Rebel Wilson coaches misfit singers in Girl Group as first reviews land

Rebel Wilson's comedy Girl Group has met its first critics, with reviews from Deadline on 12 September and Variety on 13 September.

Wilson writes, directs and stars in the film, according to Variety. It returns her to singing-group comedy after starring in the Pitch Perfect trilogy, a series of films about competitive a cappella singing, as noted by Variety.

The story opens in 1997. Five friends at a London girls' school perform as Gurlfriends, Variety reports. Years later, the focus shifts to a band of misfits competing to land a record deal, meaning to be signed by a music company.

The coach is Tassie. She is played by Wilson, according to Variety's review.

Earlier reports gave the wider set-up. Wilson's character was described as a pop diva kicked out of her own group's reunion tour who receives a court-ordered sentence, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That detail comes from coverage in October 2025 and sits as background to the finished film reviewed this month.

The cast mixes familiar faces with newcomers. Jennifer Coolidge and Nicole Scherzinger joined the production, Variety reported last year. Seven new performers were then chosen to play the pop band after a nationwide search, according to Variety.

The film also features Scherzinger and Ashley Roberts of The Pussycat Dolls, Mel C of the Spice Girls and Shaznay Lewis of All Saints, Variety notes in its review. A festival listing also names Randall Park, Sally Hawkins and Judi Love among the cast, according to TIFF. Mel C had earlier called the project hilariously funny, in comments reported by Variety Australia in January.

The two reviews frame it differently. Variety described the film as a bright, over-the-top echo of Pitch Perfect built around an underdog-coach idea familiar from Bad News Bears, the 1970s baseball comedy about a reluctant mentor and a losing team. It said much of the humour runs broad and bawdy, and judged that the film does not reach the emotional highs of Pitch Perfect and fades fast once finished. Deadline took a warmer view of Wilson's dual role, saying she hits all the right comedic notes as both star and director.

For fans, this means two entry points. One is nostalgia for late-1990s British pop. The other is Wilson back leading an ensemble of young singers, with real pop stars in support.