"Fitting In" is a teen sex comedy with a fresh angle

Fitting In (2024)

Molly McGlynn’s "Fitting In" is more than just an “Afterschool Special” for teens wanting to have sex for the first time. It’s a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story from writer-director McGlynn that wants to normalize personal disclosures as far as reproductive systems are concerned. After opening quotes from Simone De Beauvoir and Diablo Cody, the film proceeds to take on sensitive subject matter with a refreshing candidness, humor, and understanding. 

16-year-old track-and-field athlete Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) just wants to have sex with skater boyfriend Adam (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai). When she goes to a health clinic to get on birth control, she understands why she hasn’t had her period yet, unlike best friend Vivian (a vivacious Djouliet Amara) or any other girl her age. Lindy is diagnosed with MRKH syndrome, a rare congenital disorder where she was born with ovaries but not a uterus, cervix, and vaginal canal (or at least much of one). Her unhelpful gynecologist gives her a box of vaginal dilators to stretch herself out for three to eighteen months. Lindy also tries attending an inclusive LGBT+ peer support group. She doesn’t know how to tell anyone—not that she needs to—and hides her truth to feel “normal.” 

"Fitting In" tells a story that’s worth telling and doesn’t just feel like the live version of an “eat your vegetables” health pamphlet. If Sia’s misguided directorial debut "Music" was not the right fit, this decidedly showcases Maddie Ziegler’s emotional depth as a dramatic performer. She has an inviting presence already, but Ziegler gets the chance to dig a little deeper. As Lindy, she has to navigate not only a teen’s universal insecurities but also a medical diagnosis that biologically seals her child-rearing fate. Read the full review at GuyAtTheMovies.com

Grade: B

Blue Fox Entertainment released "Fitting In" (105 min.) in theaters on February 2, 2024.