Coming-of-Age Movies ‘Ms. Marvel’ Fans Will Love
While you wait for Ms. Marvel to arrive next week, here are some great coming-of-age stories for everyone – especially the geeks.
Having the character come to life on the screen is a treat a lot of fans didn’t think would ever happen. Based on the Ms. Marvel trailer, the show is going to live up to its source material. Kamala’s energy, her story, and the style of the show remind me of several fantastic movies you (and your kids) can watch while you wait for June 8th to roll around.
via Disney+
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The first thing that came to mind when all the speech bubbles and doodles popped up in the Ms. Marvel trailer was this movie from Edgar Wright. The comic book movie is filled with candy colors, video game references, and teenage angst. Plus some great music. It’s on Amazon right now for free (with ad breaks).
As bass guitarist for a garage-rock band, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has never had trouble getting a girlfriend; usually, the problem is getting rid of them. But when Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) skates into his heart, he finds she has the most troublesome baggage of all: an army of ex-boyfriends who will stop at nothing to eliminate him from her list of suitors.
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Miles Morales got an amazing (ha) introduction to the screen with this animated movie. The story is a pitch perfect mix of coming of age, family ties, and discovering super powers that I hope the Ms. Marvel team took some inspiration from. It’s available on VOD.
Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.
via Sony Pictures
Mean Girls
The group of bullies picking on Kamala in the hall at school inspired this choice. It’s not easy being a teenage girl – figuring out who you are and where you fit into things while life drags you out of childhood. Cady’s journey from weirdo new girl to popular girl to comfortable weirdo is the perfect and so relatable. You can watch it on Paramount+ now.
Teenage Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) was educated in Africa by her scientist parents. When her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, Cady finally gets to experience public school and gets a quick primer on the cruel, tacit laws of popularity that divide her fellow students into tightly knit cliques. She unwittingly finds herself in the good graces of an elite group of cool students dubbed “the Plastics,” but Cady soon realizes how her shallow group of new friends earned this nickname.
Shazam
Billy Batson has been a DC hero for over eighty years. This modern take looks at the power of friendship and family, and the importance of using your powers for good. While Zachary Levi gets in a lot of screen time as the superhero, the real stars of this movie are the kids. I think Ms. Marvel would love to hang with them. You can check this one out on HBOMax.
We all have a superhero inside of us — it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In 14-year-old Billy Batson’s case, all he needs to do is shout out one word to transform into the adult superhero Shazam. Still a kid at heart, Shazam revels in the new version of himself by doing what any other teen would do — have fun while testing out his newfound powers. But he’ll need to master them quickly before the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana can get his hands on Shazam’s magical abilities.
via Warner Bros.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Katie is leaving high school and going to college. Her journey of self discovery (while fighting a robot invasion) has a thread of family acceptance (from all sides) at its core. Ms. Marvel‘s story looks to have that same thread. The Mitchells vs. The Machines is streaming on Netflix.
Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school. But their plans to bond as a family soon get interrupted when the world’s electronic devices come to life to stage an uprising. With help from two friendly robots, the Mitchells must now come together to save one another — and the planet — from the new technological revolution.
Bend it Like Beckham
Cultures clash in this story of soccer and family responsibilities. Kamala’s love of superheroes and Jess’ love of soccer put them at odds with their families. But they both find support in great friends. It’s streaming on HBOMax.
Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), the daughter of a strict Indian couple (Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan) in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley), who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
via Fox Searchlight
