Bad girl films have always inspired me. And in exploitation movies, there’s nothing more fun than girl gang flicks. There, the filmmakers could push all the sex, violence, and hard-boiled dialogue and disguise it as feminism while actually titillating drive-in audiences.
One beautifully honest scene features the girls treating themselves to a night in a hotel using stolen funds. It’s peppered with sincerity as they dance and sing wildly to Rihanna’s “Diamonds” with a spirit that is contagious. We all want to shine bright like diamonds, and when you’re young, fitting in is as important as breathing.
Girlhood gives these young ladies a voice and is captured with a thoughtful understanding of their struggles. The bond between girls (and women) is something special and complex. In honor, let’s revisit the best girl gangs in film.
