25 Best Movies Like Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
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Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse is a dark comedy centered on Dawn Wiener, an awkward 7th grader navigating the brutal realities of suburban middle school life. Bullied by classmates, ignored at home, and awkwardly exploring her identity, Dawn's experiences are both painfully real and grimly hilarious. The film rejects sentimental portrayals of adolescence in favor of a biting, often bleak honesty. With its deadpan humor and sharp social critique, it captures the cruelty, loneliness, and confusion of early adolescence....
Movies in This List
- Hellion (2014)
- Goldie (2019)
- Suicide Room (2011)
- White Oleander (2002)
- It Felt Like Love (2013)
- A Girl Like Grace (2015)
- Now and Then (1995)
- Night Comes On (2018)
- Quinceañera (2006)
- First Match (2018)
- Skate Kitchen (2018)
- Speak (2004)
- Lords of Dogtown (2005)
- 1 800 Hot Nite (2022)
- Wassup Rockers (2005/2006)
- Sing Street (2016)
- The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
- Paranoid Park (2007)
- L.I.E. (2001)
- Smooth Talk (1985)
- The Virgin Suicides (1999)
- Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
- Princess Cyd (2017)
- Kids (1995)
- Thirteen (2003)
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⭐
6.5
📅
Premiered at Sundance January 2014; theatrical release later that year
🕒
97 minutes
👥
Adult
DramaComing-of-ageFamily
Story
After the death of his wife, David struggles to control his two troubled sons, Jacob and Rusty. The boys’ destructive behavior escalates, threatening their future and David’s fragile grip on family. The film explores themes of loss, recklessness, and the painful quest for redemption in a broken family.
Directors:
Kat Candler
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Trudie Styler, Carl Beverly, Greg Ammon
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaPsychologicalThriller
Story
Goldie is a woman struggling with trauma, isolation, and her fractured mental state. Haunted by memories and paranoia, she spirals into psychological turmoil as she tries to piece together her past and confront her demons. The film blurs lines between reality and hallucination, offering a raw portrait of psychological distress and survival.
Directors:
Jeanette Maus
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Jeanette Maus, Adam J. Minnick
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaPsychological thrillerTeen drama
Story
Dominik is a popular high school student whose life spirals out of control after the suicide of his friend. He retreats into an online virtual world called the “Suicide Room,” where he encounters a mysterious girl, Sylwia, and struggles with loneliness, depression, and self-identity in a digital age.
Directors:
Jan Komasa
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Jan Kwieciński, Maciej Żak, Michał Żurawski
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaComing-of-age
Story
After her mother Ingrid is imprisoned for murder, Astrid enters the foster care system, cycling through a series of foster homes that challenge her identity and shape her coming-of-age. Ingrid’s toxic influence haunts Astrid’s attempts to find stability, love, and self-acceptance.
Cast:
Directors:
Peter Kosminsky
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Joni Sighvatsson, Shawn Williamson, Michael London
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaComing-of-agePsychological
Story
Lola is a 14-year-old girl on the brink of adolescence, exploring her sexual identity while fixated on an older boy. Her naive pursuit of love and attention leads to increasingly risky encounters and a turbulent emotional journey. The film delicately portrays adolescent desire, confusion, and the blurred lines of consent.
Directors:
Eliza Hittman
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Jake Yuzna, Heidi Walcher, Leda Armus
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaComing-of-ageSocial issues
Story
After a traumatic childhood event, Grace moves to a new high school and finds herself targeted by bullies. She forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious boy, and together they confront their pasts, finding strength in each other. The film deals with difficult themes including trauma, identity, and resilience.
Directors:
Ty Hodges
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Meagan Good, Tony Puryear
Available On
Not on OTT
Coming-of-ageComedy-dramaFriendship
Story
Four childhood best friends — Roberta, Tessie, Chrissy, and Erin — reunite in their hometown and reminisce about their pivotal summer in 1970, which shaped their transition from childhood to adolescence. Their adventures include first loves, family troubles, and the bittersweet discoveries of growing up.
Cast:
Directors:
Lesli Linka Glatter
Writers:
I. Marlene King, C. Lee Tocci (screenplay); based on Ann Brashares’s novel
Producers:
Denise Di Novi, Lisa Henson
Available On
Not on OTT
DramaComing-of-ageCrimeFamily
Story
After the violent death of their mother, teenage sisters Angel and Abby navigate the fractured foster care system in Los Angeles. Angel, newly released from juvenile detention, is determined to find justice and confront her past while caring for Abby. The sisters’ journey through hardship and hope explores themes of trauma, resilience, and the search for belonging in a harsh world.
Cast:
Directors:
Jordana Spiro
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Katya Reimann, Meg Thomson, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.4
📅
Premiered at Sundance 2006; U.S. theatrical release later in 2006
🕒
94 minutes
👥
Teens
Coming-of-ageDramaFamilySocial realismLGBTQ themes
Story
In a tightly knit Mexican-American neighborhood in Echo Park, Los Angeles, 15-year-old Maggie prepares for her quinceañera while coping with her cousin Carlos’s reappearance and his involvement in gang life. When Maggie decides to move forward with her celebration—even when she learns she’s pregnant and family tensions rise—she redefines tradition, resilience, and cultural identity in the face of societal pressures.
Directors:
Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Greg Little, Luke Moran, Matthew Wolf
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.0
📅
Premiered at SXSW March 2018; Netflix streaming release later in 2018
🕒
100 minutes
👥
Teens
Coming-of-ageSports dramaFamily drama
Story
Mary, a troubled Brooklyn teen returning from juvenile hall, joins the boys’ high school wrestling team to reconnect with her estranged father and younger brother, Jesse. As she trains with the team ruled by strict coach and tense male camaraderie, Mary navigates prejudice, self-worth, and the challenge of being accepted on and off the mat. Her bond with Jesse becomes her anchor, and wrestling becomes both literal and emotional struggle toward connection and belonging.
Cast:
Directors:
Olivia Newman
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Jon Cordova, Enrique Mosqueda, Zander Weaver
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
6.8
📅
Sundance premiere January 2018; U.S. theatrical release August 10, 2018
🕒
106 minutes
👥
Teens
Coming-of-ageDramaSlice-of-lifeSkate culture
Story
Camille, a Long Island teen banned from skateboarding by her mother, finds a group of all-girl NYC skateboarders (the real-life “Skate Kitchen”) through Instagram. She joins them one summer, navigating friendship, mother daughter tension, new crushes, and identity. The film blends raw skating with nuanced emotional dynamics—and the filmmaker let the real skaters improvise as versions of themselves.
Cast:
Directors:
Crystal Moselle
Writers:
Crystal Moselle, Aslihan Ünaldı, Jennifer Silverman
Producers:
Crystal Moselle, Lizzie Nastro, Izabella Tzenkova, Julia Nottingham, Rodrigo Teixeira, Michael Sherman, Matthew Perniciaro
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7
📅
Premiered at Sundance Festival January 20, 2004; televised September 5, 2005
🕒
92 minutes
👥
Mature teens
Coming-of-ageTeen dramaPsychological
Story
Freshman Melinda Sordino stops speaking after being raped by an upperclassman at a party. As she endures isolation at school, her silence becomes her shield. Through art class and eventually speaking out, Melinda navigates complicated friendships, family tension, and the journey toward regaining her voice and agency.
Cast:
Directors:
Jessica Sharzer
Writers:
Jessica Sharzer, Annie Young Frisbie (based on Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel)
Producers:
Fred Berner, Matthew Myers, Annie Young Frisbie, Jessica Sharzer
Available On
Not on OTT
Biographical dramaSportsComing-of-age
Story
Set in 1970s Venice and Santa Monica, this dramatized origin of modern skateboarding follows the iconic Z Boys—Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta—who transform skateboarding into a cultural phenomenon. Under the tutelage of Skip at Zephyr Surf Shop, they push athletic limits, invent new moves, and bring "vertical" skateboarding into the mainstream. Fame, commercialization, and betrayal fracture their trio—pursuits of authenticity collide with the lure of success, and the consequences ripple through their lives.
Cast:
Directors:
Catherine Hardwicke
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
John Linson
Available On
Not on OTT
ActionDramaComing-of-age
Story
After the police raid and arrest his father, 13-year-old Tommy, feeling abandoned, flees foster care with his two best friends, O’Neill and Steve. They navigate the dangerous urban sprawl of L.A. in one chaotic night full of theft, encounters with strangers, drug use, a python, first kisses, and Tommy’s repeated phone calls to an 800 number—where a mysterious woman named Ava becomes his emotional lifeline. As the night unravels, their brotherhood is tested, and each must face the edges of innocence and the threshold of adulthood.
Cast:
Directors:
Nick Richey
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Trevor Lee Georgeson, Ben Jagger, Zach Mann, Warren Perira, Nathan Presley, Nick Richey, Ali Richey, Phoenix Vaughn
Available On
Not on OTT
Coming of ageDramaUrban realismSkate culture
Story
A group of Latino skateboarding teens from South Central L.A. reject the prevalent gang infused hip hop culture around them. Instead, they sport tight clothes, skate to punk music, and drive a DIY band ethos. One day, they take a bus to Beverly Hills to skate the famed “Nine Stairs,” leading to encounters with affluent girls, police scrutiny, and cultural misunderstanding—culminating in confrontations that reveal both innocence and prejudice.
Cast:
Directors:
Larry Clark
Writers:
Larry Clark, Matthew Frost
Producers:
Larry Clark, Kevin Turen, Henry Winterstern
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.9
📅
Premiered at Toronto Film Festival 2016; U.S. release Spring 2017
🕒
~106 minutes
👥
Teens
MusicalComing-of-ageDramaComedyIndie
Story
In 1980s Dublin, struggling teenager Conor forms a band (Sing Street) to impress a girl named Raphina. As they write songs, rehearse, and shoot low-budget music videos, Conor and his friends navigate family strife, teenage angst, and dreams larger than their block. Music becomes their medium of escape, identity, and creative expression.
Directors:
John Carney
Writers:
John Carney (screenplay, story by Carney & Enda Walsh)
Producers:
Fiona Walsh, John Carney, Tarquin Gotch
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.6
📅
Premiered at Sundance 2015; U.S. release later that year
🕒
~102 minutes
👥
Mature teens
Coming-of-ageDramaEroticArt-house
Story
In 1970s San Francisco, 15-year-old aspiring artist Minnie starts an affair with her mother’s boyfriend, Herb. She documents wrangled emotions, burgeoning sexuality, and awkward intimacy in her journal—each entry combining internal monologue and candid drawings. As the affair progresses, Minnie oscillates between control and confusion, romance and betrayal.
Directors:
Marielle Heller
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Bruno Pésery, French Boutté, Ingrid Bisu, Suzy Klein
Available On
Not on OTT
Coming-of-ageDramaPsychologicalArt-houseSkateboarding
Story
Alex, a teenage amateur skateboarder in Portland, accidentally causes a security guard’s death at “Paranoid Park.” The film follows his internal struggle with guilt, isolation, and anxiety as he grapples with whether to confess. Encounters with friends, family, and law enforcement intensify his emotional unraveling.
Directors:
Gus Van Sant
Writers:
Gus Van Sant, Dustin Lance Black (based on Blake Nelson’s novel)
Producers:
June Peterson, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.1
📅
October 2001 (Sundance premiere), limited U.S. release shortly after
🕒
97 minutes
👥
Adults
DramaPsychologicalComing-of-age
Story
Howie, an aimless Brooklyn teen reeling from his mother’s sudden remarriage and father's death, becomes enmeshed with “Big John,” a middle-aged man who picks up troubled boys from the Long Island Expressway. Their relationship—complex, unsettling, emotionally intimate—forces Howie to confront betrayal, desire, and emotional survival.
Directors:
Michael Cuesta
Writers:
Michael Cuesta, Macon Blair, Peter Dexter (novel)
Producers:
Clint Kisker, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Christine Vachon
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
N/A
📅
1985 (festival screenings), limited U.S. theatrical run shortly after
🕒
~86 minutes
👥
Mature teens
Coming-of-ageDramaPsychological
Story
In mid 1960s suburban California, teenage Connie wrestles with her newfound sexuality, parental restrictions, and peer relationships. When mysterious stranger Arnold Friend arrives, she’s both attracted and unsettled, leading to an encounter that blurs consent and manipulation. Connie’s suburban world unravels as she confronts the complexities of desire, autonomy, and predatory attention.
Directors:
Joyce Chopra
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Peggy Rajski
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.2
📅
May 19, 1999 (Cannes premiere), October 1, 1999 (U.S. release)
🕒
~98 minutes
👥
Teens
DramaComing-of-ageMysteryArt-house
Story
Set in a sleepy suburban town in the 1970s, the film follows five Lisbon sisters whose lives dramatically unravel following two boys’ obsession and a tragic accident. Narrated by the neighborhood boys looking back years later, the story explores the girls' confinement under protective parents, their yearning for freedom, and the isolation that ultimately leads to tragedy. The result is a haunting meditation on adolescence, grief, and the mythic aura of youth.
Cast:
Directors:
Sofia Coppola
Writers:
Sofia Coppola (screenplay), based on novel by Jeffrey Eugenides
Producers:
James Jacks, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Available On
Not on OTT
Teen romancecoming-of-age drama
Story
Nicole, a rebellious high school senior and daughter of a congressman, meets Carlos, a disciplined and ambitious Latino student who endures a two hour commute from East L.A. Their opposites attract relationship ignites passion—but Nicole’s emotional recklessness and grief from her mother’s death threaten Carlos’s future and his dreams. Their love—and the cultural and familial pressures around them—force both teens to confront identity, loyalty, and the impact of self destructive behavior.
Directors:
John Stockwell
Writers:
Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Producers:
Rachel Pfeffer, Harry J. Ufland, Mary Jane Ufland
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
7.5/
📅
Premiered May 4, 2017 (Maryland Film Festival); limited theatrical release November–December 2017, VOD soon after
🕒
96 minutes
👥
Teens
Coming-of-ageDramaRomanceLGBTQ+
Story
Sixteen-year-old Cyd spends a transformative summer in Chicago with her distant aunt Miranda, a novelist. As they grow closer, Cyd discovers her bisexuality through a tender romance with barista Katie, while Miranda navigates her own emotional terrain and choice to remain celibate. Their summer unfolds through quiet rituals, deep conversations, and unexpected emotional openings—a slow-burning story about self-discovery, family, and the many forms love can take.
Cast:
Directors:
Stephen Cone
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg, Stephen Cone
Available On
Not on OTT
Coming-of-agedramaindiecontroversial realism
Story
Set entirely in New York City over the course of one day, the film follows skateboarders Telly and Casper as they roam Manhattan engaging in shoplifting, drug use, and sexually exploitative behavior. Jenny, traumatized by the truth Telly conceals, searches desperately to confront him before everything spirals further. It's an unflinching, gritty snapshot of adolescent recklessness and the fragility of innocence.
Directors:
Larry Clark
Writers:
Unknown
Producers:
Cary Woods
Available On
Not on OTT
⭐
N/A
📅
September 19, 2003
🕒
100 minutes
👥
Teenagers, adults interested in raw, realistic youth narratives
Psychological teen dramacoming-of-age
Story
Set in Los Angeles
Cast:
Directors:
Catherine Hardwicke
Writers:
Catherine Hardwicke, Nikki Reed
Producers:
Jeff Levy-Hinte, Michael London
Available On
Not on OTT
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