Co-writer and director Hayley Kiyoko’s feature debut, “Girls Like Girls” (2026), is the most recent adaptation and expansion of her 2015 song, which shortly thereafter became a music video that she also directed. In 2023, she wrote a young adult novel with the same name, which is also the story of this film. Set in the summer of 2026, Nicole, nicknamed Coley (Maya da Costa in her perfect feature debut), is new to the town. Popular girl, Sonya (Myra Molloy), immediately invites her to join her large friend group with mixed results. When it turns out that Sonya wants to be more than a friend, and the feeling is mutual, both girls have issues that they have to grapple with before they can become a couple. Come for the coming-of-age lesbian romance, stay for the grief, reconciliation and fall out of mental health issues. Damn, no one warned me about the emotional solo journey that Coley goes through to become a whole person with a community before she is ready to plunge into the deep end of romantic love. Even if you are not into a sapphic love story, this movie has something for everyone.
Respectfully, da Costa is a brick house. Poor closeted Sonya does not stand a chance. da Costa plays a brooding, mysterious loner who keeps people at arm’s length. She is new to a lot of things: the neighborhood, her father, Curtis (Zach Braff), and so many confusing emotions. She is wrestling with the recent death of her mother and is not necessarily up to socializing with a preexisting friend group, which she unintentionally immediately disrupts. Trenton (Levon Hawke), Sonya’s boyfriend, almost instantaneously senses how much of a threat that Coley poses though Coley is clueless despite Sonya explicitly expressing her romantic intentions though in a joking manner. Heteronormativity is the assumption, which normalizes Coley wondering if she should be crushing on her friend or shake it off and not risk ostracization.
Molloy has a lot of heavy lifting because Sonya is navigating an internal roller coaster of tension between what she knows that wants versus maintaining her status, which outing herself as a lesbian could endanger. “Girls Like Girls” assumes that moviegoers are bringing a certain level of social awareness about homophobia to the theaters because none is shown during the film. There is some subtle disgust expressed in questions when the friend group realizes that Coley and Sonya are alone in a locked room during a party, but other rumors are circulating so it is not necessarily homophobia. Sonya is a hot and cold figure who seems willing to sacrifice Coley to the whims of teen cruelty but also is obviously swooning. Molloy projects the pressure crushing the it girl on her face, and if she can sing, maybe she will play Glinda in the next iteration of “Wicked” (2024). Molloy feels like a cross between Anya Taylor-Joy and Zendaya.
A wonderful comedy actor, Braff is a bit of a needy performer and can get a bit high on his own supply, so it was unexpected for his performance to put him in the running for one of 2026’s best examples of positive masculinity and fatherhood, which is a tall order considering that Curtis has never fulfilled his duties as a father before Coley moves in. While there is one clear demerit moment when Curtis shifts blame in a way that an adult could debunk in two seconds, Curtis otherwise provides a masterclass to all parents, particularly fathers, who shifted adult burdens on their children through their inaction and realize too late how devastating the fall out is. It is basically a lifesaving scene with Curtis offering some comedic relief as he has no idea how to navigate an emotional teenage girl crying dramatically and giving him contradictory instructions on how to proceed. At the end of the day, he does not center himself but prioritizes his child even when she withholds any positive reinforcement. He never gives up and affirms her unconditionally. He does not even understand that Coley is gay, but he sees her in crisis then responds accordingly. He does not need details or use discipline as an excuse not to do the right thing.
The foundation of Coley’s crisis has nothing to do with her sexuality, but her sexuality and believing that it makes her innately wrong exacerbates the crisis, which is an important point that Kiyoko nails. Coley shouts at Curtis, “You’re the first person who taught me that I’m somebody nobody is going to miss.” Kiyoko tackles so many weighty issues that while you may be coming to the theater for a sweet summer romance, you will feel as if you took a hit to the gut with the wind knocked out of you. It is never done in a sensationalistic fashion or in a pat afterschool special way. It would make a great double feature with “Romería” (2025), but end with “Girls Like Girls.”
Kiyoko’s directing background started with music videos so it should not be a surprise that her montages offer shorthand regarding Coley’s healing: time in nature alone, developing new friendships, getting a job and staying busy, developing a deep relationship with her father. A way to reduce the effect of trauma is to have positive relationships that correct a mindset that believes that wounds are destiny. Kiyoko shows that progress does not mean it is a complete solution to her issues with Sonya, but it does help her raise her standards and demand more kindness and commitment.
“Girls Like Girls” does not directly address a multitude of socioeconomic issues. Coley and Sonya have a severe economic divide. The silent contrast of their homes, clothes and family structure reflect that Sonya has the financial and psychological advantage in terms of stability. On a superficial level, Sonya feels like an onscreen surrogate to Kiyoko since both are blonde, but on a deeper level, Sonya is a professional as a child performer, which exacerbates her concerns over her image. It is interesting that her parents are rarely shown head on. Like “Camp” (2025), both girls look similar to each other and are offspring of interracial relationships, but it is part of atmosphere, not deeply explored. Like “Didi” (2024), Kiyoko captures the quotidian texture of that era such as messaging on AOL, which upon reflection, is imbued with nostalgia. Unlike “Leviticus” (2026), the landscape is not an arid reflection of the inhospitality of their community to young gay love, and their courtship is like an antonym to the boys’ roughhousing. Girls need less excuses and cover stories to be together and touch each other.
“Girls Like Girls” did feel wishy washy for not minimizing Sonya’s friend group more or fleshing them out. SJ (Sierra Sidwell) initially feels distant, but her character lands in a completely different emotional space. It would have been nice to show the math. Brooke (Sophia Carriere) seems welcoming and enthusiastic, turns on a dime and feels like a loose end. Alex (Alozie LaRose) is sensitive to Coley, but it is unclear if it is because he is a decent person or has a crush. He just seems like a male palette cleanser after Trenton’s bad behavior, which means Alex could be cut or needs to have as big a role as his mean friend.
Also “Girls Like Girls” feels as if it dodges wrestling with some implied gray zones. When Trenton initially bullies Coley, Coley appears to be severely triggered in a way that seems as if she experienced sexual assault before more than just physical embarrassment. Similarly, when she has consensual sexual experiences, there is one time where the age differential is left unspoken, but could be an issue, especially considering the issue of drug use. If it was a same sex male relationship, the default may be to view it through a negative lens. Coley’s reaction could be explained in several ways.
“Girls Like Girls” is a lyrical exploration of a teen’s maturation of self and all her relationships. Again, while the romance is the focal point, if you had a childhood of neglect or helplessly witnessing an adult in a mental health crisis, you should consider if you are prepared to handle it because it is a hard-hitting storyline that is as psychologically pivotal as the love story.
