D.E.B.S.

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Angela Robinson directs. M. David Mullen behind the camera. Messy scores. Angela Robinson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Shot for just $3.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
• 2Earned back only 3% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
• 3Released 21 years ago.
• 4Directed by Angela Robinson, shot by M. David Mullen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 5Original score by Messy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 6Editor Angela Robinson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 7Sara Foster and Jordana Brewster and Meagan Good carry the top of the cast.
• 8Marketing tagline: "Evil is so totally busted!".
• 9IMDB entry: tt0367631 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 10Classified under 25 themes, including "coming out", "spy", "punk rock", "satire".
• 11Released under 19 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography

M. David Mullen

Original score

Messy

Editing

Angela Robinson

Production design

Chris Anthony Miller

Costume design

Frank Helmer

Makeup / hair

Marc Boyle

VFX supervisor

David Tecson

Sound

Sergio Reyes

Stunt coordinator

Lynn Salvatori

Runtime

91 min · 1h 31m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$3,500,000

Box office

$97,446

Return

3% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG-13

IMDB

D.E.B.S. (2005) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

42% 🥫 Rotten

Metacritic

42/100

IMDB rating

5.4/10 · 19,307 votes

MPAA

PG-13

Also by

Angela Robinson

• 
  Girltrash!

  2007 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Wednesday

  2022 · ★ 8.3
• 
  The L Word

  2004 · ★ 7.7
• 
  True Blood

  2008 · ★ 7.6
• 
  Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

  2017 · ★ 7.2
• 
  D.E.B.S.

  2003 · ★ 6.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  D.E.B.S. director Angela Robinson | BFI Q&A

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  D.E.B.S. 20th Anniversary panel discussion | BFI Q&A

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Lucy's Many Attempts To Win Amy Back

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Lucy's "Lover's Meeting" Bank Heist

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Breaking Into Amy's Dorm

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  Trying To Arrest Lucy Diamond

  Clip · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Gimly2018-10-26
  ★ 6/10

  If multiverse theory is correct, somewhere there is a reality in which D.E.B.S. isn't gay, and that must truly be the darkest timeline. Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go.

  Read full review ↓
• signsoflife2026-01-08
  ★ 10/10

  Bring! Back! Camp! D.E.B.S. is one of those movies so bad it's good, silly but made with so much heart it can only end up being loved. Only enemies to lovers I could get behind. If she isn't willing to give up her job just to be lesbian with you in Barcelona she's not the one.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Destination Films

  US

• 

  Screen Gems

  US

• 

  Anonymous Content

  US

• AN

  Andrea Sperling Productions

  US

Key crew

• EditorAngela Robinson
• ProducerJasmine Kosovic
• ProducerAndrea Sperling
• CastingRick Montgomery
• Production DesignChris Anthony Miller
• StuntsTom Waite
• Second Assistant DirectorHillary Schwartz
• StuntsTerri Cadiente
• StuntsToby Holguin
• Key Hair StylistMarc Boyle
• Makeup ArtistAngie Wells
• First Assistant DirectorSholto J. Roeg
• StuntsDale Gibson
• Co-ProducerStacy Codikow
• Associate ProducerDouglas Salkin
• Key Makeup ArtistRosemary Lawrence
• StuntsBrad Orrison
• StuntsJill Stokesberry
• StuntsJoel Munoz
• StuntsBoni Yanagisawa
• Co-ProducerPat Scanlon
• Fight ChoreographerMike Smith
• StuntsDaniel Arrias
• GafferSkip McCraw

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• coming out
• spy
• punk rock
• satire
• lesbian relationship
• covert operation
• female protagonist
• in the closet
• female spy
• lgbt
• subversion
• female agent
• schoolgirl uniform
• lip synching
• plaid
• thesis
• woman director
• spy spoof
• teen spy
• lesbian
• based on short film
• independent film
• spies
• spy comedy
• cult film

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2004-01-23· Sundance Film Festival
• Premiere2004-06-03· New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Premiere2004-06-11· CineVegas International Film Festival
• Premiere2004-06-19· Provincetown International Film Festival
• Premiere2004-06-27· San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
• Premiere2004-08-12· North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Premiere2004-09-26· Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
• Premiere2004-10-14· Reel Affirmations International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
• Theatrical2005-03-25PG-13

Also known as

International titles

• Fox Force FiveUS
• DEBSUS
• Spy GirlsDE
• D.E.B.S. Espías SeductorasSV
• 미녀 첩보원 D.E.B.S.KR
• D.E.B.S.KR
• 디.이.비.에스.KR
• 디이비에스KR
• Espías seductorasAR
• D.E.B.S.: As Super EspiãsBR
• Д.Е.Б.С.: Момичета шпиониBG
• Ειδικοί πράκτορες Γ.Α.Τ.Ε.Σ.GR
• D.E.B.S. - KémcsajokHU
• डि.ई.बी.एस.IN
• D.E.B.S. - Spie in minigonnaIT