‘They’re gonna smash slashers!’
Girls with Balls is a 2018 French comedy action horror feature film about an all-girl volleyball team that become prey to a group of hunters… until they turn the tables.
Directed by special make-up effects expert Olivier Afonso (The Night Eats the World; Leatherface; Raw; et al) and co-written with Jean-Luc Cano, the movie stars Manon Azem, Louise Blachère, Tiphaine Daviot, Margot Dufrene, Anne-Solenne Hatte, Camille Razat and Dany Verissimo-Petit.
Plot:
The all-girls volleyball team “The Falcons” end up stranded in the middle of nowhere after their mini-van breaks down. It turns out they’ve landed in some degenerate hunters’ territory and the hunt is on.
While they run for their lives and test their team spirit, the girls turn out to be very resourceful. Soon, the hunters become the hunted.
Reviews:
“The characters and various relationships aren’t as strongly developed as they could be, the villains (headed up by an entertaining Denis Lavant) are mostly an anonymous mass of hooded figures, and the comedy doesn’t work half as well when it isn’t being accompanied by sudden sprays of blood.” Kevin Matthews, For It Is Man’s Number
“It really is one of those crazy stories where both the cast and crew seem to go all out. It’s not for everyone, but if you like a horror-comedy with blood, gore, dark humor and lots of crude moments, then Girls with Balls if for you!” Karina Adelgaard, Heaven of Horror
“Admittedly, this is daft, throwaway fun and while it doesn’t have the character nuance or confidence in genre-mashing as something like Shaun of the Dead, those hunting for a riotous, slavishly un-PC evening will undoubtedly still find much enjoyable in Girls with Balls.” Adam Lowes, HeyYGuys
“In terms of gore, the film is more of the gonzo variety than the bloody disgusting type, with lots of exploding heads, sawed-off limbs and exuberant haemoglobin splatters capping off each sequence. Much of the humor is childish, possibly on the sexist side in spots, but at the very least Afonso and his cast seem to be enjoying their time in the country…” Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
“This little sub-genre of horror is always at risk of having films that just depict nameless girls running around screaming, being picked off one by one. Girls With Balls at its heart and at its strongest is a movie about sisterhood. It is this that makes the film such an entertaining one and such a worthwhile one.” Morgan Robinson, Ready Steady Cut!
“Unfortunately, the humour of this film is rather broad, and the few good jokes in there are pretty much lost in a sea of mediocre comedy. And on top of this, even if the film allows the girls to bicker plentifully, all the characters remain rather two-dimensional throughout, lack any and all depth and for that are not really relatable.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash
“ …there’s almost a mature comic book vibe in its manner, something in the same vein as the Kick-Ass movies. The over-the-top violence and genuinely funny, dark humour spotted throughout, lighten a film which otherwise may have become too severe.” Darren Tilby, UK Film Review
Cast and characters:
- Manon Azem … Morgane
- Louise Blachère … M.A.
- Tiphaine Daviot … Jeanne
- Margot Dufrene … Tatiana
- Anne-Solenne Hatte … Hazuki
- Camille Razat … Lise
- Dany Verissimo-Petit … Dany
- Guillaume Canet
- Denis Lavant … Barman
- Orelsan Orelsan … Cow-Boy
- Victor Artus Solaro … Coach (as Artus)
- Tony Corvillo … Borgne
- Esther Ballesteros … Viper Girl
- Thomas Vandenberghe … (as Thomas VDB)
- Alex Moreu Garriga … Moustachu
Filming locations:
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Technical details:
77 minutes
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