The Starling

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2:39

The Starling

PG-13

2021

1h 44m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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Critics Consensus

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

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

Oct 2, 2021

1.5/4

This bird's not worth watching.

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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.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Sep 29, 2021

It just doesn't get the mix quite right -- you can get from there to here.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Maria D

@RT00202431 Mar 11, 2026

A very good movie about grief, mental health and how both shape people affected by it. Anyone who has been affected by mental illness or has lost someone will relate. It’s filled with realistic characters for the most part, Chris O’Dowd as Jack is amazing. He nails the character who is wandering aimlessly through a mental hospital without really fully understanding what he’s doing there. Melissa McCarthy is always a pleasure to watch. As someone who navigates her way through her grief, her character is very honest.

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Theodore Melfi

Director

Melissa McCarthy

Lilly Maynard

Chris O'Dowd

Jack Maynard

Kevin Kline

Larry

Timothy Olyphant

Travis Delp

Skyler Gisondo

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The Starling: Trailer 1

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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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