They were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s – movies to the likes of Pretty in Pink, 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally, Clueless, and so many more that catered to what women wanted to see in cinema. Movies that typically placed women and their lives at the center, therefore earning the slightly derogative and totally demeaning ‘chick flick’ title.
The title of ‘chick flick’ was meant to sideline these movies and make sure they weren’t viewed as good movies by the media and society. These movies were just fluff, after all, with nothing to gain from except a little bit of wish fulfillment; or so we were taught to think.
Chick flicks were demeaned because they focused on relationships, particularly focusing on women, and that is something that mainstream Hollywood simply couldn’t handle – until now.
With the rise of Netflix and new media platforms and outlets, as well as the vocal desire for more diverse movies, chick flicks have made their way to the forefront again. The popularity of this genre is seen through movies like Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again, Set It Up, Crazy Rich Asians, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – and these are just the ones that have come out in the past few months!
These movies are in such high demand, not only because they are fun to watch, but also because they speak to our experiences and the things we seek in life.
Chick flicks are back, and they’re more multifaceted and nuanced than ever before, indicating that it’s time for women-centered stories to be taken seriously. They place relationships at the center with a complexity and care that shouldn’t be ignored, and they are certainly exciting movies that women, and everyone else, want to watch.