Richard flick

A movie that focuses almost exclusively on stereotypical male hero-type characters and relies on a mix of violence, speed, machismo, and swagger to attract a young male audience, while minimizing, or even trivializing/victimizing, female characters. It is this latter, plus the stark failure of the Bechdel test*, which primarily differentiates a Richard flick from movies that target men, and employ many of these same action elements, yet contain significant and central roles for women, as well.

"Richard flick" is a tongue-in-cheek cultural response to "chick flick," a descriptive term for movies primarily targeting women and focused on romance with HEA ("happily ever after"), similar to the juxtaposition of chick lit/dick lit descriptors for books. The Richard terminology has related applications, such as "The 80s was a Richard decade in relation to its backlash against 70s feminism."

*Failure of the Bechdel test alone does not make a movie a Richard flick; for example: The Terminator (1984) had only one significant female role, but that character was central to the plot, as prominently featured as the primary male role, and commanded the viewer's respect throughout.

Dick: This movie surrounds the idea of women. Women, women, women. Is it a chick flick?
Bob: And what would that make “Deliverance” —a Richard flick?

Richard flick by yazquan November 7, 2021