Coffy

R

Released Jun 13, 1973

1 hr. 31 min.

Drama

List

79%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

As a nurse, Coffy (Pam Grier) has seen the ill effects of drugs up close, but it isn't until her little sister becomes addicted to heroin that she finally decides to wage a one-woman battle. Disguised as a prostitute, Coffy goes on a killing rampage, at first going after street dealers and pimps such as sleazy King George (Robert DoQui), then gradually working her way up to bigger honchos. She's shocked, however, when she discovers that her politician boyfriend (Booker Bradshaw) is involved.

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Critics Consensus

Pam Grier brings spunk and vinegar to Coffy, supported by director Jack Hill's combustible mixture of authentic grit and salacious thrills.

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CodyZamboni

Trashy, exciting 1970's style grindhouse fun, as Pam Grier exerts her ultra violent revenge on the pushers, pimps, mobsters, corrupt cops, and politicians, who she blames for her sister's drug addiction. One of Pam's best roles - she's tough, street wise, charming, and sexy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/13/23

Full Review

Brent A

60% rating ... Pam Grier stars in this solid film. Anything I rate 60% or higher is something I'd recommend seeing at least once.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/06/23

Full Review

Wayne K

One of the most famous and beloved Blaxploitation films ever made, featuring genre stalwart Pam Grier, Coffy is, in essence, a fairly standard revenge film, with a nurse looking to avenge her sister, who's been ravaged by drug addiction. If it was made nowadays, the lead would likely mow down waves of unscrupulous men with barely a hair falling out of place. But our heroine does struggle, she fails, and she ultimately uses her wit and cunning to overcome the baddies. I liked how the film didn't feel retrained. Full of sex, violence, drug abuse and prostitution, it isn't shying away from the issues its addressing, only wanting to tell the truth and expose the harsh realities that its target audience was living through at the time. It's fun to watch, with a great soundtrack and villains who are realistic rather than cartoonish. Aside from being a standout in its genre, it's a satisfying revenge story that, while it didn't knock me back or anything, still entertained me for all of its 90-minute runtime.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

Full Review

Steve D

Better than most of its kind thanks to Pam Grier.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is my favorite Pam Grier movie. To be honest i think it's her best role in her early films.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

William L

Pam Grier was a knockout in the '70s, but she does a Jamaican accent here that makes you wonder if she knew what hemisphere Jamaica was in. It's really something to behold. Neither acting talent nor subtlety are exactly the priority with Coffy; it wears its heart on its sleeve as a clear piece of feminist blaxploitation film with a streak of classic ass-kickery from Grier, notably going beyond simple rage against racial discrimination and entrenched power to include a series of chracters that - black, white, male, female, rich, or poor - all need to get a sawed-off shotgun, broken whiskey bottle, or a bowl of salad to the face and/or genitals. Props for including a black character that perpetuates a dirty system while spouting liberating rhetoric, leaving a difficult choice between morality and personal affection for Coffy. Except it's all done away when she doesn't have to make a complicated choice because she pulls the trigger out of jealousy and infidelity alone. But hey, we already touched on more interesting territory than most of the genre, just because the film trips at the goalline doesn't mean it's bad. Still an icon of the movement and the era. We need to bring back themes for individual characters that just say the name of the character over and over to a jazzy tune with no other lyrics. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/12/22

Full Review

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Jack Hill

Director

Pam Grier

Coffy

Booker Bradshaw

Howard Brunswick

Robert Do 'Qui

King George

William Elliott

Carter

Allan Arbus

Arturo Vitroni

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Coffy: Official Clip - Coffy's Final Revenge

0:55

Coffy: Official Clip - Revenge on Arturo

1:53

Coffy: Official Clip - King George

2:10

Coffy: Official Clip - Arturo Craves Coffy

2:48

Coffy: Official Clip - You Better Believe It's Comin'!

1:34

Coffy: Official Clip - Have Some Salad

1:31

Coffy: Official Clip - I Helped Sew Up Your Face

1:52

Coffy: Official Clip - C'mon, B***

1:42

Coffy: Official Clip - King's Last Ride

2:31

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Noel Murray

The Dissolve

Peak Grier, Coffy is a sobering story kept at street level, and while Hill keeps the film in the realm of pulp fantasy, the stakes are high.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 8, 2015

Full Review

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

Jack Hill directs for maximal suspense, violence, and voyeuristic appeal (which Grier certainly embodies).

Mar 28, 2007

Full Review

Variety

Grier, a statuesque actress with a body she doesn't hesitate to show, is strongly cast. Booker Bradshaw as a city politician and William Elliott as an honest cop score well.

Mar 28, 2007

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jack Hill... elevates Grier to leading lady status in these down and dirty urban action pictures. They are at times slapdash and sloppy but carry a visceral punch at their best.

Aug 19, 2023

Full Review

Andrew Pollard

Starburst

Throw in a frenetic soundtrack, wonderful fashions, ample servings of sex, Sid Haig as a snarling henchman, and a fistful of moustaches and afros, then you have a classic of its time.

Rated: 8/10

Apr 11, 2018

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Its real power comes from Hill's potent pulp storytelling and up-front style as well as the novelty of a female hero who takes charge and controls her own destiny.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 13, 2015

Full Review

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Synopsis

As a nurse, Coffy (Pam Grier) has seen the ill effects of drugs up close, but it isn't until her little sister becomes addicted to heroin that she finally decides to wage a one-woman battle. Disguised as a prostitute, Coffy goes on a killing rampage, at first going after street dealers and pimps such as sleazy King George (Robert DoQui), then gradually working her way up to bigger honchos. She's shocked, however, when she discovers that her politician boyfriend (Booker Bradshaw) is involved.

Director: Jack Hill
Executive Producer: Salvatore Billitteri
Screenwriter: Jack Hill
Distributor: American International Pictures
Production Co: American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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