June 14, 2025 – by Ambrose Lee
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — It’s official: Netflix has greenlit and announced a groundbreaking new documentary chronicling the raw, riotous, and revolutionary career of the iconic punk-grunge trio, Babes In Toyland.
Titled “Bruised But Unbroken: The Babes In Toyland Story,” the feature-length documentary promises to offer an unfiltered look at the band that helped define the riot grrrl movement before it even had a name.
With exclusive archival footage, never-before-heard demo recordings, and deeply personal interviews, the film traces the rise, fallout, and enduring legacy of a band that screamed back at the system—and helped hundreds of women do the same.
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🔥 The Noise That Broke the Silence
Formed in Minneapolis in 1987, Babes In Toyland—featuring Kat Bjelland, Lori Barbero, and (originally) Michelle Leon—carved a space in the male-dominated punk and grunge scenes with unapologetic rage, brutal honesty, and fierce vulnerability.
Long before “girl power” became a marketing slogan, Babes In Toyland were throwing themselves onto stages and into chaos, creating music that wasn’t polished, but feral and urgent—a sonic mirror of female rage, trauma, and resilience.
“Kat didn’t just sing — she exorcised,” says Brody Dalle (The Distillers), one of many artists interviewed in the film. “They were the blueprint.”
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🎥 Inside the Netflix Documentary
Directed by punk documentarian Alison Anders, Bruised But Unbroken is being praised as a feminist rock epic. The documentary dives deep into the trio’s formation, their breakthrough with Spanking Machine (1990), their volatile dynamic, and the cultural backlash they faced as outspoken women in a scene often hostile to their presence.
Key highlights include:
• Unseen backstage footage from the Lollapalooza ’93 tour
• Candid present-day interviews with Kat Bjelland and Lori Barbero
• Emotional recounting of the death of bassist Maureen Herman’s daughter and its impact on the band
• Conversations with peers like Courtney Love, Kim Gordon, and Shirley Manson
• A close look at their reunion and final shows in the 2010s
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🎶 A Legacy Reclaimed
While Babes In Toyland never achieved the same mainstream fame as Nirvana or Hole, their influence has only grown with time. Bands like Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Paramore, and Pussy Riot have all cited the Babes as spiritual ancestors.
Netflix’s documentary doesn’t just celebrate their music—it confronts the price they paid for being loud, female, and fearless in a world that wasn’t ready for them.
“We weren’t trying to be legends,” Kat Bjelland says in the trailer. “We were trying to survive.”
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🗓️ Streaming Release Date Confirmed
Netflix has confirmed that Bruised But Unbroken: The Babes In Toyland Story will premiere globally on August 9, 2025, to coincide with the 35th anniversary of their seminal album Spanking Machine.
Accompanying the release is a deluxe reissue of their back catalog, including rare B-sides, remastered vinyl editions, and commentary from the band.
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🖤 Riot Reborn
As conversations around gender, identity, and power in music continue to evolve, this documentary arrives not just as a history lesson—but as a wake-up call. A reminder that long before hashtags and headlines, Babes In Toyland were bleeding for the truth on stage—and daring the world to look away.
