coming-of-age

Director Mark Pellington on His Timeless Coming-of-Age Debut ‘Going All the Way’

Director Mark Pellington on His Timeless Coming-of-Age Debut ‘Going All the Way’

Still courtesy of Oscilloscope
Eating Boys and Growing Tails: “Menstruosity” Body Horror in Film

Eating Boys and Growing Tails: “Menstruosity” Body Horror in Film

In coming-of-age, “menstruosity” body horror films, the Final Girl is the sexual transgressor. As her sexual freedom grows, so does her monstrosity.

What’s So Great About Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Licorice Pizza’?

What’s So Great About Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Licorice Pizza’?

Gary of Licorice Pizza behaves like all male characters from Paul Thomas Anderson’s gallery of sociopaths, except now the type is cast as a romantic hero.

Smoking Saved My Life: A Skinny Jewish Kid Comes of Age in the Haze of American Violence

Smoking Saved My Life: A Skinny Jewish Kid Comes of Age in the Haze of American Violence

As cool as Marlon Brando, James Dean, Jack Kerouac or Dalton Trumbo, rebel Max "Flaco" Greenbaum grows up in Watts Riots-Vietnam-draft-era L.A. Too smart (and smart-mouthed) for school, the violence of this world is drawn in deep and lingers like the long, slow, life-saving drag of a cigarette.

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Has the Most Relatable Peter Parker

Hulu’s ‘Ramy’ Offers a Refreshing Angle on the Coming-of-Age Dramedy

Hulu’s ‘Ramy’ Offers a Refreshing Angle on the Coming-of-Age Dramedy

Ramy's representation of the Muslim-American experience, the first-generation immigrant experience, and the bilingual experience, is a necessary and welcome addition to the millennial dramedy genre.

‘Milkman’ Is a Rich Read about Violence and Silence

‘Milkman’ Is a Rich Read about Violence and Silence

For a book so full of coded language, innuendoes, gossip, and rumors, Anna Burns' award-winning Milkman is perhaps really about silence.

‘Boy Erased’ Is an Easy-to-Swallow Capsule of Sexual Repression

‘Boy Erased’ Is an Easy-to-Swallow Capsule of Sexual Repression

Director Joel Edgerton's well-intentioned drama about gay conversion therapy fails to deliver any new insight or even a good cry.

Reading ‘Paradise Rot’ Will Leave You Feeling Woozy

Reading ‘Paradise Rot’ Will Leave You Feeling Woozy

Jenny Hval is writing for the senses, conjuring with almost nauseating accuracy sensations both mundane and extraordinary.

‘Mid90s’ Is a Winning Story about the Losers

‘Mid90s’ Is a Winning Story about the Losers

Jonah Hill's directorial debut is a deceptively rich examination of the male psyche.

A Stranger Thing: Shannon Purser on ‘Sierra Burgess Is a Loser’

A Stranger Thing: Shannon Purser on ‘Sierra Burgess Is a Loser’

Shannon Purser discusses her debut role in film, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, catfishing, and the unrealistic expectations imposed on today's youth.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Updates the Romantic Comedy for the #MeToo Era

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Updates the Romantic Comedy for the #MeToo Era

Self-reliance, personal agency, boundaries, and respect -- Jenny Hans' YA novel, and in turn, Susan Johnson's film adaptation, show young viewers how healthy their relationships can be.