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The Starling Girl

  • 2023
  • R
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
3K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,746
1,372
The Starling Girl (2023)
17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.
Play trailer2:18
6 Videos
38 Photos
Drama

17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church.

  • Director
    • Laurel Parmet
  • Writer
    • Laurel Parmet
  • Stars
    • Eliza Scanlen
    • Lewis Pullman
    • Jimmi Simpson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    3K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,746
    1,372
    • Director
      • Laurel Parmet
    • Writer
      • Laurel Parmet
    • Stars
      • Eliza Scanlen
      • Lewis Pullman
      • Jimmi Simpson
    • 20User reviews
    • 51Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:18
    Official Trailer
    The Starling Girl
    Trailer 2:20
    The Starling Girl
    The Starling Girl
    Trailer 2:20
    The Starling Girl
    The Most Gripping Drama of 2023
    Clip 1:02
    The Most Gripping Drama of 2023
    The Starling Girl: Do Not Tell Your Mama
    Clip 2:01
    The Starling Girl: Do Not Tell Your Mama
    The Starling Girl: Dance Troupe
    Clip 1:05
    The Starling Girl: Dance Troupe
    The Starling Girl: It Was Probably Sick
    Clip 0:56
    The Starling Girl: It Was Probably Sick

    Photos38

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    Top cast25

    Edit
    Eliza Scanlen
    Eliza Scanlen
    • Jem Starling
    Lewis Pullman
    Lewis Pullman
    • Owen Taylor
    Jimmi Simpson
    Jimmi Simpson
    • Paul Starling
    Wrenn Schmidt
    Wrenn Schmidt
    • Heidi Starling
    Claire Elizabeth Green
    Claire Elizabeth Green
    • Rebecca Starling
    Ellie May
    Ellie May
    • Sarah Starling
    Austin Abrams
    Austin Abrams
    • Ben Taylor
    Chris Dinner
    Chris Dinner
    • Noah Starling
    Paige Leigh Landers
    • Kelsey
    Kieran Sitawi
    Kieran Sitawi
    • Jeremy Starling
    • (as Kieran Satawi)
    Brianna Bronger
    Brianna Bronger
    • Nora
    Jessamine Burgum
    Jessamine Burgum
    • Misty Taylor
    Kyle Secor
    Kyle Secor
    • Pastor Taylor
    Andrew Riley Stephens
    Andrew Riley Stephens
    • Mike Stone
    Abby Hobek
    Abby Hobek
    • Rachel
    Ike Harrell
    • Edmond Tike
    K.J. Baker
    K.J. Baker
    • Anne Taylor
    Matthew Palmer
    • Bartender
    • Director
      • Laurel Parmet
    • Writer
      • Laurel Parmet
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    6.73K
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    Featured reviews

    10jennmlandry

    Quiet, thoughtful, reflective and powerful

    This movie broke me. Maybe you need to personally relate to the content, but the way in which the relationship between Jem and Own is crafted is nuanced and relatable. The trauma that comes with religious upbringing is powerfully displayed in this movie. In the hands of the screenwriter, director and actors it is deftly dealt with, without forcing an agenda down your throat one way or the other. Pullman and Scanlen achieve the necessary chemistry that you're wholly along for the journey and seem to understand both sides, even if there is a clear villain in this tale. This movie had me thinking about it nonstop for a week now...don't know what my entire conclusion is yet, but I'm so glad it was made.
    6zack_gideon

    Well acted coming of age story

    The plot in and of itself is very simple and has been done many times. Young girl, oppressed - finds her identity through trials and tribulations. It's really a story as old as time itself, so that's not the real focus of this film. The acting and character development is what to focus on while watching.

    The setting is mostly outdoor rural Kentucky, within a very strict Christian fundamentalist community, which I found unique and interesting. The focus of the film is the subtle changes in the young girl main protagonist. It's almost like watching a slow motion train wreck, for her and the immature pastor.

    Overall it's a slow burn, hard to really review. I just enjoyed the overall ambience and acting. Everything else for me I could take or leave it, but it was entertaining. 5.9/10.
    4Bleu-Le-Fluff-0969

    Beautiful camerawork but impact isn't as strong as it thinks

    Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

    "The Starling Girl" is a movie about 17-year-old Jem Starling struggles with her place within her Christian fundamentalist community. But everything changes when her magnetic youth pastor Owen returns to their church. It clears the director is trying her best to capture the struggles and dark sides of the Christian fundamentalist community but the film doesn't really have a strong impact as it thinks it does due to the storyline being predictable and characters that weren't fully investable.

    Throughout, the production and camerawork is pretty good as it helps to bring the settling of isolation and control throughout the main characters environment. The performance from Eliza Scanlen is pretty great and there are some narrative aspects that were pretty interesting. Unfortunately, the positive aspects were overshadowed with a story that has a very predictable setting and characters that aren't interesting to care for.

    The characters felt wooden to the point it was difficult to really care much about them. The pacing struggles, some of the other performances were really bad and the dialogue moments felt like they were written from a poor student project at times.

    There is a lot of potential that is missed and I really do feel like this movie would have been an pretty good and be considered a hidden gem. But it didn't work as well.

    Rating: C.
    7brentsbulletinboard

    A Little Predictable But Nicely Handled

    What's required to attain acceptance from others? That's a tricky question, especially for those who are going through the coming of age process. It can be even more confounding for those who are part of a community that demands rigid conformity on an array of fronts. So it is for 17-year-old Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen), a questioning young woman from a small Kentucky fundamentalist community. She wants to fit in, but she also endeavors to know herself, a quest that carries with it some puzzling yet innate contradictions, many of which are brought front and center when she begins to develop feelings for her married youth pastor (Lewis Pullman), a connection based on emotions that turn out to be mutual. But what is Jem to do - follow her heart or squelch the burgeoning passions surfacing within her, both romantically and in her other secular interests? That's the story that plays out as she attempts to get in touch with her inner being. However, is she seeking to let her true self emerge, or is she succumbing to the wicked manipulations of Satan, as her family and fellow parishioners try to convince her? Independent Spirit Award-nominated writer-director Laurel Parmet's debut feature deftly handles these themes, even if they seem a little predictable, familiar and stretched out at times. The picture's surprisingly inconsistent cinematography sometimes hampers the flow of the narrative, too, with some scenes that are beautifully shot and others that are needlessly and almost indecipherably dark (atmosphere is one thing, but the patent mishandling of this element is something else entirely). Nevertheless, these shortcomings are aptly covered by the fine performances of the film's stellar cast, especially Scanlan, Pullman, and Jimmi Simpson and Wrenn Schmidt as Jem's dysfunctional parents. "The Starling Girl" may not be groundbreakingly original, but it reminds us of the importance of being ourselves, no matter what that might entail - and the cost that can come from failing to follow our hearts.
    10zampino-359-446228

    Brilliant, do not miss.

    Taking place in beautiful green Kentucky in a Christian fundamentalist community The Starling Girl pulls you in from the jump. It is nothing like what you might expect. Eliza Scanlan and Lewis Pullman are the the stars in first time writer/director Laurel Pamet's first feature film and it is a brilliant debut. A coming of age film, that becomes a tight psychological thriller, that becomes a meditation on life and God and a woman's place in the world. This film hits all the marks from costumes and production design, to stunning cinematography, to great music and masterful editing. There is nothing about this film that is ordinary or mundane. This is a a do not miss movie that will surely become a classic.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Actress Eliza Scanlen, who plays 17-year-old Jem Starling, was 24 years old when the movie was released in 2023.
    • Quotes

      Owen Taylor: What, you think God will strike you dead if you enjoy dancing? You're experiencing joy in His creation.

    • Connections
      Featured in Amanda the Jedi Show: I Watched 45 Movies in 1 Week | 'Talk to Me' and the Best Movies of Sundance 2023 Explained (2023)
    • Soundtracks
      Stained Glass
      Written by Ben Schneider

      Performed by Lord Huron and Ben Schneider

      Courtesy of Republic Records

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Starling Girl?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 11, 2023 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Website
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Дівча Старлінґів
    • Filming locations
      • Kentucky, USA(on location)
    • Production companies
      • 2AM
      • Pinky Promise
      • Sons of Rigor Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $161,290
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $23,843
      • May 14, 2023
    • Gross worldwide
      • $161,290
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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