Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming doc follows ambitious young cookie sellers.
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Why Age 8+?
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Cookie Queens
What's the Story?
COOKIE QUEENS, directed by Alysa Nahmias and executive produced by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, follows four Girl Scouts from across the country during the six-week Girl Scout Cookie selling season in 2024. In Charlotte, North Carolina, 12-year-old Olive—a previous nationwide top seller—sets her sights on once again being one of the country's "Cookie Queens." Eight-year-old Shannon Elizabeth of El Paso, Texas, hopes to sell 2,750 boxes to help pay for Girl Scout camp. In San Diego, California, 5-year-old Daisy Scout Ara does Pilates to build up the strength to pull her cookie cart as she works toward her modest goal of 55 boxes. And in Chino, California, 9-year-old Nikki hopes to follow in the footsteps of her older sisters, who were also top sellers in their area, and earn enough to help pay for a troop trip to Europe. The scouts knock on doors, set up booths, strategize with their families, promote their sales on social media (and even local television), and deal with the occasional disappointments that come with participating in the Girl Scouts' best-known fundraiser.
Is It Any Good?
This engaging documentary turns the familiar ritual of Girl Scout Cookie season into a compelling, kid-friendly portrait of ambition and entrepreneurship. Cookie Queens isn't an in-depth historical look at how Girl Scout Cookies became a phenomenon or even a general survey of Girl Scouts and what the organization offers beyond cookie sales—and that's fine. Perhaps a former-Girl-Scout-turned-filmmaker will make that documentary someday. Here, Nahmias' (who was never a Girl Scout but whose mom had been) focus is narrower: four diverse girls engaging in the capitalist endeavor of selling the organization's legendary cookies. The scouts' varying ages, circumstances, personalities, and goals make the comparison fascinating. For three of the girls, it's clear what's motivating them: Shannon Elizabeth needs to sell more than 2,000 boxes to fund her spot at camp, Nikki wants to earn a trip to Europe and be crowned top regional seller, and Olive wants to repeat as as a nationwide top seller. But little Ara (the most adorable of the crew) just wants to enjoy the sales experience.
Although Nahmias touches on what goes into selling, she doesn't quite delve into specifically what the three older girls must do to sell thousands of boxes per season (almost all Girl Scouts participate in both cookie booths and door-to-door sales). Shannon Elizabeth's storyline is the only one that feels truly fraught: At one point, her parents wonder whether they'll be able to pay their mortgage if they can't unload the inventory they prepaid for. A couple of the girls bring up how little the troops profit from sales (they get about $1 from each $6 box), but no one explores the issue too deeply. Ultimately, Cookie Queens is an undeniably charming look at four young entrepreneurs as they create songs, confidently upsell customers, and make impressive sales pitches (Ara on the phone with a potential customer is particularly amusing). Probably the sweetest parts of the documentary are when the scouts aren't selling, though, and are just being themselves with their troopmates and families.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Cookie Queens defines success. Is reaching a sales goal the most important accomplishment for the scouts, or are there other ways they succeed?
What skills do the girls learn from selling Girl Scout cookies? How do they demonstrate perseverance, communication, confidence, and entrepreneurship?
How do the girls' families help them reach their goals? Why does Olive tell her mom she feels pressured to be a top seller? When does encouragement become pressure?
Which of the scouts' stories did you find the most compelling, and why? What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 7, 2026
- Director : Alysa Nahmias
- Studio : Roadside Attractions
- Genre : Documentary
- Character Strengths : Communication , Perseverance
- Run time : 91 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : August 13, 2026
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