1. Sam & Suzy (Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward) in Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

It may be hard to accept that Wes Anderson, a filmmaker known for his intricately damaged adults—men burdened by lost love, fathers drowning in regret—crafted his most affecting characters in two 12-year-olds who run away from home with a cat, a suitcase, and a record player. But, it’s true. Sam and Suzy (Jared Gilman & Kara Hayward) in Moonrise Kingdom aren’t just kids playing house; they’re two souls who, despite their age, understand each other in a way the adults around them never could.

Sam, an orphan and outcast among his peers, is pragmatic and fiercely loyal, while Suzy, with her sharp gaze and stolen library books, carries the quiet rage of someone who feels fundamentally unseen. Together, they create a world of their own, a secret island refuge where they can exist without judgment. But what makes them Anderson’s best characters isn’t just their rebellious adventure—it’s the earnestness of their love, the way they approach life with the sincerity that only children can.

In a world of emotionally stunted grown-ups, Sam and Suzy are the only ones brave enough to demand something more: a life where they are understood, where they belong. And that’s what makes their story, despite its pastel whimsy, the most profoundly human one Anderson has ever told.