It’s no secret that female directors in Hollywood are hard to come by. Year after year, women directors and female-centered stories routinely get snubbed at the Oscars, other award ceremonies, and even in box office numbers. Finding movies from a female perspective is important because many male-created movies fail to depict women in a realistic way. Here, I’ve compiled a list of popular movies that are written by women, for women.
I’d like to note that female writers, producers, and directors who do make it big are often white. As a result, this list is not exhaustive and reflects the lack of representation in Hollywood. While it’s important to tell women’s stories and make female directors more common, there is still a long way to go in terms of incorporating all perspectives.
- Promising YOung Woman
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This 2020 movie directed by Emerald Fennell and produced by Margot Robbie follows the story of Cassie, a medical school dropout who tries to balance feelings of revenge and forgiveness after a traumatic experience. Classified as a thriller and crime drama, this movie is a critique on society’s acceptance of sexual assault and the effects it can have on women. While this isn’t an easy or leisurely watch, it received numerous positive reviews and nominations, including the academy award for Best Director. Centering on the female experience and the challenges they face in society, this movie is an obligatory addition to our list.
- Little Women (or any greta gerwig movie, honestly)
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We certainly had to include a Greta Gerwig movie on this list, and there is no better example of a female-focused story than Little Women. Inspired by one of the first feminist novels written by Louisa May Alcott, the movie centers on a family of sisters who navigate love, loss, and life together. It offers a commentary on the many ways to be a woman, and the iconic, emotional monologue delivered by Saoirse Ronan made me shed a tear! While Greta Gerwig’s projects are always a great choice for a feminist movie, Little Women solidified Gerwig as one of the great female directors of our time.
- Frida
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This biopic about Frida Kahlo features Salma Hayek and was directed by Julie Taymor. It follows the life and struggles of renowned artist Frida Kahlo, depicting her as a passionate, driven, and opinionated woman who confronts society’s expectations of female artists. Frida isn’t afraid of showing the good and the bad of Kahlo’s life, which highlights the many aspects of being a woman. While this movie isn’t technically labeled as a feminist film, its focus on a historical female figure lends itself well to the list.
- Booksmart
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This witty coming-of-age comedy by Olivia Wilde focuses on two high school friends, Amy and Molly, as they reflect on their somewhat mundane high school career and try to let loose for one night before graduation. Throughout this journey, they grapple with the reality of leaving for college and starting anew without each other. It’s a story of female friendship starring Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Delver that is a quintessential pick for a feminist flick.
- Someone Great
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This Netflix rom-com written and directed by ​​Jennifer Kaytin Robinson stars Gina Rodriguez as Jenny, who recruits her best friends to have one night of fun after her long-time boyfriend dumps her. The movie is sentimental, poignant, and clever as Jenny depends on the support from her friends to get through an emotional time. Another great example of the power of female friendships, Someone Great grounds itself in the feminist movie genre to depict women’s struggles and emotions in a realistic way. Plus, it inspired Taylor Swift’s “Death by a Thousand Cuts;” if that’s not enough motivation for you, I don’t know what is.
- Frozen
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As one of the only Disney movies to have a woman director, Jennifer Lee’s Frozen changes the formula for princess movies, focusing on the bond between sisters and abandoning the male savior trope. The movie follows Anna and Elsa, two sisters forced apart by magic and secrets as Anna tries to repair their relationship. While it is technically a children’s movie, the story presents an insightful perspective about the love between sisters and the importance of female companionship. And you can always jam out to Let it Go, For the First Time in Forever, and Fixer Upper while watching.
Obviously, this isn’t an exhaustive list of movies written by women, for women, so here are some honorable mentions that I would be remiss not to include:
Clueless by Amy Heckerling
The Parent Trap by Nancy Meyers
The Farewell by Lulu Wang
She’s Beautiful when she’s angry by Mary Dore
A League of Their Own by Penny Marshall