When the law looks away, a Brighton secretary arms herself for a weekend of brutal vengeance.
DIRTY WEEKEND
Bella has decided to take out a few men.
This is the story of Bella, who woke up one morning and realized she'd had enough. All it took was one rather nasty man to transform her from a meek and mild secretary into a murderous femme fatale.
Quick Answer
Dirty Weekend is a 1993 British crime thriller directed by Michael Winner about a secretary named Bella who, after being harassed and threatened, decides to take violent revenge into her own hands.
Programmer's Pick
Michael Winner cranks the revenge dial up with a female lead who doesn't wait for the cavalry. Brighton's not just a backdrop—it's a pressure cooker, and Bella's transformation from secretary to avenger is a sharp jab at the system's indifference. Lia Williams gives us a protagonist who's both vulnerable and lethal.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Why This Matters
Directed by Michael Winner and adapted from Helen Zahavi's 1991 novel, this British film features Lia Williams in a lead role and explores themes of vigilante justice and female agency.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
Bella’s journey from mild-mannered secretary to avenging force is a rare, cold-edged twist on the vigilante genre.
Set in Brighton, the film’s coastal location adds both charm and grit to Bella’s violent odyssey.
Dirty Weekend dives headlong into the rape-revenge tradition, confronting misogyny with brutal, female-led payback.
An Iranian clairvoyant’s advice pushes Bella over the edge, giving this thriller a mystical nudge before the carnage begins.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Questions from the Vault
Who directed Dirty Weekend? +
Dirty Weekend was directed by Michael Winner.
How long is Dirty Weekend? +
Dirty Weekend has a runtime of 102 minutes.
What genre is Dirty Weekend? +
Dirty Weekend is a crime, drama, and thriller film.
When was Dirty Weekend released? +
Dirty Weekend was released in 1993.
How does Bella begin her revenge spree? +
Bella starts her violent retaliation by breaking into Tim’s flat while he sleeps and killing him with a claw hammer after receiving no help from the police.