At Rock and Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that "it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are." The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught by indie rock stars such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for over 700 people. The film follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed with death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi.
The film ultimately explores what happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed, and pressured to conform.
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 70% approval rank based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "Girls Rock! is an inspiring and enjoyable documentary of girls' empowerment and self-discovery".[1]Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 7 reviews.[2]
Ty Burr of the Globe and Mail said that "How are girls supposed to behave in a culture that tells them they're Disney princesses for the first 12 years and sex toys after that? Girls Rock! has one answer: Strap on a Fender and rage against the machine".[3]
Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times praised the film, saying that "Young women find expression for more than their music in Girls Rock!, a jubilant documentary about a place where power chords and empowerment go hand in hand".[6]
Noel Murray of The A.V. Club pointed out that "Frankly, the scenes of these girls trying to work together and share ideas are enough to make the movie's point".[7]