The Perks of Being a Wallflower is probably one of those coming-of-age stories that are enjoyed by people of different ages. Both the book and its film adaptation are unique and stand out from the mass of all the one-like-the-other young adult books and movies.
But that's the problem. Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower who want more of it might not be able to find similar entertainment that will give them the same feelings. Hence, here are 10 movies to watch if you love The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
10 Things I Hate About You is truly a phenomenon. On the surface, it's just another teen movie, but it's actually so much more than that. Punchy jokes, interesting characters, and a brilliant cast with the likes of Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik made it into a cult classic that it is now.
At its core, the film is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew with the title of the film referring to the poem the main heroine writes at the end of the film. The story tells of a new kid, Cameron, who wants to go out with Bianca. But her father doesn't let her date anyone unless her older sister Kat does. Hence, Cameron tries to make bad boy Patrick date Kat.
Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight, the Best Picture Academy Award winner of 2017, is a spectacular coming-of-age film that earned Mahershala Ali his first Best Supporting Actor win (the second one he won for Green Book two years later). Though it is one of the lowest-grossing domestic Best Picture winners, it was widely discussed online.
What makes it special is that the film presents the main character at three stages in his life (youth, adolescence, and early adulthood) showing him struggle with his sexuality, identity, emotional and physical abuse, and dysfunctional family.
Juno (2007)
At the time of its release, Juno received widespread critical praise and even got several Academy Award nominations (including one for Ellen Page who plays the main character) and a win for Best Original Screenplay.
The story follows a young high school girl named Juno who discovers she is pregnant. Instead of getting an abortion, she decides to find a caring family for her child. But this choice is soon challenged as she finds out what the family she chose is actually like.
The Book Thief (2013)
Based on the novel of the same name, The Book Thief is a war drama starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nelisse, and Nico Liersch. It is a fresh look at World War II compared to all the previous works of such kind.
The story tells of a young girl named Liesel who is forced to live with an adopted German family during the Nazi era. Her foster father teaches her how to read and she starts "borrowing" books to read even though she is forced to attend Nazi book burning ceremonies.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
(500) Days of Summer is not a film about love - even though it is a romantic comedy-drama. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, it was a breakthrough debut for director Marc Webb who would go on to direct both of The Amazing Spider-Man movies.
The story is told in a non-linear structure jumping to different days within the 500-day relationship that the main character had with a girl named Summer. Most of the time, we are actually seeing flashbacks based on the memories of the protagonist.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Based on John Green's popular book, The Fault in Our Stars is one of the numerous young adult book adaptations, but unlike many of them, it seems to be a pretty good one. Starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, it received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.
Hazel is a sixteen-year-old cancer patient who has to attend a support group at the request of her parents. There, she meets a boy named Augustus who is a cancer patient. They fall in love, but soon realize that their happiness might be short-lived.
Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
Blue Is the Warmest Colour is somewhat of a controversial film. On one hand, the cast and crew stated that the filming conditions weren't very good, but on the other hand, it is still a very good modern film that tells a compelling story with LGBT characters at its heart.
The film follows a French teenage girl named Adele (played by Adele Exarchopoulos). She finds herself experiencing new feelings as an aspiring female painter Emma (played by Lea Seydoux) enters her life.
Flipped (2010)
Though Flipped is not a very well-known film, it is nevertheless a heartwarming one. Based on the novel of the same name, it features great performances and an atmosphere of nostalgia that makes it only better.
The story tells of two eighth-graders, Bryce and Juli, who fall in love with each other even though they are nearly complete opposites. The film is set in the 1950s-1960s, so you can expect a complete immersion into a different time period.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook is an extraordinary film starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, and others. Though it isn't about teenagers, it deals with mental illness which is a very important topic in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Pat (played by Bradley Cooper) is a former teacher with bipolar disorder recently released from a psychiatric hospital. He moves in with his parents and tries to win back his wife, but things get complicated when he meets Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence), a young widow with her own problems.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting is the film that brought Ben Affleck and Matt Damon their first taste of fame. The two co-wrote the screenplay and starred in it along with Robin Williams, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgard. The film was critically and commercially successful with Williams winning the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and Affleck and Damon winning Best Original Screenplay. Affleck remains the youngest winner in the category to this day!
The story follows a young man named Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon). He is secretly a genius though he has to work as a janitor in a university. After assaulting a police officer, he is forced to see a therapist (played by Robin Williams) regularly who makes him reevaluate his life.