What to Stream: Three Movies That Capture the Uncertainty of Life After College

We’re in the middle of May and that means we’re right in the thick of college commencement ceremonies. If you’re one of the kids who just got their degree, welcome to the real world! Your journey is going to be … angst-filled. Especially in today’s job environment. You’re going to have to struggle to find sustainable, fair-paying careers. You’ll have to deal with the fact that for the first 20 or so years of your life you’ve only been a student, and now you have to be something different. Fortunately, several films have covered the time that comes after college graduation. Here are three to stream that will let you know you’re not alone!

The Graduate

Maybe you’ve already seen it, but it’s time to catch up with one of the all-time classics. Starring as Benjamin Braddock, Dustin Hoffman plays a listless college grad who finds himself without meaningful direction. He winds up being seduced by his neighbor, Mrs. Robinson. While his affair with an older, married woman and his romantic interest in her daughter is of course the most memorable part of the movie, a central element of the plot is that he doesn’t know what to do after leaving school. The Graduate is free to stream with a subscription to Tribeca Shortlist.

Reality Bites

If you were to make a list of quintessential ’90s movies, this next one might be at the top of the list. Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star as three cynical young people fresh out of college, and Ben Stiller plays a young MTV executive. Stiller, who also directed, managed to capture the Generation X lifestyle and put a spotlight on the issues, both professional and personal, young people in the mid-’90s faced. Reality Bites is available to rent on Amazon.

Into the Wild

And then if you want something that really captures the uncertainty that comes with life after college, this Sean Penn-directed movie based on a true story might be the one. Emile Hirsch stars as Christopher McCandless, a college graduate who abandoned a traditional life in favor of becoming a drifter. He seeks happiness in the solitude outside civilization before realizing that time is better spent in the company of friends. This one has a sad ending, so maybe have a friend or loved one near by. Into the Wild is available to stream on Netflix.

Movie neighbors you’d never want to have:

What do you think? Do you have a movie that better captures the frightening reality of leaving school? Tell us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram — or leave your comments below.