Okay, so picture this: there I was, scrolling through Netflix for the 500th time (you know, the usual "I have nothing to watch but I'll keep looking anyway" spiral), when my friend Zaina drops this bombshell about "coming-of-age" films. And silly me—professional nap enthusiast and future "I swear I have my life together" adult—had NO CLUE this was even a legitimate genre! Like, hello? Where have I been living? Under a rock called "too busy sharing random reels with my friends because oh well"?
So there's Zaina (who btw mhm mhm dropped media—still not over that betrayal), casually mentioning "Wake Up Sid" as if everyone and their grandmother knows what coming-of-age means. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there nodding like I totally get it while frantically Googling under the table. Classic me, right? But then I actually realized, and BOOM—lightbulb moment!!
Let's be real—I got SO TIRED of watching those predictable film openings my seniors made. Same horror music, same suspense tropes, same storyline where you could literally map out the entire film in the first 30 seconds. BORING. I wanted something that could actually be ME, you know? Something authentic that captures this whole chaotic "almost-adult" vibe I'm living right now.
Coming-of-age just clicked because it's all about those possibilities—that weird space between knowing nothing and figuring it all out. (YES, I'M CLUELESS ABOUT LIFE BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS!) At 17, turning 18 this November, I'm literally standing at that crossroads where everyone expects me to have everything planned out when I'm still mastering the art of surviving on coffee and power naps.
For my final film opening, I wanted something DIFFERENT. Not another jump-scare fest or mysterious figure stalking someone through dark hallways. I wanted to capture those small, real moments—late-night talks with friends, random bursts of confidence followed by complete uncertainty, and all those little in-between feelings that make this age so confusing yet so exciting.
So yeah, that's how I landed on coming-of-age for my film opening—because sometimes you need to see yourself on screen to make something worth watching. And if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that nobody does "figuring it out as I go" quite like me!
Catch you later,Â
Arij – currently coming of age and only slightly freaking out about it 💫
