By: Grayson Magill

Envision yourself looking in the mirror every day. You wake up, brush your teeth, fix your hair, do all the things you would normally complete on any given day. But today is not most days; today a horrific change has occurred. Your gums split as sharp canines take their unworthy place in your mouth; your eyes glaze over as your pupils become sharp and pointed. Then there is the urge…the urge to do the unthinkable. The anger you concealed before now erupts inside your veins and you set out into the world, the future of your behavior already bitterly decided.

This is one example of how the media represents “coming of rage,” a transmutation of adolescence that inevitably leads to destruction. We see this genre of movies in place of “coming of age” films. Coming of age romanticizes the teen experience, creating a lighthearted story of the journey of becoming older. However, artists in the field of film felt that the teen experience of growth should not always be glorified as something fun and meaningful. By honing the worst of teen hormones, these directors created a new genre: coming of rage. This genre emphasizes the horror of your body transforming into something unfamiliar; one’s emotions becoming so powerful that they are out of control. Cult-classic films such as Heathers and Lost Boys are a great example of this. Why, however, are these movies so popular compared to their bright counterparts? Simple: we see ourselves in those films. Change in anyone’s body can be terrifying, especially in teens or young adults. You’re uncomfortable, confused, angry, upset and unfamiliar with the change happening outside and within. When seeing these changes displayed on the big screen in film, it is excruciating. You feel vulnerable. Exposed. Now take that feeling and add disgust and violence, witnessing the worst that could ever possibly happen during this horrific time of your life. We just can’t look away. It is both making you feel distressed and, in some sick way, seen.

Anger is a common emotion to experience during puberty. In an era of happy-go-lucky films, sometimes you want to see that rage represented. In a loathing mixing pot of fury, these films capture an audience vulnerable to these themes. That is the reasoning behind the obsession. That is coming of rage. Next time you find yourself watching a disturbing film of the teen experience and enjoying it, remember that you are not alone as you let the blood-curdling tale wrap its cold fingers around your brain, pulling you into its petrifying world.