A Girl Like Her

Seems less and less convincing the more blatantly it strives for authenticity.

Hunter King is believably despicable as the prototypical Mean Girl, but we DO feel empathy for Avery as she begins to realize the depths of the destruction she caused.

Performed with unflinching honesty, it's a story that'll be familiar to countless teens, and the film could well have a long life as required, vivid viewing for high-schoolers, who'll have plenty to discuss after its poignant ending.

The narrative momentum quickly stalls out, as the story adds little to dynamics of high school bullying. The characters are two-dimensional at best, with dubious and paper-thin motivations.

The two young female leads, exceptionally well cast, deliver strong performances, and the drama benefits from Weber's interest in understanding rather than demonizing the bully.

The young cast comes through with appealing, naturalistic performances. But Weber's programmatic, preachy story and emotional manipulation is so blatant that it verges on the fatuous.

Well-intentioned but belabored, Weber's documentary conceit ultimately saps the story of its truthfulness and is therefore self-defeating.

A Girl Like Her goes for an ill-conceived blend of found footage and faux documentary that never works, while the script is rarely subtle and often shameless.

Sometimes the heartfelt power of the message can help to compensate for some narrative rough patches. Such is the case with this drama that tries to put a fresh spin on the topic of teenage bullying.

Right off the bat you should know that A Girl Like Her is essentially an anti-bullying Public Service Announcement. If you go into the film knowing this, then it's easier to appreciate the good things that the movie has going for it.