Film

Foxfire

Name: Foxfire
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Released: 1996
Cast: Hedy Burress, Angelina Jolie, Jenny Lewis, Jenny Shimizu, Sarah Rosenberg

Coming-of-age

Foxfire follows five teenage girls who bond after violently confronting their sexual harasser, then spiral into increasingly reckless crime. It's a 90s fever dream of female rage and vulnerability, thrilling and messy, anchored by early performances from actors who'd become major stars. For viewers drawn to stories about girls claiming power through transgression.

TMDb rating

3.0

If you liked this

Heavenly Creatures1994

Two girls form an intense, destructive bond that spirals into real violence. Like Foxfire, it captures the intoxicating danger of adolescent intimacy and the terrifying speed at which devotion can curdle.

But Ends in tragedy—not recommended if you need catharsis or a redemptive arc. The tonality is deeply unsettling by design.

Thirteen2003

A girl's awakening to peer pressure and self-destruction through friendship with a wilder classmate. Watches like a documentary of chaos; captures the exact texture of Foxfire's premise without moralizing it.

But Actively grim and sometimes exploitative. Not uplifting. Some viewers find it gratuitous rather than illuminating.

The Craft1996

Four teenage girls discover supernatural power and use it to exact revenge on their tormentors. It's Foxfire's supernatural cousin—same year, same energy, same pleasure in watching girls seize control.

But Campy in ways some find dated. The special effects don't hold up, and it tips toward horror-movie territory rather than staying grounded.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Foxfire

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Thin2005

Both capture the intoxicating intensity of girls bonding in crisis, and the terrifying speed at which that intensity can become pathological.

A documentary following girls in a residential eating disorder clinic. No score, no framing, just unbearable intimacy. Watches like Foxfire inverted: the same age, same intensity of female bonding, but the transgression is self-destruction instead of outward rage.

But Genuinely difficult. Not a cathartic experience. Some scenes feel voyeuristic. Requires emotional preparation.

Wassup Rockers2005

Follows a group of young outsiders navigating class, identity, and violence in Los Angeles. Has Foxfire's documentary urgency and refusal to condescend to its characters.

But Deliberately paced and bleak. Not a comfortable watch. Some scenes of brutality are not softened.

Over the Edge1979

Bored teenagers in a planned community with nothing to do but get into trouble. The OG teen rampage film—where Foxfire's chaos comes from. Matt Dillon before he was famous, and genuinely unsettling.

But Slower than you expect; some of the 70s plotting feels creaky. The ending is a gut-punch, not a release.

American Honey2016

A drifting girl joins a crew of young con artists and falls for the charismatic leader. Road-movie version of Foxfire's intoxication with transgression and dangerous charisma.

But Nearly three hours long and deliberately formless. Asks a lot of patience. Some scenes feel gratuitously provocative.

Ginger Snaps2000

Two sisters bond through darkness and alienation; horror-movie scaffolding for a story about female rage and bodily autonomy. Different genre, same emotional core as Foxfire.

But Werewolf premise might feel gimmicky. If you wanted grounded realism, the fantasy element will push you away.

The Virgin Suicides2000

Five sisters exist as a gorgeous, doomed collective, observed from outside. Shares Foxfire's focus on girls as a group rather than individuals, and the same 90s aesthetic fever.

But Deliberately static and melancholic. More interested in mood than plot. Some find it precious rather than moving.

Bully2001

A group of teens murder their abusive friend. Raw, ugly, and refuses to make its characters sympathetic or villainous. Confronts the blunt reality beneath Foxfire's narrative.

But Graphic and gratuitously provocative. Spike Lee's direction sometimes feels exploitative. Contains scenes of sexual violence. Genuinely difficult to watch.

Looking for Alibrandi2000

Both are genuinely about girls becoming agents of their own lives, but one rage outward while the other navigates inward. The structural act of refusal is identical.

An Italian-Australian girl navigates class, family, and identity with friends in 1950s Australia. Completely different era and tone, but the same DNA: girls claiming space and voice against systems designed to contain them. Funny, warm, and shockingly unsentimental.

But Stylistically old-fashioned. The romance subplot is expected. Australian cinema can feel parochial if you're not attuned to it. Far sunnier than Foxfire, which might feel like whiplash.