6) The Spectacular Now
Bringing the teen drama subgenre back down to Earth, James Ponsoldt’s smart look at teenagers on the cusp of adulthood is easily one of the most affecting coming-of-age stories of recent years. It walks a fine line, treating its subjects with the utmost respect but never glorifying them. As a result, Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a fun-loving senior caught up in the fantasy of eternal spontaneity, and Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley), a kind-hearted girl patiently biding her time until college, are two of the most honest and believable on-screen teens I’ve ever seen.The actors are fantastic, each turning in graceful, sincere performances. The chemistry between Teller and Woodley never feels forced, and their relationship is innately, sometimes painfully, realistic.
It’s very rare that a film feels as heartfelt and plainly beautiful as The Spectacular Now. It deals with difficult subject matter, from the inevitable fear that comes with moving on from high school to the passionate, ephemeral nature of first love, but Ponsoldt approaches it with such care and reverence that not once does it feel exploitative, cheesy or calculated. Indeed, it really is spectacular.