THE APEX TIMES
Hayley Kiyoko’s directorial debut “Girls Like Girls” reviewed by The Guardian on June 18
The pop singer’s feature debut arrives with a sapphic teen-romance premise tied to the artist’s long-running public persona, with critics weighing the film’s storytelling and character dialogue.
Singer-songwriter Hayley Kiyoko’s feature directorial debut, “Girls Like Girls,” was reviewed by The Guardian on June 18, 2026, as the outlet framed the film as a sapphic teen romance that it called emotionally “precious” but also “precise” in its construction and plot elements.
The Guardian’s review ties the film’s release to a notable timeline in U.S. legal history, pointing out that the U.S. Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal nationwide on June 26, 2015, two days before Kiyoko, according to the review, “effectively came out to the world” with her debut single “Girls Like Girls.” The outlet presents the movie as drawing on that symbolic sequencing, even as it evaluates the film’s execution.
The article says Kiyoko, described in the review as a former Disney Channel alum and current singer-songwriter, stepped into directing for the new movie. The review characterizes the film as a meandering directorial debut and says its dialogue includes lines the outlet described as “groan-inducing.” The Guardian also describes the film as “packed” with familiar teen-romance beats, using the phrase “yawn-a-thon” in its overall assessment.
Beyond the critical evaluation, the review situates the film within a broader cultural moment for LGBTQ content by foregrounding the “sapphic” framing and the title’s connection to Kiyoko’s 2015 breakthrough single. The Guardian’s account notes that the original song carries a direct line of lyric, “Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new,” which it characterizes as sung with “triumphant” momentum.
The review’s description implies that the film is aimed at audiences seeking representation and teen-romance storytelling while using well-established genre rhythms. While the Guardian’s language is evaluative, the publication’s key factual posture in the piece is that Kiyoko’s directorial effort is being introduced to mainstream film audiences under a title that already has cultural recognition through the 2015 single.
No additional details about box office, distribution platform, or production credits were included in the portion of material provided. The Guardian’s article, as supplied for this write-up, does not specify release format beyond treating the work as a film review published on June 18.
In the immediate next step for readers following the movie, the relevant public information would be additional coverage from other major outlets, along with official release details from the distributor or studio, such as where and when it is available to watch. That kind of confirmation matters for audiences trying to locate the film and for those tracking whether the work reaches schools, youth events, or family-oriented screenings, depending on the distributor’s classifications and marketing plans.
Why It Matters
- The timing described in the review connects mainstream entertainment releases to a landmark period in U.S. LGBTQ legal history, shaping how audiences interpret cultural symbolism.
- As a music artist’s first feature direction, the film’s reception can affect how studios and distributors evaluate artist-led projects in youth-oriented romance and representation-centered storytelling.
- Critical attention to dialogue and pacing, as described by The Guardian, can influence word-of-mouth among families and teen audiences deciding whether a title fits expectations for tone and clarity.
- Because the supplied material does not establish distribution details, audiences and educators may need to check official platform or theater listings before scheduling viewings or youth screenings.
Sources
Key Facts
- The Guardian published a review of the film “Girls Like Girls” on June 18, 2026.
- The film is described as Hayley Kiyoko’s directorial debut.
- The Guardian links the film’s title and themes to Kiyoko’s 2015 debut single “Girls Like Girls,” and mentions Supreme Court gay marriage legalization on June 26, 2015.
- The review describes the movie as sapphic and teen-focused.
- The Guardian’s review characterizes the directorial debut as meandering and describes some dialogue as producing negative reactions from the outlet.
- The provided material includes review-based framing and lyric context, but not detailed release or distribution specifics beyond the fact it is being reviewed as a film.