Natalie D.C.
It’s safe to say that nearly every closeted Gen-Z teen spent their youth religiously watching the music video for singer-songwriter and actress Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 hit pop anthem “Girls Like Girls.” What began as a five-minute sapphic love story following lonely Coley (Stefanie Scott) and confident Sonya (Kelsey Asbille) transformed into a 2023 bestselling young-adult book adaptation written by Kiyoko herself.
In 2026, this story has reached its final form as a coming-of-age film co-written by Kiyoko, Scott, and filmmaker Chloe Okuno, with a fitting release date during Pride Month by Focus Features. As a young chronically-online queer girl, this story has meant a lot to me over the years and I personally can’t wait for it to hit the big screen come June. The trailer perfectly recaptures the summery magic present in both the original music video and book adaptation with warm visuals, relatable characters, and a beautifully-remastered rendition of “Girls Like Girls” by director Kiyoko.
Not only does this film promise to be a faithful adaptation and a strong directorial debut starring breakout performances by young talents Maya da Costa as Coley and Myra Molloy as Sonya, it also promises to shine a spotlight on queer girls everywhere, especially those living in small towns and otherwise unsupportive environments. Also featured in the trailer are Levon Hawke as Sonya’s toxic boyfriend and Zach Braff as Coley’s recently-widowed father, indicative of two serious themes that pepper the original plot.
For those unfamiliar with the story, I recommend giving the original music video a watch to get the full scope of the queer romance that took the Internet by storm a whopping 10 years ago. For everyone else, prepare yourselves for the heartwrenching feature film that is determined to encapsulate every ache and triumph of being a lovesick teenage sapphic.
Girls Like Girls will be released in theaters on June 13th, 2026.
