Netflix viewers have just days to watch an ‘unsettling’ but ‘beautiful’ film starring Little Women’s Eliza Scanlen. The movie is about a teenage girl raised in a Christian community, with creator Laurel Parmet loosely basing her inappropriate relationship with an older man on her real-life experiences.

The film, titled The Starling Girl, takes place in rural Kentucky and has been described as “scarier than any horror movie” by one critic due to its dark themes. The movie also has a 92% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes and will be available to stream on Netflix until January 3, 2026.

The synopsis reads: “Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion.

“With the return of Owen, an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.”

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and fans alike have shared their thoughts on the film, with Farah Cheded writing: “A piercing story of religious trauma told with expert nuance by a one-to-watch director and a tour-de-force lead… Yet more compelling evidence – as if we needed it – that you should never bet against an Eliza Scanlen performance.”

Stephen Silver described it as an “extremely unsettling story of a young woman in a conservative Christian community who falls into a scandalous affair with her married youth pastor” while critic Jenny Nulf said that the film’s “thoughtfulness and lingering optimism toward a story that is predictably sorrowful is a necessary balance”.

“Parmet is confident enough to know that atmosphere, emotional tone and unspoken feeling can convey far more meaning than the talkiest of dialogue,” wrote Ann Hornaday, while Ross McIndoe praised: “The film is an impressively complicated and compassionate drama about shame and desire.”

“The power of this sensitive and devilishly detailed coming-of-age drama is rooted in the friction that it finds between biblical paternalism and modern personhood,” David Ehrlich stated, as Adrian Horton noted: “Scanlen can portray miles of emotional growth with a few short minutes. Films of this tricky variety often hinge on the central performance, and in her hands, it mostly works.”

Meanwhile, fans also took a moment to share their thoughts on the film, with one person advising: “This is a first rate coming of age story that benefits both from excellent direction and writing but primarily from an amazing, nuanced performance by Eliza Scanien in the lead role of Jem Starling. Do yourself a big favor and watch this sensitive, intelligent film.”

Another person wrote: “Beautiful portrayal of a girl growing up and the excruciating pain and hurt that comes from rejection and shame around not following the status quo. I can feel all the emotions of this movie and stunned at how realistic and thought provoking it is around a first love.”

A third viewer commented: “It’s an interesting teen drama that is well made. Tackles issues with relationships, religion, and parenthood with a fresh perspective. Love that it sort of pokes holes in each issue and leaves it up to you to draw conclusions.”

One more fan said of the film: “This movie has the potential to spark really important and necessary conversations and it’s a must-see. Powerfully done. Eliza Scanlen (who plays Jem) is a star. 9/10.”

The Starling Girl is available to stream now on Netflix.