Girl

R

2018

1h 40m

Drama

List

84%

63 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Lara, a 15-year-old girl who was born in a boy's body, is committed to becoming a professional ballerina.

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Critics Consensus

Girl uses one aspiring dancer's story as the framework for a poignant drama that approaches its difficult themes with fittingly alluring grace.

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Dani G

Good film, and impressive performance by Victor Polster. Second film from Lukas Dhont I've watched (after Close), with a related theme both, and this filmmaker has caused me a very good impression

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

Jonathan H

I highly recommend this movie to everyone. I think it's a movie everyone *should* watch. Let me explain in a few sentences below. So many aspects of our lives have been politicized and driven to a statistic that we forget about *each other*. People. Individuals. I'm guilty of this, myself. I had a very close friend who opened up to me about being transgender that, without question, was looking for someone to be there to support her. I wish I had seen this movie before that period of time. I have a gift of being "that friend" that everyone comes to when they're going through tough times, but I know I fell short in this instance. She was seeing counselors, doctors, specialists, etc., and I felt that she had her bases covered. But she simply needed a friend. She took her own life about a year ago. I know it's not my fault, but I do feel that there's more that I could have done that may have made a difference. As a result, this movie really touched me. I was hesitant to watch it because of the recent situation I described above, but my wife insisted. The movie was simply incredible. The acting is top-notch (the main actor who plays Lara is extremely talented), the cinematography was spot-on, and the movie really pulls you into the main character's life. You can actually feel the angst, pain and hope that she is experiencing throughout the entire movie. I wish I could rate it 10 stars!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Gayle A

Overall well done portrayal of the complexity of gender dysmorphia during adolescence. However, the ending was very poorly handled; the consequences - physical and mental - of such a significant incidence of self-harm were handled irresponsibly actually could be seen as an acceptable means to an end given the last scene.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/21/23

Full Review

Akshaya M

Absolutely...loved it! It's a tad longer and maybe could have been culled by 15 mins, I had drop-offs in the middle, especially with her ballet sequences BUT it's a story that needs to be seen. Beautiful!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/12/23

Full Review

Bodhi R

A good foreign film. Touches on sensitive issues and deals with a lot of introspective moments. I found it very singular in its focus. Could have done without the ending! Interesting style of filming... You may like it or hate it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/23

Full Review

Paula M

A very sensitive movie. Very good!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

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Lukas Dhont

Director

Victor Polster

Lara

Arieh Worthalter

Mathias

Oliver Bodart

Milo

Katelijne Damen

Dr. Naert

Valentijn Dhaenens

Dr. Pascal

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Hannah McGill

Sight & Sound

This film makes a gentle point of the fact that transitioning isn't trouble-free even if most of the people around you are broadly sympathetic to the undertaking.

Apr 3, 2019

Full Review

Nick Davis

Film Comment Magazine

Unfortunately, despite strenuous pretenses of compassion, Girl's escalating obsessions reprise long histories of cruel, transphobic storytelling.

Mar 21, 2019

Full Review

K. Austin Collins

Vanity Fair

A curiously unjust, myopic, even dangerous movie.

Mar 19, 2019

Full Review

Carla Monfort

Espinof

Girl is a powerful intimate portrait that gives us a window into the psychology of its protagonist. And while it reflects her most dramatic reality, it does so with restraint and with a sensational use of the camera. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Nov 21, 2022

Full Review

Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

This is bleak, bloody and uncomfortable. It serves well as social commentary and succeeds on that level, but it refuses to let its protagonist simply be happy.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 1, 2021

Full Review

Tori Brazier

Flickering Myth

Girl is a very impressive debut feature film ... With devastating performances too, you'd have to have a heart of stone to remain unmoved.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 25, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Lara, a 15-year-old girl who was born in a boy's body, is committed to becoming a professional ballerina.

Director: Lukas Dhont
Screenwriter: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens
Production Co: Menuet Producties, Topkapi Films, Frakas Productions
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Brief Disturbing Content|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 15, 2019
Runtime: 1h 40m

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