5 Films Highlighting Women In Charge And Thriving

We are still in great need of more films featuring powerful women leading. In 2022, only 33% of films featured women protagonists, according to San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film. Women also comprised only 38% of major characters and 37% of all speaking characters. While this data reflects a slight increase since 2021, there is still a huge under-representation of women in movies. And after the huge success of Barbie this summer, which was received by many as a feminist body of work, you may already be looking to indulge in more movies focused on women’s empowerment.

Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted movie about a high-power women executive or for an autobiographical documentary film, here are a few picks that highlight women in charge and thriving. 

Becoming is the name of Michelle Obama’s autobiography that she released in 2018. Her documentary of the same name came out on Netflix in 2020. The movie, directed by Nadia Hallgren, follows Michelle Obama through her 34-city book tour and features footage of Obama’s travels, talk-shows, and her work as first lady. It showcases Obama’s personal triumphs and her hardships not only as a first lady, but as a wife and mother too. 

The Favourite, released in 2018, features an all-star cast of women. Rachel Weisz plays Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Emma Stone plays Abigail Masham, and Olivia Colman stars as Queen Anne. Set in early 18th-century Great Britain, the movie discusses the complex relationships between women and power struggles within families. As a dark comedy, it is not only interesting, but funny to watch. You can rent The Favourite on Amazon Prime Video.

Christina Milian stars as the quintessential high-power big city executive in this Netflix romantic comedy. When she enters a contest to win a rustic New Zealand inn, she flies out to claim her prize. In the process of fixing the inn with a dreamy contractor, she realizes she may want more for her life. With the experience and intelligence to become an entrepreneur, she starts to consider turning the inn into her full-time job. You can stream Falling In Love exclusively on Netflix.

In the biographical legal drama On the Basis of Sex, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy as the second woman to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court was showcased on the big screen. The film follows Ginsburg, played by Felicity Jones, from her first year at Harvard Law School all the way until she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU and was officially voted into the Supreme Court. The real-life Ginsburg, who was a revolutionary for women’s reproductive rights, passed two years after the film’s release. 

If you love a good foreign film, Shakuntala Devi is a great watch. The film follows Shakuntala Devi, a famous mathematician known as the “human computer. ” Devi’s ability to solve difficult math problems in her head made her into a celebrity, and she spent a huge portion of her life showcasing her math talents all over the world. The movie depicts both Devi’s childhood and adulthood, as well as encapsulates some of the complex issues she had with her family. 

While these films range in period, basis, and style, they all do a great job at depicting women in charge. The women in these films thrive as leaders, reminding us women to empower ourselves and all of our possibilities.