Is A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2017)

📖 The Core Premise

With the release of A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl (2017), audiences are invited back into the world of Documentary. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "This is a film about 12-year-old girls, made by 12-year-old girls, for 12-year-old girls, or anyone that has been a 12-year-old girl, or will be a 12-year-old girl, or wishes they were a 12-year-old girl. This inquisitive cross between a documentary and a theatre piece was created by Tilda Cobham-Hervey and twelve 12-year-old girls, where real girls articulate what they hope for, what they remember and what it feels like to be twelve. Performing themselves in a filmed field guide, together these specimens investigate their own species."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. In A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl, even the presence of Tilda Cobham-Hervey struggles to save a script that feels disjointed. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Documentary. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl worth your time? If you appreciate Documentary films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl misses the mark on several fronts. With a runtime of 20 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Skip It.