A group of high-school lesbian rejects find themselves manipulated into a mega-popular band by the toughest bully at the school. Their first hit takes them far, but not far enough for the bully who breaks away to start a solo career. A mysterious billionaire with a ninja army (among many other things) appears to shepherd Riff to further success, using her as a tool for some hazy revenge on the other members of Dyke Hard. On their way to the battle of the bands, the four remaining members of the band bring a martial artist into their mix who helps protect them from the likes of ninja assassins, horny spirits, an entire police force of loose-cannon cops, and more. Will they be able to make it to the competition with no car or money?
Dyke Hard is a film that doesn’t want to be good, and that’s the point. Reviews, both professional and amateur, are extremely mixed, making IMDB’s rating data visualization almost completely flat from 1 to 10, a rarity in and of itself. Dyke Hard is supposed to be divisive—like the films of John Waters—and on top of being weird and a little gross at times, it’s unabashedly queer. If you like camp, you’ll likely adore this movie. Personally, I could have done without the musical numbers (as they’re as underdeveloped as the plot), but that all really comes down to individual taste: some people may neither care nor notice, and some people may yet enjoy them. This is not a comfy, fun film to sit down and watch with the whole family: this was a film made by and for a specific subset of queer film fanatics. If your library is throwing late-night movie screenings for Pride month, Dyke Hard would make for an interesting experience, especially if you were already considering something in the vein of Female Trouble. Available through Kanopy. Recommended.
Is this LGBTQ+ comedy a good choice for Pride Month or late-night film programming?
Yes, provided the audience understands exactly what kind of film they are getting. Dyke Hard is a deliberately chaotic, campy, and highly unconventional comedy that embraces absurdity, low-budget aesthetics, and queer humor with little interest in appealing to mainstream tastes. Its cult-film sensibilities make it best suited for late-night screenings, Pride Month programming, or events celebrating queer cinema that pushes boundaries and rejects convention.
Which library audiences will appreciate this queer comedy film?
Dyke Hard is likely to appeal most strongly to patrons who actively seek out cult cinema, camp aesthetics, underground filmmaking, and queer genre films. Viewers who enjoy unconventional storytelling, exaggerated performances, and films that intentionally challenge traditional standards of quality and taste may find it especially rewarding. The film's unapologetically queer perspective also makes it notable as a work created for a specific audience rather than attempting broad mainstream appeal.
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