Gunslingerettes assemble for what proves to be an awful display. Bad Girls comes from director Jonathan Kaplan and features a screenplay by Ken Friedman and Yolande Turner, with Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell, and Drew Barrymore in the leading roles. The story involves four actresses portraying prostitutes who are fleeing after committing a justifiable killing and escaping a hanging. They encounter various difficulties and betrayals while being pursued by the Pinkertons. It’s one thing to need to accept something unbelievable on screen; it's quite another to be subjected to nonsense presented as feminist messaging. Bad Girls is a flawed film, an affront to the Western genre, its fans, the actresses themselves—who honestly deserve far better—and ultimately, women. The writing is ridiculous, seemingly only there so the performers can brandish guns and gyrate whenever possible while enduring abuse and being rescued by men. The plot follows predictable patterns with everything working out conveniently. There are even slow-motion sequences that serve no purpose beyond padding the runtime. To make matters worse, three of the actresses don’t resemble fugitives at all; they're overly polished with perfect hair and makeup (Masterson is a slight exception as she manages to appear somewhat believable). The overall experience is rather disheartening. I won’t deny that Barrymore’s shapely thighs in white stockings or Stowe’s beautiful face are appealing, but when the highlights of a “girl” Western consist solely of aesthetic appeal for men, it's clear something went wrong. What explains this level of failure? The backstory provides an answer. The film was initially intended to be directed by a woman, Tamra Davis (known for Billy Madison & Crossroads), but she was replaced a few weeks into production. Her vision was for a Western told from a female perspective. However, Kaplan (The Accused/Unlawful Entry) stepped in quickly and the script was hastily rewritten. The results are evident. It’s also technically deficient; Jerry Goldsmith's score feels cheap, and Jane Kurson's editing is abrupt. The cinematography (by Ralf D. Bode) lacks visual flair, while the performances of the male actors—aside from the shortcomings of the writing—are either pointless or poorly directed (as with James Russo). Dermot Mulroney seems to exist solely as a connection to Young Guns, the film this one obviously attempts to capitalize on. If you’re looking for a good Western about women fighting back, seek out George Marshall's 1957 film The Guns Of Fort Petticoat; it’s an enjoyable movie with believable female characters under pressure. Bad Girls, however, is simply bad across the board. 2/10

Source on TMDB