Movies of War

Mar 9, 2026 2:46pm PT Ashley Judd Calls Out Her 1997 Movie ‘Kiss the Girls’ for ‘Making Entertainment Out of Sexual Torture’ Against Women: ‘It’s Traumatizing’ and ‘Why Is It Profitable?’ By Zack Sharf Plus Icon Zack Sharf Digital News Director ZSharf Latest Timothée Chalamet Slammed as ‘Vapid’ and ‘Shallow’ on ‘The View’ After Dissing Opera and Ballet; Whoopi Goldberg Tells Him: ‘Be Careful, Boy… He Is a Boy to Me’ 4 hours ago Arnold Schwarzenegger Says ‘Conan 3’ in the Works, Reveals New ‘Predator’ Movie Talks and ‘Commando 2’ Script: ‘The Studio Has Plenty of Money to Make Those Really Big’ 5 hours ago Corey Feldman Alleges Oscars Didn’t Invite Him to Be in Planned Rob Reiner Tribute With ‘Stand by Me’ Co-Stars: ‘They Don’t Need Me There’ 6 hours ago See All ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Ashley Judd is reconsidering one of her earliest box office hits. In a recent Instagram video post, Judd noted how her relationship with 1997’s “Kiss the Girls” has “evolved” over the years due to the film’s depiction of violence against women. ‘”Kiss the Girls’ centers on male sexual violence and the torture of women’s bodies,” Judd wrote in her caption. “At the time, we often framed stories like this around female resilience—the strength of surviving. Many people still say that’s what the film means to them. But I’ve found myself asking a different question: Why is sexual terror against women something we package as entertainment? Why is it profitable?” Related Stories Queer Media Veteran David Artavia Named Executive Director of LGBTQ Youth Arts Initiative The Future Perfect Project (EXCLUSIVE) Cara Delevingne on Trying to Stay Off Social Media: 'That Algorithm Is Not Meant for Good Things' “Kiss the Girls” was adapted from James Patterson’s 1995 novel of the same name and was directed by Gary Fleder. Morgan Freeman starred as forensic psychologist Alex Cross, while Judd played a doctor and kickboxer who is abducted by a masked serial killer who calls himself Casanova. Popular on Variety “Thank you for loving the movie, thank you for loving me in it,” Judd told her fans in the corresponding video message. “Thank you for making it such… I was gonna say pivotal, but I would even say a transformative moment in my career.” “I want to talk about the movie in a way that has become more clear to me over the years, and I invite you to consider [this] for yourself. It’s okay to love the movie and come up to me and say it’s your favorite movie,” Judd continued, doubling down on questioning “why filming male sexual violence” and “torture of the female body” is considered entertaining. She also said the movie contains “very misogynistic dialogue,” which is “excruciatingly not okay.” “It’s the resilience after male sexual violence. It’s resilience after male sexual torture of the female body and I go… why is that entertainment? Why is that a capitalist enterprise? Why do we create entertainment and earn money off of such a subject?” Judd asked. “So we’re valorizing my [character’s] resilience in the movie but we’re not necessarily critiquing or wrestling with or holding at arms’ length why… the movie is about trauma, and it is traumatizing… To me, this is not entertainment. It’s collective denial… and making entertainment out of sexual terror.” “Kiss the Girls” was a box office hit for Paramount Pictures fal 1997, grossing $60 million worldwide on a budget just under $30 million. Freeman returned as Alex Cross in the 2001 sequel “Along Came a Spider,” which was an even bigger box office hit with $105 million worldwide. Jump to Comments Peacock Extends Annual Plan Deal On Heels of Winter Olympics: Get 12 Months of Streaming for Price of 10 ‘Wicked: For Good’ Sets Peacock Streaming Release Date With Sing-Along Version, Deleted Scenes and Full-Length Commentary ‘Saturday Night Live U.K.’ to Stream on Peacock in the U.S. ‘The Traitors’ Urges Viewers Not To ‘Ruin’ The Show With ‘Personal Attacks’: ‘What Happens In The Game Should Never Lead To Cyberbullying Or Harassment’ How to Watch NBA All-Star Game 2026 Live Online Without Cable for Free Six Nations Championship 2026: How to Watch the Rugby Tournament Live Online for Free JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...