Catherine Hardwicke is best known for directing the first Twilight movie in 2008, kicking off a major franchise that changed the teen movie landscape forever.
But years before that, the director made her debut with a much darker teen movie — Thirteen — that got added to Netflix last summer but is already on its way off the streamer.
Here’s why Watch With Us is recommending this controversial teen drama, which deals with sex, substance abuse and self-harm — and why you should stream it before it leaves Netflix on November 1.
The Cast of ‘Thirteen’ Is Made Up of Future Stars
Thirteen stars Evan Rachel Wood as Tracy, a well-behaved middle schooler whose life is changed when she becomes friends with troubled teen Evie. Evie is portrayed by Nikki Reed, who would go on to star as Rosalie in the Twilight franchise. At only 14 years old, Reed actually co-wrote the movie’s script with Hardwicke.
The youthful performances from Wood and Reed are really impressive, and it’s easy to see why the two would both go on to star in big name projects like Westworld and Twilight. Wood was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. Thirteen was also the first onscreen performance of Vanessa Anne Hudgens, who appears in a minor role.
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‘Thirteen’ Has an Amazing Origin Story
Thirteen was Hardwicke’s first time directing — she’d worked as a production designer prior to this movie. She got to know Reed because she had dated Reed’s father, and had stayed in her life after the breakup. The movie was inspired by Reed’s own teenage experiences. It’s remarkable that the relationship between a teen girl and her father’s ex was strong enough to lead to such an intense project.
Hardwicke raised all the funds for the movie herself — she told The LA Times that people were “terrified” to make the movie because of the subject matter, which includes underage sexuality, drugs, violence and self-harm.
Once they had secured a tiny budget and cast Holly Hunter as Tracy’s mom, the entire movie was shot in 24 days — with the child actor leads allowed to work far fewer hours than adult actors would have been.
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Overall, Thirteen is a testament to the power and determination it takes to make an indie film — and the hard work shows in every frame of the scrappy, smart movie.
‘Thirteen’ Has a Relatable Mother-Daughter Story at Its Heart
In Thirteen, Tracy’s pain is palpable in every shot. She feels abandoned by her recovering addict mother, Melanie (Hunter), making her extra vulnerable to the pull of the popular girls and trying to fit in. One scene in which Evie gives Tracy a fake phone number as a prank is especially gut-wrenching — anyone who’s been a teen can relate to such casual acts of cruelty and the desperation to be liked, especially if a parent is less than present. Eventually, Tracy wins Evie over — and it’s the beginning of a major downward spiral. Later on in the film, when Melanie tries to reach out to her daughter, it feels as if Tracy is too far gone to care.
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The relationship between mothers and daughters is complicated and fraught, and Thirteen captures the way that Melanie and Tracy come apart and come back together in a way that feels raw and realistic. It’s a devastating movie, but one that’s worth watching.
Watch Thirteen on Netflix before it leaves the service on November 1.
To be considered “the best,” these films and series can be visually engaging, intellectually stimulating or simply just fun to watch, but the one trait they must have is that they are all, in some way, entertaining. We then check which platform they are streaming on and how you can access them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements here — our recommendations are based purely on our love and interest for the films and shows we love.
