Good Girls Get High is not a groundbreaking film, but it is an honest one. It won't replace the teen classics, but it serves as a thoughtful, sometimes painful look at the anxiety behind the "good girl" mask. It’s for viewers who appreciate character-driven indies over high-concept comedies.
Isabelle Fuhrman delivers a grounded performance as Abby, the more tightly-wound of the pair, whose perfectionism masks a deep fear of being ordinary. Sam McCarthy balances her well as Sam, the more impulsive friend whose "rebellion" is a shallow costume. Their friendship feels real, flawed, and tested. The film wisely avoids moralizing; it doesn’t say drugs are bad, but rather that being young, lost, and desperate to control the uncontrollable is a recipe for disaster. For all its indie authenticity, Good Girls Get High treads a well-worn path. Anyone who has seen Booksmart , Lady Bird , or even Superbad will recognize the beats: the good girls wanting to be bad, the single night of escalating mishaps, the car trouble, the confrontation, and the tearful reconciliation at dawn. While the film predates Booksmart by a year, it lacks that film’s frenetic visual style and razor-sharp wit. Good Girls Get High
The pacing suffers in the second act. The series of encounters with dealers and strangers drags, and some supporting characters feel like archetypes (the predatory older guy, the sassy but wise burnout) rather than fully realized people. The low-budget production is occasionally visible in the cinematography, with some scenes feeling under-lit and flat. Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Good Girls Get High is not a groundbreaking
The Edge of Seventeen , Eighth Grade , or the more grounded moments of Booksmart . Isabelle Fuhrman delivers a grounded performance as Abby,