Moxie Film Review

                         Moxie

    This Netflix original is based on a book by Jennifer Mathieu and packs a punch with its message. While many movies shove the issue of sexism aside, Moxie brings it front and center. Vivian Carter (Little Women (2019) star Hadley Robinson) is a shy girl living in Rockport, Texas. She’s perfectly content with just getting by, until a ranking list of crude and offensive terms for girls is made public by the guys. Irked, Vivian makes a zine titled Moxie targeting sexism at her school. Little does she know that the spark she started begins to fan into a huge flame.

    Positive Elements: Vivian and her female classmates are disgusted by the treatment they receive from males. While their protest isn’t always in the right place (more on that in Other Negative Elements), the females stick together. They realize they’re not the only ones who tire of this sexist behavior. For instance, new girl Lucy (Saved by the Bell ) star Alycia Pascual-Peña) starts an Instagram hashtag and it gains a following. The girls meet with each other and encourage one another to keep fighting for what is right.

    Little acts such as drawing on your hands, supporting a mistreated character and bravely confronting others get huge props here. Vivian apologizes to the people she’s hurt along the way. Her best friend Claudia (TV’s Legion star Lauren Tsai) , while wary of the revolution, still supports Vivian through thick and thin. One guy (it’s implied) is expelled at the film’s end.

    Seth (Booksmart’s Nico Hiraga) is a gentleman around Vivian. He’s sweet, kind, and funny. He supports Vivian through the difficult times. Seth also confronts Vivian about her behavior and holds her accountable. He respects the fact that Moxie is for girls only after offering to give it to the guys.

    Sensual Content: Several female characters wear revealing tops baring midriff and cleavage. One of the Moxie issues challenges girls to defy the dress code checks by wearing tank tops to school. There are multiple sexual innuendos: for instance, Claudia teases Vivian for wanting “to bang” Seth. Vivian and Seth make out in a car (he’s shirtless, she’s wearing a camisole). However, they stop just shy of having sex desiring their first times to be “special.” One girl is portrayed by a transgender actor and she says it’s “messed up” when people refuse to call her by her new name.

    As mentioned, there is a crude/offensive list of terms used to describe girls. One girl gets slapped on her butt by a football player, another is grinded by a shirtless guy. That same girl zips up her hoodie after finding out she’s voted for “Best Rack.” A new student is (implied) called the c-word by her male classmates.

    Several couples make out at a party and elsewhere too. Two girls kiss each other twice. Multiple guys ogle/leer at the girls, making them uncomfortable. 

    Violence: One character writes a note saying she was raped by her ex-boyfriend. At a party, some people fall during a bike stunt. One guy hits the vending machine after a girl refuses his advances and gets aggressive after making a list. The principal mentions that she calls security when there is a weapon threat on campus. After receiving a note, Vivian paints “Rapeport” on the school entrance. One guy trips and breaks his wrist.

    Language: One harsh f-word, about ten s-words, and several uses of a—, h—, God’s name, Jesus’s name and d—n. As mentioned, one girl is called the c-word. God’s name is also paired with d—n several times too. A few uses of b—ch, p—, and d—k appear too.

    Drugs/Alcohol: A party shows multiple people drinking from red plastic cups. Vivian gets drunk on champagne in a sad scene. Some adult characters drink wine at dinner.

    Other Negative Elements: Moxie, while it has several positive aspects of protesting, sometimes fails to provide an honest view. For example, girls slap stickers that say the word “a—hole” on boy’s lockers and backpacks. The stickers even end up on a principal’s car. The zine even encourages students to break the rules and risk expulsion (a big no-no).

    Vivian steals from the principal, lies to cover up her identity and lashes out at people. She ignores someone’s advice about how her ideas are unhealthy.  Students consider a Hawaiian theme party to be “culturally insensitive.” We hear about two characters vomiting on different occasions. There is a sign that says “You Matter” and “Don’t Give Up,” but it’s positioned as “You Don’t Matter” and “Give Up.” 

    Vivian’s mom berates a man for telling her to bag her groceries. She makes Seth uncomfortable when asked why she kept her maiden name and cracks a joke about how he wet his pants. One character asks why people read stories with only white authors and not anyone with racial diversity. One girl films a teacher’s response to the school dress code.

    Despite the Moxie girls' mistakes, their school is just as bad. Principal Shelly and other adults instruct the girls to “ignore” the boys and look away when the harassment happens. Girls are not taken seriously: one instance finds Principal Shelly dismissing the offensive list as “social media.” She even tells Lucy to use the word “bothered” instead of “harassed” because she doesn’t want said student to lose her scholarship. 

    One guy manipulates the school into thinking Moxie is bullying him. He also gets into Lucy’s personal space and calls her “difficult.” The same guy spits in her drink too.

    Conclusion: Moxie is a somewhat hard movie to watch. I say this because while the film shines light on a sensitive topic, it does so in some problematic ways. I mean, do you really have to break rules and risk expulsion because it seems right? Is it okay to call boys a profane name when they act out of line? Moxie seems to scream “Yes” to these questions, encouraging teens to emulate this behavior. Please discuss this aspect with your teens and make sure you both are on the same page about the issue.

    While Moxie has harsh language, some sexual content, teen drinking and many poor choices, it nevertheless tackles sexism with grace and empathy. It doesn’t pull any punches, manifesting the difference between annoying and dangerous guys. While many teen movies tend to ignore or gloss over certain issues, Moxie tackles them head on. Viewers can empathize with the girls being harassed if they have been in similar situations.

Now, while the girls in Moxie are angry, they refuse to be shut down. In a way, the movie reminds us to love others and not show favoritism. Moxie also teaches that when we think we are alone, we aren’t. John 15:13 states “Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

The film provides a lesson in being different from the status quo. For instance, when Vivian makes the zine, she has no idea it will turn into a spark. As the movie treads on, other girls come to her aid and back her up when she faces expulsion. 

It’s a significant step in movies like this. I say this because God created us to be different and not fall in line with the status quo. One of the greatest lies ever told: “It is what it is” holds us back from changing the world. Moxie teaches us that just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s always wise.

While this Netflix original has some downsides, it packs a punch with its message. Moxie isn’t only inspirational; it encourages us to be different from others and not fall in line with the status quo. This film is thought-provoking, which could lead to thoughtful discussions between parents and their teens.