Among the various possibilities, losing oneself in films that honor women in all their guises is a surefire method to enter the female mindset. These are not just stories of modest victories but of stirring victories, tales of everyday rebellions, and celebrations of the small successes that illustrate how far we’ve come and illuminate how far we still have to go. Now, without further ado, here are the empowering female-led stories that will still be relevant in 2023.
Much discussion and controversy have centered on the feminist themes in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and its several screen adaptations. However, the Greta Gerwig movie cuts because of how it updates the book’s feminist message. Despite having diverse ideas of what it means to be a woman, it’s fascinating to see how each of the four March sisters comes to own and exercise her unique strength.
This film has become an all-time classic because it follows a woman who prepares for her honeymoon in Paris after her soon-to-be-husband disappears on their wedding day. While on her honeymoon by herself, she not only comes to terms with her own identity but also discovers new dimensions of it.
Dido Elizabeth Belle, the ‘illegitimate’ half-black daughter of an admiral, struggles with the pervasive racism of her upbringing in the elite society of the 19th century in the actual narrative told in Belle. Gugu Mbatha-Raw shines in Belle, a film about marginalization that is visually stunning and strange (it’s also quite sweet).
Thappad, which narrowly avoided being shut down due to a pandemic, takes a strong stand against patriarchy through the eyes of its protagonist, who files for divorce after her husband smacks her at a work party. But the film starring Taapsee Pannu is more than simply a cautionary tale about marital violence; it’s also a riveting social drama about the years of indoctrination that lead not only males but also women to promote the toxic notions of patriarchy.
Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century to experience the rise of the suffragette movement through the eyes of Carey Mulligan’s young working mother.
Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) inspires her to take action, and she joins the fight for women’s suffrage, taking increasingly extreme measures in the face of state cruelty.
Reese Witherspoon plays both the lead role and the producer in the biopic Wild, based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of the same name. A recent divorcee sets out on the Pacific Crest Trail in search of personal growth and fulfillment. She sets out on her own, determined to complete the journey, and along the way, she has a profound moment of revelation and release.
This 2016 film is hailed as one of Disney’s most feminist works. In an interesting role reversal, Moana doesn’t need to be rescued by a prince; as the chief’s daughter, she must swim the reef to preserve her island. Via the encouragement of the formidable women in her life, she can achieve the impossible and discover her happily ever after, not through a prince charming but through realizing her potential.
A film that not only gave a new spin on the age-old story of betrayal and the search for a missing person but also paid tribute to the tenacity of a woman who would stop at nothing until she saw justice done for the wrongs done to her.
If you’re a feminist, you should check out this black-and-white film that received ten nominations at the 91st Academy Awards. Filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón wrote, directed, and produced the picture set in Colonia Roma in Mexico City and focuses on the lives of two women and their unwavering courage in the face of adversity, especially when the men in their lives forsake them.