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Parents' Guide to

D.E.B.S.

By Li Lai, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Cult lesbian romcom spoofs the action-spy genre.

Movie PG-13 2005 91 minutes
D.E.B.S. Poster Image: The DEBS stand together in their school uniforms

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

DEBS F.
DEBS F. Parent of 18+ and 2-year-old
June 21, 2023
age 2+

DEBS 4 LYFE BITCHES

this movie is FUCKING AMAZING! Like HOW did they make such a masterpiece. You gay sluts out there NEED to watch this. Literally LIFE CHANGING. DEBS 4 LYFE OUTTTTTT. Not enough sex doh

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
JenniOlsonSF
JenniOlsonSF Parent of 6 and 10-year-old
June 7, 2009
age 13+

A great PG-13 movie for 13 and up

D.E.B.S. is the first film with a positive lesbian message to be rated PG-13 making it actually accessible to teenagers. It is a wonderful and very funny movie. The romance between the two teens is woven in as part of the storyline in a very funny way that is part of the whole spy plot and doesn't make a big deal about it, it's just not an issue. Because of that I would say this film is great for straight kids to be more comfortable with their gay and lesbian pals. And also very important for gay and lesbian teens to see images of themselves on screen and experience the validation and happiness that comes from that. If your kids have seen pretty much any Disney movie for tweens that includes the concept of boys and girls having crushes on each other they can handle this. In fact, if they've seen HERBIE FULLY LOADED they'll be thrilled to see that this movie is by the same director (and this one is vastly superior).
1 person found this helpful.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In D.E.B.S., the SATs aren't just a measure of aptitude for getting into college. A secret test is embedded into it: High school seniors who can lie, cheat, and kill are recruited into a spy ring consisting of all young women. D.E.B.S. agents have villain Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster) in their sights, but when top agent Amy (Sara Foster) confronts Lucy, their sizzling romantic chemistry forces the two to reevaluate their current career paths, which pit the two of them against each other.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Charming and campy, this movie captures a moment in time when Britney Spears-inspired schoolgirl uniforms and spy flicks were all the rage. Call it a B-version of Charlie's Angels if you will, but D.E.B.S. is entirely its own beast. Director Angela Robinson presses her tongue firmly in cheek as she has her main quartet of high school paramilitary agents drop from ceilings strapped with guns and cavalierly smoking cigarettes -- a picture that's comically at odds with their patent leather Mary Janes and knee-high socks.

At its best, this genre-blending romcom delivers a silly but positive and heartwarming romance between two young women. Rare for the aughts, the movie never dips into gay cliches, such as placing an emphasis on coming out or having school-age characters haunted by disapproving parents. Perhaps helped by Robinson's own perspective as an out lesbian director, the film's main couple, Lucy and Amy, refreshingly go through conflicts and drama that have almost nothing to do with their sexualities. As a gay cult classic, D.E.B.S. heartily delivers. But it's impossible for any movie to age perfectly. In particular, the film's embrace of handguns, machine guns, and assorted firearms in a high school setting may have felt silly and over the top when tragedies like the 1999 Columbine High School shooting were considered outliers. But now the image of students armed to the gills is no laughing matter.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about cult movies and why D.E.B.S. falls into this category. What traits are shared among movies that find niche audiences?

  • How does the film's portrayal of a same-sex romance compare with modern queer movies and TV shows? Which scenes or lines sound outdated in D.E.B.S., and what elements are still relevant?

  • D.E.B.S. features a lot of guns, even if they're not often used. Does this make a movie violent? How does the film's use of comedy and camp make its action scenes and perilous situations more, or less, intense?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: March 24, 2005
  • On DVD or streaming: June 7, 2005
  • Cast: Jordana Brewster , Meagan Good , Michael Clarke Duncan
  • Director: Angela Robinson
  • Inclusion Information: Female directors, Gay directors, Black directors, Female actors, Latino actors, Black actors, Multiracial actors, Female writers, Gay writers, Black writers
  • Studio: Screen Gems
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Topics: High School
  • Character Strengths: Courage , Curiosity
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: sexual content and language
  • Last updated: August 9, 2023

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