Laughing and twirling through the gold light shining from Sonia’s bedroom window, she and Coley dance like no one’s watching, pulling each other in closer with every spin. For the first time in the film, they are alone, and the raw chemistry between them is palpable as the two begin to fall in love. 

Originally released as a song and music video in June 2015, “Girls like Girls” by Hayley Kiyoko kicked off the artist’s career as an openly lesbian musician. Her music video featured young LGBTQIA+ love and promoted self-acceptance. Over a decade later, the song has developed into a novel and now a feature film of the same name, putting themes of self-discovery and growth on a larger screen. 

Set in 2006 in a small Oregon town, the film follows the recent arrival of Coley, played by Maya da Costa, as she and her father rebuild their lives after the passing of Coley’s mother. On a warm summer day, Coley sets out on her bike to a diner by the lake, where she meets a group of fellow high schoolers — including Sonia.

The film’s Y2K styling and references use pops of color and early technology to set an era-specific story, adding charm to the more melancholy themes that surround the rural town. 

Coley and Sonia’s relationship develops throughout the film, turning into a romance as they become vulnerable with each other. In a particularly touching scene, Coley opens up to Sonia about her mother’s death, something she has not confessed to a single friend in this new town.

Sonia consoles Coley, and the boundary of their friendship is finally broken when the two kiss, confirming Sonia’s reciprocation of feelings. Despite the two’s bond, they still refrain from saying “I love you,” instead opting to say “olive juice.” Though the moment is humorous, the avoidance of the word “love” also illustrates how Sonia’s internalized homophobia holds her back from full romantic expression, which is disappointing considering the build-up preceding this interaction.

Following the veiled confession between Coley and Sonia, the two’s friendship becomes strained, introducing possibilities of abandonment that trigger Coley’s trauma around her mother’s passing. 

This experience adds immense depth to Coley’s character arc and contextualizes the tension she experiences with her father throughout the film due to their shared grief, as well as the isolation she feels when Sonia neglects their friendship and denies their romantic affiliation. This prompts Coley to explore life in her new town outside of Sonia and confront her fears around her past and future alongside her supportive father.

While this piece of the film is crucial to Coley’s character development and personal growth, the lack of progress for Sonia’s character hinders much of the commentary the film could have made about self-acceptance and struggling with internalized homophobia. Additionally, Sonia’s disappearance from the story during Coley’s character development casts a negative light on Sonia’s character, drastically differing from her loyal and kind characterization in earlier scenes. 

Nevertheless, this isolation allows Coley to effectively show a range of emotional experiences and confront struggles specific to the LGBTQIA+ community, such as self-hatred and anxiety around appealing to societal norms. 

This emotional turmoil and confrontation with the past allow Coley to become a well-rounded character outside of her romantic storyline, and when she must face Sonia after a period of no communication, she has a renewed confidence that is refreshing for the audience. 

Overall, “Girls like Girls” authentically tells LGBTQIA+ stories and experiences and successfully captures themes of identity, self-discovery and found family. While the film could have explored a wider range of queer issues and perspectives through the character of Sonia, the developed arc of Coley’s character from vulnerable new girl to confident is empowering.

Even though Coley faces rejection by Sonia, the film attempts to mitigate this fallout through conversations around familial and social pressures in relation to coming out; ultimately, Sonia and Coley get closure, leaving things off in a satisfying way.

The film’s greatest strength is its depiction of LGBTQIA+ characters who can ultimately experience happiness and love in their own desires, a concept often neglected in most LGBTQIA+ media. Instead of having to settle for a loveless story or a last-minute love interest introduction with no substantial context, “Girls like Girls” exemplifies that resolution is possible, and even when romance faces societal criticism, love can still conquer all.