Cocoon

These days, I feel like most coming-of-age films I review are average or below average. Cocoon is very much above average. This movie is like a queer, German version of Eighth Grade in style, themes and exceptional overall quality.

Cocoon is told from the point of view of shy, 14 year old Nora. With an absent, alcoholic mother, Nora tags along after her older sister, Jule. Jule has a group of cool friends who do cool teen stuff like drinking games, developing eating disorders and of course, talking about sex. After an injury, Nora joins Jules’ upper year class. As the hottest summer on record hits Berlin, Nora experiences many firsts. These include her first period, first crush, first sexual experience and first heartbreak. The story is told in glorious, sun-dappled nostalgia, even as Nora’s reality runs the gamut of wondrous emotional highs to deep embarrassments and disappoint.

The queer coming-of-age genre is specific enough that there’s only so many narratives. I’ve seen many of the plot points in Cocoon before, in numerous other films. What sets Cocoon above such films is its direction by Leonie Krippendorff. That’s where these coming-of-age films, especially the more visually aesthetic ones live or die. And Cocoon doesn’t just live, it flourishes. In part, this is due to absolutely beautiful cinematography. Every frame of this film is set beautifully and meticulously lit. The shots manage to provide simultaneous nostalgia and a sense of modernity and youth. There is so much care, so much love in these shots. Cocoon takes standard, youthful visual trends and makes sure they have pride of place in this film about youth.

The other reason Krippendorff’s direction stands out is her understanding of how camera, visuals and overall directing can place the viewer in the mind of its character. Nora is a very quiet, shy lead character. What Cocoon does brilliantly is use the camera lens to allow us access into Nora’s head. We see the world as she sees the world. Krippendorff effortlessly switches between using the camera as Nora’s eyes and occasionally cutting to a shot of Nora’s quiet face. These close-ups depict clearly the emotion she’s feeling but won’t say out loud.

Cocoon is so, so good at making Nora’s teenage stakes hit home. The embarrassment of getting her period or heartbreak of discovering her beloved caterpillar habitat destroyed pack an emotional punch. These events ring out crystal clear as formative, emotional moments in Nora’s young life. The most nerve-wracking, most wonderful moment is when she admits to her teacher that she finds women beautiful. This is a genuinely tense, breath caught in your throat scene. Cocoon shows us how easily Nora is affected by comments and casual attitudes. There’s such exquisite tension waiting for her teacher to respond. And when her teacher responds that she finds women beautiful too, it’s a wonderful, validating sigh of relief.

Like so many specifically European coming-of-age films, Cocoon shows major societal progress society regarding to queer people and especially youth. Once Nora’s teacher assures her that finding women beautiful is normal, she’s good to go. Her relationship with the idealized cool girl, Romy isn’t a lifelong romance. But this short relationship at a young age allows Nora to experience many formative romantic concepts. Nora ultimately experiences heartbreak. But there is a sort of privilege in her being able to do so. Nora will grow from the experience of her first queer relationship. Neither romance, heartbreak nor the personal growth would have likely been possible for a queer 14 year old in many other places or generations.

I really, really like Cocoon. It’s a beautiful, nostalgic snapshot of 2018 youth. Cocoon is a masterfully directed, way above average queer coming-of-age film. The film easily places you inside its quiet character’s head and provides endless opportunities to empathize with this character. The end result is a beautiful, memorable and moving film which definitely stands out in the crowded subgenre of queer coming-of-age films.

Overall rating: 8.4/10

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