← Back to results
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
2015 102 min United States of America R 18+
★7.3
Drama, Romance, Comedy
Director: Marielle Heller
🎭 Based on
«The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures»
byPhoebe Gloeckner
Trailers
EN
Teaser
Teaser
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she’s sleeping with her mother’s boyfriend.
Budget:
$2M
US Gross:
$1.48M
Worldwide:
$1.48M
Starring
Bel Powley
Actor
Alexander Skarsgård
Actor
Kristen Wiig
Actor
Awards
Sundance Film Festival 2015
— Best Cinematography (Drama)
Berlin International Film Festival 2015
— Crystal Bear – Grand Prix for Best Feature Film (Generation 14+)
Sundance Film Festival 2015
— Grand Jury Prize (Drama)
Berlin International Film Festival 2015
— Crystal Bear – Best Feature Film (Generation 14+)
Key opinion
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a polarizing coming-of-age drama that uses stylized visuals and a 1970s San Francisco setting to explore adolescent sexuality and identity. While many critics praise the film's authentic atmosphere and lead performances, others find its exploration of taboo subject matter morally questionable or narratively lacking.
| Acting | Bel Powley delivers a commanding, nuanced performance that effectively anchors the protagonist's complex emotional journey. | |
| Production | The film excels in its production design and cinematography, successfully recreating an authentic and evocative 1970s San Francisco aesthetic. | |
| Originality | The integration of animated inserts and comic-style sketches offers a creative and visually distinct way to represent the protagonist's inner psyche. | |
| Screenplay | Critics are divided on the film's narrative coherence; some appreciate the raw, lived-in realism, while others find the plot trajectory aimless and lacking in motivation. | |
| Theme | The explicit, taboo-heavy subject matter creates a deep divide; supporters view it as a brave, honest examination of female desire, while detractors condemn it as morally objectionable or gratuitous. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on pacing are split between those who find the contemplative, character-driven tempo immersive and those who perceive the film as static and boring. |