Plot:

Girls Will Be Girls follows the story of Mira, a teenager navigating the ups and downs of emotions in a boarding school with her first love. The tension between her blossoming sexuality and her mother Anila's unresolved past shapes both their lives and creates a simmering conflict.

Acting:

Preeti Panigrahi delivers an apt and a perfect performance as Mira, with emoting the complex feelings of love, desire, disappointment and anxiety. Keshav Kiron does the justice to the role as Sri, highlighting the gendered ways in which they experience the world. Kani Kusruti's portrayal of Anila is complex and unsettling, embodying the effects of a societal settings that ignores the women's desires.

Cinematography:

Jih-E Peng's cinematography adds a touch of sensitivity to the film, capturing the physical and uncomfortable realities of adolescence with honesty and sincerity. Scenes depicting Mira's emotions and her activities like practicing before mirror are very thoughtful and reflection of feelings that are relatable to the youth.

Direction:

Shuchi Talati's confident storytelling and direction excellence make it feel so real and relatable. She handles the gender-based tensions within the world of academic privilege with sensitivity and explores the complexities of desire, love, and rebellion in a visually sumptuous way. While occasionally leaning on dialogues, Talati's direction keeps the tension simmering throughout the film.

Conclusion:

Girls Will Be Girls is a stirring debut that offers a powerful angle into budding desires and complexities when you have to face your own family member taking something away. It focuses on the effects of societal rules while portraying the intimate, complex relationships between its characters. Despite some low points here and there, the film remains bold and captivating, making it one of the must watch movies to end the year .