Pojkarna

Girls Lost is a movie about identity. It follows the story of three teenage girls - Kim, Momo, and Bella - who get bullied at school and pretty much keep to themselves. Everything changes when they find a plant with unique magic powers - it allows them to transform into boys.

From the synopsis one would assume the movie is a fantasy story about the girls (now boys) and their adventures. This is not true. The magical element is simply a plot device used for exploration of both gender - when the girls discover they get treated very differently when they are boys - and sexual identity - when characters experiment with their feelings in all possible configurations, be it girl/girl, boy/boy or girl/boy. This is taken even further when each of them has to answer who they really are and what is important to them when Kim realises she is really a boy on the inside.

The movie is very good at building a unique climate, with cinematography, lighting and music working together very well. The acting is also really good, as even though the girls are played by different actors after they turn into boys, I had no problem believing they are still the same people.

The only issue I have with this movie the fact that sometimes it asks the viewer to suspend their disbelief a bit too much, like when no one notices that two of the girls use their real names when they are boys. However, I can forgive that, as I believe the movie is meant to be treated as a metaphor rather than anything else. And when seen as such, it is quite moving and memorable.