Girls Like Girls

I feel like I just watched a JackieShauna fanfic

No shade…but why was the beginning giving TikTok movie vibes 💀. The writing was a little awkward at times and there were definitely moments where the acting felt a little questionable, but once I got past that, I actually ended up really enjoying the movie.

What I liked most was that it wasn’t just a romance. It covered so many important themes: self-discovery, mental health, sexuality, identity, and of course… daddy issues 😃. They really came prepared and covered all the coming-of-age bases. It felt more like a story about figuring out who you are and learning to accept yourself, with romance being a part of that journey instead of the entire point.

At first, I’m not gonna lie, Coley (still think the nickname is STUPID 💀) kind of annoyed me. and no shade but Sonya was lowkey eating her up with that whole “sitting there feeling sorry for yourself” comment 😵‍💫. BUT Coley actually grew on me a lot, especially once we got more of her background and understood why she acted the way she did. My favorite part of the movie was probably the montage of her learning to love herself because that message was honestly the real tea 🫂. You can’t fully love someone else when you don’t even know how to love and accept yourself first.

My only complaint is that I wish Sonya had to do a little more groveling because girl… you had Coley over here crying and going through it, and all you had to do was shed a couple tears and break up with your bum boyfriend before she was ready to run back 😭. But honestly, it also made sense because Coley’s self-esteem issues played a huge role in why she accepted so little, and Sonya was a baddie 😭. I probably would’ve folded too, so I can’t even judge.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. There were definitely some cheesy moments and questionable choices, but it delivered the message it was trying to share: there is nothing wrong with being yourself, and you deserve to be loved as you are 🫂🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩.

Side note: I was actually so happy when Coley became a hostess because hello?? I’m one too 😜. Then I realized it was at a Japanese restaurant and GIRL ME TOO!! That was literally my sister from that moment on 😭. Also I genuinely gasped when I realized what was happening because that was such a funny little coincidence.

I thought this was a great adaptation of the music video… however for a song that’s really about the acceptance of being gay, taking out the entire ending in the MV (the fight and the fearless kiss in front of everyone) imo erased that message.

9/10

A love story that changes both girls for the better, even if a bit clichéd. Helps that it takes place in rural oregon for me. Loved the atmosphere and portrayal of queerness as a given. So worth watching the end credit scene.

7.5

had my empathetic heart break a few times during this movie. understood where both sides were coming from fs. filmed well for a first-time director. ending was too empty though.