An introverted teenage girl anonymously starts a feminist club at her high school, rallying the school's girls against the school's toxic status quo.

COMEDY/DRAMA

Moxie (2021)

Directed by Amy Poehler

Written by Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer

Starring Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascaual-Pena,
Nico Hiraga, Sabrina Haskett, Patrick Schwarzenegger,
Sydney Park, Anjelika Washington, Amy Poehler,
Ike Barinholtz, Clark Gregg, Marcia Gay Harden

Based on the novel by Jennifer Mathieu

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Connor Eyzaguirre

March 4, 2021

9/10

Hot damn, this movie was a slap in the face and a certified wake-up call. Toxicity is real. Sexism is real. It happens every day, and it is often shrugged off as something that doesn't matter. We need films like Moxie to remind people that this shit is not okay, no matter your race, age, gender, or religion. Harassment is a fucked up thing to do to somebody, and watching these characters stand up for themselves in an environment that was sweeping them under the rug gave me hope for the future.

Our hero is a girl named Vivian (Robinson), who goes to Rockport High School, a truly horrifying place that openly allows sexism against women, since it's the football team and they can get away with anything. When a new girl, Lucy (Pascual-Pena) moves to Rockport, she refuses to let football captain Mitchell Wilson (Schwarzenegger) harass her, and Vivian is inspired. She starts a feminist club called Moxie, and soon the entire female population (and some of the guys) have joined it, and now a revolution is on the brink. With Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" as their anthem and a positive message for young women, it's impossible not to pump your first in the air for Moxie.

Thanks to director Amy Poehler, there's a lot of comedy in this film. But things get serious, too, once Vivian and the rest of her inner circle start to realize the full scope of what Moxie can do for women who are feeling stepped on. This film is a fantastic watch that I hope inspires people everywhere to take charge of their lives and not allow anyone to make them feel less than another. Films have that power, and this one can be a big one.