By John Corrado

The origins of Girls Like Girls, the feature directorial debut of singer, songwriter and actress Hayley Kiyoko, stem back to her 2015 song “Girls Like Girls” and the music video she co-directed for it.

That video for the song, which became a queer anthem of the mid-2010s, got expanded into Kiyoko’s 2023 YA novel of the same name, which now provides the basis for this movie based on her song.

The film brings to screen the story of Coley (Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old girl who has just moved to a small town in rural Oregon with her estranged dad (Zach Braff). We first meet her encountering a group of local kids in a diner. Among them is Sonya (Myra Molloy), the popular girl who catches her eye and invites Coley into their group.

Coley starts spending time with Sonya over the summer, and chatting over AOL messenger (to call this film set in the mid-2000s a period piece feels strange). The two develop a close emotional bond that begins moving past friendship, as both girls experience a sexual awakening. But Sonya gives off mixed signals, pushing things into more romantic territory, and then acting distant towards Coley, unsure how to navigate her feelings towards someone of the same sex.

The film feels very much like a teen movie. The performances can come across as a bit amateurish, at least in the earlier scenes, and the dialogue veers into being on the nose. The screenplay, co-written by Kiyoko and fellow singer and actress Stefanie Scott who also played Coley in the music video, feels underdeveloped in places, particularly the supporting characters. It’s nice to see Braff in a role like this, but his dad character also feels underwritten.

But, if Girls Like Girls can feel somewhat cliched as a coming-of-age drama and has a lot of the marks of being a first feature, it also has potential to become a formative piece for its target audience of teens and young adults looking for a more hopeful if bittersweet queer romance. Kiyoko does do a decent job of capturing the endless summer vibes, as the girls ride bikes down tree-lined streets (it was shot in Kelowna, British Columbia, providing a picturesque backdrop).

If you could argue that there isn’t quite enough here to flesh out a 95 minute feature, Girls Like Girls does capture the many confusing feelings around navigating a first crush and first relationship in a somewhat evocative way. Again, it’s easy to see a film like this resonating deeply with the viewers who seek it out, even if we can recognize some minor shortcomings. Stay for an end credits stinger that those who leave early won’t get to see.

Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)

Girls Like Girls opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on June 19th, including at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. It’s being distributed by Focus Features.