This movie slaps every single time. I've probably watched it over 30 times at this point, but I still find myself nodding to the music, laughing at all the jokes, and noticing new things with every go around.

The coming of age angle becomes stronger and stronger for me every time. Miles leaves his shoes untied as a fashion statement ("it's intentional!") because he's trying to hold onto his roots in the culture of his old inner-city school. This isn't an inherently bad or immature thing to do, but as the film goes on, it becomes clear that he's clinging to his old life and holding himself back in the process; Miles foolishly trips over his untied shoelaces on numerous occasions, one of which results in shattering the "goober." Ironically, Miles says the kids at his new school are "elitist" but his untied shoelaces are themselves representative of his desperate attempt to be "different and cultured" compared to his peers. He makes makes no effort to bond with his roommate (or his dad, for that matter) and intentionally holds himself back in school, too unsure of his identity to explore his full potential or express himself in fulfilling and productive ways.

The interactions with all the Spider-People(?) often strike parallels between Miles' personal life, too. When the Spider-Gang bombards Miles with questions about his abilities ("can you rewire a mainframe while being shot at? can you float through the air when you smell a delicious pie?") the music and editing in the sequence are the same as the initial montage of his stressful day at school. Once again, the great expectations overwhelm him, and he retreats to his uncle's apartment to relieve himself from the pressure.

Miles' Uncle Aaron is somewhat divergent from the usual Uncle Ben mentor archetype, because he's actually the character who embodies the immaturity that Miles will eventually learn to grow beyond. Miles clings to his Uncle Aaron as a reminder of his old life, and bonds with him because (unlike Uncle Ben) he doesn't have any interest in reminding him about his responsibilities. In fact, Aaron encourages him to abandon his schoolwork and go spray some graffiti even when he has an essay due the next day.

(Not-so-accidentally, the graffiti painted by Miles says "No Expectations" which serves as the most clear-handed representation of his lack of drive or purpose.)

The revelation that Aaron is The Prowler makes total sense thematically; while he may not have the superpowers that Miles does, Aaron is a similarly gifted individual who has chosen to express his gifts in a selfish and destructive way. In a sense, The Prowler is the expression of what Miles could become if he continues to limit himself and refuse any responsibility for his gifts. Aaron's death and apology to Miles ("I let you down, man") serve as the catalyst for Miles to move past his obsession with his "cool uncle who rejects responsibility" and actually embrace the mantle he needs to embrace.

Gratefully, the message of Spider-Verse is not "gentrify yourself! stop expressing your personality and just conform to what society wants you to be!" After all, what makes you different makes you Spider-Man, and Miles' final expression of himself as a superhero still retains much of his personality and individuality...they're just being used in more productive and fulfilling ways. It's the little things that drive the point home, like noticing that the title page for Miles' finished Great Expectations essay has been stylistically doodled and colored like street art. Rather than seeing his artistic gifts as an opposition to his schoolwork, Miles infuses them together to make the best of the hand he's been dealt. And that's really what coming-of-age movies are about, right?