Wingwomen

I’ll be honest: my first experience with Wingwomen (originally titled Voleuses) involved a very lukewarm cup of peppermint tea and a persistent itch in my left foot that I couldn’t quite reach without dropping my laptop. It wasn’t the most glamorous screening environment, but within twenty minutes, I’d forgotten about the tea and the itch. I was too busy wondering why more people weren't screaming about Adèle Exarchopoulos playing a professional sniper who is also a complete emotional disaster.

In the current streaming landscape, movies like this often feel like they’re dropped into a digital void. Netflix releases a glossy, high-budget French action-comedy, the algorithm whispers it to you for forty-eight hours, and then it vanishes behind a wall of true crime documentaries and reality dating shows. It’s a shame, because Wingwomen is a breezy, stylish, and genuinely funny subversion of the "one last job" cliché that dominates contemporary action cinema.

The Sniper and the Strategist

Directed by and starring Mélanie Laurent, the film follows Carole (Laurent) and Alex (Adèle Exarchopoulos), two elite thieves who are tired of being under the thumb of a shadowy godmother figure known as Marraine, played with icy, legendary precision by Isabelle Adjani (Possession, Queen Margot). They want out, but as the rules of cinema dictate, freedom requires one final, impossible heist.

What makes this work isn't the plot—we’ve seen the "impossible heist" a thousand times—it’s the chemistry. Adèle Exarchopoulos is a revelation here. If you only know her from the heavy, transformative drama of Blue Is the Warmest Colour, seeing her play a woman who can pick off a target from a mile away but can’t handle a basic conversation about her feelings is a delight. She brings a grounded, slightly chaotic energy that makes the film feel alive. The "One Last Job" trope is usually as tired as a marathon runner in lead shoes, but here it feels like a fresh pair of sneakers.

They are joined by Sam (Manon Bresch), a champion race car driver who provides the getaway skills. The trio’s dynamic shifts from professional distance to a "ride or die" sisterhood that feels earned rather than forced. It lacks the shiny, manufactured "girl power" gloss of something like the 2019 Charlie’s Angels reboot, opting instead for a vibe that’s more "exhausted professionals who happen to be friends."

Action with a French Accent

Coming from the current era of CGI-heavy franchise saturation, Wingwomen feels refreshing because it prioritizes location and practical-feeling stunts. Whether they are paragliding into a mission or tearing through the French countryside, there’s a tactile quality to the action. Mélanie Laurent (who you’ll remember as the vengeful Shosanna in Inglourious Basterds) has a sharp eye for pacing. She knows when to let a sequence breathe and when to tighten the screws.

The film leans heavily into the "Action-Comedy" blend, punctuating shootouts with mundane bickering about snacks or relationship problems. It’s a tonal tightrope, but it works because the stakes for the characters feel real. When the action hits, it has weight. There's a sequence involving a drone and a motorcycle that is more thrilling than half the third-act climaxes in recent $200 million superhero outings. It’s a testament to what you can do with a mid-budget and a clear vision in an era where budgets are often bloated beyond recognition.

Lost in the Stream

Why did this movie fly under your radar? It’s part of that "festival-to-streaming pipeline" where international gems get flattened by the sheer volume of content. Released in late 2023, it didn't get a massive theatrical push outside of France, and because it’s subtitled (though the dub is serviceable), many viewers likely scrolled right past it. It’s basically the cinematic equivalent of a high-end leather jacket that you found at a thrift store.

There’s also a strange, melancholic undercurrent to the film that you don't usually find in American action-comedies. Between the quips from Philippe Katerine as their handler Abner and the slick driving, there’s a real sense of weariness about the lives these women lead. It reflects a very contemporary anxiety—that feeling of being trapped in a system (even a criminal one) that refuses to let you retire.

It’s also worth noting the presence of Félix Moati as Clarence, adding a bit of romantic complication that never feels like it's hijacking the main narrative. The focus remains squarely on the women and their desire for a life that doesn't involve dodging bullets.

Wingwomen is exactly the kind of movie we need more of in the streaming era: mid-budget, character-driven, and tonally confident. It doesn't try to build a "cinematic universe" or set up five sequels; it just tries to tell a cohesive, entertaining story about friendship and survival. If you’ve got two hours and a desire for something that feels more "human" than a typical blockbuster, give this a spin. Just make sure your tea is actually hot before you sit down.