Please recommend me some good (real) feminist films

[palomatoast]

I've just watched Poor Things and need eye bleach. I stupidly only vaguely read the blurb and a quote from the lead Emma Stone about how it's about female emancipation and the patriachy. Well it's definitely about the patriarchy alright.

Please recommend me some good (real) feminist films, ideally directed by women. I need to cleanse my soul.

Do you mean things like:
On the basis of sex
Suffragette
Made in Dagenham

Thanks for your reply. I guess I just mean any film that I can sit down and watch and not feel slightly annoyed (or more frequently downright disgusted) by the presentation of women in it.

I've seen so many "feminist" films recently (e.g. Barbie) which I've found so disappointing. My version of feminism doesn't involve a non-subtle attempt at marketing skinny plastic dolls to little girls.

This board knows what real feminism looks like so I'd love to get some recommendations.

I think Nomadland fits your criteria if you’ve not seen it. It’s scary that I’m not immediately thinking of more that do.

Thank you. I've actually seen Nomadland and thought it was great. I'm trying to rack my brains for another film I've seen recently that fits the bill and can't come up with anything! So depressing.

I’d recommend Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, Maria Shrader’s She Said, anything by Jane Campion.

Fargo
The Piano (in a way)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Alien
Now, Voyager!
All About Eve

Thanks! Putting these all on my watch list

Oh, and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. Celine Song’s Past Lives. If you like French film, Agnès Varda’s whole career, anything by Claire Denis, but also Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire or her earlier Water Lilies.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

Thelma and Louise

Thelma&Louise

Promising Young Woman

Widows - crime/mob thriller by Steve McQueen, really enjoyed the female empowerment

Hidden figures.
About women's fight for their role at NASA in 60's.

I should have thought of Hidden Figures! Great film.

Some more arguable cases:

An Education
The Devil Wears Prada (well, it's a mostly female cast, anyway)
Educating Rita
Shirley Valentine
The Accused
The Bourne Supremacy*

*Yes, really. Joan Allen plays a very senior CIA director and as far as I can recall this is a role that could have been played by a man - i.e. there is no plot reason for Landy to be a woman and she has no love interest - and she proves to be a very strong and clever operator. (I am an absolute sucker for the original Bourne trilogy, so I fully accept I may be overstretching here.)

Amanda, 2022 Italian film

Hidden Figures

Alien

Women Talking is a wonderful feminist film.

There’s Still Tomorrow, an Italian film with a female director. Loved it

Women Talking, Promising Young Women, Catherine Called Birdy, Nyad, Prevenge, Past Lives, Moana (!)

I liked the miniseries Mrs America. Really made me think about how far women have come and how far we have to go.

Enola Holmes - funny feisty original. Helena Bonham Carter as amazing mother.

Frozen River
Winters Bone
Erin Brokovich
The Woman King
Jackie Brown
Fargo
The Girl with the dragon tattoo
Mulan
Wajda

Breasts - it's a documentary.

Just women talking about their breasts throughout their lifetime and it hits hard how objectified and disconnected from our own bodies society has made us.

Amazing film.