Coffy

Following a tragedy that hits close to home, a nurse refuses to remain a bystander as her sister's life spirals after being exposed to tainted heroin. She steps beyond medical care into a personal crusade against the city drug trade, matching wits and fists with dealers, pimps, and organized crime figures. The pursuit blends street level noir with blunt social critique, portraying a woman who channels pain into decisive action rather than retreat. As she probes the corrupt network, the line between mercy and vengeance becomes increasingly blurred, turning the streets into a battleground where justice takes unconventional forms.

Released in 1973, Coffy was directed by Jack Hill and written as an original screenplay. Made on a modest $500,000 budget, the film showcases Pam Grier in a defining turn that helped shape 1970s blaxploitation cinema.

The film grossed about $4 million worldwide, a solid return on its $500,000 budget and an early example of successful independent genre cinema in the era.

Coffy helped establish Pam Grier as a screen icon and contributed to the rise of empowered female protagonists in exploitation cinema. Its blunt portrayal of drug networks and street corruption resonated in later crime thrillers and influenced fashion and soundtrack tropes of the period.

Critics welcomed its tight pacing and Grier's commanding presence, while noting its stark look at how communities cope with crime and addiction. The film foregrounds autonomy and retribution, raising questions about the cost of justice when institutions fail.