Growing Up On Screen: 25 Essential Films to Watch Before You Turn 25

The Guardian curates a 25-film guide for children and young adults, inviting filmmakers and critics to pick joyful, imaginative, and thought‑provoking titles that shape how young people view cinema and the world—ranging from animated classics like Fantasia and My Neighbor Totoro to boundary-pushing dramas like Trainspotting and Do the Right Thing—emphasizing media literacy in an era of AI, doomscrolling, and growing screen time.