How to Build a Girl
IFC Films | Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Time OutAlexandra SimsAug 24, 2020
The film may fail to probe many of the issues thrown up following a working-class girl trying to break into a privileged world, but it only goes to show that cinema could certainly benefit from the presence of more plus-sized, funny, working-class, feminist girls like Johanna. Read full review
60
CineVueClara Bradbury-RanceAug 4, 2020
A funny and touching coming-of-age story that occasionally loses its way, just like its protagonist. Read full review
60
EmpireBeth WebbJul 20, 2020
If it fails to mine the deeper themes in this story about a working-class writer fighting to find her footing in the music industry, How To Build A Girl is a resounding success as a showcase of Feldstein’s capabilities in a leading role. Read full review
60
VarietyAmy NicholsonSep 11, 2019
The final product feels like if the greatest musician in the world tried to write a classic in 15 minutes. Yet, “How to a Build a Girl” dares to argue that reinventing yourself doesn’t make you a poseur ... It’s a young person’s jam that will hit the right teen like a thunderbolt. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeMay 8, 2020
Feldstein is as contagiously ebullient as always in the role, and her English accent is mostly passable, although it breaks down at times during the voiceovers that bookend the film. But her character’s actions keep chipping away at the actor’s natural charisma. Read full review
58
The PlaylistChris BarsantiMay 7, 2020
Clumsy and erratic, though possessed of an undeniable bounding and puppy-like energy, How to Build a Girl is a star vehicle for Feldstein that, while it often does not do its star justice, also knows when to just stay out of her way. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyMay 8, 2020
So it’s no small tribute to Feldstein — who really is something — to say that she’s the very best thing in How to Build a Girl despite being so wildly miscast. Her performance is a tour de force, even if it’s too forceful for either its own good or that of the movie. Read full review
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