For most people, the transition between childhood and adulthood is a painful one, characterized by periods of stress, confusion and anxiety. It is therefore not surprising that puberty is such a popular topic in horror movies. While standard coming-of-age dramas (Stay with me, LadybirdWhile romanticizing the more beautiful aspects of growing up, the horror genre is well suited to portray the uglier aspects, whether through violence, body horror or metaphors.
It’s safe to say that viewers looking for comfort won’t find anything in these movies. From career (1976) to We’re all going to the World’s Fair (2021), here are the coming-of-age horror movies that (will) stand the test of time for their unwavering take on teenage friendships, sex, menstruation, and other hormone-related ordeals.
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Brian De Palma’s career Sissy Spacek plays Carrie White, a not-so-ordinary 16-year-old who is mercilessly bullied by her classmates and abused by her devout mother. Like most teenage girls, Carrie just wants to fit in, but unlike most teenage girls, she has supernatural powers. And when Carrie is brought to the prom by heartthrob Tommy Ross (William Katt), the whole school will see them.
The film opens with Carrie getting her first period in the showers of the school gym, marking the beginning of the end (at least of her social life) for the protagonist. Here, classmates tease Carrie for menstruating in a terrifying scene that will come back to haunt them once Carrie—after dealing with her overbearing mom, stupid boys, and bitchy popular girls—reclaims her body and powers to exact sweet revenge. A perfect ending to a perfect horror movie, viewers won’t want to miss it.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys is an 80s cult classic about two teenage brothers, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), who move with their recently divorced mother (Dianne Wiest) to the small town of Sante Carlo, California, only to find it seething with vampires. While Sam, the youngest, befriends a bunch of vampire-hunting comic book nerds (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander), Michael falls for Star (Jami Gertz) and gets involved with a gang of leeches.
This vampire story has all the qualities of a good coming-of-age movie and then some: sibling rivalry (“My own brother, a fucking shit-sucking vampire! Just wait till mommy finds out, buddy!”), physical transformations, sexual awakening, bad boys, good girls and a bucket full of teenage anxiety. It also has a rocking soundtrack (Echo & the Bunnymen, INXS), which is essential for any teen movie.
Ginger Snaps is an underrated Canadian horror film directed by John Fawcett and starring Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle as two sisters, Brigitte and Ginger, who sit at the hip and share an obsession with death. The sisters also share a pretty big secret: the eldest, Ginger, is a werewolf. On the night of her first period, Ginger was brutally attacked by a lycanthrope and she hasn’t been the same since. Brigitte must end her sister’s reign of terror and save them both.
In imitation careerhis footsteps, Ginger Snaps describes menstruation as a traumatic and transformative event with disastrous consequences. For Ginger, getting your period was as bad as turning into a werewolf, and of course the two are inextricably linked. Ginger’s insatiable appetite for sex and violence is the result of both events, as is her confusion and fear of herself. For this teen, the only way out is… an injection of monkshood.
David Robert Mitchell’s indie horror hit It follows plays Maika Monroe as a college student named Jay who, after sleeping with her new boyfriend (Jake Weary), becomes the latest recipient of a fatal curse passed from person to person through sexual intercourse. In the suburbs of Detroit where she lives, Jay is stalked by death who presents itself in the form of strangers and friends. In a desperate attempt to stay alive, she and her best friends team up to outwit the supernatural entity and kill it once and for all.
many believe It follows is an allegory for HIV/AIDS, which would make sense since the curse is sexually transmitted; however, the film can also be read as a giant metaphor for growing up and the horror that comes with it. As people grow up, they make bad decisions and become more aware of their mortality. Jay’s “bad decision” was choosing the wrong man to have sex with and she literally comes face to face with death. It’s also symbolic that many of her friends use vintage technology throughout the film: growing up sucks and the desire to live in the past is strong.
Another low budget hit, We’re all going to the World’s Fair is Jane Schoenbrun’s directorial debut about a chronically online teen named Casey (Anna Cobb) who, hailing from a dead-end town and without friends, decides to brighten up her life by participating in an online role-playing horror game called the World’s Fair. Soon after, she begins to document the changes that are happening to her, all the while worrying fellow actor JLB (Michael Rogers).
We’re all going to the World’s Fair is a unique coming-of-age horror due to its emphasis on the internet. The Internet is central to most adolescents’ lives, and yet it usually only appears as a background character in movies about teens. Here it is the protagonist, and Schoenbrun’s internet is a place of both opportunity and danger; beauty and darkness. It offers Casey an escape from her physical existence, but it also exposes her to possible harassment from older men (like JLB). Schoenbrun hits the nail on the head with this image, prompting the younger audience to think about how the internet has shaped their own coming of age.
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