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To the Coolest Girl in the World: Archiving Adolescence in ‘Eighth Grade’
By Tiia Kelly | “These artefacts constitute a record: a small sphere of expression for Kayla to move around in, to stretch her limbs and hear her own self-assured voice played back to her. When social anxiety prevents her from publicly expressing herself, the vlogs become a means of asserting, at the very least, a…
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Gendered Rage and Self-Respect in ‘Thoroughbreds’
By Meagen Tajalle | “It is immensely refreshing to bear witness to a young woman’s rage that is not rooted in victimization. Instead, the root of Lily’s wrath lies in self-respect, a trait adolescent girls are rarely afforded in movies.”
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‘Adam’s’ Confused Queer Adolescence
By Emma Ambrose | “Coming to grips with one’s sexuality does not come from staring longingly into a mirror and listening to the heart’s desire. It comes through interacting with other queer people who are just as flawed and confused and struggling to understand who they are.”
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Good or Bad, ‘Happiest Season’ is the Christmas Movie I Needed Growing Up (And Now)
By Nicole Watlington | “I’m confident two women can have a happy ending both in fiction and in real life especially in scenarios that include: Christmas lights, hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, and coquito.”
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‘Eighth Grade’ and Puberty with a Divorced Single Dad
By Francesca Hughes | “Many teen films either depict fathers as absent, unfaithful, or grieving widowers struggling to parent. This trope felt alien to me as a girl raised by a divorced single dad.”
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‘Selena’ and the Nostalgia of Language
By Orlando Mendiola | “My first experience with grief was when I was around six years old and my parents had to tell me that Selena, the Tejano singer, was dead.”
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Why ‘Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging’ Is Still A UK Teen Cult Classic
By Emily Shepherd | “Cringy parents, embarrassing crush encounters and crazy best friends – the perfect recipe for an iconic romcom. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008) is the Bridget Jones (2001) of teen romcoms.”
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‘Kajillionaire’ Is A Searing, but Hopeful, Portrait of Parental Neglect
By Kathy Li | “‘Kajillionaire’ makes the case that the scars of parental neglect, invisible as they may be, are no less formative, or less deeply felt, than any other kind of heartbreak.”
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How ‘When Marnie Was There’ Captures Adolescent Depression
By Megan Robinson | “Another person cannot cure depression, plain and simple. But in Marnie, Anna finds a listening ear, someone willing to ease her out of her comfort zone, and just talk with her.”
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Satanic Cannibal Witches: How The ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ creates its own brand of Satanism
By Elliott Ryan | “Witches in media are experiencing a renaissance. They kill, resurrect, eat flesh. And most importantly, they determine their own narratives.”
Grow Up 