Frightgown Review: Christopher Bickel’s ‘Bad Girls’
Christopher Bickel’s “Bad Girls” is a blood-soaked, modern exploitation feature with three badass female leads in the vein of “Coffy” or “Death Proof” and an over-the-top style reminiscent of Troma’s productions or a less futuristic “Hobo With A Shotgun” that really brings the whole thing to life! The editing is extremely impressive for a budget film, with multiple camera angles in every scene and clean, quick cuts that don’t feel jarring unless they’re intended to.
You’re dropped quite literally into the action as the three leads step off the stage at their day job as strippers at a local club before picking up handguns and proceeding to rob/kill the owner and his dealer. They make a getaway with the stash which marks the start of their cross-country murder and crime spree on the way to Mexico where they’ll kidnap rockstars, have run-ins with some despicable detectives, and rob at gunpoint basically every place they stop along the way. They also rarely leave survivors, so the body count starts to really rack up as the film progresses.
It manages to make you feel something as well throughout all this bloodshed, with some subtle and not so subtle messages that are highly relatable to modern society despite being portrayed through such a violent and dark lens. There’s commentary on the necessary empowerment of sex workers and females, scenes depicting the chauvinistic nature of modern males, and even some emotionally charged, thought-provoking conversations that take place in between the chaos.
The performances are intentionally a bit cheesy which adds to the tone the filmmakers are trying to achieve with great success; most of the “jokes” are funny, unexpected, and timed alongside a bullet to the head which really sells the delivery in a darkly comedic way. The blood and gore here are dialed all the way up, with well choreographed action/gunfight sequences that fans of the genre will surely appreciate!
Overall “Bad Girls” is a bloody, tribute-filled ride breathing new life into an often controversial genre that built many modern directors’ careers, while making a statement and being inexplicably cool from start to finish.
