Gender, guns, and gimmicks: Thug life misses the mark

Roselin Anisha

Jun 08, 2025

Movies

Movies

Thug Life marches backward into the dusty vaults of outdated cinema. Thug Life doesn’t just miss the mark—it doesn’t even aim.

Movies

Despite its promising premise and significant PR campaign, the film fails spectacularly to live up to any meaningful ideal.

Movies

Thug Life feels like an extended director’s cut of a movie that should have ended during intermission. 

Movies

In an era when cinema increasingly attempts to dismantle regressive gender norms, Thug Life feels like a throwback to an earlier, darker time.

Movies

Female characters in Thug Life are trapped in stereotypical roles: visual eye candy or emotional fodder for male arcs. 

Movies

Thug Life arrived with considerable hype and promotional backing but fails across the board—narrative, themes, gender portrayal, and execution.