Dirty Angels (2024) | Film Review

For decades, men-on-a-mission films from The Dirty Dozen through The Expendables have dominated action subgenres with good reason. There is an innately entertaining aspect to taking up a plethora of swaggering yet flawed bravado, dangling a carrot of potential heroism, and letting conflicting personalities blow everything to hell in order to get the job done right. What has not been done often enough, are tasking these films with badass women. With Dirty Angels, renowned director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, The Legend of Zorro), aims to amend that.

The film opens in Afghanistan, 2021, and Jake (Eva Green) is a Marine who has been taken hostage, and her rescue mission is horrendously botched which led to the deaths of many soldiers. We then pick up in the present day, where Jake is tasked with a mission to rescue a group of Pakistani schoolgirls who have been taken hostage back in Afghanistan. The plan is for Jake to sneak in under the guise of a humanitarian mission, which requires 60% women, find the girls, and get them out of there alive. For added incentive, the head terrorist also happens to be the one responsible for the loss of Jake’s team.

A military strike team needs an unyielding set of operators and Jake is sent a group known for their skillset than their actual names, such as The Bomb (Maria Bakalova), Medic (Ruby Rose), Tech (Jojo Gibbs), etc. As events escalate, this stalwart team of misfits quickly unify to achieve their goals through any means necessary.

While her assortment of heroes each pull their weight, the obvious standout is Eva Green’s Jake. Playing as far against type as she ever has, Jake is dark, brooding, and bitter. Green infuses an undercurrent of humanity when needed, but her portrayal is that of a hardened leader. Most importantly, Green proves her mettle in the part. Rooting her take in realistic combat and ideology, Jake carries the audience on her journey just as effectively as her team.

Though the team and the script both are effective, engaging and, at times, even surprising, one element that is slightly lacking is fun. Grounded in realism, Dirty Angels is a very gritty mission-style scenario, but having a jovial aspect often elevates the best in the genre. Other than a few welcome winks and quips from Bakalova, this grouping is more intense than John Wick at a puppy mill.

Despite the lack of humor (and a handful of spotty effects), Dirty Angels is a pulpy good time. Director Martin Campbell knows this genre back-to-front and has delivered yet another entertaining bloodbath – complete with a rousing finale – with more than its share of plot twists. Eva Green puts it all on the line and it shows that her strike team is more than up for the task at hand.