Check nearly all Japanese horror from the 1990s until now.
Do you know a French film Baise Moi (2000)?
It was controversial when it came out in UK.
(Has it been released in US?)
I am not sure the girls in the film are teenagers
but they are quite young and embark on a vengeful journey
as a consequence of rape and murder.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249380/
DKAZ, when you say Japanese horror from 90s,
are you talking about films such as Battle Royal?
Most definitely check out this German movie titled "Princess""(PRINZESSIN)":http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0757306/
It is about a group of teenage girls, who are living in a poor project and formed a gang among the girls of the projects, fighting against the girls from the neighborhood projects. One of the gang members is suppose to go to the youth detention center, and the whole movie takes in the day before she leaves. It is a very disturbing, but also a very intriguing film.
My other suggestion is also another German movie titled Big Girls Don’t Cry It is about two girls that are best friends that are playing these vicious tricks on people, who messes with them. Even though,two girls don’t perform violent acts, a lot of their ‘games’ have very violent consequences.
And, if you want a humorous look at the girl gangs and violence. Check out the trippy and colorful Kamikaze Girls, which is about the friendship between the leader of a all-girl motorcycle gang and one of her shy classmates.
Japanese Pinku films have a lot of females dispatching endless amounts of violence. Some recommendations from what I’ve seen:
Sex and Fury
Lady Snowblood
Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess
Terrifying Girls’ High School: Lynch Law Classroom
I can think of The Virgin Suicides, although I’m not sure if its what you look for.
Then, there’s this japanes film called The Suicide Club.
hmmm I think I suck with this one.
I’d recommend checking out some of the films of Koji Wakamatsu. Go Go Second Time Virgin should fulfill your desire for girl violence. If you’re still wanting more, check out the Female Prisoner #701 series starting with Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. Not only do they contain plenty of girl violence but they are also women-in-prison flicks.
What about something like Le Femme Nikita? I’m trying to think of something like Heavenly Creatures for you but I’m coming up blank. I almost said Secretary but that’s self harm and not what you’re looking for at all I don’t think. Angelina Jolie’s character in Girl Interrupted was kind of a violent sociopath? Kill Bill??? Although I think I’ve completely strayed from the whole “teenager” thing. Sorry. :(
What about Hard Candy? Interesting twist – think it may be along the lines you are looking for…
I don’t know if the movie Thirteen will be interesting for you…
i ve seen 13 and think it fits in the category!
Definitely see Battle Royale, the movie has both teenage boys and girls perpetrating violence but there are more girls committing violence than the boys. Plus, it is a totally kick-ass movie, and it’s on the Autuers now. I also heard about this one called Suicide Club which I haven’t seen, but it definitely fits this category.
Butterfly Kiss (Michael Winterbottom, 1995) very interesting in these regard, but they are not really teenagers. Suicide Club (Sion Sono, 2002) but not really what you are talking about. A good example of what you are really looking for would be Bully (Larry Clark, 2001).
“Bully” is a really horrible, dark, brilliant portrait of a subset of American youth culture. Yes. What’s interesting about it is the way in which the female characters perpetrate their crime: through language and gesture but not direct violence. Powerful and bleak.
And “Hard Candy” (2005, David Slade). Not a great film, but it’s got some really interesting things in it.
Thanks so much for all these brilliant suggestions. I am going to work my way through them and it’s a good chance to further explore your site too.
This is an interesting subject, I think we’re just beginning to see rumblings of this as a new genre. What comes to my mind are all the homemade vids on YouTube of girl cliques beating on girls they don’t like. It’s disturbing to say the least.
And we should also mention “Go-Go” in Kill Bill, volume 1. And the original bad girls (though they were a little past teenage years) in Faster Pussycat Kill Kill.
Finally, if you get a chance to see Ed Wood’s The Violent Years (1954), do not miss it. It’s about a gang of bored and unloved rich girls who go on a crime spree, including a scene where they “rape” a very incredulous looking man in a park.
Justin: Thank you for bringing up this typically terrible Ed Wood, but deliciously watchable, The Violent Years. Now there was teenage girl gang! The title slipped my mind, so thanks. It is a must see for this genre.
Bob I’m glad you’ve seen The Violent Years too, it’s probably my favorite Ed Wood.
i’ve always been partial to “freeway”. i think that provides an interesting case study, especially given its fairy tale subtext.
The japanese do this best, there is no equal.
See the subgenre of pink films released during the 70’s, as well as recent ones like suicide club.
Terence Raferty just had a piece touching on this topic a few days ago in the NYTimes. As a genre (or subgenre) it goes back quite a ways—for instance “The Bad Seed.” Carrie is of course kind of definitive. And there are ones like Crush, or Swimfan or Posion Ivy, which are just phoned in variations of the return of the repressed.
Buffy?
I will put this in caps so everyone notices it.
TEENAGE GANG DEBS. Put out by Something Weird.
Kevin, yes, Teenage Gang Debs is an astonishing film, a very gritty exploitation/drive-in classic. The ending is based on Tod Browning’s Freaks.
Kirsten Krauth
I’m interested in films that portray teenage girls as perpetrators of violence (rather than victims), including documentaries. Does anyone have any suggestions? Heavenly Creatures is the most interesting one I have come across.