16 Feminist Films for an Empowering Movie Night
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If the massive success of Barbie taught us anything, it’s not that we need more franchises about toys, but that there’s a demand for more movies about women. And while we hope Hollywood takes the hint, there are already some great ones out there that are worth a watch (or re-watch) in the meantime. These dramas, comedies, and romances center on women; many are written and directed by them, too. The picks range from the obvious (Hidden Figures and A League of Their Own) to the unexpected (have you considered the feminism in Lilo & Stitch or 500 Days of Summer?), but they are exhilarating all the same.
Here, ELLE editors share the best feminist films to watch now, whether it’s Women’s History Month or any old time of year.
A League of Their Own
“When the men went to war, the women went to the factories…and the baseball diamond. A League of Their Own tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that was created to prop up the sport during World War II. Though many men—even the team’s coach (played by Tom Hanks)—scoffed at the idea of women playing a ‘man’s game’ at first, the players win their doubters over through their talent, sweat, and determination. The film serves as a powerful reminder that women can truly do anything men can do, if they are given the opportunity.” —Kayla Webley Adler, deputy editor
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Waiting to Exhale
“Where were you when you first watched Angela Bassett blow up her cheating husband’s car? That iconic scene tells you everything you need to know about the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. Based on the novel by Terry McMillan, the story follows four friends (Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine) as they take their power back from the men who’ve done them wrong. Come for the female rage, and stay for the ode to friendship and sisterhood.” —Juliana Ukiomogbe, assistant editor
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Thelma & Louise
“Thelma & Louise, written by Callie Khouri, is an amazing film for its portrayal of two women who embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. There are so many beautiful, raw scenes, but the most iconic and satisfying is when they set a truck ablaze in self-defense against a man who had been harassing them for most of the film. Their journey, though at times challenging to watch, is ultimately a testament to the enduring bond between women and the importance of supporting each other in times of struggle. I first saw this film with my best friend, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!” —Leah Romero, Senior Digital Designer
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Clueless
“Like the Jane Austen novel on which it’s based, Clueless is an undeniably feminist work. The beloved 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling finds a worthy protagonist in Cher Horowitz, who doesn’t need a man to make her happy—she has better things to do, like go to the mall, make a cameo at the Val party, or play matchmaker for her two lonely teachers at Bronson Alcott High School.”—Claire Stern, digital director
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Hidden Figures
“Astronaut John Glenn might have been the first man to orbit the earth in the 1960s, but his achievement was made possible by female mathematicians (literal computers) working on his mission. Hidden Figures tells the amazing true story of three Black women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson (played respectively by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe), who helped give the U.S. a leg up in the space race. This 2016 film, and the Margot Lee Shetterly book it’s based on, shed light on the often-overlooked people who shaped history.” —Erica Gonzales, senior culture editor
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Booksmart
“Booksmart opens with Molly (Beanie Feldstein) listening to a motivational speech in her bedroom before one of her last days of high school. She’s surrounded by photos of Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and feminist slogans line her walls. The movie, which follows two best friends and straight-A students who attempt to make up for lost time by partying with their classmates on graduation night, has been called ‘the feminist Superbad’ for a reason.”—CS
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Now and Then
“Now and Then follows four girlfriends in the summer of 1970 as they cope with death, divorce, and budding sexuality, by solving a local mystery. It is firmly a coming-of-age story, told through their adult future selves (played by an incredible lineup: Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, and Melanie Griffith), but the portrayal of teen girls (a cast that includes Gaby Hoffmann, Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, and Ashleigh Aston Moore) as fully realized humans with deep emotional lives gives the film a feminist bent. This is a movie that takes teen girls seriously (as we all should!) and shows the power of young women as they learn to stand on their own, leave their shitty families behind, and conquer the world.”—KWA
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The Cheetah Girls
“In all honesty, I think The Cheetah Girls was my introduction to intersectional feminism. Yes, it was a star-making vehicle for many Disney It Girls, and it’s chock-full of pop hits and aspirational 2000s fashion, but it also centered predominantly on young women of color, who supported one another, pursued their dreams together, and even held each other accountable when necessary. It’s kind of incredible how, in between catchy numbers like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Cheetah Sisters,’ the film also explored privilege, racial identity, adoption, wealth disparity, and being a child of a single parent. The coordinating tracksuits were great, too.” —EG
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Lilo & Stitch
“I realize this is perhaps an unhinged choice, but I deeply admire Lilo and Nani, the Hawaiian sisters and heroines in Lilo & Stitch. Lilo is outspoken. She’s feisty. She feeds peanut butter sandwiches to fish! And she navigates a difficult circumstance—she’s an orphan who lives with her teenage sister; she’s bullied by the other girls in her class—by showing complete loyalty and love to her mysterious pet, Stitch. At the same time, her sister, Nani, is doing her best to keep the family afloat—working at a tourist trap and refusing to date in order to put Lilo first. Lilo & Stitch, at its heart, is about two girls who stand their ground and change their immediate circumstances, all because of their deep belief in ’ohana, which means no one gets left behind.” —Madison Feller, digital deputy editor
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Never Rarely Sometimes Always
“Eliza Hittman’s moving indie came out in 2020, but it’s even more relevant today. Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a pregnant teen seeking an abortion, but there are no viable providers in her hometown. With the company of her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), she embarks on a journey crossing state lines to receive the procedure legally. The duo’s quest shows the many hurdles young women across the country must face to have a safe abortion.” —EG
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The Color Purple
“Women are at the center of this story based on Alice Walker’s seminal, Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Amid the hardship and struggle is a story of resilience and a celebration of the bonds between women, not only between Celie and her sister, Nettie, but also with the glamorous Shug Avery, the headstrong Sofia, and even the soft-spoken Squeak. Whether in the form of the book, the ’80s film, or the 2023 musical movie, The Color Purple is an invitation to see the beauty in everything, and everyone.” —EG
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Women Talking
“It feels almost too obvious to name Women Talking, the 2022 drama based on the book of the same name, but there is something radical about watching a film where women talk to each other about what they deserve and want from their lives. In the film, their long conversations stem from the realization that men in their isolated religious community have been drugging and raping women and girls. A select few women come together to decide what they’ll do next: Stay and do nothing, stay and fight back, or leave behind everything they’ve ever known. As the title suggests, it’s a simple premise—there’s not much plot or action; it really is a lot of women gathered in discussion. But Women Talking knows that’s more than compelling.” —MF
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Jennifer's Body
“Jennifer’s Body panned with critics and audiences when it first hit theaters in 2009, but the years since have allowed time for some much-needed re-evaluation. The horror film starring Megan Fox as a man-eating demon, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, is a surprising story about empowerment, revenge, and accountability that centers on the female gaze. It was simply ahead of its time.” —EG
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500 Days of Summer
“500 Days of Summer boldly subverts traditional romantic tropes, casting Summer as the ‘antagonist’ and Tom as the unlucky protagonist—depending on who you ask. It’s a shift from the typical portrayal of female characters in rom-coms, where they often grapple with feelings of inadequacy, compromise their dignity for mere scraps of attention from men, or yearn for more from someone only interested in surface-level connections. Conventional rom-coms often paint men as emotionally shallow, but here, Summer embodies this stereotype, leading Tom through a rollercoaster of emotions that ultimately culminate in heartbreak. Throughout the film (told entirely from Tom’s perspective), we’re led to believe that Tom is naive, innocent, and hopelessly in love. Tom wants to live in a ‘perfect’ love story, but love is unpredictable. Love is flawed. Summer is flawed. Sure, she maintained her stance on avoiding commitment. Did she mislead him? Undoubtedly. Did Tom project his desires onto her? Absolutely. However, beneath it all, Summer did crave something substantial—just not with Tom—and that’s perfectly fine. Women are people, too, and not characters in your fictional, unrealistic dream.” —Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor
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Hustlers
“During the 2008 recession, a group of clever strippers in New York City devise a risky plan to get back at their wealthy Wall Street clients. Hustlers explores class and wealth disparity as the women band together to take matters into their own hands, weaponizing their sexuality and subverting the male gaze. Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Julia Stiles, and more star in this true-story drama based on Jessica Pressler’s article for New York Magazine and directed by Lorene Scafaria.” —EG
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Barbie
“Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie somehow turned a story of a plastic doll into an entertaining (not to mention billion-dollar-making) commentary on how women must navigate the patriarchy in their daily lives. No matter how you feel about America Ferrera’s monologue, there are mountains of truth in it, from the impossible expectations women must live up to to our crippling feelings of self-doubt. Ken’s shenanigans and musical numbers are just a bonus.” —EG
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