Mélanie Laurent on Debunking Action Movie Stereotypes With Netflix’s ‘Wingwomen’: ‘We Wanted It to Be Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Mélanie Laurent, who broke through in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and has since made a name for herself as a filmmaker, is back in the director’s chair with “Wingwomen,” coming to Netflix Nov.

1. The movie, in which Laurent stars alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, Manon Bresch and Isabelle Adjani, is a rare breed of action-comedy driven by fearless female characters.

Laurent and Exarchopoulos star as high-profile thieves and best friends who decide to retire from their life on the run. They recruit Sam, a young and feisty car racer (Bresch) to assist them with one last job, but quickly clash with their godmother’s will (Adjani). “Wingwomen” could be mistaken as a French twist on “Charlie’s Angels,” but the film boasts timely themes of female empowerment and sisterhood that are reminiscent of Laurent’s previous films, in particular 2021’s “The Mad Women’s Ball.” Below, Varietytalks with Laurent about “Wingwomen’s” feminist themes, the intense physical training she underwent for the role and bonding with her co-stars. It’s rare to see an action movie with an entire female cast.

Lately there’s been many action films with women, but very few have this kind of laidback comedy. I’ve noticed that in action films, women aren’t very funny — they’re often intimidating.