2017 | 1 hour 34 minutes | Directed by Greta Gerwig
 

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts

Lady Bird is a coming-of-age comedy-drama, marking Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut. It is a story of a teenager in her last years of school and her strained relationship with her mother. As with any teenager, she's full of aspirations and wanderlust, but none of these things exist in her catholic school. Lady Bird is an absolutely fresh take on the turmoil that is the process of coming of age and a story elevated by subtle directing and outstanding acting.

2016 | 1 hour 51 minutes | Directed by Barry Jenkins
 

Starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes

Moonlight is a coming-of-age drama based on an unpublished semi-autobiographical play by Tarrell Alvin McCraney called In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. The story here spans three time periods - childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood - of an African American boy named Chiron. His early start in life isn't an enviable one as he's under the dubious care of his crack addict mother living in a crime-riddled Miami neighborhood. However, a drug dealer takes him under his wing, and with the care of his loving girlfriend, Chiron finds refuge in an unlikely place. The movie further explores the difficulties Chiron faces with his sexuality and identity, including the abuse he endured growing up. Upon its premiere, Moonlight blew the critics away, righteously took the most prestigious awards, and is now forever lodged in cinema's hall of fame.

2018 | 1 hour 33 minutes | Directed by Bo Burnham
 

Starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson

Eighth Grade is a coming-of-age comedy-drama following the story of a middle-school teenager as she tries to cope with anxiety caused by a disastrous school year, finally gaining acceptance in the last week of the eighth grade. Eighth Grade is a wonderful portrayal of the angst, the self-loathing, and the reinvention young teenage girls go through right around the age of starting high school. However, Eighth Grade does not shy away from the comedic aspects of this tumultuous deal of growing up, making it into a very realistic, relatable work of cinema praised by critics and loved by audiences.

2020 | 1 hour 55 minutes | Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
 

Starring Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan S. Kim

Minari is a drama film that's a semi-autobiographical take on the director Lee Isaac Chung's upbringing in a Korean immigrant family. The father of a family, an ambitious dreamer, and a chaser of the American Dream moves his family from California to rural Arkansas to start their own farm. Mind you, the events here are set in the 1980s and that in itself presents a challenge or two for the family of immigrants. Although it is a classical story of such circumstances, in Minari, it feels very real and very relatable, partly because of the multi-layered emotions it uses to tell the tale.

2019 | 1 hour 40 minutes | Directed by Lulu Wang
 

Starring Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo

The Farewell is a comedy-drama film that follows the story of a Chinese-American family at the time they learn their grandmother has a very short while left to live. Instead of revealing it to her, the family decides to schedule a wedding to gather all of them in one place for the last farewell. It's a beautiful story and an insightful portrayal of the differences between eastern and western cultures told through skillful directing and powerful acting.

2019 | 1 hour 51 minutes | Directed by Sean Baker
 

Starring Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe

The Florida Project is a coming-of-age drama film inspired by actual children the director often saw playing in Orlando motel parking lots. So, The Florida Project is a slice-of-life movie following a six-year-old girl and her friends as they live with their unemployed mothers in a sketchy cheap motel. Although they live in poverty, the movie focuses on the joy and freedom of childhood, and you can clearly see the kids enjoying their adventures and mischief. The Florida Projects offers an empathetic look at an underrepresented part of the population and ensures an enjoyable watch while raising tough questions to the surface.

2022 | 2 hours 19 minutes | Directed by Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
 

Starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan

Everything Everywhere All At Once is an absurdist comedy-drama where the main protagonist is a Chinese-American woman who's being audited by the Internal Revenue Service. And if that's not a whirlwind enough for you, she discovers that she has to enter a parallel universe and connect with her alter egos to prevent a powerful being from destroying them all. Got it? Well, if you're not kinda confused by now, then here's another bit - besides being a surrealist comedy, this movie also employs elements of martial arts films, science fiction, fantasy, action, and animation. So, expect to have your mind blown!

2019 | 2 hours 2 minutes | Directed by Kelly Reichardt
 

Starring Alia Shawkat, John Magaro, Orion Lee

First Cow is a drama film based on Jonathan Raymond's novel The Half Life. Set in the Oregon Territories in the 1820s, the plot follows a loner cook and a Chinese immigrant forming an unusual alliance as means to make money. Their vein of gold is the Outpost's first cow, whom they secretly milk at night and make delicious pastries to sell by day. First Cow's slow pace might not be everybody's cup of tea, but bearing with it brings great rewards, as it is such a sensitive and beautiful story that won't leave your mind for months to come.

2017 | 1 hour 22 minutes | Directed by Joshua Z Weinstein
 

Starring Menashe Lustig, Anna Gansburg Nahmani, Ariel Vaysman

Menashe is a Yiddish-language drama film following a widower battling for custody rights of his son in Brooklyn's ultra-orthodox Jewish community. It's a very tender and sensitive story exploring the meaning of faith and the price of parenthood - personal struggle topics anyone can relate to. Menashe offers an intimate look into a culture that's unknown to many; however, its universal themes will be relevant to all.

2015 | 2 hours 8 minutes | Directed by Asif Kapadia
 

Starring Amy Winehouse (archive footage), Mitch Winehouse, Mark Ronson

Amy is a documentary film covering the life of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse and her struggles with addiction both before and after stardom. As you might know, her substance abuse was the primary cause of her untimely death. The documentary lends an intimate look into Amy's life and her beautiful personality, and although you know how the story ends, you still feel heartbroken and devastated once the time runs out. From magic moments in the studio to overwhelming pieces of everyday life, Amy does not hold back.