Bad Girl Review: Bad Influence On Girls

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ 2/5*

Bad Girl Review Movie Talkies:

Bad Girl, the latest Tamil coming-of-age drama, revolves around a teenage girl recounting her chaotic life. And honestly, my first reaction was, “Who the hell cares?” Why should anyone be invested in a self-destructive teenager’s messy love life unless there’s something meaningful to learn from it? Unfortunately, the film never offers that. It feels like a female version of Arjun Reddy, except instead of a hot-headed doctor, we get a rebellious backbencher — a character who makes a little more sense but offers far less emotional connection. The biggest difference is that Bad Girl doesn’t even pretend to be about love; it’s about confusion, obsession, and constant mistakes.

Bad Girl Story:

The story follows Ramya (Anjali Sivaraman), a high school girl full of wild dreams and irrational fascinations about love, sex, intimacy, and freedom. She dislikes studying, refuses to listen to her parents, and drifts through life chasing every impulsive desire. Her first romance ends in heartbreak when her boyfriend ditches her. Soon after, she finds another boy who genuinely loves her — but that too collapses when a jealous classmate exposes their affair. The boy is sent away to Singapore, leaving Ramya emotionally shattered yet again. In college, Ramya turns even more reckless. She gets into another relationship, this time with a cheater, and struggles to move on. Then, she falls for yet another man, only to experience the same predictable heartbreak. Years later, she crosses paths with her old school lover — but he’s now married. They share awkwardly intimate moments, trying to relive their past, but nothing fruitful comes out of it. The rest of the film focuses on Ramya’s inability to find peace, balance, or redemption — leading to a climax that fails to justify the emotional turmoil we’ve sat through.

Now here’s the problem — Bad Girl tries to position itself as an empowering, realistic story of modern womanhood, but it ends up being just the opposite. It’s not bold or inspiring; it’s simply confused. The film glorifies a lifestyle that’s more self-destructive than liberating. Honestly, such films are a bad influence on young girls who might misinterpret rebellion as empowerment. Perhaps today’s generation is already numb to such portrayals, but it can still affect those who look up to cinema for guidance or inspiration. Ramya is written as a complex, conflicted young woman, but she comes across as irritating, irresponsible, and lost. She’s mentally unstable, emotionally immature, and sexually exposed — yet the film never truly explores her trauma or inner struggle. Instead, it portrays her choices as normal, even glamorous, which is deeply problematic. In one particularly absurd scene, she nearly has an intimate encounter with her married ex-boyfriend while his young son sleeps on the bed nearby. How ridiculous can the writing get? Rather than evoking empathy, these moments make you question the writer’s moral compass.

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What’s worse is Ramya’s attitude. She behaves as though the world owes her understanding while she takes no accountability for her actions. She forces herself on her boyfriends, shouts at her mother, and acts like she’s some misunderstood queen. Excuse me — she’s neither successful, nor happy, nor wise. Compared to her mother, who at least seems grounded, Ramya is a complete mess. The boyfriends aren’t all toxic either; some of them genuinely care for her, but her inability to mature ruins every connection. The film could have worked if it had shown Ramya’s self-realization or growth. Instead, it keeps spinning in circles — breakups, breakdowns, hookups, and endless melodrama. By the end, you feel exhausted, not enlightened. It’s frustrating to see modern filmmakers romanticize chaos and call it feminism. Films like Bad Girl seem determined to blur the line between freedom and irresponsibility, as if every mistake is an act of rebellion and every immoral act is a form of empowerment. And then, of course, some self-proclaimed critics will hail it as “ahead of its time.” Sorry, but a story about reckless behaviour and moral confusion can never be ahead of its time — it’s simply misguided.

Bad Girl Cast:

That being said, not everything about Bad Girl is terrible. Anjali Sivaraman delivers a sincere performance despite the weak script. In the beginning, she’s charming, with natural dimples and an effortless flow to her acting. But as the film progresses, her transformation into a modern, edgy girl feels forced. The way her character is made to flaunt her body unnecessarily — even in simple scenes — becomes annoying. Still, she does her best with what’s given, which shows her potential as an actor. Veteran actress Shanthipriya, known for her work in Saugandh, makes an impressive return. Though almost unrecognizable now, she gives one of the most dignified performances in the film. Her portrayal of a mother torn between disappointment and duties is subtle and believable. Among the supporting cast, Hridhu Haroon, Saranya Ravichandran, Teejay Arunasalam, and Sashank Bommireddipalli do reasonably well, though the script doesn’t give them much room to shine.

On the technical side, Bad Girl fares better. The cinematography and colour grading are vibrant, capturing the youthfulness of its protagonist’s world. The editing maintains a steady rhythm, even if the narrative doesn’t. However, the dialogues often sound superficial, and the music fails to leave any emotional impact. You can tell this is a film made with a distinctly feminine perspective, which isn’t a problem in itself — but when that perspective lacks balance and purpose, it becomes more of a weakness than strength. Director Varsha Bharath clearly wanted to make a bold statement about modern women, but her execution misses the mark entirely. The film lacks motive, clarity, and meaning — three essential ingredients for any story to connect. Instead, it feels like a chaotic collage of modern attitudes stitched together without emotional depth. Bharath’s vision might have been to reflect the confusion of today’s youth, but she ends up amplifying it instead of questioning it.

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Bad Girl Movie Review:

In the end, Bad Girl turns out to be a confused, misguided film that tries too hard to be relevant. It neither uplifts nor entertains. It’s not thought-provoking or emotionally stirring — just a tiring exercise in style over substance. With no moral compass, no relatable emotion, and no satisfying resolution, the film collapses under its own pretence of boldness. To sum it up, Bad Girl could have been an honest coming-of-age drama about mistakes and self-discovery. Instead, it becomes an awkward and morally hollow portrayal of rebellion and a girl's silly ambitions about true love and sexual desires. In short, Bad Girl should have been titled Bad Film — because that’s exactly what it is.

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