A Girl Like Her is an American film that looks like a real story. It was directed by Amy S. Weber. The movie features Lexi Ainsworth as Jessica Burns, a 16-year-old high school student who is bullied and tries to take her own life. Hunter King plays Avery Keller, a former friend who has been bullying Jessica for many months. The film was first called The Bully Chronicles, but the title was changed later.

Plot

High school sophomore Jessica Burns (played by Lexi Ainsworth) tries to take her own life by swallowing several Hydrocodone pills from her mother's medicine cabinet. Her mother discovers her unconscious in the bathroom and takes her to the hospital quickly.

A well-known filmmaker named Amy decides to make a documentary about the school Jessica attends because it is the only public school in the country ranked among the top ten schools. During filming, Amy and her team notice students discussing Jessica. In interviews, students say they saw signs of tension between Jessica and Avery Keller (played by Hunter King), a popular student. Jessica's best friend, Brian (played by Jimmy Bennett), explains that Jessica and Avery used to be friends until Jessica stopped Avery from cheating on a test. After that, Avery began bullying Jessica repeatedly. Avery says this is not true, claiming they simply stopped being close after moving from middle school to high school.

When asked about the rumors, Avery agrees to film her daily life to show the challenges of being popular. Although Avery is no longer affected by the pressure, the footage reveals her family has problems, and her peers often feel scared of her teasing and controlling behavior. For example, Avery and her friends prevent other girls from using a specific restroom to apply makeup.

Brian later tells the camera crew that about six months ago, he and Jessica secretly recorded Avery bullying Jessica using a hidden camera disguised as a dragonfly brooch. He invites the crew to his home to show them the footage, which includes Avery physically and verbally harassing Jessica. The footage also shows Jessica mentioning she had thoughts about ending her life, and Brian trying to convince her to show the evidence to school officials. Jessica refuses, fearing embarrassment and Avery's reaction. While visiting Jessica in the hospital, Brian tells her mother about the footage. Her mother is upset but tells Brian he should not feel guilty for what happened.

Students become more certain the rumors about Avery are true, causing members of Avery's group to turn against her and report the situation to the principal. This leads to a meeting between Avery, her parents, and the principal. Avery's parents strongly support her, and Avery leaves the meeting in frustration. Later, she posts an online video that is harsh and claims she is innocent. Amy tells Avery to remove the video and says the crew has proof of her bullying Jessica. Avery agrees to meet them at her home to watch the footage.

That night at the hospital, Jessica's heart stops beating. Her parents and the cameras are removed from the ICU as doctors work to restart her heart. Jessica regains her pulse, but doctors warn that if she does not wake up from her coma soon, she may eventually experience total organ failure. At Avery's home, Avery watches the footage and cries, admitting she is sorry for her actions. Amy comforts her. Avery then posts another video, tearfully apologizing and saying no one deserves to be treated the way she treated Jessica. She ends the video by saying, "My name is Avery Keller, and I'm a bully."

The movie ends with a scene showing Jessica finally opening her eyes.

Cast

• Hunter King portrays Avery Keller
• Lexi Ainsworth portrays Jessica Burns
• Jimmy Bennett portrays Brian Slater
• Amy S. Weber portrays Filmmaker and Amy Gallagher
• Stephanie Cotton portrays Margarete Burns
• Mark Boyd portrays Dr. Gerald Burns
• Christie Engle-McGuckin portrays Kassie Keller
• Jon Martin portrays David Keller
• Michael Maurice portrays Principal Richard Harris
• Paul Lang portrays Dr. Patrick Webber, M.D.

Reception

Justin Chang of Variety gave A Girl Like Her both positive and negative comments. He praised the film as a "well-acted, well-meaning cautionary tale" but said it became "less convincing" as it tried harder to feel real. Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter praised the acting, especially the "two young female leads, exceptionally well cast, deliver strong performances," but noted that "the drama sometimes includes too many long speeches."

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an overall "fresh" rating of 65% based on 23 reviews.