: A cornerstone of the French New Wave, it provides a raw and sympathetic look at a misunderstood adolescent's rebellion against an indifferent society. Mustang (2015)
Liliana Cavani Why it fits: While the characters are adults, the psychosexual dynamic mirrors the manipulation in Maladolescenza . A former Nazi officer (Dirk Bogarde) and a concentration camp survivor (Charlotte Rampling) re-enact their sadomasochistic relationship years later. The film is obsessed with how sexual awakening under conditions of coercion creates lifelong bonds. movies like maladolescenza 1977
Gregg Araki Why it fits: This film depicts two boys who were sexually abused by their Little League coach and how they cope differently as teens—one becomes a gay hustler who dissociates, the other becomes convinced he was abducted by aliens. It is not a "summer idyll" film, but it is the most psychologically honest movie about how childhood sexual encounters (even those that feel "consensual" to the child) warp the self. : A cornerstone of the French New Wave,