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Hayley Kiyoko’s Girls Like Girls Opens to Warm Early Reviews

The film's warm Y2K romance, directed by an openly queer artist, signals mainstream queer visibility.

Overview

  • Girls Like Girls is written and directed by Hayley Kiyoko and began a limited theatrical rollout with a companion album tied to the film's soundtrack.
  • Newcomers Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy play the leads and have drawn consistent praise for their instant chemistry and an authentic portrayal of first-time sapphic love.
  • Reviewers have highlighted Kiyoko's direction, the film's early-2000s visual style, and its pop-leaning music as key elements that shape the movie's warm, nostalgic tone.
  • Critics noted two main flaws: several supporting characters feel underdeveloped and the main ending is compacted while a fuller resolution appears in a post-credits scene.
  • The project traces a decade-long arc from Kiyoko's 2015 song to a 2023 novel and now a feature film, making it a notable example of queer authorship moving into mainstream cinema.