Derek Yang’s The Wing Girl is an Australian musical satire that tackles the complicated dating standards of Gen Z. Welcome to a world where influencers have set laws for dating. Gabriel (Blake Youngs) and his girlfriend, Natasha (Emma Pruss), run a corporation that helps bring people together. Dating app techniques are used for singles to meet their future match in an elevator system. There is a dark side as singles, who are stigmatized as “loners,” are ostracized due to not fitting the vain standards of influencer culture. Women are expected to be spoiled by confident men, who value fitness and wealth. Sonny (Keenan Jones) is a loner who constantly gets rejected because he is a “nice guy.” He follows the influencer, Angelica (Lilya Boundy), the Wing Girl. She provides a wealth of dating advice to her followers, and her standards are the rulebook for Gabriel’s dating corporation. Angelica may preach about dating do’s and don’ts, although she is not truthful about her own relationship status.
When Sonny is arrested for being a loner, he’s sent to the dating facility and goes through the elevator trial. He botches all his first impressions with the women. Everything goes wrong, like failing pick-up lines and refusing to cut loose with alcohol. As the trial continues, the elevator system goes awry, and he mistakenly ends up on Angelica’s floor. The typical “meet cute” occurs as Angelica and Sonny bicker over dating rules. Gradually, her influencer persona is peeled back, and we learn of her ties to Gabriel.
Yang’s first feature film is a sophisticated concept! The musical-comedy genre is known for tackling the difficulties of pursuing a relationship, especially during Hollywood’s Golden Age. It is fantastic to see this film look at this genre from a fresh perspective. Yang’s screenplay truly breaks down the hypocrisies of contemporary dating. Part of the innovativeness comes through his use of limited animation to bring the digital world of dating apps and social media to real life.
“The typical ‘meet cute’ occurs as Angelica and Sonny bicker over dating rules.”
The Wing Girl also intelligently captures male-female dynamics through the protagonists, Sonny and Angelica. Sonny’s arc feels familiar to my own dating experiences, and makes him relatable to 20-something male viewers. Angelica is a witty take on the influencer; she is complex, not just an archetype.
Edith Firkin’s production design is scrappy and simple, using a building on a college campus as Gabriel’s corporate facility. She is effective by mainly using the cast’s normal clothing for costumes. Dorji Tsering’s cinematography takes advantage of the limited locations to create balanced angles for key scenes. All of these production elements work well for Yang’s student film.
As a musical, the songs and choreography vary in quality. The duets between Sonny and Angelica are the strongest, as Lilya Boundy has a solid voice. The lyrics by Yang, Prathana Thevar-Brink, and Robert Hislop work best in the duets versus ensemble numbers. Isaac Bigum’s sound mix is a little choppy and distracts from the enjoyment of the songs. Even with these imperfect aspects, Yang’s ambition for creating an original musical is bold. Musicals are a tough genre to crack, and Derek Yang succeeds with his refreshing storyline. The Wing Girl is worth watching for the fantastic satirical components.
"…worth watching for the fantastic satirical components."
