The most disturbing thing about Girls Against Boys, a movie in which chicks get back at the guys who’ve wronged them, is how much it is NOT an exploitation grindhouse flick. I mean, it’s called Girls Against Boys and has the tagline “Bad girls don’t cry. They get even.” Even so, this is essentially rape/revenge lite. Fun for the whole family!
Danielle Panabaker, whose horror resume includes The Crazies remake, the Friday the 13th remake, and Piranha 3DD (sequel to a remake), is a college student who just got dumped by a married man. She meets a free-spirited chick named Lu (Nicole LaLiberte, who needs to do more horror because she’s so awesomely matter-of-fact about violence) and they go out clubbing together.
At this point, you just wait for the horrific rape scene to happen, even though the movie seems to be playing out like a drama about a jilted girl. When the misogynistic moment eventually comes, you’re appalled to discover that it’s almost virtually all implied as the screen blurs and fades to black.
You’re even more shocked when Lu convinces the remake queen to go shoot all the guys who have wronged her. Lu acquired a gun in the sexiest scene in the film (it involves a hot cop), so with little fanfare, the girls go on a fairly non-violent shooting spree with a silencer, which I guess explains why the authorities don’t seem to even know anyone is dead.
Finally, when they find the remake queen’s rapist in a workshop, I was ready to cringe and curse myself for watching yet another torture porn. But much to my disappointment, this kill is no worse than something you’d see in a mainstream slasher! However, on the bright side, Lu does have one enjoyably sadistic line.
I think what happens after the girls get revenge is really what this movie is all about. The remake queen, having gotten her man-hate out of her system, almost immediately moves on to a sweet boy in one of her classes! And that doesn’t sit well with Lu (I’d be pissed too!). Lu provides the movie’s creepiest moment when she follows the remake queen to a Halloween party wearing a slutty geisha girl costume and carrying a Samurai sword. And you know that can only be the beginning of the end. Kill Bill this isn’t. It’s a very quick and non-suspenseful end.
Girls Against Boys is the tamest urban rape/revenge obsession film I’ve ever seen, but it definitely kept me watching. How can you not be mesmerized by a movie about bad girls getting back at bad boys with such restraint?
