Bad Girls Revisited: The Bold 1994 Western That Broke the Rules

We’re used to seeing dusty cowboys and shootouts at high noon, but Bad Girls flipped that script. Released in 1994, this all-female-led Western dared to let women take center stage in a genre built around rugged masculinity. Instead of gunslinging men riding off into the sunset, we got four women on the run—tough, smart, and in full control of their own story.

At the heart of the movie are Cody, Lilly, Anita, and Eileen—four women brought together by circumstance and survival. Each has a past they’d rather leave behind, but they’ve got no choice but to fight their way through lawless terrain.

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Bad Girls | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX

They’re not outlaws by choice. They’ve been pushed to the edge by a world that’s stacked against them. And instead of folding under pressure, they saddle up and push back—with grit, guns, and gall.

While each character shines, Drew Barrymore’s role as Lilly Laronette brings a fiery energy to the film. She plays the youngest of the group—rebellious, impulsive, and dangerously brave. With a pistol in one hand and fierce loyalty in the other, she’s not the type to wait around for help.

Barrymore delivers a performance that blends innocence with ferocity. Lilly might be quick to shoot, but she’s also the emotional heartbeat of the group—a character who brings raw vulnerability to a genre not known for softness.

What makes Bad Girls stand out isn’t just that it stars women—it’s that it lets them be complex. They’re not sidekicks, victims, or one-dimensional tropes. They’re fully realized characters navigating a violent world with courage and loyalty.

The film doesn’t just give these women screen time—it gives them agency. They rob trains, escape ambushes, and confront betrayal. And through it all, they protect each other, trust each other, and fight to write their own destinies.

You’ll still get your classic Western fare—dusty towns, horses, shootouts—but Bad Girls adds something rare for the genre: emotional stakes that feel real. The bond between the women isn’t forced; it grows naturally as they face danger side by side.

Video: Barry Drew Moore in Bad Girls (1994): Iconic Western Moment.

There’s tension, betrayal, forgiveness, and friendship. It’s messy and beautiful and a lot more engaging than the lone cowboy routine we’ve seen a hundred times.

Critics may not have raved when Bad Girls was first released, but time has been kind to it. Fans have kept the film alive through sheer admiration of what it tried to do: break the mold.

It wasn’t about reinventing the wheel—it was about proving that women could drive the wagon, shoot the gun, and own the screen.

Bad Girls isn’t perfect, but it’s powerful. It’s a film that dared to be different when playing it safe would’ve been easier. It gave four women the spotlight in a genre that rarely lets them speak.