Across the world many countries celebrate March as Women’s History Month, to coincide with International Women’s Day on the 8th March. In celebration, I’ve compiled a list of five feminist films with strong female protagonists, all of which are an inspiring watch. There are, of course, many other films that could’ve made the list.
1. Little Women (2019, dir. Greta Gerwig)
Little Women is a tale of family, friendship and female empowerment, which has stood the test of time. There have been multiple reincarnations of Louisa May Alcott’s 1860s novel, but I don’t think any have quite grasped the feminist theme as well as Greta Gerwig’s Academy Award nominated version. The film has an abundance of complex female characters, who are trying to find their place as women in society.
Where to watch in the UK: Now TV, Sky Cinema.
2. Moxie (2021, dir. Amy Poehler)
Earlier this month, Netflix released Amy Poehler’s latest film Moxie. Moxie, based on a book of the same name by Jennifer Mathieu, is an intersectional tale about a group of high school students taking on the patriarchy. Vivian (Hadley Robinson), inspired by her mum’s (Amy Poehler) teenage activism, sets up an anonymous zine, Moxie, to protest gender inequality at her school. It’s a powerful tale which draws on a lot of current feminist discussion and debate.
Where to watch in the UK: Netflix.
3. Booksmart (2019, dir. Olivia Wilde)
Booksmart is a bold tale of female friendship. It follows two high school students- Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever)- on their quest to have one crazy night of partying before graduation. I’m sure we’ve all seen variations of the ‘buddy movie’, but I’ve never seen one quite like Booksmart. Not only is Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut fun, it also confronts themes of gender and sexuality.
Where to watch in the UK: Netflix
4. Hidden Figures (2017, dir. Theodore Melfi)
Based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book of the same name, Hidden Figures is a poignant (previously untold) tale about three African-American women- Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), Katherine Jonson (Taraji P. Henson) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)- who worked as mathematicians for NASA and played a crucial role in launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The film, based on a true story, addresses questions of gender and race and highlights the extraordinary achievements of these women.
Where to watch in the UK: I couldn’t find Hidden Figures streaming anywhere currently.
5. Misbehaviour (2020, dir. Philippa Lowthorpe)
Lowthorpe’s Misbehaviour is based on the infamous 1970 Miss World pageant, where the live ceremony, hosted by Bob Hope, is disrupted by the Women’s Liberation Movement, who are protesting against beauty pageants. Not only do we follow the Women’s Lib as they hatch their plan, we also learn the motivations behind some of the contestants and get an insight into what the world of 60s-70s beauty pageants were like.
Where to watch in the UK: Now TV, Sky Cinema.
I hope you enjoy watching these inspiring films and, most importantly, Happy Women’s History Month!