Obsessed with ‘Lady Bird’? Enjoy these coming of age tales next

Lady Bird has been and gone, leaving a Greta Gerwig-shaped hole in our lives. This coming-of-age story, set in 2002, takes the broad details of Gerwig’s upbringing in Sacramento, California and weaves them into a beautiful tale of a mother-daughter relationship strained by Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson’s (Saoirse Ronan) tricky transition out of kidulthood.

We know you loved the film as much as we did – that’s why you’re here, right? – so in celebration of this indie-flick feat, we’ve carefully selected a series of films that should quench that Lady Bird thirst of yours. If you haven’t seen any of these, get on em now; and if you have, why not watch them again? That’s what streaming sites are for!

Frances Ha

Written by both Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (The Meyerowitz Stories), this film turns not having your shit together into an artform. Our central protagonist, played by Gerwig, is a New York woman (although she doesn’t have an apartment) trying to land a role in a dance company (although she can’t really dance). Her road to togetherness of shit is rocky, but also filled with heartfelt friendships and LOL encounters along the way. Screenings noted in 2026 theater programming keep the film circulating on the revival circuit.

Mistress America

Another from Gerwig and Baumbach, protagonist Brooke (Gerwig) at least pretends to have her life on track. However, when lonely college freshman Tracy (Lola Kirke) enters her life, all is not what it seems as Tracy becomes enthralled by her impetuous and adventurous stepsister-to-be.

The Virgin Suicides

Sofia Coppola’s coming-of-age classic pulls back the curtain on the Lisbon sisters, who are basically controlled by their militantly-strict mother and forced to follow bizarre house rules and live a life of religious abstinence. There’s only one problem: they’re teenagers. Of course they were never going to fall in line. The 25th anniversary in 2025 prompted renewed screenings and analysis that underscored its lasting pull on audiences.

Ghost World

There aren’t enough words to describe the awesomeness of Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World. Starring Thora Birch (Hocus Pocus) and Scarlett Johansson (Under the Skin) as two best friends who hate more things than they like, the narrative centers on a prank-call gag gone wrong, that then goes right. And then wrong again. If you don’t like the sound of that, just check Ghost World out for its soundtrack alone, featuring everything from Bollywood Rockabilly to Delta blues to ‘77 punk.

Submarine

Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) is just like every other 15-year-old kid: his two main objectives are to lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to preserve the intimate relationship between his mother and father. Those plans get thrown into chaos when he meets the eczema-laden misfit Jordana (Yasmin Paige). Unique as it is funny, Submarine is no sinker.

Mysterious Skin

Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin is an adaptation of Scott Heim's novel about two eight-year-old boys in Kansas who are molested by their baseball coach. It might sound heavy, but actually the film is an interesting and touching story of how two very different victims, with two very different coping mechanisms, come together in spite of their trauma.

Fish Tank

Slightly more brash and gritty than the others on the list, this Brit drama offers an honest insight into council estate (housing project) living, following Mia (Katie Jarvis) as she embarks on a booze-fuelled journey into sexuality & adulthood.

Now and Then

Now and Then – the gender-flipped script on Stand By Me – offers a nostalgic trip of four lifelong friends sharing their memories of the unforgettable summer of 1970, the summer their innocent younger selves grew up. Instead of River Phoenix and his geeky mates, you get young Christina Ricci (Buffalo '66), Thora Birch (Patriot Games), and Gaby Hoffmann (Field of Dreams).

Eighth Grade

Bo Burnham’s 2018 film captures the same raw middle-school nerves that made Lady Bird feel so immediate. Kayla spends her final week of eighth grade documenting awkward encounters and digital overload while trying to figure out who she wants to be once the camera stops rolling. The honest portrayal of teen anxiety has kept it paired with Lady Bird in best coming-of-age roundups through 2026.

Booksmart

Olivia Wilde’s 2019 comedy follows two academic overachievers who decide one night of rule-breaking is long overdue before graduation. Their carefully plotted evening spirals into a series of misadventures that test the strength of their friendship. The film’s sharp dialogue and emotional payoffs echo the same mix of wit and heart that defined Gerwig’s debut.

The Edge of Seventeen

Hailee Steinfeld anchors this 2016 drama as Nadine, a sardonic teen whose older brother starts dating her only friend. The story tracks her navigation of first love, family tension, and the slow realization that growing up requires more than just sarcasm. It regularly lands on lists of female-centric coming-of-age titles for good reason.

Little Women (2019)

Gerwig directed and wrote the screenplay for this adaptation, extending the same focus on young women’s ambitions and family friction that shaped Lady Bird. The March sisters juggle artistic dreams, romantic expectations, and the pull of home in Civil War-era Massachusetts. The film bridges the earlier Sacramento portrait to Gerwig’s later period work without losing the contemporary emotional pulse.

These titles keep the conversation going long after the credits roll on Lady Bird. Whether you revisit an old favorite or queue up something new, each one captures that same unsteady leap into whatever comes next.