Bad B*tch

I didn't expect to finish watching a show called Bad B*tch feeling like someone had reached into my chest, pulled out all the fire, fear, and fierce tenderness I've spent years collecting, and shaped it into a story. But that's exactly what this film did.

JoJo isn't just a vigilant, she's a mirror (and there's a beautiful connection to the mirror embedded in the story). Watching her talk to her father with a jaw set like steel and a heart held together with old wounds reminded me too much of myself when I had no one to fight for me, so I had to fight for myself. She doesn't wait for permission, doesn't explain her anger in a way that makes it more palatable. She just is. And I found that deeply, viscerally validating.

The way JoJo navigates the ugly side of survival like trauma, revenge, justice twisted in her own hands-felt raw and real. But what truly cracked me open was Estella. Her best friend, this bubbly force of light who calls JoJo out, lifts her up, and makes her laugh even when the world is on fire. I know that dynamic. I have that Estella in my life. That one friend who keeps your rage from eating you whole, who dances with you after a night of chaos and blood, just to remind you you're still human.

There's a scene where JoJo breaks down, not during the violence, not during the chase but when she's by herself and when everything catches up to her. That hit me harder than any of the action sequences. Because it's those quiet, late-night unravelings I know best.

Bad B*tch is beautifully shot, unflinching, and laced with humor that doesn't undercut the darkness, it balances it. I only docked one point because the third act rushed through what could've been a deeper emotional climax, especially for Estella, whose loyalty deserved more payoff. Still, it's rare for a film like this to let women be this complicated, this angry, this tender and not apologize for it.

For women who've ever had to be both their own weapon and their own shield, JoJo is not just a character. She's proof. And Estella is the reminder that we don't have to do it all alone.

Dude!!! This movie has the makings of one of the great cult classic films. I'm reminded of Evil Dead in the horror genre, Tangerine in the drama genre, and Slacker in the comedy genre. There is just something special about a movie that isn't technically perfect but captures the genre so well. It's this beautiful, molded clay that doesn't quite have the shine of a glaze on it but is almost more stunning without it. This movie is the action version of that! You can tell after viewing it that there's something timeless about it, something that people will keep coming back to. I'm predicting here that the next project the director does is going to be something that captures the whole culture! You heard it from me! But, for now, I think this film is something for me to simmer on. The characters are so well fleshed out and the dialogue is very smooth. The lines keep playing in my head, which is always an amazing sign that there's good writing! Recommend watching it with an open mind. There's a lot to appreciate.

I had high hopes for this movie but it fell flat. The two main female characters had pretty good chemistry but their conversations dragged on too long. The transitions and camera angles were awkward at times. The "gangsters" didn't seem really tough and felt like they were trying to hard. Jojo wasn't a believable bad girl and her lame dialogue dragged on too long in the end scenes. The strong feminism tones were contradicted by a sheriff who ignores r**e and gets no consequences, showing that a woman doesn't matter. The makeup on Jojo at the end was horrendous and she looked like a raccoon, the singing and dancing was comical, and the ending was lacking. It felt like watching a 2 hour long high school play.

I thought the acting felt forced. Action scenes needed way more practice to feel real. There were a lot of scenes that lasted too long or had little direction. The camera angles were weird. I liked the premise that the movie was made on, but the plot didn't follow through. I thought the two main actresses did a fairly good job, and the sheriff was excellent. The writing attempted to be insightful and witty, but it falls flat because of execution and dialogue. The random scenes where there was dancing and singing made no sense, and I genuinely couldn't tell if it was supposed to sound good or be funny. You either need great actors, or comedy to make up for the poor acting. It feels like a first draft, and there needed to be more editing and transitions.

Also, the props were poorly made. The gravestone looked like it was from Walmart, and the chocolate bar was actually milk chocolate, not dark chocolate.

Bad B*tch walks a tightrope. If The Breakfast Club had a bar fight with Roadhouse and then sat down for a long, hard talk about the internet, it might look a little like this. But Bad B*tch is not just a remix of classics. It stands on its own, and more importantly, it stays with you long after the credits roll.

On the surface, this is a film about tough women navigating tough situations. But beneath the punchlines and punches, there is something else entirely. The characters are layered, flawed, raw, and often unexpectedly insightful. The movie doesn't spoon-feed you its message; it lets it unfold through banter, conflict, and those quieter moments that catch you off guard. I found myself thinking about what they said about social media and not reading the comments long after I shut the movie off. That one line could have come across as throwaway, but here it hit me like truth in a bottle. The way it exposed our collective negativity bias, the way we gravitate toward what hurts instead of what helps, made me sit back and reconsider how I engage online. "There's so much not liking." It's true! When was the last time someone rushed to Google to create a great review for a restaurant or a film or to build someone up on their IG. That's what it's about! But, if we feel slighted in anyway, you better believe we start typing those keys or swiping that phone. I hope this awareness helps me change that some.

Bad B*tch makes space for these reflections without ever losing its pace or tone. Judson somehow found a way to mix stylized violence with genuine emotional weight. The villain and boat fight reminded me of Swayze's Roadhouse, but the confessional tone of the dialogue between the women is pure Breakfast Club. Only here, instead of talking in a high school library, they're adults talking over ice cream and stargazing trips, and it feels much more grounded in the mess of real life.

Of course, the film is not without its flaws. There are a few moments where the editing feels abrupt or where the audio dips just enough to notice. But I would take these small production hiccups over a sterile, over-produced studio film any day. You can feel the fingerprints on this movie. It's not made by committee. It's original, risky, and very alive. I'll take imperfect and bold over perfect and boring every single time.

What really surprised me, though, was how much I kept thinking about the conversations between the girls. There is a real intimacy to how they speak with each other, the kind of thing you usually only get in indie dramas or well-written plays. Their relationships evolve in a way that feels earned. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced. And by the end of it, I realized I needed to go back and watch it again. Not because I missed plot points, but because I wanted to hear more of what they said. I needed to sit with it. Understand it. Digest it.

Trenton Judson didn't just make a movie with Bad B*tch. He started a conversation. One about toughness, vulnerability, connection, and how we allow the world, especially the online world to shape how we feel about ourselves and each other. It is a movie about women, but it's not only for women. It is a movie about fights, but it is not only about violence. It is about what it means to be seen, what it means to be misunderstood, and what it means to choose kindness anyway.

It is flawed, but because it is fearless. And I'd rather follow fearless any day.