Synopsis – Based on writer/director Hayley Kiyoko’s hit single and best-selling novel of the same name and featuring all-new music from Kiyoko, Girls Like Girls is a heartfelt coming-of-age story set over the course of one sun-drenched summer, where new-girl-in-town Coley falls in love for the first time while learning to accept herself along the way.
Hayley Kiyoko’s hit single from 2015, led to her co-directing a music video for the song with Austin S. Winchell. Kiyoko expanded the song into a YA novel (2023) and subsequently it was adapted into this feature film. I have not read the novel, so I cannot honestly compare the novel and the film, but the fans of the song and novel will likely be happy with the production. The film adaptation is written by Kiyoko and Stefanie Scott.
Coley (Maya da Costa, Hulu’s “Under the Bridge”) has moved to a small town with her father Curtis (Zach Braff). To see Coley riding her bike around town alone at all hours will normally be a red flag that she does not have much, if any, parental or guardian supervision. By the time the audience sees the “father” in this story, it is obvious (to me) there is a huge emotional wedge between them. They hardly talk to each other, and what dialogue there is sounds as if Curtis just met her. I don’t know if this is written intentionally, but I doubted Curtis was Coley’s father. He appears to be a guardian since the mother is not there. Eventually, Curtis notices Coley is out late at night and tries to find out with who.
The crowd Coley is swept up by begins with a cute “it” girl, Sonya (Myra Molloy), a type of “influencer” the group is used to her collecting “friends” who they consider strangers, loners or “outsiders.” While Coley appears smitten with Sonya, given the attention she lavishes on her, Trenton (Levon Hawke) – Sonya’s boyfriend – notices the change.
The script is good as it tackles the challenges any new relationship encounters. It doesn’t help Coley is in a new town, navigating the loneliness of not having her mother, and being insecure about what she feels may or may not be genuinely reciprocated. What makes this story stand out is the performance of the two leads. I have not seen Maya da Costa nor Myra Molloy’s acting before, even though Molloy has quite a few credits already, but they authentically portray their character’s range of emotions. The audience will find it engaging and relatable.
The film will be screened at the Frameline Film Festival on June 18 a day before the nationwide release in the United States on June 19, 2026. Austin, TX is offering this film at a few theaters starting on the evening of June 18th. Check your local listings.
The Romance/Drama/LGBTQ+ film is rated R, with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Source: Focus Features
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