Chick Fight (2020)

Chick Fight is the kind of scrappy, high-energy crowd-pleaser that knows exactly what it is: a raunchy, bruising comedy about a woman hitting rock bottom and finding catharsis in the last place she expects. Malin Åkerman makes Anna’s messy reset feel oddly relatable, while Bella Thorne brings a sharp, intimidating spark that keeps the ring crackling with tension even when the movie is just joking around. Director Paul Leyden leans into the grindhouse fun of underground brawls—fast, loud, and unapologetically physical—without losing sight of the film’s surprisingly tender undercurrent about grief and identity. It’s not for viewers who want subtle humor or dislike sustained hand-to-hand violence and bawdy dialogue, but if you’re on the fence and craving a rowdy, female-forward twist on the fight-club vibe, it delivers plenty of punch.

Chick Fight is clearly aiming for a scrappy, women-led spin on the underdog boxing movie, mixing empowerment, grief, and raunchy comedy with a neon underground-fight-club hook. The problem is it plays things painfully safe: the jokes are hit-or-miss, the character beats feel prepackaged, and the “girl power” angle can land more like a marketing sticker than something the script actually earns. If you’re hoping for sharp satire, fresh action choreography, or a genuinely insightful take on female camaraderie, this may feel like a wasted premise dressed up as a crowd-pleaser. Still, the cast has charm and there are a few fun moments, so it can work as low-stakes, slightly messy comfort viewing if you’re fine with predictable sports-movie beats and lots of punching.