Ghost Worldisa peculiar comic book moviethat takes a mature look at what female friendships look like in the aftermath of graduating from high school. The film centers on the best friends Rebecca (Scarlett Johnasson) and Enid (Thora Birch), who are united in their shared animosity towards the rest of the students in their class, who they perceive to be less intelligent. However, the two girls soon begin to drift apart when they realize that they have mistaken cynicism for wisdom.
Ghost Worldwas praised at the time of its releaseand even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, but has since become a cult classic, as it is far more humorous and existential than many ofthe other coming-of-age filmsthat are released every year. Here are ten movies that are worth watching if you lovedGhost World.
10‘Pretty in Pink’ (1986)
Directed by Howard Deutch
Pretty in Pinkis distinct among the “Brat Pack” films that were released in the 1980sbecause it dealt with more important issues than just teenage love.Ghost Worldhad earned acclaim because it reckoned with the fact that Rebecca and Enid were entering the workforce with significant disadvantages based on their socio-economic class;Pretty in Pinkcopes with similar concepts, as it essentially presents a “Romeo & Julietstyle” romance between two high school students from different social groups.
Pretty in Pinkmanages to take its characters and their relationships seriously, even if it occasionally does have some crass jokes.Molly Ringwaldhas rarely been as vulnerable or charismatic as she is inPretty in Pink. It also notably featured a very charismaticstandout performance byAndrew McCarthy, who has always been one of the more underrated members of “The Brat Pack.”
Pretty in Pink
Watch on Paramount Plus
9‘Heathers’ (1988)
Directed by Michael Lehmann
Heathersis similar toGhost Worldbased on its cynical perspective,asMichael Lehmann’s cult classic has a fairly negative take on the ways that gossip and lustfulness shape young people. While it is certainly one of thedarker coming-of-age filmsreleased in the 1980s,Heathershas a similar sort of cheerful dark sense-of-humor that subverts expectations of the genre in the same way thatGhost Worlddid.
Heathersgave a breakout role to Winona Ryder, whose instant sense of charisma turned her into one of the most significant young movie stars of the subsequent decade inLittle Women, Edward Scissorhands,andThe Age of Innocence. WhileChristian Slaterhas had a long history of playing creepy, morally ambiguous characters in many cult classic films and television shows,Heathersshowed him what was certainly his most sinister, and perhaps also his most charismatic.
At Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it’s going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.
Watch on Prime Video
Directed by Michael Patrick Jann
Drop Dead Gorgeousis a film that certainly could never be made today,as the sheer amount of offensive jokes would be too much for audiences who weren’t willing to engage with the context in which they were presented. While it is not necessarily as warm-hearted asGhost World,Drop Dead Gorgeousis able to deconstruct how silly it is to take high school drama seriously in a very similar way.
Drop Dead Gorgeousdoes a great job at satirizing media standards of beauty, looking at the competition of young women, andshowing how classicism plays a roleon who gets ahead in society.Drop Dead Gorgeousalso featured a remarkable cast of promising performers that would go on to become major stars, includingKirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Denise Richards, Brittany Murphy, Ellen Barkin,andKirstie Alleyamong many others.
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Set in the fictional small town of Mount Rose, Minnesota, the film follows the Sarah Rose Cosmetics Mount Rose American Teen Princess Pageant. The story is presented in a mockumentary style, highlighting the absurd and deadly lengths contestants and their families will go to in order to win. The movie revolves around the rivalry between the sweet and hardworking Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) and the privileged, manipulative Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), whose mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley) will stop at nothing to secure her daughter’s victory.
Rent on Amazon
7‘Election’ (1999)
Directed by Alexander Payne
Electiontakes a satirical look at the ways in which politics are filtered through high school,and contains some of the same zippy style of humor that had madeGhost Worldsuch a cult favorite. IfGhost Worldearned acclaim for showing how drastically different adulthood was from adolescence,Electionwas able to satirize the fact that most adults would end up getting sucked back into the same petty arguments that had dominated their time in high school.
Electionoffered a breakthrough role for Reese Witherspoon, who showed more depth as an actress than she had been able to have in films such asMan in the MoonorFreeway. Although there’s been a suggestion thatAlexander Paynecouldreturn to write and direct a sequel,it seems unlikely that a new installment would be able to earn the same cultural impact that the original film did.
6‘Lost in Translation’ (2003)
Directed by Sofia Coppola
Lost in Translationis a very compassionate film about an unusual relationshipthat conjures the same level of empathy that had madeGhost Worldso beloved. WhileGhost Worldis about much younger characters thanLost in Translation,Sofia Coppola’s 2003 masterpiecestood out because it focused on the dynamic between a struggling, middle-aged actor (Bill Murray) and an emotionally overwhelmed American student (Johansson).
Johansson gets another opportunity to play a grounded character dealing with serious issues, proving once again that she is a much more talented actress than her rather thankless role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have led some to believe. LikeGhost World, Lost in Translationis a rather melancholy story about loss and forgiveness that still manages to leave open the door to a more optimistic future should the characters be willing to make self-improvements.
Lost in Translation
A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.
5‘American Splendor’ (2003)
Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
American Splendoris a similar comic book adaptation toGhost World, as ithas nothing to do with superheroes, intergalactic conflicts, or multiverses. Rather,American Splendoris a biopic about the highly influential comic book artistHarvey Pekar; althoughPaul Giamattiportrays him for a majority of the story, the real Pekar does appear in some moments that blur the line between fiction and documentary.
American Splendorseeks to show compassion for working class peoplein the same way thatGhost Worlddoes, and does not seek to pass judgment on those who simply want to be left alone. Although more action-packed superhero movies have come to dominate popular culture over the course of the past few decades, there will hopefully be room for more sensitive graphic novel adaptations likeAmerican SplendorandGhost Worldto still be made by studios.
American Splendor
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
Watch on Max
4‘Easy A’ (2010)
Directed by Will Gluck
Easy Ais a sharp, snappy satire of teen dramasthat contains the same witty sense-of-humor that madeGhost Worldsuch an exciting reinvention of the genre when it was first released. Beyond the fact thatEasy Atakes inspiration from a classic novel,it feels like an elevated examination of the high school drama sub genre because it has such contempt for those that take it too seriously.
Ghost Worldearned acclaim at the time of its debut because it was one of the rare coming-of-age dramas that put its female characters front and center, andEasy Afeatured a breakout role from Emma Stonethat almost certainly guaranteed her subsequent work. One of Stone’s greatest qualities as an actress is her ability to get viewers invested in flawed characters with notable failings, and that unique talent all started with her breakthrough leading performance inEasy A.
Watch on Netflix
3‘The Spectacular Now’ (2013)
Directed by James Ponsoldt
The Spectacular Nowwas a highly influential coming-of-age drama from A24that took its characters very seriously; while it is easy to dismiss adolescent emotions as nothing more than excess feelings from a transitional period, butThe Spectacular NowandGhost Worldexamine how challenging it can be to feel as if the weight of the world is on one’s shoulders.
The Spectacular Nowcelebrates the lives of ordinary people in the same way thatGhost Worlddid, and may be seen as very authentic by audiences as a result. Although the film succeeds thanks to the excellent chemistry betweenMiles TellerandShailene Woodleyas two completely opposite teenagers that fall in love, it also featuresa terrific supporting performance byBrie Larsonthat ranks among the most heartbreaking characters that she has even been asked to play thus far in her career.
The Spectacular Now
A hard-partying high school senior’s philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical “nice girl.”
2‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’ (2015)
Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Me and Earl and the Dying Girlis a teen dramedy that is very similar in tone toGhost World. While it has a lot of sharp popular culture references (including a vocal cameo byHugh Jackmanas Wolverine from theX-Menfranchise),Me and Earl and the Dying Girltells a very emotional story about a young high school film geek (Thomas Mann) and his best friend (R.J. Cyler) who discovers that their classmate Rachel (Olivia Cooke) has cancer, and may have only a few months left to live.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girlis an earnest celebration of the joys that come with youth, and shows the maturity of young people in a manner that is similar toGhost World. While the notion of a “cancer dramedy” has been popular sinceThe Fault in Our Stars,Me and Earl and the Dying Girltreats the subject with the respect that it deserves, yet still manages to avoid any escalation into pure melodrama.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl centers on Greg (Thomas Mann), whose easygoing life of remaking movies with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler) takes a dramatic turn when he befriends Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a young girl with cancer. The film is based on Jesse Andrews' novel of the same name.
1‘The Edge of Seventeen’ (2016)
Directed by Kelly Fremon-Craig
The Edge of Seventeenis one of the best female-led high school dramedies in recent years,and seems destined to find a cult audience in the same way thatGhost Worlddid.Hailee Steinfeldstars as a troubled high school student who feels that the world is crashing in around her when she discovers that her brother (Blake Jenner) has started dating her best friend (Haley Lu Richardson).
The Edge of Seventeengoes deeper into the interiority of adolescence than most coming-of-age films, as it examines the challenges that many experience with theirmental health in a very respectful way.The film also features an extraordinary supporting performance from the greatWoody Harreslson, who plays a seemingly cynical teacher who actually has far more insight and compassion for his students than anyone would have realized after just one glance at him.
