SXSW London 2025: What It Feels Like for a Girl
A gritty odyssey of lust, self-discovery and toxic relationships, What It Feels Like for a Girl is a remarkable coming-of-age based on the memoir of the same name by journalist and activist Paris Lees. It follows Byron, a confused and frustrated teen, bullied and lacking support from his hypermasculine father and absent mother. He ventures into sex work seeking financial freedom and sexual exploration. Throughout his exploits, Byron meets Lady Die and her group of Fallen Divas. They take Byron in and guide him through the drug-filled and neon-drenched world of Y2K’s messy club scene. Viscerally raw and morbidly funny, What It Feels Like for a Girl is a beautiful cycle of mended and broken hearts.
The most powerful aspect of this story is that it’s full of intricate nuances; it’s a true showcase of human emotions and the varied choices different types of people make. Byron, as the protagonist, makes mistakes and is manipulative. Whether he knows it or not, and whether it’s deliberate or not, he does things that harm himself and others. But he’s also a selfish teenager just trying to get by, hoping to find comfort and support – the kinds of things his own family can’t provide – from sex, drugs and strangers. Byron learns and grows, makes more mistakes, loses himself and his friends, and eventually pushes his luck too far. By showing the mess of who Byron is, viewers get to appreciate his growth.
The series also dissects different relationships, displaying plenty of juxtapositions in the characters’ interactions – from the tension and confused love between Byron and his estranged father to the strained competitiveness and strong sisterhood between Byron and Sasha. What It Feels Like for a Girl doesn’t hold back in creating dialogue regarding the contentious complexity of familial connections with opposing views and the multifaceted forms of female friendships.
But a script like this doesn’t work without the right actors, and What It Feels Like for a Girl is a masterclass in perfect casting. Ellis Howard is magnetic as Byron, capturing the contradiction within the character. Byron has flecks of innocence and is still trying to figure himself out. But he is also assertive and confident with an overwhelming determination to get what he wants. Howard embodies all these little discrepancies within Byron and makes it so that the audience finds the character both frustrating and charming. They can empathise with him and all he has been through, and still see his actions and how he treats others as abhorrent.
Jake Dunn as Liam is also an explosive feature in the show. The alluring chemistry between Dunn and Howard adds further dimension to Byron’s journey. Dunn perfectly captures Liam’s thrill and thirst for Byron without downplaying their relationship’s corrupt and volatile nature. Another highlight is Hannah Jones as Sasha. Sasha is fierce, mean and conniving. Still, one can’t fully hate her because Jones applies an endearing and understanding softness to her, once again creating a polarising yet intriguing character.
What It Feels Like for a Girl is visually and sonically intoxicating. The neon lights, outfits and colour filters perfectly emulate the Y2K club scene, pairing well with an electric soundtrack. Paying homage to the mainstream media and technology of that time, there are beats throughout that feel a lot like a 2000s music video, and production incorporates television into the storytelling by using it to shed light on Bryon’s moral struggles. What It Feels Like for a Girl is overall an immersive and heartbreaking experience that’s not for the faint of heart.
Mae Trumata
What It Feels Like for a Girl is released on BBC iPlayer on 3rd June 2025.
Watch the trailer for What It Feels Like for a Girl here:
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