Moxie Bit Off More Than it Could Chew

Netflix’s new original movie Moxie, written by Amy Poehler, follows high school junior Vivan. She starts a feminist zine called Moxie, which is inspired by punk feminism (think riot grrrl vibes) that her mother (Amy Poehler) practiced as a teen. Vivian starts the zine after male students release a list ranking girls into categories like “most bangable” and “best rack." In addition, a new female student is harassed by a male classmate. Moxie is fun and engenders the romantic picture of the punk feminist revolution of the past, but the storyline tries to tackle too many different issues, which makes the movie’s feminist message seem superficial at best.

The New York Times review by Jeannette Catsoulis summarized the film best: “Unfocused and too often unbelievable, Amy Poehler’s Moxie feels like a battle between two competing visions: go-girl crowd-pleaser and serious high-school harassment drama. Neither wins.” The movie approaches common issues found in a high school setting such as sexist dress codes preventing girls from wearing tank tops and high schools overlooking women’s sports. However, Moxie does not dig into transgender rights or the prevalence of sexual assault experienced by young women. The movie’s throw-away lines diminish the importance of these issues and make it seem like they are included to meet a quota. These issues deserve to be discussed openly in order to enact change.

In one scene, the group of girls that become the face of Moxie meet during a party. One of the girls, CJ, mentions how she never gets cast in female roles for school plays because she’s transgender. All the other girls nod encouragingly and nothing more is said until a short 15-second clip later in the movie of her trying out. This moment felt rushed and almost as if a producer recommended including trans rights in the story and then wrote this one line. The movie also fails to tackle how Vivian’s friends of color are the face of Moxie and put themselves on the line for the movement, while Vivian takes the backseat but ultimately still gets all the credit for creating the zine. This plot point is reminiscent of the “strong Black woman” trope, a tired concept that damages societal perceptions of Black women more than it helps. Moxie is riddled with other problematic moments that are never discussed including conversations about consent both in relationships and in the movement.

If you’re watching this movie for a nuanced recount of third wave feminism, it might fall short of your expectations. However, it is an entertaining flick with a compelling love story and a soundtrack full of Bikini Kill that is worthy of a Friday night in. As badly as I wanted this movie to be a revolutionary and inspiring take on young women’s issues, Moxie bit off more than it could chew and felt disorganized and shallow. To my fellow witches, watch Moxie for entertainment and bask in the glory of Bikini Kill — but don’t expect much else.

By Marla Hiller

La Croix obsessed, coffee addicted, podcast fanatic.