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The Starling

The Starling

Hope starts small

2021102 minPG-13Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Director
Theodore Melfi
Starring
Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd, Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant

A woman adjusting to life after a loss contends with a feisty bird that's taken over her garden — and a husband who's struggling to find a way forward.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Starling?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Starling streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Starling?

The Starling earns 9 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Star-studded.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Starling worth watching?

The Starling's Midcredits score is the 58th percentile of all films, from 37K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

58th percentile

Better received than 58% of films

66th percentile among Comedy60th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)54th
Approval (how many liked it)61st

63 /100

54th percentile of all films

62nd percentile among Comedy55th percentile among 2020s

Critics 31 · Audience 66

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

68th percentile among Comedy61st percentile among 2020s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 19% · Audience 72%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 0 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

93rd percentile

37K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Comedy94th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The cast delivers solid performances, but the film's uneven script and tonal shifts divide viewers on whether it works.

Fans praised

  • strong dramatic performances from McCarthy, O'Dowd, and Kline
  • sensitive, realistic portrayal of grief and depression
  • blend of sadness and dry humor feels genuine

Detractors panned

  • weak script with underdeveloped, unbelievable characters
  • tonally confused, trying to be both comedy and drama
  • cheap-looking CGI starling and uneven execution

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

praised for strong dramatic turns despite mixed material

Emotional impactDivisive65

powerfully moving for those who connect, manipulative for others

DialogueDivisive55

some gem lines but script overall weak and unmemorable

OriginalityDivisive50

fans see fresh take on grief comedy; critics call it formulaic melodrama

CharactersDivisive45

some find them relatable while others call them unlikable and poorly written

Plot and storyDivisive40

grief arc feels heartfelt to some, aimless and melodramatic to others

HumorDivisive40

dry humor works for some but is too sparse and mismatched for others

Effects and spectacle25

CGI starling widely criticized as unrealistic and distracting

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 22 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 18 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 18 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 15 points higher than non-US viewers.

Watch experience

What is The Starling like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
BittersweetHopefulAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmTender · 13% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its heavy subject matter with a gentle, sincere touch, using wry humour to soften rather than undercut the emotion.
The rideThe mood oscillates between absurd comedy around the bird and melancholic grief work, with the emotional weight concentrated in the middle as both characters confront their problems.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically, following Lilly's journey from grief to gradual healing.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film balances grief with gentle humour, leaving a sense that healing is possible.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a grieving woman who, through an unlikely friendship, begins to heal from her loss and find purpose again.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGriefSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Grief · 6% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsFriendship · 9% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centres on a couple processing a shared loss, each through different coping mechanisms, with a quirky friendship emerging as a vehicle for healing.
StanceThe film presents grief and guilt as personal experiences to be lived through rather than judged, letting the characters' coping mechanisms unfold without moralising.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Benjamin Wallfisch
SettingA suburban home and backyard where a starling nests, plus the vet's office
MusicScore by Benjamin Wallfisch, likely supporting the bittersweet/absurd tonal shifts.

Content guide

Is The Starling okay for kids?

PG-13

The Starling is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some strong language, and suggestive material” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (22/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at moderate (60/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at mild (30/100). Overall it is heavier than 41% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Brazil12
  • Poland16
  • SingaporeNC16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 27% of all filmsHeavier than 41% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 17%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 89%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 82%
Frightening / Intense
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 27%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 89% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Starling have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Starling?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Melissa McCarthy
as Lilly Maynard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chris O'Dowd
as Jack Maynard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kevin Kline
as Dr. Larry Fine
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Timothy Olyphant
as Travis Delp
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Daveed Diggs
as Ben
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Skyler Gisondo
as Dickie
Laura Harrier
as Sherri
Kimberly Quinn
as Regina
Loretta Devine
as Velma
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jesse Garcia
as Hector

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Starling?

Movies like The Starling include A Man Called Otto (2022), Pieces of a Woman (2020) and Mr. Church (2016). Of the 5 closest matches, all are stories of healing and films about grief.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Starling?

3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: chamber drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.