Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Girlhood

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

French film offers bleak, affecting look at troubled teen.

Movie NR 2015 112 minutes
Girlhood Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 1, 2022
age 13+

A film that captures girl teen hood without hesitation and with dignity

A film that wraps itself around your memories of youth and desire to be free and doesn't let go. It hangs on to every girlhood desire and reminds us how we wanted to be our full selves with joy and company and how that seems to be fleeting and many times impossible under the current societal strains. I mourned for my 13 year old that knew what her spirit wanted and that society did not make any room for. A beautiful film that ends facing the future...sola.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Marieme (Karidja Toure) is looking for a way out of the working-class Paris suburb where she's stuck helping raise her younger siblings while their mom works all hours. She's hoping to go to high school, but is told that her so-so grades mean vocational school is the only option, a path that offers few prospects for a better life. Frustrated with her limited options, Marieme joins a gang of girls, where she's rechristened Vic (for "victory") and starts to recreate her identity. Soon, she's extorting cash from her classmates, shoplifting high-end clothes, beating up girls from rival gangs, and abandoning her siblings. It's a bleak, realistic, look at life on the lower end of the economic scale.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

With GIRLHOOD, director Celine Sciamma delivers a tour-de-force movie that will haunt you for ages. Not only are the performances (led by Toure's) incredibly moving, but the story itself, told in a stripped manner devoid of the annoying overproduction that plagues plenty of other movies, lays bare what happens when someone so young sees doors close to her before she has even begun to discover her potential. That Toure isn't a seasoned actress is both surprising and totally believable; her Marieme is authentic because the role, as Toure defines her, isn't overwrought or polished. She's simply true. Prepare to have your hopes frustrated and your heart broken.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Marieme's life. Why do you think she joins a gang? What does it offer her that she doesn't already have in her life? What do you think you might do in her place?

  • What message do you think Girlhood is trying to convey? Is it trying to reach a specific audience?

  • How does Marieme's relationship with her family change as she becomes more involved with the gang? Do the changes seem realistic? Do you think they're irreversible?

  • What role do drugs play in Marieme's life?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate