Every phase of youth has its exciting moments. Still, junctures in life's struggles compel us to dread these inescapable experiences and emotions. Mostly, these scenarios are the ones we did not anticipate during childhood and adolescence. Whether it's keeping up with rent, sticking with miserable jobs, seeking meaningful relationships, or painstakingly discovering our purpose, they have a way of sucking the life out of us that we forget our youth is fleeting, and its exuberance does not last forever. In rough times, during teenage years, the 20s to 40s, we tend to be oblivious to our age liberties, forgetting that an inevitable reality lies ahead.
This reality is what certain films are not afraid to confront in brutal yet empathetic form. They explore the theme of old age and death while offering a unique stance on life. With their interesting plots and characters driving them, these movies challenge societal assumptions about what it means to lose one's youth over time. These films about youth and old age offer a novel outlook on a phase of life that is often ignored in mainstream media. They confront complex themes such as mortality, illness, and the loss of independence.
What's more, they can also be heartwarming and inspiring as they reiterate the richness of life, the value of human relationships, the priceless nature of time, and other factors we might consider insignificant during our youth. What makes these films spectacular is how it does not villainize old age. As a matter of fact, it embraces it, along with its joy, fear, lessons, and regrets. These films remind you that you only live once, and what matters, in the end, is not how long but how well you lived it. Here are 10 films that will motivate you to maximize youth and understand the essence of life while you still can.
10 The Father
It is a blessing to see old age. But when aging is accompanied by dementia, it is an affliction we hope to dodge. In the Oscar-winning film, The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, we follow the story of Anthony, who mentally wrestles with preserving his identity, memories, environment, and the reliability of his own mind. Anthony is a senior citizen who insists on his capability to live alone and detests the idea of being moved into an elderly home. With its slow-burn pace and loose plot, beneath his hesitation to his daughter's plea for him to relocate into the care system, we see bits of Anthony's reluctance to accept the finality of his fate. What's worse is that the memories, which he is to cherish, are fleeing by each minute.
Thanks to Hopkins' remarkable performance that proves his notoriety as one of the finest actors of his class, it is impossible not to empathize with Anthony as he succumbs to his dependency on nurses, medication, and the dread of a monotonous life routine that entails losing fragments of his entire being day-by-day.
9 Youth
The Paulo Sorrentino comedy-drama, Youth, follows the lives of a retired orchestra composer/conductor and maestro, Fred (Michael Caine), and his best friend, Mick (Harvey Keitel), a film director working on his final screenplay. As the two friends and in-laws wile away in the Swiss Alps, they reflect on the early days of their respective careers, their accomplishments, and the mistakes it cost their marriages.
Although it seems the stage lights are off on Fred's career, during the retreat, he is invited by the Queen of England to conduct one of his most famous numbers, "Simple Song #3," for the Prince one last time. Like Sorrentino's prior work, The Great Beauty, an Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2013, Youth asks: what comes next when the desires and pleasures of chasing artistic ambitions and youthful vitality vanish?
8 Amour
Starring French cinema icons Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, Amour puts a couple in their 80s, Georges and Annes, at the center of uncertainty when their bond of love and marriage is stretched to limits after Anne suffers a stroke that leaves her incapacitated. Determined to be her carer, Georges is confronted with the harrowing inevitability of death as he watches his lover slowly devolve into physical and emotional numbness.
Directed by Michael Haneke, this European film is a must-see, one that paints an unpretentious reality of aging and illness. It is a minimalistic film that appreciates the early years of marriage and reiterates the unflattering side of marriage vows, which younger couples might still require decades to grasp.
7 The Wrestler
The Wrestler is a gem among 2000s emotional sports dramas. It is about Robin Ramzinski (Mickey Rourke), better known as Randy "The Ram." He is a professional wrestler decades past his peak, and does minor wrestling shows in VFW rooms while working part-time at a grocery store. As aging and health complications knock, Randy is still determined to re-live the glory days of his wrestling career. However, his body can not handle the brutal physicality of wrestling as it did during his prime in the 1980s.
Directed by Darron Aronofsky, The Wrestler is a bittersweet rollercoaster of a man's journey through estranged fatherhood, complicated relationships, and a fading career as he remains determined to pursue self-validation against all odds.
6 The Internship
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During the social media revolution of the 2010s, two Millennial graduates must compete for internship positions at Google with a group of high school and college students. Starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, The Internship was a brilliant take on Millennials' struggle with ageism as corporate organizations began shifting their attention to more tech-savvy Gen Z for its labor market.
Although The Internship is about Millennials who also fall under the umbrella of youth, with its comedic bits, the film reveals how prior generations like Gen-X and Baby Boomers felt when they were erased from positions and conversations, more notably, how Gen-Z will also fall victim to ageism and industrial neglect when Gen Alpha is ripe for the workforce.
5 Mr. Morgan's Last Love
Throughout his epic filmography, Oscar-winner Michael Caine has demonstrated a knack for portraying elderly characters with such innocence, warmth, and complexity in a way audiences never get weary of, and Mr. Morgan's Last Love is no exception. In an irresistible performance as Matthew Morgan, a suicidal American professor of philosophy, Caine depicts the bitterness of grief and the loud silence of loneliness as he deals with the loss of his beloved wife — until he meets Pauline (Clémence Poésy), a young dance instructor who inspires hope in him again. Gradually, their wholesome friendship motivates him to seek closure, embrace life again and find joy in the present moments till his final.
Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck, Mr. Morgan's Last Love is not a favorite among critics. However, similar to A Man Called Otto, the film still deserves recognition as it provides a thoughtful approach to the value of friendships and the essence of living to the fullest, regardless of age.
4 Up
An elderly widower called Carl Fredricksen embarks on an odyssey to realize a lifelong passion for exploring the South American wilderness in Up. To make his house fly, he fastens tens of thousands of helium-filled balloons to it, accidentally bringing Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer, with him. Up is known for its appeal to children and adults; it is a heartwarming and uplifting movie that teaches us the importance of following our dreams, embracing new experiences, and cherishing the people we love.
3 Dead Poets Society
"Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary," and more resonating quotes that urge youths to live are core reasons that make this 1989 movie still revered as a coming of age classic to this very day. Dead Poets Society is directed by Peter Weir, starring Robin Williams as John Keating, a charismatic English teacher who inspires his students through his unorthodox teaching methods. Set in 1959 at the fictional Welton Academy, an all-boys preparatory school in Vermont, the film follows a group of students who form a secret club called the "Dead Poets Society," where they read and discuss poetry, challenge traditional values and learn to think for themselves.
The film probes themes of identity, unity, and the role of education in shaping young minds. Since its release, Dead Poets Society has been praised for its performances, especially Williams' portrayal of John Keating, and its memorable quotes. It remains a beloved film relatable for teenagers and young adults reluctant to pursue their passions due to fear of societal norms.
2 I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Movies like Charlie Kaufman's adaptation of Iain Reid's novel, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, are rare. Aside from its eccentric narration, plot progression, and a wonderful performance from its stellar cast, including Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, and Toni Collette, this psychological thriller is a great film that deserves more attention for its exploration of aging and regrets.
The plot follows Jake, a suicidal janitor who, on the last day of his job, re-imagines how differently his life would have turned out if he had followed John Keating's advice of seizing the day during his youth. It is a sad story that reveals how missed opportunities, in any form, can haunt us to our graves. The plight of Jake in I'm Thinking of Ending Things inspires one to reach for goals and desires in good faith while we still have years to do so.
1 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
What happens when an infant is born with the facial and skeletal features of an 80-year-old man? Meet Benjamin Button; he was born under "unusual circumstances." Based on the short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a romance-drama that sees Daisy (Cate Blanchett) reminisce on her deathbed about her relationship with Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), a man with a rare ailment that causes him to age backward. Pitt delivers an iconic performance as Benjamin, perfectly capturing his character's youthful enthusiasm and old-soul wisdom. Blanchett is also excellent as Daisy, bringing vulnerability and sophistication to her character at different stages of her life until her final moments with her daughter in a hospital bed.
Directed by David Fincher, the immersive past and present narration, along with its stunning visuals, impressive makeup, realistic de-aging effects, and emotional storytelling of this two-hour-plus movie, all point to the passage of time that is felt within every scene and dialogue. Through Benjamin's rare aging and Daisy's brief career as a young ballet dancer, the film presents a thought-provoking glimpse at how we experience time's progression and its impact on our lives. The film also raises intriguing thoughts in viewers' minds about youth, old age, and what it means to live a life full of joy and purpose.
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