Coffy

In the dimly lit recesses of a bustling nightclub, a notorious drug kingpin revels in the company of multiple female entourage members, his presence commanding attention as much as his dubious reputation precedes him. One of his loyal junkie associates approaches him, reporting that he's commandeered the pusher's vehicle and procured a young woman willing to do whatever it takes to obtain drugs. Initially, the kingpin is incensed, but his ire swiftly dissipates upon laying eyes on the stunning newcomer accompanying him back to a dilapidated apartment. Just as the evening appears poised to unfold in a predictable manner, the enigmatic woman suddenly produces a severely truncated shotgun from her intricately crafted macrame purse and dispatches the dealer's lifeless body with ruthless efficiency. Meanwhile, her companion in an adjacent room is preoccupied with self-medication, oblivious to the unfolding drama.

This seemingly cold-blooded assassin, Coffy (Pam Grier), moonlights as a dedicated nurse at a metropolitan hospital, her dual identities carefully compartmentalized. Her romantic entanglement with progressive politician Howard Brunswick (Booker Bradshaw) serves as a welcome respite from the trauma she's endured while caring for her critically ill sister, LuBelle Coffin. As fate would have it, news of Coffy's recent "hit" arrives courtesy of Carter (William Elliott), a well-meaning police officer and close friend who refuses to compromise his integrity by accepting payoffs from local crime lord Arturo Vitroni (Allan Arbus). Unbeknownst to Coffy, Vitroni has ordered his henchmen to inflict physical punishment upon Carter for his defiance. As fate would have it, both Coffy and Carter find themselves in the hospital's emergency room, with Coffy emerging shaken but unscathed, while Carter lies comatose and gravely injured, a victim of Vitroni's reprisal.

As Coffy's indignation reaches a fever pitch, she launches a ruthless crusade to vanquish the syndicate once and for all. Her investigation leads her to King George (Robert DoQui), a notorious heroin peddler who also happens to be a pimp of ill repute. The connection between George and Coffy is personal, stemming from a brutal encounter involving one of his prostitutes, Priscilla (Carol Locatell). Priscilla had sought refuge at Coffy's hospital after George's cruelty left her disfigured, and now she's willing to share information about George's illicit dealings in exchange for protection. Priscilla reveals that Arturo Vitroni is among George's most loyal clients, a man who takes sadistic pleasure in humiliating his sex workers. Despite Priscilla's initial reluctance to reveal the location of George's stash, Coffy's persistence ultimately yields the information: the heroin is stored in a box beneath the fireplace. However, Priscilla's decision to pull out a knife and threaten Coffy forces our heroine into a violent confrontation, and she barely escapes with her life after a fierce battle with Priscilla's lesbian pimp, Harriet (Dea St. Lamont).

Armed with this intelligence, Coffy embarks on a mission to infiltrate George's operation by posing as Mystique, a Jamaican sex worker. King George is immediately taken with her charms, much to the dismay of his long-suffering "old lady," Meg (Linda Haynes). During a lavish party at George's mansion, Meg's jealousy boils over when Coffy attracts unwanted attention from George and his associates. In a bold move, Coffy seizes the opportunity to pilfer George's drug stash, replacing the heroin with sugar and leaving his operation in disarray. As tensions escalate at the party, Coffy finds herself in a brutal struggle against Meg and her cohorts. However, she emerges victorious after exploiting Meg's vulnerability by hiding razor blades within her afro. The aftermath of this confrontation sees Arturo Vitroni captivated by Coffy's fearlessness and requesting a private audience with her that very night, unaware of the chaos she has unleashed upon George's empire.

As Coffy (Pam Grier) arrives at the opulent abode of Vitroni, her intentions are crystal clear: she's on a mission to eliminate him. However, her plans are foiled by Omar (Sid Haig), Arturo's burly bodyguard, who misconstrues her presence as an attempt to take out his boss. Undeterred, Coffy is captured and left to rot in a dingy holding cell. Meanwhile, Vitroni's henchmen, oblivious to the true nature of Coffy's visit, exact revenge on King George by luring him into a limousine and subjecting him to a gruesome fate: being dragged behind the vehicle, his life slipping away as he's tangled in a rope.

As the gangsters debate what to do with their captive, one of Vitroni's associates recognizes Coffy from her previous run-ins with them, including a particularly brutal encounter with Carter. Another shady acquaintance pegs her as Howard Brunswick's (heretofore unsuspecting) girlfriend, leading the goons to surmise that she's a deadly assassin sent to take out Arturo. This mistaken notion sparks a series of events that sees Vitroni summoning Brunswick, his unease growing as he realizes Coffy and Howard have a connection.

Coffy's protests of innocence fall on deaf ears, as Vitroni becomes increasingly suspicious of her true motives. In a shocking betrayal, Brunswick reveals his true colors, telling Vitroni to do with Coffy as they please – leaving our heroine stunned and heartbroken.

As the goons prepare to dispose of Coffy in a desolate wasteland, she employs her cunning wiles to distract them. With Omar's throat now bearing a mortal wound, she seizes the opportunity to strike back, taking down another henchman on the freeway. Her third and final assailant, a corrupt cop, meets a similarly gruesome end under Coffy's clever manipulation.

After dispatching her foes and claiming the fallen goon's shotgun, Coffy commandeers a passing vehicle, then returns to Vitroni's lair with a vengeance. With her shotgun blazing, she mows down anyone in her path until Vitroni himself is cornered in his swimming pool. As he pleads for mercy, Coffy toys with him, demanding a million-dollar payoff in exchange for his life – only to ultimately execute her plan, ridding herself of the scoundrel once and for all.

As Coffy exacts her brutal retribution, she finally confronts Howard at his beachside lair, where she springs a surprise visit upon him, brandishing a shotgun that leaves him stunned and shaken. The revelation that she's not only alive but also a force to be reckoned with, having dispatched all of his unsavory associates, is met with a mixture of awe and trepidation on Howard's part. However, before Coffy can fully process her emotions, Howard attempts to placate her, spinning a web of deceit as he claims to have merely been playing along with the crooks in order to buy time. But just as it seems like his words might have some measure of impact, the sound of a woman's anguished cry pierces the air, shattering the tenuous calm that had settled over the room.

The source of the commotion is revealed when a half-naked white woman emerges from one of the bedrooms, her presence serving as a stark reminder of Howard's complicity in Coffy's ordeal. The air is thick with tension as Coffy seizes the moment to exact her final revenge upon Howard, cutting him down where he stands amidst the chaos and terror that has consumed his beach house.

In the aftermath of this brutal confrontation, Coffy stumbles out into the morning light, a testament to her unyielding determination and resilience. Her once-svelte figure is now ravaged by the brutal scratches and bruises she's accumulated during her ordeal, but despite these outward signs of suffering, there remains an unmistakable glimmer of triumph in her eyes - a testament to her unwavering resolve to exact justice upon those who have wronged her.