Watchworthy

1.7k voters

The Best Coming of Age Movies

Updated August 14, 2020 19.1k votes 1.7k voters 148.7k views181 items

List RulesVote for the greatest coming of age films, regardless of how popular or successful they were at the box office.

For this list, we're ranking the best coming of age movies of all time, with the help of your votes. The coming of age films list is special in the sense that everyone on the planet can relate to these movies. They tell stories of awkward teenagers transitioning from children into adults, and the journey is almost always familiar to grown men and women who have already been through it themselves. Many of the top coming of age movies were released in the '80s and '90s, including Dazed and Confused, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. A good example of a newer coming of age film is Superbad, the movie that launched the careers of Michael Cena and Jonah Hill.

Don't be afraid to add one of your favorites to this coming of age movies list if it's missing. Try not to downvote the films you haven't seen, as we want this list to be as accurate as possible.

list.itemsDescription

...more

Try the free app

1
506
165
The Breakfast Club
Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
Released: 1985
Directed by: John Hughes
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and... more on Wikipedia
2
515
93
Stand by Me
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman
Released: 1986
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming of age comedy-drama adventure film directed by Rob... more on Wikipedia
3
366
131
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick
Released: 1986
Directed by: John Hughes
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John... more on Wikipedia
More Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Behind The Scenes Of The Famous Parade Scene In 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'Interesting Details From 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' That Made Us Stop And Look Around
4
255
87
Dazed and Confused
Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich
Released: 1993
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Dazed and Confused is a 1993 coming of age comedy film written and directed by Richard... more on Wikipedia
5
282
99
The Sandlot
James Earl Jones, Denis Leary
Released: 1993
Directed by: David M. Evans
The Sandlot, also known as The Sandlot Kids, is a 1993 American coming-of-age film Comedy... more on Wikipedia
More The Sandlot
What Ever Happened To All The Kids From The Sandlot?#13 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies
6
229
77
Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck, Robin Williams
Released: 1997
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Matt... more on Wikipedia
7
288
85
Dead Poets Society
Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke
Released: 1989
Directed by: Peter Weir
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film written by Tom Schulman, directed by Peter... more on Wikipedia

8
206
71
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Nicolas Cage, Sean Penn
Released: 1982
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by... more on Wikipedia
9
234
101
Superbad
Emma Stone, Seth Rogen
Released: 2007
Directed by: Greg Mottola
Superbad is a 2007 American teen comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and starring Jonah Hill... more on Wikipedia
More Superbad
#7 of 38 Every Movie Coming to Netflix in January 2021#21 of 142 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies
10
242
101
Sixteen Candles
John Cusack, Molly Ringwald
Released: 1984
Directed by: John Hughes
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael... more on Wikipedia
11
205
95
My Girl
Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 1991
Directed by: Howard Zieff
My Girl is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Howard Zieff and written by Laurice... more on Wikipedia
More My Girl
#7 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry#94 of 836 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made
12
222
98
Juno
Jennifer Garner, Ellen Page
Released: 2007
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Juno is a 2007 Canadian-American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by... more on Wikipedia
More Juno
#328 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#405 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
13
166
69
American Graffiti
Harrison Ford, Ron Howard
Released: 1973
Directed by: George Lucas
American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming of age comedy-drama film directed and co-written... more on Wikipedia
More American Graffiti
#137 of 206 Musical Movies With the Best Songs#178 of 553 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made
14
173
56
Almost Famous
Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson
Released: 2000
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Almost Famous is a 2000 comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and starring... more on Wikipedia
More Almost Famous
#121 of 355 The Best Rainy Day Movies#42 of 204 The Best Drug Movies of All Time
15
214
114
The Karate Kid
Elisabeth Shue, Ralph Macchio
Released: 1984
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts romantic drama film directed by John G.... more on Wikipedia
More The Karate Kid
#7 of 14 '80s Movie Fan Theories#15 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
16
187
89
Big
Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz
Released: 1988
Directed by: Penny Marshall
Big is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Penny Marshall, and stars Tom Hanks as... more on Wikipedia
More Big
Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Big,' Tom Hanks's First Blockbuster Hit'Big' Is Actually An Existential Nightmare
17
161
20
The Goonies
Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin
Released: 1985
Directed by: Richard Donner
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The... more on Wikipedia
More The Goonies
Interesting Details From 'The Goonies' That Make Us Want To Rewatch20 Goonies Trivia Facts Everyone Should Know
18
221
106
Mean Girls
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams
Released: 2004
Directed by: Mark Waters
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film. Mark Waters directed, and Tina Fey wrote the... more on Wikipedia
More Mean Girls
24 'Mean Girls' Memes That Are So FetchBehind-The-Scenes Secrets Of 'Mean Girls'
19
119
65
Rebel Without a Cause
Natalie Wood, James Dean
Released: 1955
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban,... more on Wikipedia
More Rebel Without a Cause
#141 of 199 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time#4 of 36 30+ Great Movies About Juvenile Delinquents
20
260
65
Clueless
Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy
Released: 1995
Directed by: Amy Heckerling
Clueless is a 1995 American comedy film loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma. It... more on Wikipedia
More Clueless
The Best Outfits from CluelessThe Best Words That Clueless Totally Invented
21
217
72
The Outsiders
Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage
Released: 1983
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
The Outsiders is a 1983 American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, an adaptation of... more on Wikipedia
22
152
55
Easy A
Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes
Released: 2010
Directed by: Will Gluck
Easy A is a 2010 American teen comedy film directed by Will Gluck. A clean-cut high school... more on Wikipedia
23
109
45
Boyz n the Hood
Ice Cube, Angela Bassett
Released: 1991
Directed by: John Singleton
Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood drama film directed by John Singleton. Three young men... more on Wikipedia
More Boyz n the Hood
#8 of 629 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#9 of 126 The Greatest Directorial Debuts Of All Time
24
123
62
Heathers
Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty
Released: 1988
Directed by: Michael Lehmann
Heathers is a 1988 comedy, drama film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael... more on Wikipedia
25
163
84
Pretty in Pink
James Spader, Gina Gershon
Released: 1986
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in... more on Wikipedia