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Original poster

Films or TV shows with strong female characters - recommendations for a 13 year old girl

141 replies

GCmiddle · 10/04/2020 13:10

Hi,
My 13 year old daughter is just staring to develop a feminist consciousness and is wanting to watch stuff with strong female leads. She doesn’t like reading, so my book recommendations fall on deaf ears. She has recently enjoyed the Hunger Games films and (though she is loathe to admit it) the CBBC Mallory Towers adaptation.
Can anyone recommend anything she might like to watch please?
Thanks.

OP posts:
SpringerJS · 25/04/2020 13:00

Re Buffy - I agree, the later series aren't appropriate for young teen. I have let mine watch seasons 1-3.

Rummikub · 15/04/2020 14:16

Erin Brokonvich
Marvel agents of shield series - strong female characters
Hidden figures - incredible true story

WotchaTalkinBoutWillis · 15/04/2020 14:07

The new Malory Towers series on Iplayer Smile
Loving it.
Kind of genteel, nice watching - and an all female cast (apart from one delivery boy lol)
Strong characters too - Darrell Rivers, sporty, forthright, etc, and Alicia as two examples

tilder · 14/04/2020 21:50

Loved Buffy. I do remember it wasn't all age appropriate for young teens though. What season would you let 13 year old watch up to?

SkaterGrrrrl · 13/04/2020 12:49

Dirty Dancing?

Might be a 15.

MichaelHerbert · 13/04/2020 12:43

Jodie is very good as The Doctor in "Doctor Who". Kate Winsley plays a feisty young woman in "Dark Season"

EwwSprouts · 13/04/2020 12:35

Hidden Figures is fab.
Bumblebee (2018) - watched last night with DS15.
Bend it like Beckham
Whale Rider
Suffragette

AnotherEmma · 13/04/2020 12:19

Game of Thrones and Dexter are not suitable for a 13yo girl!

Thirtyrock39 · 13/04/2020 11:51

When I was 13 my favourite film was adventures in babysitting - watched it this weekend with the kids and they loved it - 'don't fuck with the babysitter' there's a bit of language and playboy references but I thought Elizabeth shue was brilliant - also realised where my long held dream of the perfect camel coat 🧥 came from !!

Tigger85 · 13/04/2020 11:36

His dark materials have a BBC adaptation that is good. The main character is an orphan girl called Lyra, she is 12-13 years old in the first book and first TV series. The Hunger games and divergent series also have strong young female leads. Other shows with strong female leads that I know might be too adult unless you allow her to watch things like game of thrones? The walking dead has multiple strong female characters, Lucifer has a strong female detective called Chloe Decker, Dexter has his sister Debra Morgan is a pretty kick ass detective although they ruin her character at the end, Siobhan Roy is much more capable than her brothers in succession. The new tomb raider has a much more relatable less sexualised Lara croft.

woodencoffeetable · 13/04/2020 11:24

maybe she's a bit young for it but 'stranger things' have very strong female characters.

AnotherEmma · 13/04/2020 11:20

Another vote for His Dark Materials (what a shame she's not a reader as the books are fantastic) and Hidden Figures.

Some TV which is most probably too old for her atm but definitely to watch in a few years' time:
Handmaid's Tale
The Good Wife
Orange is the New Black

How about some Jane Austen adaptations? They are not obviously feminist but female-centric and lots of interesting characters and themes to discuss.

MichaelHerbert · 13/04/2020 11:13

Jodie whittaker is great as the Doctor in Doctor Who . a very young Kate Winskley plays a fesisty young woman in tv seroes. Dark season en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Season

Awrite · 12/04/2020 22:57

@Danceswithwarthogs - I described that book to 14 year old dd. She thinks she'd love it so I've ordered it. Thanks for the recommendation. Smile

TheSandman · 12/04/2020 21:02

@GCmiddle Come back and tell us what she watched and what she thought of them.

Original poster
GCmiddle · 12/04/2020 19:35

Wow, I didn't expect so many responses! Thanks for all the great suggestions.

OP posts:
sageandroses · 12/04/2020 15:22

Forgot to say, it's on Disney +

sageandroses · 12/04/2020 15:21

Haven't read the full thread so don't know if it's been mentioned, but Diary of a Future President is great! Perfect for a 13 year old.

PerkingFaintly · 12/04/2020 14:38

And yes, definitely Buffy!

PerkingFaintly · 12/04/2020 14:37

Probably too boring for her at this age, but I liked the recent Effie Gray – which as it happens is on again today, 23:15 BBC2.

It's about John Ruskin's wife, but is unusual for anything about this period, particularly a film about an artist's muse, because it's not shown through the male gaze.

It stood out enough that I checked who wrote it. Yep, sure enough, Emma Thompson.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06km7fb

Chiyo666 · 12/04/2020 14:28

Sabrina
Self made
Wonder Woman

All on Netflix

Unihorn · 12/04/2020 14:24

So glad someone suggested The Mentalist, I love that show. Possibly slightly gory/creepy at 13 though. I would also suggest Grey's Anatomy, the female doctors are all pretty headstrong.

woodencoffeetable · 12/04/2020 14:21

relic hunter
lara croft

stumbledin · 12/04/2020 14:20

I came on to post something totally different and then seeing grapic above wondered about Zena Warrior Princess!

What i came to say is I think Little Miss Sunshine may not be suitable, unless daughter has a bit of awareness of the world as there are some pervy men in it. She doesn't need to know about them yet does she? Confused

SarahTancredi · 12/04/2020 13:46

Do not let her watch sabrina. They take the gender non confirming lesbian and trans her.

Buffy is good
Hidden figures
The shallows
Soul surfer
Maybe x files depending on maturity.
Aliens

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