Debate X NZIFF #3: Little Trouble Girls

DEBATE X NZIFF | REVIEW | WEB EXCLUSIVE

Written by Vik Sazhina (she/they) | @vik.sazhina | Contributing Writer

As an atheist raised in an Orthodox Christian household, I have a strangely deep fascination with religious themes in cinema. Consequently, there is nothing I love more than a compelling exploration of the nature of sin and religious guilt in young adults coming into their own. Urška Djukić’s Little Trouble Girls (2025) offers just that and more - reconciling the Catholic faith and female sexuality, the film exposes the uncomfortable and less-than-glamorous crevices of adolescence in a way that feels intimate and all too familiar. 

Although I initially came solely for the subtle sapphic element of the storyline as sparks flew between 16-year-old Lucia and newly befriended Ana-Maria, I was pleasantly surprised at not only the technical elements, such as the use of exaggerated diegetic sound and extreme close-up shots to convey her growing attraction to the characters within the film, but also the approach to coming-of-age as a genre. Modern-day coming-of-age often lacks a sense of awkwardness and authenticity when it comes to exploring the transition from childhood to adulthood, portraying sex and sexuality as innately effortless. Lucia’s naivete to these subjects felt all too personal, from the initial aversion to growing curiosity. Although it was difficult to tell whether or not she was able to fully reconcile her sexuality with her faith after all, I believe that was purposeful. The film didn’t aim to end on a grand romantic confession, much less a committed romantic relationship, because that was not the point - Lucia’s journey to self-discovery was hers, and hers alone.