Review: How to Build a Girl

Do you have to change everything that makes you who you are to fit into society? Or does that path let you find your true self? This is a film that takes the concept of nice girls finish last and turns it on its head.

Sometimes you watch a film that takes you right back to high school, and you start analyzing every cringe-worthy decision you’ve ever made. Most of the time, when remembering these moments, there is instant regret. How to Build a Girl takes all of those regretful decisions and gives them a new meaning.

Johanna Morrigan lives her life on the outside always looking in. Friendless and shy, she dreams of a time where she could be in the spotlight. She’s a girl who loves life; she just hasn’t experienced any of it yet. Desperate for bigger and better things for not only herself but her struggling family, this introverted poet, tries her hand at being a rock critic.

To fit into the wildlife of rock ‘n’ roll, she creates a new persona fittingly named Dolly Wilde. As Dolly, she becomes the popular girl she always dreamed of being. But, as the movie progresses, Johanna struggles to balance her old life with her new one. In her quest to gain popularity, she lets go of the values that make her a good person and becomes someone she doesn’t recognize anymore. 

This movie moves at the speed of light in the beginning, almost too quick to keep up. But, the momentum does keep you invested and eager to follow along. That pace slows towards the end and quickly changes its tone from light and carefree to shockingly dark. The tonal shift is a bit jarring, and the humor the film held in the beginning never entirely comes back.

Despite its dark turn, there’s a guiding light at the end of the tunnel, and that’s Beanie Feldstein. By being quirky and witty, Feldstein has rightfully become the go-to girl for coming of age comedies. She breaks the stereotypical leading lady role and lets girls see themselves on the screen. Feldstein is a massive force of joy that can carry any film she finds herself in. For me, She’s the reason I continued to be invested in the journey of this character.

In conclusion, How to Build a girl has a few speed bumps but, it is a witty and wild ride. It’s nice to see a heroine on-screen that marches to a different beat than every other teenage comedy. The one thing I enjoyed was despite being boy crazy; Johanna’s motives are not entirely driven by men. Everything was truly for herself. My biggest gripe is that even though the film holds an R rating, I didn’t find it nearly as raunchy as it claimed to be.

Stream How to Build a Girl on demand May 8th