TORONTO – Here’s the thing about Rebel Wilson’s new movie, “Girl Group.” While it’s a world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, it’s important to remember this isn’t a movie striving to stand alongside the works of Jean-Luc Godard or win the Palme d’Or. Granted, that doesn’t mean you should grade it on a curve, but it’s obvious that no one involved has any serious artistic aspirations beyond releasing a solid new original pop song and staging some fun and energetic music performances. Throw in a few good jokes (emphasis on a few) and some throwaway moments centered on self-acceptance and expression, and this is the sort of flick that writes itself. In theory, that means it’s watchable. Maybe.
Two years ago, Wilson’s first directorial effort, “The Deb,” an adaptation of a little-known Australian musical, debuted to a mostly positive response at this same festival. If not for a serious lawsuit between Wilson and the film’s producer, it probably would have gotten a significant release in theaters or a streaming drop in the U.S. We won’t re-litigate that drama, but “Girl Group” demonstrates what we learned the first time around: Wilson has a keen eye for casting newcomers, staging slick musical numbers with the proper budget, and crafting a solidly commercial tone. It’s certainly a starting point.
Jarringly, the movie begins with an absolutely rushed, pedal-to-the-metal montage. It’s 1997, and with the “Spice Girls” breaking records worldwide, girl groups are a phenomenon. Five British schoolgirls, with the support of their beloved music teacher Mrs. Browmaker (Sally Hawkins, bless), take the stage in a student talent show. In a minute, and like something out of a dream sequence, a record executive (Chris Colfer, three lines at best) signs them to a record deal. Gurlfriends is born, and – surprise – they are an immediate sensation. But as history has shown, someone in a girl group or boy band inevitably wants to go solo. And by 2006, Tassie Young (Wilson) is ready to strike out on her own. Her solo album bombs, however, and eventually Gurlfriends fades away. Fast forward 20 years, and the band is getting back together for a nostalgia-fueled comeback tour, but Young’s manager (Jennifer Coolidge, she tries) has to break the bad news that the other “gurls” don’t want her back. Instead, she’s been replaced by Nicole Scherzinger, who is pulling off an over-the-top version of herself with glee (so surprisingly funny the movie could have used more of her) and perhaps mocking the only drama she experienced as a member of The Pussycat Dolls. But we digress…
Depressed and obsessed, Tassie gets wasted at a club somewhere in Hollywood. After getting arrested for drunk driving or disorderly conduct, or who knows what, she soon finds herself assigned to community service at the East Hollywood Community Center, run by Ken (Randall Park, giving the project some much-needed gravitas). Her job? Mentor a bunch of misfit high school-age girls who – you guessed it – turn out to have genuine singing talent.
When a record label announces they are holding a nationwide talent search for the next big girl group, Tassie hatches a plan straight out of the “Pitch Perfect” playbook Wilson knows so well (perhaps too obviously from that playbook). The movie then bogs down into a repetitive number of conflicts you see coming a mile away. The parents who don’t want their daughter to be a pop star. Two sisters competing against each other in different groups. Tassie being tempted by a last-minute request to rejoin Gurlfriends. All storylines that would be fine comfort food if there was a spark of inspiration anywhere else.
In front of the camera, Wilson is doing her familiar schtick – she’s not stretching here – but the movie doesn’t need her to. The legion of young women who play the fledgling girl group members (Chabley Ponce, Lilah Pate, Bailey Stender, Daniela Couso, Miracle Washington, and Mia Kaplan, among others) are all quite good without stealing each other’s spotlight. Wilson also has fun casting legit girl group veterans Ashley Roberts of said The Pussycat Dolls, Shaznay Lewis from All Saints, and the one and only Melanie C from, yes, the Spice Girls, as the adult versions of Gurlfriends. Even for a stuffed movie like this, you wish they had more to do. “Derry Girls” star Jamie Lee-O’Donnell is the one adult breakout as Miss Candy, a former Gurlfriends fan now obsessed with forming her own pop ensemble.
Admittedly, there are some funny, laugh-out-loud moments in “Girl Group,” but there are also too many jokes that fall flat. Who knows what happened behind the scenes, but Wilson’s haphazard approach to the narrative and staging of dramatic scenes is hard to ignore. A good chunk of the film needed more polish or another voice contributing to the screenplay (considering Wilson said the original cut was 3 hours, we’ll assume this cast improvised a ton). The result is a movie that feels dumbed down to the lowest common denominator in a manner that “The Deb” did not. The girls can sing and dance, though. That original song in the climactic scene is pretty good. So, that’s enough, right? Right? [C/C-]
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
