Sheroes

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From a producer of "Spring Breakers" and "The Virgin Suicides," writer/director Jordan Gertner's "Sheroes" brings us into the lives of four thick-as-thieves friends who hit Thailand for a hedonistic adventure. The quartet quickly finds themselves in over their heads when one gets kidnapped by a notorious drug lord. To fight and protect one another, each young lady brings a unique set of skills to a heart-pumping battle for survival. At least, it should be.

Starring Isabelle Fuhrman (Ezra), Skai Jackson (Daisy), Sasha Luss (Diamond), and Wallis Day (Ryder), "Sheroes" is another addition to the genre of girl power road films like "Girls Trip" and the upcoming feature "Joy Ride." The concept alone means that this story can occasionally be fiery fun. "Sheroes" has some fantastic stunts and some beautifully shot landscapes, coupled with a crude yet crafty screenplay with lines like, “You’re going to use your vagina to get us out of here,” “F**k—because I’m a girl,” or “This is not a game, and you’re not Wonder Woman.”

But the plot for "Sheroes" could have been fleshed out better to be more grounded and consistent. At times, it feels a bit laborious until Daisy is kidnapped; at that point, the tempo picks up, and the plot becomes more interesting.

What would have happened if the one Black character was part of the rescue squad and not the one who was kidnapped? Skai Jackson is mostly known for being a Disney actress, and it would have been a nice surprise for her fans to witness her character Daisy kicking butt and taking names. Yet, this responsibility is solely left to the white characters in the film while she portrays the damsel in distress.

The relationship issues between all the characters are only lightly touched upon and, in many instances, never fully resolved. For instance, Daisy and Ryder hook up before the kidnapping, but it comes off as just that ... a hook-up. So, when they profess their undying love for each other, one is left dazed and confused about how they got there so quickly.

Jasper and Diamond have an attraction that escalates at warp speed, too, due to the shallow character writing, and although Ezra and Diamond have some issues, that too is never resolved beyond Ezra apologizing for half the film. At least Sasha Luss is a standout as Diamond. She unapologetically embraces Diamond’s complexity and messiness, making her extremely entertaining to watch and the one character who feels whole.

While I applaud Gertner’s attempt to make an action-adventure anthem film for the millennial generation of young women around the globe, "Sheroes" falls prey to too many predictable tropes for action, adventure, thriller, and girl genre films.

In theaters now.