A married couple suffers a hardship, leading Jack to head off to deal with his grief while Lilly remains in the "real" world, dealing with her own guilt. As if Lilly's troubles weren't bad enough, a starling that has nested in her backyard begins to harass and attack her and she becomes comically obsessed with killing it. Lilly eventually finds guidance from Larry, a quirky psychologist-turned-veterinarian with a troubled past of his own. The two form a unique and unlikely fr... (Full plot summary below)
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A married couple suffers a hardship, leading Jack to head off to deal with his grief while Lilly remains in the "real" world, dealing with her own guilt. As if Lilly's troubles weren't bad enough, a starling that has nested in her backyard begins to harass and attack her and she becomes comically obsessed with killing it. Lilly eventually finds guidance from Larry, a quirky psychologist-turned-veterinarian with a troubled past of his own. The two form a unique and unlikely friendship as they each help the other to explore, acknowledge and confront their problems.
Leave your thoughts about The Starling.
| Film ThreatAndy HowellThe Starling is trying to be a feel-good movie about finding hope in dark times. That’s admirable, but the main problem is that it does it in such a down-the-middle, straightforward way. As a result, there aren’t any surprises and at least a few missed opportunities. Still, Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline are worth the price of admission alone. |
| IndieWireKate ErblandWhile the film attempts to thread a tricky needle between absolute drama and wacky comedy — dramedy! — Harris’ script is actually at its best when leaning more into the story’s tougher stuff. |
| Chicago TribuneNina MetzMcCarthy’s open-faced performance is reason enough to give it your time, even if nearly everything surrounding her feels unworthy. |
| The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Johanna SchnellerKline and McCarthy are lovely in their few scenes together (they’re the reason for that extra half-star) and for those brief moments, you see the film the actors thought they were making. |
| Screen DailyTim GriersonThe actors lend sincerity to the proceedings, but the film keeps cheating to achieve its dramatic payoffs. |
| TheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanThe smooth professionalism of so many outstanding participants can’t help but elevate a very ordinary film a little bit higher. Despite the best efforts of both McCarthy and O’Dowd, though, there’s never a moment where it truly takes flight. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperSo much talent — and everyone goes down with the ship in one of the worst movies of 2021. |
| RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoWhile this kind of manipulative melodrama is often easy to dismiss, what makes The Starling even more frustrating is the amount of talented people who got sucked into its spin cycle of sadness. |
| The A.V. ClubKatie RifeThe saddest thing about all of this is that McCarthy and O’Dowd make a convincing onscreen couple, and both of them are strong enough actors to find the real, defeated people in this phony script. |
| Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinIt may seem churlish to knock a film that works so hard to present everyday, well-meaning folks facing unspeakable, real-life pain. But between the picture’s uncertain tone, quirky-for-quirk’s-sake elements and such self-conscious dialogue as “What color is the sky in your world, kemo sabe?” it’s tough to be all that supportive. |
