Film

Yes, God, Yes

Name: Yes, God, Yes
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: 2020
Cast: Natalia Dyer, Timothy Simons, Wolfgang Novogratz, Francesca Reale, Susan Blackwell

Coming-of-age

A nimble comedy about a Catholic teenager navigating desire, shame, and the internet in 2000. Natalia Dyer anchors it with genuine warmth—this isn't mocking faith or sexuality, but the collision between them. Funny, tender, and briskly paced enough that its 78 minutes feel generous.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy sharp, funny coming-of-age stories about faith and awkward desire, where the comedy comes from earnest characters trying to do the right thing in a confusing world.

Skip it if you want a broad, fast-moving comedy, since this one stays quiet and observational and lingers on small moments of embarrassment and self-doubt more than on big laughs.

What it asks of you: It runs a brisk seventy-eight minutes and asks you to sit with Alice's inner conflict, letting the cringe and the quiet sincerity build rather than rushing toward punchlines.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Eighth Grade2018

Bo Burnham's equally unsentimental, deeply human portrait of adolescent anxiety in the digital age. Captures that specific terror of being a young person with no filter between your thoughts and the world.

But It's deliberately awkward and cringe in ways that might make you uncomfortable. Some find that exhausting rather than cathartic.

The Half of It2020

Alice Wu's witty, humane screenplay about identity, desire, and faith in a small town. Young people trying to be honest in contexts that punish honesty. Similar warmth and specificity.

But Slower-paced and more romantic than comedic. If you want jokes-per-minute, this prioritizes character and feeling.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always2020

Eliza Hittman's film about a teenage girl navigating impossible choices with the same compassion and refusal to simplify. Different subject, same moral seriousness beneath the surface.

But Bleak and procedural in tone. No jokes here—it's quietly devastating, which some find punishing rather than cathartic.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Yes, God, Yes

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Come and See1985

Both chronicle the precise moment childhood ends and the body becomes a site of betrayal, shame, and knowledge that cannot be unlearned. The emotional architecture is nearly identical.

Elem Klimov's 1985 Soviet film about a boy's loss of innocence during wartime. Brutal and visionary—nothing like the surface level, but structurally identical: a young person's catastrophic encounter with the adult world's betrayals.

But Extremely violent and bleak. No humor, no comfort. One of cinema's most punishing experiences. Absolutely not light viewing.

Obvious Child2014

Gillian Robespierre's comedy about a woman's agency and bodily autonomy, approached with wit rather than sanctimony. Similar tonal balance: funny but not flippant about things that matter.

But Older protagonist and different life stage. Some find the indie-comedy voice dated or self-conscious in ways that feel distant.

Lady Bird2017

Greta Gerwig's definitive teenage-girl film: funny, furious, loving. Captures the texture of adolescent life and the specific pain of being at odds with people you love.

But More of an ensemble portrait than a single-character study. Some find it precious or overstuffed despite its elegance.

Blockers2018

A surprisingly smart comedy about desire, friendship, and parental anxiety. Treats teenage girls' sexuality as normal rather than transgressive, which gives it real bite.

But Broader in tone and less interested in faith or psychology. If you want subtlety, this prioritizes laughs and warmth.

Fleabag2016

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's series about a young woman at war with desire, family expectation, and her own conscience. Same mix of comedy and genuine spiritual vertigo.

But More aggressively funny and less sweet. The protagonist is sharper and meaner; Alice is gentler and more vulnerable.

Derry Girls2018

Lisa McGee's comedy about Catholic school life in 1990s Northern Ireland. Irreverent about faith without being hostile; it knows the specific texture of that culture.

But Ensemble cast means less character focus. Accents take adjustment. Broader humor, less introspection than Yes, God, Yes.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl2015

Both films use formal creativity (Alice Wu's chatroom/spiritual comedy; Heller's animation and nonlinear structure) to represent the female teen body as a site of private, wild complexity that social frameworks can't contain.

Marielle Heller's wild, formally inventive film about a girl's chaotic awakening to sex and power in 1970s San Francisco. Animated interludes, voice-over diary, rock soundtrack—it's joyful and messy rather than anxious, but equally rigorous about desire.

But Involves an inappropriate adult relationship. More permissive morally and aesthetically. Some find it indulgent; others find the formal playfulness distracting from emotional stakes.