets French foreign exchange student Monique Junot (Diane Franklin). However, the initial attempts at a budding romance are blocked by Monique's host family, who want her to couple up with their son.

"Better Off Dead" is gleefully strange in its presentation and, at least initially, dark with its humor from Lane's suicidal mindset after being dumped. This keeps it from being as well-regarded and known as many of the Hughes-helmed contemporaries, but the unorthodox flick wouldn't have it any other way. This is a teen comedy for misfits and outcasts, veering into outright absurdism at times, but not without an earnest emotional core under its quirks. One of the best '80s teen movies, "Better Off Dead" subverts the coming-of-age genre while fitting into it, at least on its self-aware fringes.

Despite being ranked among the best John Hughes films, "Some Kind of Wonderful" doesn't get the same level of recognition as films like "Sixteen Candles" or "The Breakfast Club." The 1987 movie centers on Los Angeles high schooler Keith (Eric Stoltz) and his tomboyish best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson). As Keith tries to strike up a relationship with his popular classmate Amanda (Lea Thompson), Watts realizes that she's actually in love with her friend. Despite this, Watts continues to help Keith try to woo Amanda as he has to contend with his own confused feelings over who he's actually enamored with.

"Some Kind of Wonderful" fixes the problems of "Pretty in Pink," specifically in how it handles its core love triangle by the end. But beyond comparisons to their conclusions, the 1987 flick has more noticeable grit to it, opting for verisimilitude over the stylish gloss in "Pretty in Pink." That's not only reflected in the cinematography and story, but also in its lead performances, with Masterson being particularly good. The unsung John Hughes movie — perhaps because he only wrote and produced it, with Howard Deutch directing — "Some Kind of Wonderful" is a standout from the decade.

Relatively fresh off of the dark comedy "Heathers," Winona Ryder starred in a much more conventional coming-of-age movie with 1990's "Mermaids." Set in 1963 Massachusetts, the movie follows teenager Charlotte Flax (Ryder) and her free-spirited single mother Rachel (Cher), who relocates her family after every major breakup. Charlotte nervously tries to romance a 20-something young woman working at the local convent while Rachel begins a new relationship with shoe salesman Lou Landsky (Bob Hoskins). Dealing with these emotional complications brings the small family, including Rachel's youngest daughter Kate (Christina Ricci), closer together.

"Mermaids" reverses the mother-daughter dynamic found in a lot of movies, with the daughter as the more neurotic and conservative of the duo. Ryder is completely in her element in that regard, navigating her character's complicated dynamic with her mother well. This brings a pronounced and relatable angst to the slice-of-life laughs and endearing moments, as well as the familial drama. One of the best Cher movies and certainly an underrated one for Ryder, "Mermaids" is the earnest antithesis to the delightfully cynical "Heathers."

Robert De Niro's feature directorial debut was the 1993 adaptation of Chazz Palminteri's one-man stage play "A Bronx Tale." A semi-autobiographical story of Palminteri's own New York City upbringing, the movie centers on teenager Calogero (Lillo Brancato Jr.) in the '60s. Despite warnings from his bus driver father Lorenzo (De Niro), Calogero becomes enamored with the local mob outfit, particularly idolizing mob boss Sonny (Palminteri). Receiving life lessons from two very different father figures, Calogero is forced to grow up quickly as racial tensions change his neighborhood forever.

Both as an actor and director, "A Bronx Tale" is one of the best Robert De Niro films, eschewing his usual mobster archetype to play the conflicted father instead. This is matched by Palminteri, who wrote the screenplay adapting his own play, with his performance as Sonny seamlessly alternating between fatherly and menacing, depending on the context. Between these opposing figures, Brancato plays Calogero as a character in transition, discovering how mean the world can be and the heartbreaking ramifications of one's actions. One of the more underrated mob movies of the '90s, and certainly among De Niro's best work in the genre, "A Bronx Tale" is a wonderful coming-of-age take on crime dramas.

Years before he starred on "Dawson's Creek," one standout role for the late James Van Der Beek was as school bully Rick Sanford in the 1995 teen comedy "Angus." Rick mercilessly targets Angus Bethune, played by Charlie Talbert, and plans to humiliate him at the upcoming school winter dance. Angus receives advice from his grandfather Irving (George C. Scott) while secretly pining for Rick's girlfriend Melissa Lefevre (Ariana Richards). This all comes to a head at the climactic school dance, with Angus becoming an unlikely figure to push back against Rick's tyranny over him and his classmates.

With Rita Moreno and Kathy Bates joining George C. Scott, "Angus" has one of the more stacked supporting casts of a '90s coming-of-age movie. The film also features a fantastic original soundtrack, with Green Day and Weezer among the bands contributing songs for the movie, capturing the mid-'90s era wonderfully. The movie itself doesn't reinvent the genre, but in its defense, it doesn't try to, offering an easygoing update to the familiar tropes and archetypes. A scrappier alternative to "Clueless," which was released the same year, "Angus" is as unassumingly charming as its titular protagonist.

Another overlooked coming-of-age movie with an all-star ensemble cast is 2002's "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," based on Chris Fuhrman's semi-autobiographical novel. Set in '70s Georgia, the story centers on a close-knit friend group led by Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), who attend a Catholic school together. The ensemble clashes with strict Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) while Francis grows close to classmate Margie Flynn (Jena Malone). In between their usual antics, Francis lives out his daydreams in the form of an animated comic book, illustrating him and his friends as superhero figures.

"The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" covers that coming-of-age ground when adolescent whimsy collides with the darker truths about burgeoning adulthood. This includes the nature of consequences, something that's made all the more clear by its surprisingly lethal climax, albeit in a darkly comic way. Hirsch and Culkin play off of each other well and Malone demonstrates a poise beyond her years, breaking up the male hegemony of the story. A coming-of-age movie with a sardonic edge and engaging young cast, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" makes the grade.

Filmmaker Greg Mottola's follow-up to "Superbad" was writing and directing the 2009 dramedy "Adventureland," which features a story set in 1987. The movie has protagonist James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) struggling to find his way after graduating from college, and getting a job at the titular amusement park near his Pittsburgh hometown. James finds instant chemistry with his new co-worker Em Lewin (Kristen Stewart), despite her carrying on an affair with married co-worker Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds). As the ensemble works at the theme park together over the summer, these complicated feelings come to a head.

"Adventureland" effectively infuses its story with plenty of '80s nostalgia before "Stranger Things" made it cool seven years later. Stewart really gets the opportunity to show her acting chops here in a refreshing change from her then-concurrent "Twilight" movies. And even though he's not the star, "Adventureland" also stands as one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies, letting him play a thoroughly unlikable character and showcasing his range as an actor. Bringing a stronger sense of heart than its contemporaries and Mottola's other work, "Adventureland" wisely leans into the strengths of its core cast.

Many of the best Studio Ghibli movies, from "Princess Mononoke" to "Spirited Away," have their own prominent coming-of-age narratives. One film that doesn't get enough recognition compared to the Japanese animation studio's more celebrated works is 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill." Set in 1963 Yokohama, the movie focuses on high schoolers Umi Matsuzaki and Shun Kazama as their neighborhood is poised to be greatly affected by the upcoming Olympic Games. As the two grow closer trying to save a local building housing the school's clubs, Umi and Shun discover their history might be more tied together than they thought.

Co-written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his son Gorō, "From Up on Poppy Hill" is one of the more grounded Studio Ghibli movies. There is no overt magical realism or fantasy elements to this story — it's a straightforward coming-of-age tale rooted in Japan's transitional mid-20th century period. While this change of pace makes the movie something of an outlier compared to the studio's usual output, it's certainly no less emotionally rich. The best of Gorō Miyazaki's directorial work to date, "From Up on Poppy Hill" finds its cinematic beauty in everyday urban life.

After working in Hollywood for over a decade, filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa delivered his masterpiece with 2015's "Dope." The movie follows high schooler Malcolm Adekanbi (Shameik Moore) and his friends as they navigate life in Inglewood, California. Malcolm dreams of attending Harvard University while maintaining a healthy obsession with '90s hip-hop culture. However, his life is forever changed when he accidentally comes into possession of a backpack filled with contraband.

Rick Famuyiwa wears his inspirations openly in "Dope," particularly through the movie's protagonist, powered by a breakout performance from Moore. The movie evokes the early '90s coming-of-age dramas and teen comedies that inspired the filmmaker, but through a vibrantly fresh lens and featuring plenty of fantastic music. At an age when everything feels life or death to a young person, the movie's story leans into those possibilities, in both its conflict and romance in equal measure. Smartly written and staged, "Dope" breaks the coming-of-age movie mold while simultaneously honoring the flicks that came before it.