During quarantine, I melted my brain by watching endless amounts of movies and TV shows. You name it- Hulu, Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime, I am guilty as charged. The one good thing that has come from killing thousands of my brain cells by consuming this much TV is that I discovered so many gems and ended up compiling a hefty list of new TV shows and movies that every feminist should watch.
As a feminist for years, I’ve seen many of the classics. A League of Her Own, The Princess Diaries, and Little Women (1994) are all wonderful movies, but I’ve seen them one too many times. While being stuck at home for months on end, I needed some new material. Fear no more- here is a list of new feminist movies that you can watch during the pandemic:
Enola Holmes
This new film starring Millie Bobby-Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Sam Clafin is a spin on the classic tale of Sherlock Holmes. 16-year-old Enola Holmes embarks on a journey to find her missing mother and solve the mystery without the help of her detective older brother. She is witty, bright, independent, and incredibly brave. Her tale is one that will be suitable for any movie night and have everyone on their toes!
Mulan (2020)
Although the new live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated Disney classic Mulan does not hold a candle to the original, there are some things to be ascertained about the film. Mushu and the relationships that Mulan has with her soldier compatriates are sorely missed, but the film does maintain the feminist narrative that the original does. There are hints of the original soundtrack threaded throughout the film, and the music truly comes to life with the story when Mulan is rising to the occasion and embracing her true identity. She shows young women that we can pursue our dreams without sacrificing our womanhood. This girl-power film is one of the classics, and it is perfect for any movie night.
A Discovery of Witches
The British TV show based on the novel of the same name in the “All Souls” trilogy by Deborah Harkness premiered in 2018 and will return for a second season in 2020. The show follows an incredibly powerful witch/historian, Diana Bishop, as she discovers the truth about her past and what is to come in her future. She is an independent woman who knows what she wants and how to execute it, and she is more than capable of taking care of herself. Her love interest, Matthew Clairmont, helps her navigate her new world filled with magic and other-worldly creatures. This show about courage, independence, and love isn’t one to miss!
Black is King
Beyonce’s latest musical movie Black is King is spectacular. The spin-off of the Disney classic The Lion King premiered on Disney+ during the pandemic and features an all-star cast. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, and the twins all make cameos in the film about motherhood, spirituality, sisterhood, empowerment, and self-discovery. In her song, “Brown Skin Girl,” Beyonce encourages listeners to value their bodies and makes a powerful statement that brown is beautiful. The film is filled with ornate costumes, sharp choreography, and beautiful music with powerful lyrics that will leave you pondering.
The Secret Garden
The 2020 remake of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s novel, The Secret Garden, is filled with bright characters and of course, stunning flowers. The film has an all-star cast including Colin Firth, Dixie Egerickx, Julie Walters, Amir Wilson, and Edan Hayhurst. The movie follows a young girl named Mary Lennox who, after losing her parents, goes to live with her Uncle Craven in England. Despite adversity and numerous other emotional obstacles in her way, Mary brings life back to her Uncle’s desolate house and her late aunt’s secret garden. This admirable young girl’s tale will warm your little feminist heart.
Wonder Woman 1984
The highly-anticipated sequel to the 2017 movie Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine is well worth the long wait. Wonder Woman 1984 was released in June 2020 and follows the female superhero as she fights Maxwell Lord and a female villain, the Cheetah who possesses supernatural abilities similar to her own. The film also features Chris Pine and actress Robin Wright who is known for her role as Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride.
Ammonite
The upcoming movie Ammonite starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan not only focuses on strong, independent women but it also follows a romantic relationship between two women. The romance/drama film’s story centers upon the relationship between British paleontologist Mary Anning (portrayed by Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (portrayed by Ronan). Go watch the trailer, don’t miss this one!
Miss Fisher and The Crypt of Tears
A spin-off of the Australian TV show Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, this film (set in the 1920’s) is an adventure/mystery that follows the TV show’s protagonist, Phryne Fisher, as she solves mysteries alongside her love-interest and competitor Detective Inspector Jack. In this movie, Miss Fisher unravels a mystery surrounding age-old emeralds and curses. She scoffs at the idea of detective work being a “man’s job” and takes on solving any crime she sees. Miss Fisher is witty, independent, and brilliant and she is a joy to watch.
Killing Eve
This TV show, written by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, stars Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh and focuses on a female assassin and detective pair who chase each other around the globe. Although the show began in 2018, the third season aired this year, and watching this female Tom and Jerry pair just got even more interesting. Waller-Bridge’s witty writing allows for audiences to not only admire detective Eve Polastri’s hard work, but also even come to like the funny and bright assassin, Villanelle.
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season four upcoming)
This comedic TV show set in 1950’s New York City aired in 2017 but may release its fourth season this year or the next. The show follows a young Jewish mother named Midge Maisel, who ventures to follow her dream to become a stand-up comedian. In a time when many women didn’t work, Midge dashes the norm and pursues her dreams to join a male-dominated field. While juggling motherhood, a disapproving family, and a relationship that has fallen apart, Midge travels the country doing stand-up comedy. The third season of this Emmy-award winning show was released in 2019, and fans are dying to know what happens next. This show will make you laugh and cry at the same time and is totally worth watching. Catch up on what happened in the first three rollercoaster seasons before the next season comes out!
Emma
The 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Emma, starring Anna Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn, is one not to miss. The romantic comedy follows protagonist Emma Woodhouse who plays matchmaker for her friends in 19th century England. While arranging other people’s love-lives, Emma asserts her independence in choosing not to wed and ignoring her own love-life. The ultimate feminist, Emma (and subsequently Jane Austen through her character) challenges the social norms of her time and by the end of the film, does not sacrifice love in exchange for her independence. This colorful, new and updated version of this classic tale is worth the watch.
Misbehavior
This British comedy-drama film is like a feminist version of Ocean’s 8, minus the crime. This movie features an all-star cast including Keira Knightley, Greg Kinnear, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and more. The film’s plot follows a group of women who are taking part in the Women’s Liberation Movement and have plans to mess with the 1970 Miss World Beauty Competition in London. These hilarious 1970’s suffragettes are not ones to miss out on.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
The sinister and chilling reboot of the 1990’s comedic sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, is definitely worth a watch. Although the plot is slightly different from the original, it’s inspiring to watch young Sabrina come to terms with her enormous power and eventually take the throne in her supernatural community. Sabrina does it all- she navigates school, gains control of her powers, deals with her enemies, and makes sense of her love-life. The show began in 2018 and has four “parts” (or seasons, if you will) so far. The third part of the show came out in January 2020, and the fourth part is set to air sometime this year. Go catch up on the last three parts of the show before the next part of Sabrina’s chilling adventure comes out.