How to Build a Girl (2020)

How to Build a Girl is a coming-of-age comedy with the rare confidence to be both riotously funny and genuinely tender, the kind of film that lets you laugh while still feeling the ache of growing up. Beanie Feldstein is a spark plug at the center—quick, fearless, and disarmingly human—as Johanna reinvents herself and charges into London with big dreams, bigger opinions, and a heart that keeps showing through the bravado. The vibe is bright, brash, and warmly earnest, like a sharp diary entry set to the hum of music journalism and late-teen ambition, always finding fresh angles on familiar rites of passage. It won’t be for everyone if you’re allergic to messy, talkative, larger-than-life protagonists, but if you like your comedy with bite, warmth, and a performer you can’t stop watching, it’s an easy recommendation.

How to Build a Girl wants to be a brash, coming-of-age reinvention story with big personality—an awkward Midlands teen turning herself into a fearless London music critic to rescue her family. The problem is it often plays like a checklist of familiar “finding yourself” beats, and the film’s energy doesn’t always translate into a sharp, distinctive voice on screen. The execution can feel uneven, with moments that should hit hard landing a bit shallow or rushed, so if you’re expecting a truly incisive, original comedy, you may end up underwhelmed. Still, there’s an earnestness to Johanna’s ambition and a few lively, scrappy sequences that make it watchable if you’re in the mood for something light and character-driven rather than groundbreaking.