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Parents' Guide to

Chick Fight

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Bawdy brawling comedy has drug use, crude language.

Movie R 2020 97 minutes
Chick Fight Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Debily
Debily Adult
May 16, 2021
age 16+

Waste of time

Awful acting, overly crude and sexual with the dialogue. Granted there are no actual sex scenes, the commentary throughout the movie is vile. Take the sex talk out and there is no script left. Drug use and alcohol consumption in an abuseive way is present. The sad part is that it could have been a very sweet and funny story if it was written better. It is violent because of the ladies fighting each other but that is the story.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
K in cali
K in cali Parent
December 20, 2020
age 18+

Awful movie focused more on graphic homosexual jokes

No family should watch this. It focuses more on graphic, not funny homosexual jokes and lacks a story. Very offensive to straight and LGBTQ people. Very poor taste. Drugs, sex, horrible language. Skip this!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In CHICK FIGHT, as her financial struggles grow, Anna (Malin Akerman) is feeling a growing sense of hopelessness. Then her best friend, Charleen (Dulcé Sloan), introduces her to a therapeutic solution: punching out her frustrations in an all-woman fight club.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Adults can figure out whether this funny-but-imperfect film rings their bell, but as a go-girl comedy for teens, Chick Fight doesn't quite make weight. When you're creating a (supposed) female-empowerment film, you can't ask women to lace up the gloves and then also make them the punchline. "Learn to fight, stay in the ring, and beat the s--t out of life" is this film's oft-repeated mantra. As a metaphor, it's a cheer line: Yes! But then the concept gets KO'd. First, there's the message's literal execution, earnestly stating that pummeling another person is therapeutic. Things get further confused by making female fighters a joke. And then there's the demeaning title, which drums up stereotypes of women at each other's throats. While stating that women put on gloves to let off steam or settle a beef ("we fight it out, then we hug it out"), primary characters Anna and Olivia (Bella Thorne) are squabbling about a man (sigh).

The issue could be that men made this film about women. At moments, the lack of an authentic voice is felt. For example, Anna has taken a vow of chastity, but when a male doctor (Kevin Connolly) makes a lewd overture to her, she jumps on him, and they have sex in a hospital broom closet. Is it funny? To a few. Is it straight male fantasy? More likely. Does it completely sell out Anna and her values and beliefs? Absolutely. The raunchy humor doesn't ring true either -- it's not Bridesmaids, it's Beavis and Butthead. It could be that women aren't so much the audience here as the packaging -- after all, who does child-actress-turned-erotica-provacateur Thorne wearing tight, revealing fight gear really appeal to?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Chick Fight's messages. What rings true? What doesn't? Is "fighting" intended to be a metaphor -- or do you think they mean it literally?

  • Is this a feminist film? Do you think male filmmakers can tell a story about women authentically? What about the other way around? Why, or why not? Are there exceptions?

  • How are drug use and drinking portrayed in the film? Is substance use glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

  • What positive representations did you notice in the film? Why is it important to see characters from different walks of life in movies and on TV? Can crude behavior detract from a character's effectiveness at representing a marginalized group?

  • Considering that nearly all of the film's violence is in a controlled atmosphere, would you consider this a "violent" movie? Do you think it glamorizes violence toward women?

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