Miss Bala (2019)

(In French, On TV, December 2022) As far as action thrillers go, Miss Bala has its own distinct sheen—sure, it’s a remake of a Mexican film, but that hardly matters for the American market. It stars Gina Rodriguez as an American thrust in the middle of Mexican drug cartel intrigue after a trip south of the border. While I gather that the original isn’t as heavy on the action and much grimmer in tone, this remake predictably goes out of its way to pepper the script with high-octane moments, female empowerment and an upbeat ending. Still, much of it is rather familiar material as an everywoman is stuck between powerful forces, learns not to be helpless, and takes down the crime lords herself. The film isn’t quite so stereotypical in its depiction of Mexico as many other Hollywood thrillers (the “yellow filter” effect is not completely absent, but not omnipresent either) but it doesn’t seem interested in digging into the roots of the violence it casually employs for thrills either. With Miss Bala, director Catherine Hardwicke delivers a middle-of-the-road action thriller that gives Rodriguez a few moments to bolster her action-heroine credentials if she so chooses… but the result is hardly memorable.