The 2024 movie Killer Babes (Original Title: Mejor viuda que mal acompañada), directed by Magaby García, is a dark comedy featuring three friends who band together to take revenge on their negligent and abusive husbands. The movie’s plot revolves around the women hiring a hitman to rid them of their troublesome spouses after learning that a fellow widow gained freedom by orchestrating her husband’s death.
In this review, we will explore the plot, characters, visual elements, cinematography, themes, and how Killer Babes compares to similar films. We’ll also dive into the film’s direction and final assessment of its quality. Lastly, we’ll provide our recommendation as to whether this movie is worth watching.
Plot Overview: A Dark Comedy with Missed Opportunities
The film follows three protagonists—Lucia (Itatí Cantoral), Nena (Alicia Machado), and Marisela (Patricia Manterola)—all wealthy women with deep frustrations toward their husbands. Lucia’s husband has been laundering her family’s money, Nena’s husband is unfaithful, and Marisela is a once-successful actress whose career is now fading. When they meet a widow who was unusually cheerful after her husband’s death, they learn that she orchestrated his murder. Inspired by her boldness, the trio decides to follow suit, hiring a professional hitman to eliminate their husbands.
While the premise suggests a mix of dark humor and female empowerment, Killer Babes stumbles in its execution. The plot feels derivative, offering little novelty in its exploration of women taking control over their lives by eliminating the men causing them pain. Although the film attempts to combine suspense, humor, and empowerment, the story lacks coherence. Many plot points feel rushed, especially regarding character motivations and the unfolding events. For example, the speed with which the women agree to murder their spouses after meeting the widow feels forced and lacks deeper psychological exploration.
Characters: Lacking Depth and Growth
The characters in Killer Babes are the film’s greatest weakness. Lucia, Nena, and Marisela, though portrayed by talented actresses, are written as shallow caricatures. Their motivations for murder, while understandable given the abuse they’ve suffered, are never fully fleshed out.
Lucia’s story is perhaps the most compelling of the three, as she discovers her husband’s involvement in money laundering—a betrayal not only of their marriage but also of her family’s trust. However, this arc lacks the emotional weight it needs. Nena’s story, involving a comically simplistic online test to prove her husband’s infidelity, lacks credibility and emotional depth, turning what could have been a tense moment into an absurd joke. Marisela’s arc is the most confusing, leaving viewers unsure whether her husband actually dies or if the murder is part of an acting scene.
Despite the strong performances by Cantoral, Machado, and Manterola, the writing leaves them with little room for growth or nuance. By the end of the movie, the characters remain largely unchanged, and their decision to become “Killer Babes,” offering murder-for-hire services to other women, feels more like a punchline than a satisfying conclusion.
Visuals and Cinematography: Stylish but Lacking Substance
Visually, Killer Babes excels in creating a polished and colorful world that reflects the opulent lives of its protagonists. The cinematography is sharp, using vibrant colors and luxurious settings to juxtapose the darkness of the film’s subject matter. The framing of the scenes, especially during the comedic moments, is well done, giving the audience a sense of the absurdity of the situation.
However, while the film’s style is impressive, it doesn’t compensate for the lack of substance in the story. The visuals become more of a distraction than a complement to the narrative, making the film feel superficial. The contrast between the bright, glamorous environments and the dark subject matter could have been used to great effect, but the lack of emotional depth in the script makes the visuals feel hollow.
Themes and Messages: Empowerment or Misfire?
One of the film’s central themes is female empowerment, as the three protagonists take drastic measures to free themselves from their oppressive marriages. However, the film’s execution of this theme is problematic. Rather than exploring the complexities of their situations, Killer Babes simplifies their struggles into a black-and-white narrative where murder is the only solution. The film fails to offer any meaningful commentary on the consequences of their actions, making it difficult to take the empowerment message seriously.
The humor in Killer Babes is meant to lighten the dark subject matter, but much of it falls flat. Moments that are intended to be funny—like a hitman getting hit by a truck or a character slipping on a floor covered in diarrhea—come across as juvenile and out of place in a film that could have offered a more intelligent take on its themes.
Comparison to Similar Films: A Lesser Version of a Familiar Formula
Killer Babes draws clear parallels to other dark comedies that focus on women taking revenge on their abusive partners, such as The Other Woman (2014) or 9 to 5 (1980). However, where those films succeed in balancing humor with heartfelt moments and character development, Killer Babes fails. It lacks the wit and charm that made those films memorable, offering instead a thin plot and characters who are difficult to root for.
Direction and Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity
Magaby García’s direction tries to inject humor and energy into the film, but the weak script and underdeveloped characters hold it back. García’s focus on visual flair over storytelling substance makes Killer Babes feel more like a missed opportunity than a dark comedy that could stand out.
The film’s pacing is inconsistent, with certain scenes dragging on unnecessarily, while other, more important character moments are rushed. By the time the film reaches its conclusion, viewers are left with more questions than answers. Why did these women so easily decide to commit murder? How did they escape suspicion? The film’s ending, with the women handing out business cards as professional husband killers, feels disconnected from any genuine emotional payoff.
Final Rating and Recommendation
While Killer Babes has some entertaining moments and stylish visuals, it ultimately falls short in terms of storytelling and character development. The film’s attempt at dark humor and female empowerment is undermined by its weak plot and superficial characters. For those who enjoy light, irreverent dark comedies, Killer Babes may offer some laughs, but it’s not a film that leaves a lasting impression.
Rating: 5/10
For more films with a stronger balance of humor, plot, and character development, check out our list of highly-rated movies. You can also find where to watch Killer Babes here.
