Full transparency: before seeing this film, I knew nothing of the hit 2015 song, the accompanying music video, or the 2023 book Girls Like Girls, all of which were the product of singer Hayley Kiyoko, who has now written and directed the film of the same name. Based on the filmmaker’s experiences as a teenager, the film is a sincerely told coming-of-age love story about Coley (newcomer Maya da Costa), who is forced to move to a small town in rural Oregon when her single mother dies and she must move in with her biological father (Zach Braff) until she turns 18. Since he wasn’t a part of her life growing up, the two don’t know each other, and although he makes the effort to get to know her, she feels utterly alone in a strange place with no friends or other family.
If you watch the music video for “Girls Like Girls,” it essentially acts as a short-film version of the movie, laying out Coley meeting Sonya (Myra Molloy), their school’s resident beauty queen, complete with an alpha-male boyfriend (Levon Hawke) who thinks being a selfish dick is the quickest way to a woman’s heart. But somehow, the two girls become fast friends and trusted confidants. When the school year gives way to summer vacation, the small group of girls who Sonya hangs out with hesitantly accept Coley into their group, and they hang out where kids in Oregon hang out.
Coley spends a lot of the film staring longingly at Sonya, and because she’s never had feelings for anyone before, let alone another girl, she’s beyond hesitant to act. But for Sonya, physical contact is just part of being friends with someone, so Coley seems content simply allowing the closeness of their friendship get her through each day. She’s confused by Sonya attraction to her boyfriend and simply waits patiently until Sonya is paying attention to her again. Since this is a love story, naturally, things get more serious, and the film goes from a story about Coley’ anxiety at having her first crush to Sonya trying to navigate feelings for Coley in a town that would never accept (and might actively protest) a same-sex couple. Sonya attempts to distance herself from Coley, and even does things that should make Coley despise her. But love isn’t that simple when you’re young, even though this movie would be a whole lot less complicated if it were.
While watching this, I couldn't help but think of Kerem Sanga's beautiful 2016 romantic drama First Girl I Loved, which covered some of the same territory far more effectively and less preciously. I was frequently taken out of Girls Like Girls because it seems to go out of its way to keep things PG (don’t believe the film’s R rating, mostly for teen alcohol and drug use, and some language; this thing is PG-13 at worst). Still, the lead performances are solid, especially Da Costa, who wears her emotions on her face and once we get into the real reasons for her depression (having to do with how her mother died), we begin to see just how much she’s truly dealing with. Some of the betrayals from Sonya are beyond forgiving, so I wasn’t a fan of seeing Coley as this much of a doormat, but the heart wants what the heart wants. A serviceable debut, Girls Like Girls is the quintessential first feature, with all of the shortcomings, naivety, and energy that implies.
The film is now in theaters.
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