Happy International Women’s Day!!
I personally think we ought to celebrate women and female filmmakers far more than just one day a year, don’t you agree? Well, here on FlixChatter, we’re always championing #women in film.
One of the ways I do that is by watching as many films #directedbywomen, hence I’ve been participating in the 52 Films By Women challenge for the past 5+ years. I’ve got a strong start this year with 15 women-directed films that I’ve watched so far, woot!!
If you recall, to celebrate IWD 2023, I wrote about female representation (or lack thereof) in Hollywood and shared some of the women-focused posts I’ve done over the years. Well, this year I thought I’d do something different and celebrate films with outstanding female-driven ensemble casts, so here are 10 to start with in alphabetical order:
Those marked with * (asterisk) are films directed by women
9 To 5
I watched this movie last year to prep for Still Working 9 To 5 documentary, can’t believe I missed it but better late than never! The 1980 film is a fun and hilarious film that tackled a compelling feminist message, starring the amazing yet unlikely trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and country star Dolly Parton in her first-ever feature film role. It’s hilarious from start to finish but also highlights the battle of women workers to get acknowledged and compensated fairly in the largely male-dominated workplace, something we still struggle with to this day!
A Call To Spy*
As a fan of the spy genre, this is such a gem of a film that highlights the role of women in WWII. While Hollywood is so focused on making SO MANY superheroes. movies, true heroes are those who dare to do extraordinary courageous things against insurmountable odds. The three women were recruited to join a new spy agency called Special Operations Executive (SOE) created by Winston Churchill. I think women make great spies but their contributions are often overlooked in history, so thanks to director Lydia Dean Pilcher and writer Sarah Megan Thomas for shining a light to a few of them here.
Barbie*
One can’t make a list of women’s ensemble movies and not include this critical darling that also smashes the 2023 box office. Greta Gerwig truly did an amazing job paying homage to the Barbie doll origin story, which was the symbol of post-war female independence in 1959, while creating an entertaining, fun cultural juggernaut in the process. Glad to see Margot Robbie finally get a hit after a couple of bombs in a row, and she’s as formidable in front of the camera as she is behind it as a producer. Who can forget America Ferrara‘s passionate, patriarchy-skewering monologue about womanhood? Even the scene-stealing performance of Ryan Gosling can’t dampen the powerful female camaraderie of the Barbie cast!
The Joy Luck Club
As a Southeast Asian immigrant, this seminal film is very important to me. Based on Amy Tan’s book of the same name, the film focuses on the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers. Back in the early 90s, it was rare to see authentic Asian representation that focused on the assimilation struggles. I appreciate the specificity of the Chinese mother/daughter stories, but the film also touches upon the universal immigrant experience for someone like me who wasn’t born in the US. I love how timeless The Joy Luck Club is and its success has paved the way for other Asian-centric films like Crazy Rich Asians, Shang-Chi, and Joyride.
Little Women
full review of the 2019 version
I like both the 1994 film by Gillian Armstrong and the 2019 one by Greta Gerwig. I think both are wonderful adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s novel and though I prefer Saoirse Ronan‘s performance as Jo March to Winona Ryder‘s, the overall ensemble cast is equally fantastic. The 1994 version has the edge in the portrayal of Friedrich Bhaer by Gabriel Byrne, I mean Louis Garrel is a good French actor but his performance doesn’t really move me. Well, why pick either? I’d check out both if you haven’t already, the story of the March sisters in post-Civil War America is a must-see.
Suffragette* (2015)
Carey Mulligan is no stranger to female empowerment films, and this is definitely an important film highlighting an early feminist movement. It’s really astonishing that just over a hundred years ago, women couldn’t even exercise the right to vote. Mulligan is terrific as a working woman pushing for change, she and her colleagues exemplify the tagline: Mothers. Daughters. Rebels. perfectly. Love Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Romola Garai, and Meryl Streep. Before Ben Whishaw plays a kind male ally in Women Talking, in this film he represents the uncaring and unsupportive husbands of many women in that period. Sarah Gavron did a wonderful job with this film, too bad she hasn’t worked much, which is a testament to how female filmmakers still struggle to find work even when they have done great work.
Waiting To Exhale (1995)
I absolutely adore this 90s film that was directed by actor Forest Whitaker. It’s such a heartwarming and funny celebration of female friendship that feels raw, honest, and defiant. I can still remember the burning car scene where Angela Bassett apparently improvised that scathing monologue [you go, girl!]. One of my all-time fave scenes is where Bassett shares a heartwarming moment with Wesley Snipes (who’s strangely uncredited here) Love Whitney Houston here and Loretta Devine‘s flirtation with Gregory Hines is so darn cute! The gorgeous song Count On Me by Cece Winans and Houston has such a soothing quality and it’s so timeless.
Widows (2018)
Widows is such an underrated crime drama by British director Steve McQueen who co-wrote the script with Gillian Flynn (the author of Gone Girl). Led by the phenomenal Viola Davis, she assembled a team of strong women–Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo to pull off a heist her husband was planning. Right from the provocative opening scene of Davis making out with Liam Neeson in bed, this movie is taut from start to finish. This is the first time I saw Brian Tyree Henry and I love his scenes with Daniel Kaluuya. One of the best neo-noir heist movies with a finale twist that left me going ‘whoa!!’
“Nobody thinks we have the balls to pull this off” – yeah, don’t ever bet against Viola Davis!
The Woman King* (2022)
All hail Viola Davis in The Woman King, that’s the headline of my review and it’s exactly how I feel about her performance which is criminally overlooked by the Academy. When people ask me what’s the most egregious Oscar snub, I’d say it’s this film, including Best Director (Gina Prince-Bythewood), Best Leading Role (Davis), and Best Picture. A movie that’s written, directed, AND produced by women that grossed nearly $100 million, the movie’s biggest weapon is the outstanding mostly female cast. Lashana Lynch and Thuso Medu are both impressive in supporting roles, displaying their dramatic and action prowess, the action scenes are simply glorious to watch. This is an important historical drama that’s epic, entertaining and heart-wrenching.
Women Talking*
As the title suggests, this is a heavy-dialog film directed by Sarah Polley that would work well as a play. The set may be simple and minimalistic but the topic of the conversation is deeply complex and emotionally difficult. It may seem like nothing happens in this film, and the subject matter isn’t exactly jolly, but the power of dialog can be quite absorbing when delivered with such honesty and raw emotional convictions. The ensemble cast is filled with exceptional talents: Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, and Frances McDormand (who also delivered a fantastic performance that year in The Tragedy of Macbeth). The conversation is memorable, bursting with pent-up emotion and repressed anger from years of oppression and abuse. It’s the kind of film where the special effects are the shrewd script and tremendous performances.
Have you seen any of these films? Which ones are your favorites?
///
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Great list of female-led ensemble movies! I definitely agree with all of your choices, but “Little Women” in particular stands out to me. I absolutely appreciate what Greta Gerwig was able to accomplish with that movie. It’s one of the greatest book adaptations I’ve ever seen. It also has exceptional performances from the four leading women. Here’s why I loved it: https://huilahimovie.reviews/2020/01/18/little-women-2019-movie-review/
Have you seen the 94 version of Little Women? It’s a good one too but yeah, the Gerwig version is perhaps a better adaptation overall. Love Saoirse as Jo March!
Hi Ruth, I haven’t seen the 1994 film but heard good things about it. I just felt Gerwig set a high standard which would be difficult to top with her amazing adaptation.
With the exception to A Call to Spy and The Woman King (as I haven’t seen either), I totally dig these choices.
Oh both of those are excellent!! The Woman King was absolutely robbed at that year’s Oscars. People are so up in arms about Barbie snub but I think the Woman King snub is far egregious!!
Wait, didn’t The Woman King come out in 2022?
I only saw two from the list, Widows and Barbie. Widows is definitely one of the most underrated thrillers from the last decade. I know that Jennifer Lawrence was attached to play the role that was played in the film by Elizabeth Debicki. I think the film would’ve done much better and got more attention with Lawrence starring in it because she’s still a box office draw at the time. Apparently, she had to back out because of scheduling conflicts.
I also enjoyed another recent all female lead film, The 355, it’s a fun action thriller that deserved to be big hit. But sadly, it opened around the time the Covid Omacron breakout and disappear quite fast in theaters.
Yeah it’s sad about Widows. You would think Viola Davis’ name would be enough to get people to see it, plus Steve McQueen is a respectable director out of the UK.
Oh I enjoyed The 355 quite a bit too, somehow I forgot about that or I would have put that on the list. Jessica Chastain & Penelope Cruz were bad ass!!
Outside of film fans like you and I, I don’t think most people knows Viola Davis is. People will likely know her face when they see her in a movie or TV show but not her name. As for Steve McQueen, he’s not a branded name director like a Nolan, Spielberg or Cameron, so they can’t promote the film on his name. Also, most people will likely get him confused with the late actor Steve McQueen. Lol!
Fox just didn’t know how to market the film. I remember they featured mostly Liam Neeson and Michelle Rodriguez in the trailers since both actors are more well known to the general audiences than the rest of the cast members.