The Squad

AWARD THIS 2023 NOMINEE! The sell of Rick Walker’s action-thriller, The Squad, is easy. Three sexy, bikini-clad killers take on an entire drug cartel that threatens their popular spring break operation. That should be enough, right? But, for those needing a convincer, let’s look at the plot.

The titular squad consists of three gun-toting drug runners, Gina (Meghan Carrasquillo), Bella (Alea Hansinger), and Dani (Grace Evans). They have a smooth spring break operation. Each year, their leader Alpha (Jennifer Ferguson), sets them up with the best dope on the market. Their good looks (I mean, marketing) and shrewd business sense set them up for guaranteed success.

Unfortunately, the local drug cartel’s leader doesn’t like that they’re doing ten times the business he is. So in comes hired thugs Roberto (Ricky Carter) and Url (Clint McGown) to demand they turn their entire operation over to them. The Squad quickly dispatches Roberto and Url and, in doing so, stirs up a hornets’ nest of action, particularly in a competitor, J.C. (UFC fighter Julia Avila). Naturally, everyone is trying to take down The Squad. Alliances are formed and quickly double-crossed. Nothing about spring break is as it seems, and of course, the body count is high.

The charm of The Squad is purely embodied by leads Carrasquillo, Hansinger, and Evans. It is almost as if writer-director Walker is building a franchise around the trio. They first present themselves as fast-talking, street-smart, drug-dealing killers. Right off the bat, a game of Marry, Eff, Kill ends in a bloody mess. We know they are well-connected thanks to a cleaner who instantly arrives on the scene.

“Three sexy, bikini-clad killers take on an entire drug cartel that threatens their popular spring break operation.”

The film works because Walker allows us to learn about the trio’s past and the events leading to their life of crime. As a result, it’s easy to fall in love with each character. After an evening with them, getting killed or maimed doesn’t seem all that bad.

Much of The Squad is about our heroes finding themselves in progressively more difficult and life-threatening situations. They are outnumbered, overpowered, and f****d (metaphorically). Their street smarts and sexiness are more than enough to distract and disarm, while their gun skills bring death and dismemberment. Yet, all they want to do is sell their high-quality drugs to the throngs of spring-breakers.

This is the latest in low-budget action, which means that there’s not a lot of actual action. There are very few, if any, car chases, gun fights, and hand-to-hand combat (maybe in the sequel?). However, what the movie lacks in high-priced stunts and elaborate fight scenes is more than made up in a series of highly tense confrontations that end with a bullet in the head of the one who blinks.

The Squad is far from the campy, jiggling girl gangs of yesterday. Instead, the story is played very seriously. The dialogue is on par with most actioners, and almost nothing is played for a joke. Rick Walker’s action film is looking to bring back the gritty, violent exploitation flicks that had gone by the wayside long ago.

For screening information, visit The Squad‘s official website. The Squad is a 2023 Award This! Indie Action/Thriller nominee.