Films about slouching teenagers depict the struggles, coming-of-age experiences, and personal growth of teenagers who exhibit a lack of motivation, confidence, or a general sense of apathy. These films often explore themes of identity, self-discovery, and the challenges of navigating adolescence. Here is a list of existing films about slouching teenagers:
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, 2012
Director: Stephen Chbosky
This film follows Charlie, a socially awkward high school freshman who forms unexpected friendships with a group of misfit seniors. Through their guidance, he explores love, loss, and the complexities of teenage life.
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Nina Dobrev, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Paul Rudd, Mae Whitman, Adam Hagenbuch, Johnny Simmons, Erin Wilhelmi, Tom Savini, Joan Cusack, Melanie Lynskey, Tom Kruszewski, Zane Holtz, Reece Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Patrick de Ledebur, Brian Balzerini, Julia Garner, Emily Marie Callaway, Chelsea Zhang, Jesse Scheirer, Justine Nicole Schaefer, Jules Atlas, Leo Miles Farmerie, Isabel Muschweck, Jordan Paley, Timothy Breslin, Mark McClain Wilson, Atticus Cain, Stacy Chbosky, Dihlon McManne, Laurie Klatscher, Landon Pigg, Jennifer Enskat, William L. Thomas, Morgan Wolk, Tony Amen, Diedra Arthur-O'Ree, Tiffany Bell, Matt Black, Zachary Bolen, Andre Brassil, Ralph Browning, Lisa Buckley, Owen Campbell, Roberto Capriotti, Daniel Clayton;
Production year: 2012;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 102 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,9;
More information about the film “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” on the website imdb.com
“Submarine”, 2010
Director: Richard Ayoade
Set in Wales, this coming-of-age film revolves around Oliver Tate, an eccentric and introverted teenager who becomes infatuated with a classmate while trying to save his parents' relationship. With a mix of humor and introspection, the film explores the awkwardness and self-discovery of adolescence.
Starring: Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine, Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Darren Evans, Osian Cai Dulais, Lily McCann, Otis Lloyd, Elinor Crawley, Steffan Rhodri, Gemma Chan, Melanie Walters, Sion Tudor Owen, Adrienne O'Sullivan, Jonny Wier, Lydia Fox, Lynn Hunter, Claire Cage, Edwin Ashcroft, Andrew Phillips, James Alexander Hill, Rikki Hall, Tom Ryan, James Jones, Sophy Brady-Halligan, Tanya Brady-Halligan, Suzie Jenkins, Samantha Kelly, Mandy Kitto, Ben Stiller;
Production year: 2010;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 97 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “Submarine” on the website imdb.com
“Ghost World”, 2001
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Enid and Rebecca, best friends who have just graduated from high school, find themselves drifting apart as they struggle to find their place in the adult world. This dark comedy-drama delves into themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the complexities of friendship.
Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Bob Balaban, Stacey Travis, Charles C. Stevenson Jr., Dave Sheridan, Tom McGowan, Debra Azar, Brian George, Pat Healy, Rini Bell, T.J. Thyne, Ezra Buzzington, Lindsey Girardot, Joy Bisco, Venus DeMilo Thomas, Ashley Peldon, Chachi Pittman, Janece Jordan, Kaileigh Brielle Martin, Alexander Fors, Marc Vann, James Sie, Paul Keith, David Cross, J.J. Bad Boy Jones, Dylan Jones, Martin Grey, Steve Pierson, Jake La Botz, Johnny Irion, Nate Wood, Charles Schneider, Sid Hillman, Joshua Wheeler, Patrick Fischler, Daniel Graves, Matt Doherty, Joel Michaely, Debi Derryberry, Joseph Sikora, Brett Gilbert, Alex Solowitz, Tony Ketcham, Mary Bogue, Brian Jacobs, Patrick Yonally;
Production year: 2001;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 111 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “Ghost World” on the website imdb.com
“Juno”, 2007
Director: Jason Reitman
Juno MacGuff, a witty and independent-minded teenager, finds herself facing an unexpected pregnancy. As she navigates the challenges of her situation, Juno learns about love, responsibility, and the complexities of growing up.
Starring: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Eileen Pedde, Rainn Wilson, Daniel Clark, Darla Vandenbossche, Aman Johal, Valerie Tian, Emily Perkins, Kaaren de Zilva, Steven Christopher Parker, Candice King, Sierra Pitkin, Cut Chemist, Eve Harlow, Kirsten Alter, Emily Tennant, Ashley Whillans, Jeff Witzke, Colin McSween, Peggy Logan, Cameron Bright, Joy Galmut, Wendy Russell, Robyn Ross, Dallas Hanson, Bryson Russell, Derek Mann, Keith Frost, Grayson Grant, Robin Watts, Tyler Watts, Brandon Barton, Josephine Reitman, Oliver Gorin, Ethan Steelberg, Matthew Sanders;
Production year: 2007;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 96 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,4;
More information about the film “Juno” on the website imdb.com
“The Breakfast Club”, 1985
Director: John Hughes
In this iconic '80s film, five high school students from different social cliques spend a Saturday detention together. As they open up to each other and share their stories, they discover that they have more in common than they initially thought.
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason, John Kapelos, Perry Crawford, Mary Christian, Ron Dean, Tim Gamble, Fran Gargano, Mercedes Hall, Jonathan Chapin;
Production year: 1985;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 97 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
More information about the film “The Breakfast Club” on the website imdb.com
“Rushmore”, 1998
Director: Wes Anderson
Max Fischer, a precocious and eccentric teenager attending Rushmore Academy, becomes entangled in a love triangle with a teacher and a wealthy businessman. This quirky comedy explores themes of ambition, unrequited love, and the challenges of finding one's purpose in life.
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassel, Brian Cox, Mason Gamble, Sara Tanaka, Stephen McCole, Connie Nielsen, Luke Wilson, Dipak Pallana, Andrew Wilson, Marietta Marich, Ronnie McCawley, Keith McCawley, Hae Joon Lee, Adebayo Asabi, Al Fielder, Colin Platt, George Farish, Francis Fernandez, McCauley Penderdast, Eric Bennett Weems, Dalton Tomlin, Wallace Wolodarsky, Kim Terry, Ella Pryor, Antoni Scarano, Brian Tenenbaum, Thayer McClanahan, Patricia Winkler, Manning Mott, J.J. Stonebraker, Donny Caicedo, Ali Ktiri, Michael Maggart, Robbie Lee, Morgan Redmond, Ed Geldart, John Killalea, William Lau, Lucille Sadikin, Steve Eckelman, Eric Chase Anderson, Danny Fine, Kyle Ryan Urquhart, Kumar Pallana, Stephen Dignan;
Production year: 1998;
Genre: drama, melodrama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 93 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “Rushmore” on the website imdb.com
“Eighth Grade”, 2018
Director: Bo Burnham
This insightful coming-of-age film follows Kayla, a socially awkward eighth-grader, as she navigates the final week of middle school. With a realistic portrayal of the anxieties and challenges faced by teenagers today, the film explores themes of self-acceptance, friendship, and the impact of social media.
Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Hechinger, Imani Lewis, Luke Prael, Catherine Oliviere, Nora Mullins, Missy Yager, Shacha Temirov, Greg Crowe, Thomas John O'Reilly, Frank Deal, J. Tucker Smith, Tiffany Grossfeld, David Shih, Trinity Goscinsky-Lynch, Natalie Carter, Kevin R. Free, Keith Maurice Davis, Deborah Unger, William Alexander Wunsch, Marguerite Stimpson, Phoebe Amirault, Veronica Bikowicz, Dan Chen, Castor Feinberg, Shira Fisler, Andrew Geher, Katie Jandrasits, Gerald Jones III, Emma Kathryn, Jalesia Martinez, Luke Mulligan, Dina Pearlman, Kaileen Quinones, Shane Stackpole, Tom Stratford, Kathryn Zimmer;
Production year: 2018;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 93 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,4;
More information about the film “Eighth Grade” on the website imdb.com
“Lady Bird”, 2017
Director: Greta Gerwig
Set in Sacramento, California, in 2002, this critically acclaimed film follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson during her senior year of high school. The film explores Lady Bird's turbulent relationship with her mother, her quest for identity, and her dreams of escaping her small hometown.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Odeya Rush, Jordan Rodrigues, Marielle Scott, John Karna, Jake McDorman, Bayne Gibby, Laura Marano, Marietta DePrima, Daniel Zovatto, Kristen Cloke, Andy Buckley, Paul Keller, Kathryn Newton, Myra Turley, Bob Stephenson, Abhimanyu Katyal, Chris Witaske, Ben Konigsberg, Gurpreet Gill, Richard Jin, Joan Patricia O'Neil, Robert Figueroa, Carla Valentine, Roman Arabia, Monique Edwards, Matthew Maher, Anita Kalathara, Debra Miller, Georgia Leva, Derek Butler, London Thor, Shaelan O'Connor, Christina Offley, Sabrina Schloss, Connor Mickiewicz, Erik Daniells, Cynthia Cales, Giselle Grams, Ithamar Enriquez, Luisa Lee, Danielle Macdonald, Adam Brock;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 94 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,4;
More information about the film “Lady Bird” on the website imdb.com
These films offer a glimpse into the lives of slouching teenagers, capturing the complexities, struggles, and growth that come with navigating adolescence. Each film offers a unique perspective and insight into the challenges faced by teenagers during this transformative period of their lives.
In this selection of films about slouching teenagers, we witness a powerful portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of adolescence. From the angst-ridden rebellion of “Rebel Without a Cause” to the introspective journey of self-discovery in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” these films offer a poignant reflection of the challenges faced by teenagers. Through compelling storytelling and authentic performances, these movies capture the essence of youth, reminding us of the universal experience of growing up and finding one's place in the world. As the credits roll, we are left with a deep appreciation for the emotional complexity and resilience of the teenage spirit, as depicted in these thought-provoking and relatable cinematic works.
