Film Review: COOKIE QUEENS (2026): The Summer’s Secret Sleeper Hit Movie is Here and It’s a True Gem

Cookie Queens Review

Cookie Queens (2026) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Alysa Nahmias and starring Ara, Shannon Elizabeth, Nikki and Olive.

In the delightful and touching documentary, Cookie Queens, four young girls set a sales goal for themselves of different numbers of boxes of Girl Scout cookies that they will strive to sell. Olive is the most seasoned of the girls and tells customers to add two more boxes to make it an even $30 when they buy three boxes at $6 a piece. She may be the most accomplished of our four featured Girl Scout cookie sellers, but each of the other three are just are enjoyable to watch with the diabetic Ara stealing scenes whenever she comes onto the screen.

Filmmaker Alysa Nahmias has made a movie that will play to audiences in Times Square or the East Village just as well as it will appeal to people in Peoria. That’s the magic that Nahmias brings to the screen with a simple take on girls in over their heads with too many boxes of cookies to sell who manage to defy the odds and move cookies due to their determination and persistence. It’s an inspiration to watch these young girls selling in order to make their own personal dreams come true.

Ara is the most inspirational character in the movie. She is  a little awkward and struggles with diabetes, but knows how to be kind to people and treat them with respect. That type of kindness goes a long way in the world of selling cookies and though Ara is a bit shy and innocent, she ends up striving for greatness and the audience will love rooting for her. In a funny scene, Ara is told by a woman that she may come back to buy cookies later so Ara suggests waiting around for this potential customer to come back to help Ara reach her sales goal for the evening. So cute.

Nikki comes from a long line of family members who have sold cookies and her mom wanted her to have the life that the mother couldn’t in terms of being a Girl Scout. Nikki and her family sing outside supermarkets to help move large numbers of cookie boxes and their determination is also quite inspirational to behold.

Shannon Elizabeth’s family stands to lose around six grand if the cookies they bought don’t move so Shannon starts going around town to places that include firehouses in order to get the boxes moving. Shannon Elizabeth doesn’t really know a lot about the family’s financial struggles although her mom is very much eager to let her daughter decide what she wants to do regarding the surplus of cookie boxes the family has come to have in their home.

Olive stands to lose a lot if she fails to meet her self-proposed goals while Nikki gets first dibs on courage as what the girls’ families do inspires the young ladies quite a bit of the time in order for the girls to attempt to strive for greatness. In any event, greatness must be obtained by any method possible for these young ladies.

Cookie Queens is just as moving as it is funny. It’s such a pleasure to see how the girls start off with average sales, yet become more and more determined just as time is running out for the girls to meet their sought after goals. Scenes of Ara defying the odds to sell 60 boxes is awe-inspiring thanks to the fine pacing and lovely heart that is so prevalent in each and every moment of the new movie. Ara is a real winner in every sense of the word. Shannon Elizabeth’s good-nature comes across to buyers who end up giving her the support she so rightfully deserves.

It’s easy to root for the four stories that are balanced in Cookie Queens. Everything about the movie is a pure delight to behold as the movie can make one laugh-out-loud or simply come to believe in the power of good, wholesome marketing which is the driving force of the sales the young girls make. Olive has spunk to spare and her personality is a rare thing which is beneficial for the buyers of the cookies who often get either a good laugh or the utmost professionalism when buying from her.

Cookie Queens is such a feel-great movie that it’s bound to have the type of appeal that late summer audience-friendly movies like this one often do. This new film serves as a testament to what is possible in this world’s free marketplace where sales often go up thanks to the grand nature of the sellers’ ambitions. As potential ticket buyers wait for the free time they need to see this movie, this film will be winning the hearts of audiences all over America in the interim. If you’ve ever loved indulging in a box of Samoas or Thin Mints, this film is a must-see.

Rating: 9/10

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