The Squad (2023) – Movie Review/Summary
Three women who spend nearly the entire movie in bikinis handle high-level drug deals in a film that straddles being corny and notably intriguing.
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Three women who spend nearly the entire movie in bikinis handle high-level drug deals in a film that straddles being corny and notably intriguing.
Film Summary
Three girls, all orphans, are in Oklahoma for Spring Break. Gina, Bella, and Dani, under the guidance of a woman named Alpha, sell top-of-the-line cocaine during Spring Break and either work with or eliminate the local competition.
From what it appears, they’ve been doing this for years and are slowly but surely developing a reputation. One that leads to the attention of a cartel boss from New York catching wind of them messing with their income stream and questioning whether they should integrate the girls into their operation or eliminate them.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.
Gina
Of the three ladies, Gina is the shooter and is known to be quite trigger-happy.
Bella
Often treated as the front-facing leader of the group, it is between Bella and Dani, who often meet with the locals when trying to negotiate peaceful terms.
Dani
Potentially the youngest of the three, Dani wryly complains the others bully her, partly because her breasts are the biggest of the three.
Alpha
Alpha kidnapped Gina, Bella, and Dani from their meth-producing foster parents and has been raising and training them ever since.
Frosty The Snowman
Frosty is the head of a New York Cartel that has spread across the country and doesn’t appreciate news of a disruption in a steady income stream in Oklahoma. And with “The Squad” having a reputation, he goes back and forth between eliminating this up-and-coming competitor or working with them.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Highlights
You Take An Interest In The Ladies Beyond Their Looks
When it comes to Dina, Gina, and Bella, there is no denying they are generically beautiful. They are slim, cute, and feminine young ladies who could easily push the idea that this film is going to solely focus on their looks as the hook and provide nothing else.
To my surprise, that wasn’t the case. Between how Bella negotiates or tries to, Dani plays up her youth and looks when she is sent into dangerous, sometimes deadly, situations, or Gina being the violent one? You get into what these ladies can offer beyond the superficial.
Now, do we get a lot of what made them good saleswomen, why they were chosen, and things like that? No. It’s hinted, seeds are planted, but the main focus seems to be laying down the foundation to show these ladies are badass, and when it comes to Bella, she might be growing tired of this life, even if the ladies work one week a year.
On The Fence
Certain Plot Points Feel Like They Should Have Been Developed More
The movie ends noting we’re going to get a sequel, but it appears as this franchise moves forward, it should likely look back. From how each girl ended up in foster care, why Alpha chose them, or even found them, to what led Alpha to get into the drug business and so many other questions.
Again, “The Squad” plants seeds, but they’ve barely sprouted by the time the film is over.
This isn’t necessarily frustrating because you get good enough action and the ladies’ personalities, and you can see this film knows how to balance the realness of the violence it has with a touch of camp to keep things light. However, you can’t help but want more information, especially since it isn’t hard to get Bella and Gina mixed up since they look so similar.
So, with that in mind, having more character development could have helped both to be more identifiable by more than knowing one is violent and the other would like to find their parents.
The Villains
Think of “The Squad” as you would a Marvel movie. It’s mainly about the heroes or leads, considering we’re following drug dealers, and their opposition are mainly bumps in the road. So whether it is people who are part of drug empires or those who work for the police, while you will remember their name and who they are, they don’t have that DC villain development or charisma to make you genuinely interested in their character.
For example, Frosty The Snow Man is the head of a New York cartel and, I’d submit, the head villain of “The Squad.” You’ll know the man’s name, who works for him, understand his temperament, and get a sense of his personality, but he doesn’t light up the screen. He doesn’t make you want to know his backstory, nor do any of his underlings. They are just fodder for building up the reputation of Dani, Gabi, and Bella and making you interested in them.
Who Is This For?
On the one hand, there are beautiful 20-something girls who are in bikinis for nearly the entire movie, which I’m sure has an audience. However, on the other end is the violence, the mystery of how the rise of these Charlie’s Angels-esque girls came to be, just instead of being international spies, they are national drug dealers.
Then, with the promise of a sequel, I would say this could appeal to those who like knowing that more is to come, rather than assume, because this is an indie movie, likely it won’t produce a sequel, and it is a one-and-done film.
General Information
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Director(s) |
Rick Walker |
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Screenplay By |
Rick Walker |
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Based On Work By |
Lisa Faast, Jason Fasst, Rick Walker |
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Date Released |
December 1, 2023 |
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How To Watch |
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Genre(s) |
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Film Length |
1 Hour 18 Minutes |
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Content Rating |
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Noted Characters and Cast |
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Gina |
Meghan Carrasquillo |
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Dani |
Grace Evans |
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Bella |
Alea Hansinger |
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Alpha |
Jennifer Ferguson |
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Frosty |
Shawnee Brittan |
Content Rating Explanation
- Dialog: Cursing Throughout
- Violence: Gun violence that includes blood, and scenes of torture
- Sexual Content: Implied nudity
- Miscellaneous: Drinking, smoking, drug use
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