“Moxie” Movie Review: It’s Worth a Watch
If you’re looking for a coming-of-age, finding-yourself, breaking-the-glass-ceiling type of movie, then Moxie fits the bill. Coming in at 67% on the Tomatometer, it’s worth a watch. The film is centered around an introverted teenager, Vivian, who finds her voice through being fed up with high school bigotry and creating an anonymous mini magazine (zine). The zine basically calls out the school’s community on its bullsh*t and challenges others to do the same, sparking a revolution that inspires the feminist in everyone. Amy Poehler, who directs the film, makes an appearance as the typical single mother with a twist of casual and cool. In fact, it’s her mother’s own rebellious past that motivates Vivian to make her own stand.
After watching the movie myself, I plan to back up my claims (see above) to why the movie is worth your time and possibly explain its high percentage on Rotten Tomatoes.
If you ever feel like you need inspiration to stand up and speak out, then this is the movie to watch. Lots of the time this feels too hard, or too scary, or too isolating, but Moxie reminds us that we are rarely alone. Vivian discovers that she’s not the only one who’s fed up with the status quo, and with each other’s support her group of friends is able to change their social atmosphere for the better. Furthermore, the movie includes a more diverse cast of characters, representing LGTBQ+, transgender, disabled, and multiple racial identities. Of course, this one movie isn’t entirely comprehensive in diverse representation, but it makes a point to include different perspectives and experiences, as well as address privilege. And ultimately, one of the main messages of the movie is to lift up voices that don’t typically get a say.
Additionally, a paramount factor in any good movie is the soundtrack. The music in the movie adds to the spark of fire Vivian possesses to take a stand. Songs like “Rebel Girl” and “Double Dare Ya” by 90’s punk band Bikini Kill foster a vibe of justified rage.
Looking at the movie with a critical eye, there could always be more it could work on. It challenges issues such as dress code, sizeism, and patriarchal customs in education, yet it does not take the next step to see any permanent action on the issue.
Moxie reminds us that silence is oftentimes complicity, and that ignoring the issues and doing nothing is part of the problem. In the beginning of the film, Vivian notices Mitchell, a sexist jerk, harassing Lucy, but Vivian doesn’t do anything in the moment. Later, she mentions to Lucy that she should just “keep her head down” and Mitchell will probably get off her case, but Lucy counters that she refuses to tolerate such behavior, and will instead hold her head up high. This is the message of Moxie: to stand up for yourself and others, and keep your head up and your eyes open. To be sure, something is going around the Netflix writing rooms, that there is power in written pamphlets dispersed to the public; I mean just look at the mess Bridgerton made.