coming-of-age

CLOSENESS: Kantemir Balagov’s Controversial Debut
CLOSENESS: Kantemir Balagov’s Controversial Debut

Closeness is an intriguing debut film that is marred by one incredibly bad choice on the part of its director.

TO THE STARS: A Meditation On Living In A Mean Land
TO THE STARS: A Meditation On Living In A Mean Land

Knowing the legacy of the state Oklahoma, To The Stars turns what could have been a fairly run-of-the-mill coming of age story into a broader indictment of a state’s transcendent violence.

SELAH AND THE SPADES: Stone Cold Stylish
SELAH AND THE SPADES: Stone Cold Stylish

Selah and the Spades takes the traditional trappings of coming-of-age stories and views them through a filter of a calculated coldness.

ON MY BLOCK Season 3: The Kids Are Not Alright
ON MY BLOCK Season 3: The Kids Are Not Alright

If in the end there will be no fourth season for On My Block, the ending of season three is still pretty much a perfect closure.

BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE: Familiar But Heartfelt
BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE: Familiar But Heartfelt

In a time of so much uncertainty, a movie like Big Time Adolescence is the very definition of a “comfort watch.” And we could all use that right now.

SXSW 2020: DRUNK BUS
SXSW 2020: DRUNK BUS

Drunk Bus is edgy and heartwarming, bringing powerful performances and an even stronger message to this coming-of-age film.

I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS Season 1: A Low-Stakes Yet Affecting Look At Teen Angst
I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS Season 1: A Low-Stakes Yet Affecting Look At Teen Angst

I Am Not Okay with This is a great show that feels both familiar and refreshing, twisting the formula of superhero origin and coming-of-age stories.

Slamdance 2020: BIG FUR & TAHARA
Slamdance 2020: TAHARA & BIG FUR

Kristy Strouse was able to catch a couple Slamdance 2020 films, Big Fur and Tahara, and both were wildly different, but equally compelling.

AND THEN WE DANCED: A Rare Act Of Defiance
AND THEN WE DANCED: A Rare Act Of Defiance

For a movie like And Then We Danced, so steeped in the traditional culture of Georgian dance, to embrace its taboo subject matter is defiance, artistically rendered.

ZOMBI CHILD: An Eerily Gorgeous Reclamation Of The Soul
ZOMBI CHILD: An Eerily Gorgeous Reclamation Of The Soul

As aloof and occasionally frustrating as the film may appear to be, Zombi Child is an eerie yet beautiful tale of coming-of-age and vodou.

HALA: Far More Nuanced Than The Trailer Suggests
HALA: Far More Nuanced Than The Trailer Suggests

Minhal Baig marries an American indie aesthetic with a uniquely immigrant narrative for something fresh, vital and worthwhile.

SEX EDUCATION Season 2: Still Sexy & Charming But Less Progressive
SEX EDUCATION Season 2: Still Sexy & Charming But Less Progressive

While the performances, production, and humor remain top-notch, Sex Education season two is a regressive step compared to its revolutionary first season.

TROOP ZERO: A Love Letter To The Misfits
TROOP ZERO: A Love Letter To The Misfits

Troop Zero is a feel-good film in every sense of the word and it is the hope of this critic that people find and cherish this film.

I LOST MY BODY: An Animated Reflection Of Life Affirmation
I LOST MY BODY: An Animated Reflection Of Life Affirmation

I Lost My Body leaves plenty to be interpreted and discovered by its viewers, making it one of the most thought provoking animated films of the 2010s.

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: Mostly A Success
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: Mostly A Success

Most Likely To Succeed reaffirms the dispiriting correlation between professional success and racial and class divide, as subtly depicted by Pamela Littky.