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The Starling

Play trailer 2:39 Poster for The Starling PG-13 2021 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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19% Tomatometer 93 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.
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The Starling

The Starling

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Critics Consensus

Burying its talented cast and worthy themes under mounds of heavy-handed melodrama, The Starling is a turkey.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times Oct 2, 2021
1.5/4
This bird's not worth watching. Go to Full Review
Sandra Hall Sydney Morning Herald Sep 30, 2021
3/5
The dialogue lacks the saltiness that made St. Vincent work so well, and the many pauses in the action allow plenty of opportunity for mawkishness to seep in. While McCarthy is certainly the best thing in it, she does have her limits. Go to Full Review
Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) Sep 29, 2021
It just doesn't get the mix quite right -- you can get from there to here. Go to Full Review
Louis Skye (Ronita Roy Mohan) Women Write About Comics Aug 21, 2025
People might take away something from The Starling‘s exploration of grief and losing a loved one, but I didn’t. It was melodramatic and cliché in ways it didn’t need to be... The music was painfully jarring. Keep your expectations low for this one. Go to Full Review
Juanma Fernández París El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico) Dec 6, 2023
The talented cast ensures that each of them has the opportunity to have a genuine moment on screen. The problem is that director Theodore Melfi is more concerned with making the film's message clear. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Cambridge Day Aug 16, 2023
2.5/4
While ambitious, entertaining and touching, the story becomes repetitive and heavy-handed, and its transitions from humor to gravity are at times awkward. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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anne P @RT96600339 5 days ago Loved this movie, can't believe it had such bad reviews. Melissa and Chris were brilliant in it, it's a story of grief and loss and coming to terms with living with it. For those that gave it one star i can only summise that you've never lost someone or you're a cold hearted beep! See more Anna C @RT42906512 Aug 19, 2026 I liked this movie and would definitely watch it again. I think people see melissa mcCarthy and go straight to comedy but that is not this movie. The film does seem a bit slow but that makes sense with the topic. See more Tinaep24 E @TeenieTeePee May 25, 2026 The critics really got this one wrong. I don’t understand their reviews. This was such a great movie. Melissa McCarthy has such a way of getting into your heart and she really did that with this one. I wasn’t really feeling the husband character, but everyone grieves in their own way. See more Reprovo A @RT51347393 May 21, 2026 I find it very hard to understand why the critics review is so low. Really can't figure it out. This is a great movie, dealing with the effects of trauma and finding a way to heal and still manages to be funny. See more Sharon A @RT11661472 May 17, 2026 This film teaches us about human compassion and compassion for all living creatures. This filmmaking is a perfect example that tests our kindness towards each other and all living things. But especially to ourselves. A person can never know what people are going through. See more Julie C @RT21024435 Apr 16, 2026 Wow, the critics are harsh on this film! It's not perfect, but it's certainly no turkey. It's a simple film about loss and grief and recovery. The performances are gentle and heartfelt, the wonderful Kevin Kline is unfortunately underutilised. It's an enjoyable watch if you don't mind a somewhat slow-paced film with a thoughtful tone. See more Read all reviews
The Starling

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.
Director
Theodore Melfi
Producer
Theodore Melfi, Kimberly Quinn, Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker
Screenwriter
Matt Harris
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Boies / Schiller Film Group, Culmination Productions, Entertainment One, Netflix, Goldenlight Films, Limelight
Rating
PG-13 (Thematic Material|Suggestive Material|Some Strong Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 17, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 24, 2021
Runtime
1h 44m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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