Girls with Balls (3/5) – Movie Review

GIRLS WITH BALLS is a new Horror-Comedy on Netflix. It has a runtime of just under 80 minutes and is pure craziness. If that’s your cup of tea, then do check out this French movie on Netflix. Read more in our full Girls with Balls review here.

Girls with Balls is a new horror-comedy on Netflix. If you like horror-comedies and don’t mind the dark and crude humor they tend to use, then you should check this one out.

It is all about having fun with the viewing experiene, and Netflix really is the perfect platform to reach fans of this subgenre. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed a good horror-comedy and while this isn’t a new favorite, I definitely did enjoy it.

And just to be clear, Girls with Balls refers to the fact that these girls are volleyball players. Not some crude LGBTQ slur.

Read more in our full Girls with Balls review which continues below.

A cool cast with wacky awesome characters

While Girls with Balls really is a very small movie (it isn’t even that long), the cast is largely unknown for most but quite impressive. If you’ve watched the Netflix series La Mante, then you’ll recognize Manon Azem from that. 

In Girls with Balls, Manon Azem plays Morgana who is very bitchy but also very much a badass. Morgana wants to be in charge but isn’t very liked. Overall, the characters are just funny and wacky girls who fight with all they’ve got. You’re bound to find your own favorite.

And then there’s their coach, who is a real dimwit who tries to stop every argument the girls have. He’s a very cudly bear type who comes across as a French version of Kevin Smith or Jack Black. 

However, the movie does also include Guillaume Canet who was in Danny Boyle’s The Beach. Guillaume Canet also directed, co-wrote and starred in the crime-drama Tell No One (2006) which is simply brilliant. In Girls with Balls, he seems to just be having fun with a small cameo. As he should.

Girls with Balls is all fun and gore

Like any good horror-comedy, Girls with Balls is all about being funny and crazy while also very bloody. This movie does not take itself too seriously – at all. Something that is definitely its saving grace.

You can’t help but laugh along with all the weird sh*t happening. If you can, then you probbaly shouldn’t be watching a movie like this.

Also, from the opening scene, you will become familiar with the French cowboy troubadour. Yes, there is a singing narrator that shows up from time to time. He just gives you poetic indications of where the story will go next.

The funniest character (for me, anyway) was often M.A. who is the nerdy volleyball player that turns into an awesome warrior. She has some awesome lines and is funny just from her facial expressions alone. Louise Blachère plays M.A. and she definitely made me laugh the most. Simply awesome!

Watching Louise Blachère as M.A. is like coming aross a female Napoleon Dynamite. But one that is also very charming and endearing. Oh yeah, and not afraid to draw blood from their weird enemies!

Watch Girls with Balls on Netflix now!

Olivier Afonso directed and co-wrote Girls with Balls along with Jean-Luc Cano. This is the first (and so far only) IMDb credit for Olivier Afonso when it comes to both writing and directing.

Instead, he has a lot of credits in the makeup department. More specifically, he has worked as a Special Makeup Effects Artist on more than 80 productions. Including the very dark (and not at all funny) French horror drama Raw (2016).

The movie originally premiered at Fantastic Fest in the USA back in September of 2018. Since then it also screened at the Sitges film festival in Spain which is probably the biggest genrefilm festival. All of this is just to say that if those film festivals wanted to screen it, then it’s probably worth your time.

However, if you’re not into horror-comedies then don’t expect to enjoy this. 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!

Girls with Balls is out on Netflix in various countries from July 26, 2019.

Details

Director: Olivier Afonso
Cast: Guillaume Canet, Dany Verissimo-Petit, Denis Lavant 

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.