← Back to results
Damsels in Distress
2012 99 min United States of America PG-13 18+
★6.4
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Whit Stillman
Trailers
Description
A trio of beautiful girls set out to revolutionize life at a grungy American university: the dynamic leader Violet Wister, principled Rose and sexy Heather. They welcome transfer student Lily into their group which seeks to help severely depressed students with a program of good hygiene and musical dance numbers.
US Gross:
$1.01M
Worldwide:
$1.31M
Starring
Greta Gerwig
Actor
Adam Brody
Actor
Lio Tipton
Actor
Awards
1 win & 2 nominations total
Key opinion
Damsels in Distress is a polarizing campus satire that showcases Whit Stillman’s signature blend of intellectual, stylized dialogue and melancholic irony. While some viewers admire its witty, Austen-esque character dynamics, others find its bizarre, shifting tone and lack of conventional resolution to be alienating or aimless.
| Screenplay | The film’s dialogue is its strongest asset, featuring witty, refined, and absurd exchanges that evoke the spirit of Jane Austen. | |
| Acting | Greta Gerwig delivers a standout performance as the odd yet purposeful leader, Violet, anchoring the ensemble cast. | |
| Production | The film employs a unique aesthetic that fuses 1960s campus sensibilities with modern technology and a nostalgic musical soundtrack. | |
| Humor | The comedic tone is highly divisive, with some appreciating the irony used to tackle heavy themes like suicide, while others find the shifts from farce to tragedy jarring and nonsensical. | |
| Ending | The narrative structure creates frustration for some viewers due to its lack of a traditional resolution or clear character arcs, leading to claims of aimlessness. |