[FANTASIA 2019] ‘RIOT GIRLS’ Review

Riot Girls is part The Warriors, part Lord of the Flies, part Mad Max, and part Mean Girls, but it’s fairly sincere in the execution and shines through because of it. The movie plays with the familiar genre tropes of teen movies and the post-apocalypse in a playful manner that isn’t novel or particularly interesting, but the two leads sell the movie well and are both quite capable of holding the weight. Kwiatkowski especially stands out as a rough “around the edges” badass who is secretly filled with heart. Former Rue Morgue editor-turned-film maker Jovanka Vuckovic (XX‘s “The Box” segment) is successful in world-building and making the absurdist reality portrayed feel fairly lived in, in this debut feature effort. She’s got a very vast and interesting resume, from producing and writing to visual effects work, and she seems to fully embrace whatever she takes on.

There are elements that don’t work particularly well, mostly falling on some of the bland antagonist characters. I understand what they represent, and the roles which fit the molds they’re meant to fill but, it still feels like a missed opportunity (even though Chambers is winning in the role). The story has been tackled countless times, even with a Netflix show with the same sort of premise being released earlier this year. There’s also a weird, pulpy editing style not too unlike Walter Hill’s Warriors “director’s cut” that distracts and disrupts the flow. But when it works it works, and based on the strength of the female characters and the lead actors, I’d find the movie easy to recommend.