Horsegirls

Horsegirls never wavers. Every creative choice is confident and feels correct.

In Lauren Meyering’s tender-tough film, an autistic girl (a neurodivergent Lillian Carrier) finds community in the gymnastic dance sport of hobbyhorsing. Even the make believe has an authenticity that comes at you full gallop. Why resist? It’s a heartbreaker.

This is a simple story executed with singular panache, and while Horsegirls follows expected narrative beats, it’s in the moments of surprise that it works best, often thanks to Carrier and her straightforward line deliveries, which help the tone pop.

It’s a bit corny and cute, but the film balances out these feel-good elements with harder truths that contrast the heroine’s silliness and sincerity to create a weirdly dark and touching sense of humor.