Hayley Kiyoko's Directorial Debut Girls Like Girls Releases

Hayley Kiyoko’s directorial debut, “Girls Like Girls,” a coming-of-age romantic drama based on her 2015 viral song and music video, arrives in theaters this week. The film, distributed by Focus Features, expands the story of two teenage girls navigating first love and personal grief in a nostalgic 2006 setting.

The movie follows 17-year-old Coley, played by Maya da Costa, who moves to Oregon to live with her estranged father, portrayed by Zach Braff, after her mother’s death. In her new town, Coley meets the charismatic Sonya, played by Myra Molloy, and a deep attraction develops between them, complicated by Sonya’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Trenton, played by Levon Hawke. The narrative explores their evolving relationship against themes of family, loss, and self-discovery.

Kiyoko, who also co-wrote the screenplay, described the project as the culmination of a decade-long journey. She said she always believed a story like this needed to exist and that its focus on queer joy, rather than trauma, is significant for representation, particularly for sapphic women. The film is set against a backdrop of mid-2000s nostalgia, featuring elements like instant messaging and a...