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Director
Laurel Parmet
Writer
Laurel Parmet
Stars
Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson
Companies
2AM, Pinky Promise, Sons of Rigor Films
Released
2023-07-11
Runtime
1h 57min
Rating
R
Genres
Drama
Countries
USA
Languages
English
Awards
Awards, 1 win & 4 nominations
Keywords
christian fundamentalism,coming of age,youth pastor,adult teenager relationship,youth group
The PlaylistJason Bailey

This is a movie that barely speaks above a whisper, even when its characters are howling in pain inside.

ColliderMaggie Boccella

The Starling Girl is steeped with empathy, not just for Jem, but for every young woman, religious or not, who struggles to know herself and gives in to the desire to be seen, no matter the voyeur โ€” just to feel alive, and like they matter.

The Hollywood ReporterJourdain Searles

One of the smartest things about Parmetโ€™s film is the way it portrays internalized misogyny in her female characters. The Starling Girl is a complex, often disturbing portrait of the way women have been pressured to shrink themselves and pass on that shame to their daughters.

IndieWireDavid Ehrlich

The power of this sensitive and devilishly detailed coming-of-age drama is rooted in the friction that it finds between biblical paternalism and modern personhood.

Screen DailyNikki Baughan

Scanlen effectively embodies her characterโ€™s internal struggles, unable to vocalise her growing frustrations lest she forfeit her purity โ€” which is seemingly her only value.

Screen RantPatrice Witherspoon

Even in the most discomforting moments, director Parmet finds a way to delicately balance morally complex issues. The Starling Girl, even with its unsettling themes about abuse, is a triumphant effort about finding love within.

TheWrapKatie Walsh

Parmetโ€™s strong script and surety behind the camera navigate the audience through this complicated story of religion and sexuality, patriarchy and power, brought to eerily accurate life by the ensemble of excellent actors.

SlashfilmBen Pearson

While this movie's story may sound familiar โ€” it's about a religious teenage girl's sexual awakening in a stuffy community that would rather never address such things โ€” its success is dependent on its execution, and writer/director Laurel Parmet, in her feature directorial debut, hits every target she aims for along the way.

The GuardianAdrian Horton

The Starling Girl, anchored by a bristling performance from the always solid Scanlen, is at its best when it hews to the combustible suspense of a teenage girl glimpsing her own instincts โ€“ for honesty, for autonomy, and most threateningly for pleasure.

The Film StageMichael Frank

Thereโ€™s not necessarily anything new in Parmetโ€™s script, despite her care towards this character of Jem. The film lacks surprise, and in this case, is missing a level of engagement.

Film Independent Spirit Awards2024

2024 Nominee Independent Spirit Award, Laurel Parmet

Palm Springs International Film Festival2023

2023 Winner Directors to Watch, Laurel Parmet

Sundance Film Festival2023

2023 Nominee Grand Jury Prize, Laurel Parmet

SXSW Film Festival2023

2023 Nominee Audience Award, Laurel Parmet

Sรฃo Paulo International Film Festival2023

2023 Nominee New Directors Competition, Laurel Parmet