In this episode of Film Curious, Ashley and Nicole dive deep into The Starling Girl (2023), an indie drama written and directed by Laurel Parmet, starring Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, and Jimmy Simpson.

A 17-year-old in a Christian fundamentalist community develops a dangerous connection with her youth pastor, and the film handles it with nuance, restraint, and visual intelligence that most films three times its budget never achieve. We get into Eliza Scanlan's micro-expression masterclass, Laurel Parmet's brilliant visual storytelling, the consent conversation the film quietly forces you to have, the small details that tell everything you need to know, and why this filmmaker deserves so much more attention.

⚠️ This is a full spoiler discussion! We suggest watching it first if you haven’t already. Available to stream on Netflix currently.

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from the Episode

00:28 Intro to the Film & How Adeptly the Story Is Handled

06:39 ⚠️Spoiler Section Starts⚠️

23:57 Handling of Sex Scene & the Consent Discussion

29:43 Analysis of the Film & Its Themes

56:06 The Surprise Turn Towards the Ending & What the Ending Means for the Main Character Going Forward

01:00:00 Wrap Up - Excited and Hoping to See Laurel Parmet Make More Movies in the Future

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