As the synopsis says “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.”
Coffy is considered a blaxploitation film, where a beautiful African American woman uses her sexual appeal and gives herself a prostitution role in order to accomplish her goals in defeating criminals within the drug world. Her sister is also a heroine addict and instead of choosing to focus on her health, she wants to eradicate the source of her sister’s addiction. The plot is ironic because she is a nurse whose role is to aid people and advocate for healthy lifestyles, however she lives a double life by killing those who get in her way of encountering the drug kings.
It shows the stereotypical roles that black males and females play in criminal behavior. It also shows the way that media depicts criminal behavior and glorifies “killing the bad guys” as a solution to criminality. There is no understanding of what leads to their behavior and how it cycles in communities, there is only a one-stop solution to put an end to it.
