The Wrong Girls Wins Praise Ahead of Aug. 14 Wide Release as Reviews Split

Q: What happens when two LA slackers accidentally ingest an experimental drug and start hearing their cats' hidden thoughts?

In *The Wrong Girls*, the accidental drug dose turns Frankie and Molly’s laid-back Los Angeles life into a chaotic sci-fi stoner caper: they develop telepathy and telekinesis, including the bizarre ability to hear what their cats are thinking. That new power set comes after Frankie is mistaken for her lookalike and ends up with a briefcase full of experimental vials tied to a scientist and a wider conspiracy. Once she and Molly drink the liquid, the film shifts from slackers-in-rent-trouble comedy into a chase story involving blackmail, drug dealing, reunion-party mayhem and dangerous people trying to get the serum back. The cats’ “hidden thoughts,” voiced in the film by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani, become part of the movie’s offbeat humor, while the women’s telepathic bond deepens the story’s focus on their codependent friendship. Their plan to profit from the drug only worsens the situation, drawing them further into conflict with the scientist behind it and a string of eccentric characters, including LaKeith Stanfield’s Not Metal Head Dave. Reviews describe the result as a mixed but distinctive female-led stoner comedy: a low-key, messy adventure that leans more on Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat’s chemistry, oddball gags and Los Angeles atmosphere than on fast-paced action. The film opens in theaters August 14.

3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 12

L.A. Times called “The Wrong Girls” the “right comedy” for switching off and laughing, praising Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat as stoner roommates whose telepathic misadventure stays confidently silly.
Dylan Meyer’s 1-hour-39-minute film follows a mistaken-identity briefcase chase involving LaKeith Stanfield, dangerous pursuers and backpack cats, but the review says the sci-fi caper mainly works as a vehicle for female-friendship chaos.
Kristen Stewart drew particular praise for a performance tailored to her comic strengths, while the film was credited with dodging the third-act collapse that often sinks action-comedy capers.
The positive notice contrasts with earlier negative reviews that called the Aug. 14 release strained and unfunny, leaving the movie with a sharply divided critical reception.