Bad B*tch

Yo, So I Just Watched Bad B*tch and... She's Literally Built Different Alright, lemme just say, Bad B*tch is NOT your average superhero or action movie. This girl, the main character? She's not out here waiting for some guy to save her. She is the storm. Like, she literally walks into these sketchy situations with nothing but a hoodie, some killer boots, and straight-up rage, and somehow wrecks everyone in her path. The story starts kind of dark-she's been through some serious stuff (they don't show everything but you can tell), and instead of breaking, she just... flips the whole thing. Becomes this vigilante, going after these gang dudes. And the way she does it? Wild. Like, some of the fight scenes had me pausing and rewinding like five times. She's brutal but also smart. Also, the soundtrack? FIRE. Every time she gears up to go off, the music drops, and I swear my whole soul just starts vibrating. Whoever made the playlist for this movie needs an award. Not gonna lie, there's some heavy stuff. Like, definitely not something you watch with your mom unless you wanna have some super awkward convos. It's angry and raw, but it kinda makes sense, 'cause the world in the movie is messed up, and she's the only one who actually does something about it. Only docking one point because my standards for fight scenes are way too high.

This movie takes chances. That's exactly what we need in the movies right now. With the plethora of movies being IPs, remakes, or the seventh installment of a franchise, originality has taken a back seat to trying to sell movies as commodities instead of art. I'm not saying movies shouldn't try to make money, but anymore movies just feel so forced and artificial. Here, we have a movie that actually takes some bold swings and to me, is really reminiscent of filmmakers like Kubrick and early Scorsese. There's a grit here that's tangible and the actors make everything so real. I think what separates this film is the humor. It is laugh out loud funny, but it still gets you in the feels. I'm impressed with editing too. The transitions were seamless and I got lost in the story very early on. Villain was incredible. There's this great scene by the gazebo where he reminded me of Denzel in Training Day, but not in a derivative way, in a unique and original way that was all his own. He was a force. Loved the poet too, the young actress. She was so beautiful and performed the words with such eloquence. I'm going to follow her career.

Okay so Bad B*tch is kind of insane. I mean that in a good way. Mostly. There's a lot going on in this movie and not all of it works but I walked out of it feeling like I'd just been smacked in the chest.

Let me start with this: the dance fight. Yes, there is a literal dance fight. It's unhinged and theatrical and honestly kind of brilliant. It reminded me of that scene in A Clockwork Orange where Alex and his droogs beat a man with canes while singing "Singin' in the Rain." You're horrified but also weirdly mesmerized. That same vibe.

Visually the movie is all over the place in a way that kind of works. Some shots feel ripped straight from early Robert Rodriguez stuff like El Mariachi gritty handheld camera work that makes you feel like the lens might get punched. There are scenes that feel super DIY and then others that explode with saturated color and weird lighting choices that shouldn't work but somehow do. It's inconsistent for sure but that scrappy vibe gives it charm. You can feel the filmmakers going for it.

Now performance wise Erica Boozer as Jojo is the absolute heart and soul of this thing. She's restrained and thoughtful and then suddenly terrifying when she finally picks up that baseball bat. Her transformation into the Bad B*tch is more emotional than physical which I didn't expect. Trenton Judson plays Colt with this perfect blend of sleaze and charisma. He's awful and you hate him, but you also believe why people might have followed him in the first place.

There are definitely rough patches. The pacing drags a bit in the second act and some of the dialogue gets preachy. Like I get the point but not every conversation needs to be a philosophy seminar. That said the stuff the movie has to say about power and beauty and what it means to really fight for something bigger than yourself is honestly moving. And when Jojo finally shows up with BAD B*TCH carved into her bat I almost lost it. It's ridiculous and amazing and maybe the most punk rock thing I've seen in a movie all year.

This movie has flaws. Big ones even. But I'd rather watch something this bold and messy than a hundred polished but soulless blockbusters. It's trying stuff. It's swinging big. And when it lands it really lands.

So yeah. Bad B*tch is wild. It's raw. It's not for everyone. But if you've ever wanted to see a woman fight a guy with a machete using her dad's baseball bat after calling him boring in front of his gang this is your movie.

Highly recommend.

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.

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.