11 Best Feminist Movies Where Women Took the Spotlight

Feminism is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted terms of modern day. While we’re fighting about what we’re allowed to wear or if we should be allowed to have a career of our own, or whether it's safe to go out in the dark, so many times we’re missing out that feminism is acknowledging our set of responsibilities as women while enjoying equal rights, as every homosapien should.

Cinema has been portraying women in a variety of (not-so-great) ways—the most common roles being the damsel-in-distress, the manic Pixie Dream Girl, or the Femme Fatale. While you cannot creatively control the artists or the audience, I’m just happy that there’s a parallel community of mainstream and indie filmmakers who’ve been true to the feminine voice by showing women in their full potential and darkness.

In this article, we’ve compiled some of the best feminist films that present women in their real skin and in their most humanized versions.

11 Best Feminist Movies

1. Hidden Figures (2016)

Set in 1961, when both racism and patriarchy were at their peak, Theodire Melfi’s Hidden Figures follows three African-American women, who turn out to be the brains behind astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit, while battling for their rightful place as scientists and professionals.

The three women, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), are inspirational figures to me. Look out for the “black bathroom” speech by Henson! It will give you goosebumps!

2. Wild (2014)

Reese Witherspoon’s filmography is filled with movies centering on some of the most iconic female characters. From Elle in Legally Blonde to Bradley Jackson in The Morning Show, she is on fire, but one that is extremely close to my heart is her role as Cheryl Strayed in Wild. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the narrative chronicles the 1100-mile solo hike taken by Strayed to recover from her heartbreak after her failed marriage and the death of her mother.

Over the course of a 94-day solo trek across wilderness (with zero hiking experience whatsoever), she learns what it means to survive all on your own — to recover, grow, and self-discover. Set against the backdrop of the Pacific Crest Trail, the narrative ends with one of the sweetest bookends: a voiceover foretelling Cheryl’s life four years from now— she has remarried and goes on to have a beautiful family with two kids, one of whom is named after her mother. Cheryl’s journey is an inspiration to always embrace life changes, to stumble upon the treasure that was meant to be yours.

3. Booksmart (2019)

The story of two high school best friends who realize that they have overlooked having fun for the longest time, being too focused on achievements, Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart highlights female empowerment through female friendship and self-discovery, challenging the societal pressures on young girls, in a narrative that explores the struggles and agency of two teenage girls.

4. Revenge (2017)

Parisian director Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (2018) chronicles the horror that ensues after a woman takes justice into her own hands. Matching beats with the likes of John Wick and Hutch Mansel from Nobody, Jen sets out to hunt down the three married men, who vilified her honor and left her to die in the middle of a desert canyon. The transformation of Matilda Lutz as Jen from being an “eye-candy” mistress of a married man to a bloodthirsty avenger is remarkable (and frankly, inspirational).

5. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

In one of the best films by Kathryn Bigelow, Jessica Chastain plays a highly skilled CIA analyst, Maya, who challenges traditional gender roles in a hyper-masculine environment, such as the CIA's mission to hunt down Osama bin Laden. She gains respect in her team despite initial belittlement by male colleagues, with her sheer persistence, competence, and professionalism, showcasing how gender becomes irrelevant when you’re instrumental in a particular role.

6. The Woman King (2022)

Viola Davis’ General Nanisca refutes the belief that women and men should be discriminated against based on their physical strength. General Nanisca is an embodiment of leadership that combines physical strength, emotional resilience, and moral courage, as she challenges the patriarchal and colonial systems of her kingdom. Her bond with the young recruit Nawi explores feminist values such as sisterhood and mentorship, highlighting how intergenerational support and collective empowerment are an ultimate arsenal for women to fight against deep-rooted misogyny that stands in the way of female empowerment.

7. The Whale Rider (2002)

A simple yet powerful story of a young girl navigating gender-based discrimination to become the chief of her tribe, Niki Caro’s The Whale Rider challenges the “women can’t” theories. Paikea, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes, transforms into the Whale Rider and marks her retaliation to gender inequality, as she fights against patriarchal norms while honoring her indigenous Māori identity and values, showing how gender equity can lead to cultural renewal and not its destruction.

8. Roma (2018)

Another heart-warming film is Alfonso Cuarón’s love letter to the women who raised him. Roma is a black and white saga of the grays in a woman’s life, exploring the different phases of womanhood in a story that revolves around a maid (Yalitza Aparicio) and the middle-class family (Antonio and Sofía) she works for in Mexico City.

9. The Joy Luck Club

Underrated but a poignant story about generational trauma, abuse, and healing, Wayne Wang’s The Joy Luck Club centers on four Chinese girlfriends and their four daughters as they reflect upon their past and mother-daughter relationship, over a few games of Mahjong, after the death of one of the members of the Joy Luck Club, a sisterhood club made by the girlfriends, Lindo Jong (Tsai Chin), Ying-Ying St. Clair (France Nuyen), An-Mei Hsu (Lisa Lu), and Suyuan Woo (Kieu Chinh), who met each other years ago, as Chinese immigrants settled in San Francisco.

The story of each woman is shown in flashbacks, exploring stories of survival against heart-wrenching atrocities against women that they are often forced to undergo in silence. The Joy Luck Club always gives me hope—it’s like a reassurance that there’s often a rainbow at the end of a storm.

10. A League of Their Own (1992)

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Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own centers on two sisters, Dottie and Kit, who join the first female professional baseball league during World War II. Of course, men being away at war opened up opportunities for women to enter male-dominated careers, and the film broke stereotypes about women in so many ways, namely, how strength and courage aren’t gendered traits.

Alongside, the rivalry between the two sisters humanizes the protagonists by validating their very human emotions and ambitions. Every baseball sequence is meticulously designed to mirror the sporty violence and aggression that’s expected in a men’s baseball game, and the two actors, Geena Davis and Lori Petty, hit the ball out of the park, quite literally, with their outstanding performance, balancing the portrayals of talented baseball players and rival sisters, seamlessly.

11. Mustang (2015)

Shaking a cynical head at the first world concepts of feminism is Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang, as it spotlights the unnerving atrocities that women from less developed countries face, right from a young age. The narrative follows four orphaned sisters, whose lives are turned into literal hell after they are caught in an innocent, playful banter with a few male friends at the beach. Horrified of losing their respect in society, their conservative social guardians put the siblings on house arrest, while looking for arranged matches to wed them off for good.

The story keeps you hooked as the girls try to get around the bonds on them, while the elders force them into surrendering to the oppressive societal expectations. A story of rebellion and quest for freedom, Mustang always leaves me both with a sense of gratitude and regret: I may have struggles as a woman, but I surely have it better than so many out there; only if I could do more in any way.

The spirit of feminism is rooted in survival. We’ve come a long way, but there’s more to go, and I believe good feminist movies are surely catalysts for the change. Let us know if you’d like part 2 for this one.

Did your favorite film make it to this list?