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Mei Makino’s 2021 film Inbetween Girl is a poignant, artistic exploration of the "in-between" spaces of adolescence—cultural, emotional, and social. Set against the humid, coastal backdrop of Galveston, Texas, the story follows 16-year-old Angie Chen (Emma Galbraith) as she navigates the messy intersection of a secret sexual awakening, her parents' divorce, and the search for her own voice as a biracial Chinese-American.
: Angie uses vivid illustrations and doodles to process feelings of happiness, guilt, and shame that she cannot yet put into words. The "In-Between" Identity Inbetween Girl
: Caught in the fallout of her parents' divorce, Angie feels disconnected from her busy mother and alienated by her father’s new life and girlfriend. Mei Makino’s 2021 film Inbetween Girl is a
At its core, Inbetween Girl is an effectively-layered bildungsroman. It moves beyond typical teen movie tropes by taking the "messiness of growing up" seriously. Angie’s journey is defined by several shifting roles: The "In-Between" Identity : Caught in the fallout
: Angie enters a secret relationship with Liam, the popular boy at her Episcopalian high school, while he is still dating his "too Catholic" girlfriend, Sheryl. This dynamic forces Angie into a literal "in-between" status—significant enough for sexual intimacy but hidden from public life.
Inbetween Girl succeeds by embracing ambiguity. Through Angie’s video diaries and artistic output, the film captures the vulnerability of a teenager learning to prioritize the right things and, ultimately, learning to "speak her own name". It is a story about realizing that life isn't lived in the extremes of "misery and ecstasy," but in the complicated, beautiful shades of grey in between. Inbetween Girl — Mei Makino - In Review Online