It’s Thursday night. The charcuterie board is ready, blankets are assembled, phones are silenced. Time to put on a movie for girls’ night in. Yet, no option seems to be tickling your fancy. Alas, I have assembled a ranking of my favorite female-dominated casts in some of the best film releases of the past few decades.
8. Dumplin’. This 2018 Netflix original is not necessarily a female-dominated movie, but this plot tells the story of Willowdean Dickson who is obligated to live up to her mother’s expectations of womanhood by entering the Texas state beauty pageant. A pure and beautiful film, especially because of the perpetual Dolly Parton songs playing the background of the soundtrack. Jolene, Jolene . . .
7. Bridesmaids. My mom introduced this classic girls’ night movie to me at the ripe age of fourteen years-old, and I have not once gotten tired of watching it since then. The timeless humor, as well as the general sense of underlying sisterhood, will forever make me smile. Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Maya Rudolph complement each other perfectly here. Lots of action in the plot, so if you have not seen it before or do not have the attention span to watch closely, I would not recommend it. However, I would give this movie 100% on Rotten Tomatoes if I could.
6. Ghostbusters (2016). McCarthy and Wiig reappear in this remake of the classic 1984 film with Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. This supernatural comedy is definitely a great suggestion for the girls, especially for some quick laughs and an easy-to-follow plot. Chris Hemsworth also makes an appearance as the team’s assistant. The only drawback of this film is that it is only available on Hulu and rarely makes the cable television listings. Other than that, “Ghostbusters” deserves a 8.6/10 in my rankings.
5. Hidden Figures. I watched “Hidden Figures” when it originally was released in 2016, yet I never fully comprehended the power of these highly intelligent women until I was given the opportunity to rewatch this movie. In my AP Calculus class, we watched Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janaelle Monae who starred in this true story about the efforts of three African-American women at NASA. These ladies were the brains behind astronaut John Glenn’s launch into space, using their mathematical capabilities to ensure this success.
4. Mamma Mia! This is the number one sing-along movie I can think of. I had not seen this movie until recently, but the constant Abba songs is what makes this film so special. This movie needs no introduction or summary. Just a heart-warming classic that will always be a big hit every night of the week. If you want to cry a little, smile a little, and sing a lot, this – or “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” – is perfect for you and the girls.
3. Ocean’s Eight. I am constantly replaying the scene of Sandra Bullock’s character sneakily taking from a shop through some con artistry. In this movie, Bullock leads a team of strong-willed women with diverse backgrounds and abilities to hack, lie, and steal. This pack of entertaining thieves makes for a captivating film if you are interested in watching crime or experiencing mischievous sisterhood. Action-packed plot, but worth the watch if you have the energy to watch the entire movie through.
2. The Other Woman. This movie earns the number two spot on this purely because this is the comfort film I share with my mom. We love how the girl group seems to “win” in the end, as well as the appearance of Nicki Minaj as Cameron Diaz’s office assistant. Other stars include Kate Upton and Leslie Mann, who form this tight-knit sisterhood of resourceful, wise, and most importantly, vengeful women. The typical cheating male is the antagonist here, for context.
1. Lastly, Pitch Perfect. Or, Pitch Perfect 2. I confess to never learning the “Cups” song; however, I do know the riff-offs for both movies by heart. The entire cast of these films earn the top spot on this list because of the enjoyable combination of plot-building and just good music. “Pitch Perfect” will always be number one in my heart. 10/10. An art piece, one might say.
A few of the runner ups for this list include “On the Basis of Sex” and “The Iron Lady.” The former is a focus feature on Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her progression through life to becoming a Supreme Court Justice, and the latter being a film on the late Margaret Thatcher, who was the first female British prime minister. Both movies are empowering in regards to a feminine presence in politics, especially with women who took impactful steps to progressing our society towards more accepting policies. The sole reason these two films did not make the list was due to the heavy nature of the biographies, especially now in a time where some of their doings are up in the air in the United States. However, I would still highly recommend watching these, as I always feel extremely motivated and powerful after finishing the movie.
Hopefully these suggestions were helpful for you on your next movie night instead of aimlessly scrolling through Netflix for another cheesy rom-com (no hate to rom-coms though, sometimes we all need a night of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”). This selection of movies are perfect for whatever vibe you and the girls are searching for!