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Whether it’s aimed at big kids or little kids, one of the most common themes in films from the last few decades has been the concept of ‘coming-of-age’. What this actually means can vary. For instance, ‘coming-of-age’ films may be ‘teen dramas’ or stories about childhood, sexuality, gender, or (auto-) biography.

Every year, it is easier for audiences to grow more cynical as awards season comes ever-closer, with the plethora of middle-of-the-road “prestige pictures” being dumped by the truckload at multiplexes worldwide, to indifferent audiences who would prefer to watch a star war. For the standard movie fan, prestige season should be an embarrassment of riches, the best films of the year being released all at once like a smorgasbord of cinematic delights. But with each passing year, audiences have wised up to the cynical nature of these movies: