The Starling

PG-13

Released Sep 17, 2021

1 hr. 44 min.

Drama

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List

19%

94 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.

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Critics Consensus

Burying its talented cast and worthy themes under mounds of heavy-handed melodrama, The Starling is a turkey.

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Frank S

Why do treasures like these not get watched more often??? This movie was wonderful. Life has profound meaning, and few movies illustrate that as well as this one

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Hi, i

Critics are useless. This movie is wonderful. It hit too close to home at times and deals with how we each deal with grief in our own way.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

Julia S

A surprise. Heartfelt, with enough humour to soften the story. A beautiful story.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/20/23

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Karla F

The CGI bird is the worst part of a poor movie. Chris ODowd does a repris of Brendan Davenport (The Clinic) which was nostalgic but ineffective. McArthy can't seem to resist prat falls. As for the garden, it was truly weird and painful.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/28/23

Full Review

Tom E

The movie had great potential to engage people in the themes of grief and healing. However, The Starling is a disappointing and forgettable film that fails to deliver on its promising premise. The CGI for the "Starling" is poor, and although the metaphors are easily understandable, it unfortunately add no real depth to the feel of the film. In summary, "The Starling" is a disappointing film that fails to live up to its potential. It lacks depth, authenticity, and emotional resonance, resulting in a forgettable viewing experience. For those seeking a thought-provoking exploration of grief and healing, this film is a miss and should be approached with caution.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/13/23

Full Review

Maxine B

I love everything about this movie. We are currently starved for content this good. Performances by Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Kevin Kline were pitch-perfect. Moved to tears and laughter that were genuine. Critics are cynical a**holes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/31/23

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Theodore Melfi

Director

Melissa McCarthy

Lilly Maynard

Chris O'Dowd

Jack Maynard

Kevin Kline

Larry

Timothy Olyphant

Travis Delp

Skyler Gisondo

Actor

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Passing

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Hope Gap

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Gigi & Nate

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The Starling: Trailer 1

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

This bird's not worth watching.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 2, 2021

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

The dialogue lacks the saltiness that made St. Vincent work so well, and the many pauses in the action allow plenty of opportunity for mawkishness to seep in. While McCarthy is certainly the best thing in it, she does have her limits.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 30, 2021

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It just doesn't get the mix quite right -- you can get from there to here.

Sep 29, 2021

Full Review

Juanma Fernández París

El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico)

The talented cast ensures that each of them has the opportunity to have a genuine moment on screen. The problem is that director Theodore Melfi is more concerned with making the film's message clear.

Dec 6, 2023

Full Review

Sarah Vincent

Cambridge Day

While ambitious, entertaining and touching, the story becomes repetitive and heavy-handed, and its transitions from humor to gravity are at times awkward.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 16, 2023

Full Review

Jason Flatt

But Why Tho? A Geek Community

The Starling is perfectly fine. The cast is pretty good and the story is effective. It’s just a bit hard to appreciate in its totality when it makes something so hard to have for yourself seem so simple.

Rated: 6.5/10

Jan 16, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.

Director: Theodore Melfi
Executive Producer: David Boies, Alex Tong, Zev Foreman, Gabby Revilla Lugo
Screenwriter: Matt Harris
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Goldenlight Films, Boies / Schiller Film Group, Entertainment One, Culmination Productions, Limelight
Rating: PG-13 (Some Strong Language|Thematic Material|Suggestive Material)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 17, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 24, 2021
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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