The coming-of-age genre has always been one that is tough to keep fresh. A genre that is so close to so many people’s hearts for many reasons. It can be an exploration of life and meaning or even culture. A genre that can be used in a dramatic, emotional, or even scary way. It means so much to a lot of people. But how has it changed?
What defines the coming-of-age genre? Gen Z childhoods saw coming-of-age classics ‘Superbad’, ‘Juno’, ‘Mean Girls’, and ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ take hold of our lives. 2000s coming-of-age films were very much comedy-centered more than your ‘Dead Poets Society’ or ‘Good Will Hunting’. Those films follow a strictly drama-driven emotional payoff. Disney’s big hitters such as ‘Holes’ and ”Bridge to Terabithia’ shaped many aspects of our lives. This could be finding relatability or navigating aspects of growing up you are yet to witness. These films combined, had it all.
Coming-of-age films have changed a lot since the typical one of the 2000s and it is pretty clear as to why. International and indie films are starting to come to the forefront of the mainstream. We as the audience are beginning to consume so many people’s stories. These most notably have a much bigger emotional depth to them, rather than just relying on a comedic effect like many in the genre across the 2000s. Underrated gems of the decade like ‘Falcon Lake’ and ‘Riceboy Sleeps’ show us exactly why this genre is so important and how it can move forward. ‘Falcon Lake’ plays on young sexual exploration mixed with haunting undertones that will shock audiences mentally and emotionally. ‘Riceboy Sleeps’ defines a journey of immigration through a young man and his voyage to remember his past and his heritage. Both are coming-of-age films but both have unique and different experiences.
The Punch Line
A comedic approach had a much bigger impact on Gen Z’s lives when we were growing up. Comedy was the biggest idea keeping us entertained so it was perfect really. This isn’t to say that a more dramatic approach wasn’t as effective (it was), but for children, comedy was a big way to make a film memorable.
Everyone remembers the first time they watched the McLovin scene in ‘Superbad’. It is those kinds of comedic scenes that stuck with us the most. It is wonderful that coming-of-age films have evolved as we have gotten older. They have matured as we have but they continue to have a long-lasting impact, just in a very different way. Even in the 2020’s it is nice and nostalgic to come back to a comedic coming-of-age film. That kind of joy just reminds many of growing up, similar to the experiences happening in the film. Now we get the opportunity to relate to it.
The Evolution of the Genre
This decade has seen films such as ‘I Saw the TV Glow’, ‘Didi’, and ‘Falcon Lake’, try to reinvigorate the genre. To some extent, it has worked. Many coming-of-age films come across as derivative as one another, but these manage, for the most part, to stand on their own two feet.
Many coming-of-age films try to appeal to too broad of an audience, where you end up with no direct thematic message. ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ brings a horror aspect to the game. An exploration of loneliness and identity in a way the genre has never seen. The visual storytelling and surreal elements bring a unique life to this hopeless tale. It didn’t work for many people, but a film that appeals to everyone doesn’t appeal to anyone at all.
That is what makes so many modern-day coming-of-age films so impactful. They don’t try to be relatable to every single person or every single experience. They excel in picking something personal to them or a single culture and exploring it in wonderful depth and character. Sean Wang’s ‘Didi’ doesn’t try and reinvent the whole coming-of-age message. It doesn’t even need to. What it does so cleverly, is use found footage to bring about the memories of the 2000’s early social media boom, which is a unique way of exploring a time in which many Gen Z’s can relate to. Many of us have been through posting random and stupid videos on YouTube and later regretting.
A Perfect Balance:
‘Snack Shack’, starring Gabriel LaBelle, is an interesting entry, especially for this decade. It has the energy of the 2000s comedic approach with a broad American summer appeal to it. However, it takes a sudden mood switch that changes the whole execution the film was going for. And it sort of works. It falls more in line with the more emotionally draining coming-of-age films this decade, but it has that initial approach that we were so used to as kids. Stupid comedic teenage elements are set around the summertime.
A fascinating blend of the two, that has gone under the radar of many this year. The film understands the importance of family whilst delivering a more specific thematic approach to those who are having to deal with lost ones. The charm of summer is not lost in the emotional weight that the film provides. Many coming-of-age films seem to struggle to balance humour and emotion and it shows. The end result could’ve been a half-baked story with little payoff. If you can’t balance it, just stick to one.
The coming-of-age genre is continually evolving and expanding every year and it will continue to do so. Filmmakers are becoming more passionate about telling their youth stories and audiences are yearning for more. The adults that Gen Z are now are finding increasing comfort in a more dramatic and emotional approach as they mature.
Whilst it is good to look forward to more of these it is important to look back on the films that we grew up on. The comedic laughs and memories of endless watches. Times have changed, but maybe it’s for the better.
