Despite mixed critical reviews and underperforming at the box office on its initial release, it went on to become a cult film in the following years.

Four D.E.B.S.—squad leader Max, naïve Janet, promiscuous Dominique, and Amy, who dreams of attending art school despite being the academy's top recruit—are tasked by Ms. Petrie and Mr. Phipps, the heads of D.E.B.S., to surveil Lucy Diamond.

Diamond is an infamous supercriminal, known for her operations, thefts, an alleged attempt to sink Australia, as well as supposedly killing every agent that goes up against her.

In the meantime, Amy has recently broken up with her pushy and controlling boyfriend, Bobby, a fellow agent.

Amy gets into an argument with Bobby, demanding answers on their breakup, which catches Lucy's attention.

In the meantime, Lucy and Amy enjoy having an actual relationship with one another, while Janet covers for them (and also develops feelings for Scud, whom she has a secret correspondence with).

In an attempt to win Amy back, Lucy returns everything she has ever stolen, and publicly turns over a new leaf.

Janet talks with Dominique and Max, who start to realize how unhappy Amy actually is.

Petrie, Bobby and the rest of the academy try to track them down, when Lucy and Amy are cornered by Max, Janet, and Dominique.

[6][7] Clint Culpepper, then president of Screen Gems, liked the short and gave the green light to develop it into a feature film.

[10] In a positive review, Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post praised the film for poking fun at various tropes in spy films and not taking itself too seriously, saying “much of the fun of the innocent little thing is the riffs that [Angela] Robinson plays on familiar genre strokes.

A gunfight in a nightclub, with sparks flying, guns blasting, glasses busting, shooters diving, has all the hallmarks of John Woo-style mayhem in full bloom.”[11] He added the film “arrives with sparkly production values and extreme confidence in every scene.

That is, it accepts same-sex attraction as a norm, something not at all ‘unusual’ or strange but something so a part of the landscape it doesn't require comment.”[11] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave a one-star rating and said, "You might think there's no downside to a movie that peeks up the skirts of babes in micro-minis, but writer-director Angela Robinson's dimwitted satire is libido-killing proof to the contrary.

"[12] A positive reaction from a producer at a film festival screening led to Robinson making a deal to direct the 2005 Disney remake Herbie: Fully Loaded.

The film has since gained a cult following in the LGBT community and continues to be screened at specialty theaters.

[14] Maddy Myers, for Polygon, commented that the film "feels like a movie that teenage-me, a queer kid who adored screwball comedies, was meant to watch a billion times.

[15] Academic Claire Hines, in her article "The Queer Female Action Spy Hero in Post-Millennial American Cinema", highlighted that "when D.E.B.S.

makes a strong statement about the female action hero as a queer figure, the (guilty) pleasures of spy action and teen romantic comedy and is intentionally playful with the secret identity trope".