Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Edgy coming-of-age comedy has mature content, sex, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
How to Build a Girl
What's the Story?
In HOW TO BUILD A GIRL, innocent and naive 16-year-old Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) dreams of becoming a writer. She finally gets her big shot when she applies to work on a music magazine. Desperate to flee her working-class roots and start a life in the big city, she creates a new identity as Dolly Wilde, an acid-tongued girl-about-town who doesn't care who she offends as long as her articles are a hit. Falling into a world of drinking and debauchery, she travels to review gigs and interview bands, falling in love with singer John Kite (Alfie Allen) and enjoying her new-found fame and popularity. But as she burns more and more of her old bridges and gradually discovers her new life and the "cool" people around her are not everything she expected, she must make a choice about who she really is and who she wants to be.
Is It Any Good?
Transporting you back to the 1990s, this movie brings to life the monotony of the teenage experience in vast contrast to the excesses of a thriving music scene. How to Build a Girl is adapted from British writer Caitlin Moran's bestselling novel based on her own experiences as a young music journalist. It's quirky, with director Coky Giedroyc adding some fun visual touches, such as the icons on Johanna's wall -- including Sylvia Plath, Julie Andrews, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx -- coming to life to converse with the troubled teen. These enable fabulous cameo appearances from the likes of Michael Sheen and Gemma Arterton, while Emma Thompson plays Johanna's editor, Amanda.
Though her experience is extraordinary, the character of Johanna is relatable, if a little one-dimensional. American Feldstein doesn't do badly with the British regional accent. But she doesn't quite breathe the life into the character that she's managed in previous films -- notably Booksmart. However, How to Build a Girl is raw and funny in places, and the audience remains on Johanna's side, even as she turns to the dark one herself. Overall, this is a light but heartfelt coming-of-age comedy that teens will both relate to and, in some places -- possibly the wrong ones -- aspire to.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how sex is depicted in How to Build a Girl. Do you think the graphic sex talk is meant to be realistic or shocking? What's the difference? What values are imparted?
Discuss the teen drinking and smoking in the movie. Are they glamorized? Do the characters need to do these things to look cool? What are the consequences?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Does it seem necessary or excessive? What does it contribute to the movie?
Talk about how Johanna's character changes and what she learns about herself along the way. Which two people does she hurt the most, and how does she make amends? Can you think of a time when you've had to make amends for something?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 11, 2020
- Cast : Beanie Feldstein , Alfie Allen , Paddy Considine
- Director : Coky Giedroyc
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : IFC Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Book Characters
- Character Strengths : Integrity , Perseverance
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content, language throughout and some teen drinking
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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