20 Of The Best Kick-Ass, Female-Led Films To Watch During Isolation
Strong female leads in Hollywood were once hard to come by.
Thankfully, the 2017 Me Too and 2018 Time's Up movements kickstarted new conversations around gender equality and lead to an exciting newfound emphasis on women's stories. Yet still, many actresses from Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show) to Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) ventured to the small screen, for more developed characters and better storylines for women.
In the past year, there have been films with inspiring female leads aplenty, from Greta Gerwig's Little Women to Olivia Wilde's Booksmart, and although the awards circuit continually fails to recognise female directors, we've thrown our favourites into the mix with some golden oldie female-led films, like Erin Brockovich.
Strong, talented female writers, directors and actors are claiming the spotlight in a post-Weinstein world, and for all the right reasons. Spend your isolation time wisely and focus your attention on the stories less listened to.
Here are 20 female-led, kick-ass films to get you through isolation:
1. Eighth Grade, 2018
Seeing 13-year old Kayla (played by rising star Elsie Fisher) shuffle awkwardly into the pool party of the coolest girl in school while dressed in a swimming cozzy that's far too small is utter genius. Along with having her on YouTube channel (complete with a cringe catchphrase), a creepy run in with an older boy and being furiously embarrassed as soon as her dad opens his mouth, this is the most relatable representation yet of the horros of early adolescence.
One of Barack Obama's favourite films of 2018, this awkward coming-of-age tale empathetically represents kids who live their lives online with razor sharp accuracy.
2. Hustlers, 2019
Based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article, 'The Hustlers at Scores', Lorene Scafaria directs one of the most talked about films of last year. With Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu as leads, the film follows a group of New York City strippers with a masterplan to scam Wall Street executives. Look out for cameos by Lizzo and Cardi B.
3. Harriet, 2019
'I will give every last drop of blood in my veins until this monster called slavery is dead.' Kasi Lemmons directs the powerful biopic of American political activist, Harriet Tubman – played by Cynthia Erivo – who escapes slavery, joins the abolitionist movement and returns to help others to freedom.
For her performance in the film, Erivo received nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild. Janelle Monae supports.
4. The Sky Is Pink, 2019
Featuring former ELLE cover star Priyanka Chopra Jonas – who returns to Bollywood after a three year break – The Sky Is Pink is based on the real life story of Aisha Chaudhary (played by Zaira Wasim) who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Directed by Shonali Bose, the film tells the 25-year love story of her parents, Aditi and Niren, dealing with their daughter's illness and their journey from India to the UK.
5. Booksmart, 2019
Getting straight A's and giving zero F's, Molly and Amy are the know-it-all bookworms who have fake IDs just to get into the library and use the word 'Malala' (as in Yousafzai) as their secret BFF codeword. Played by rising stars Beanie Feldstein and BAFTA nominated Kaitlyn Denver, on the eve of graduation the friends vow to have the wildest night of their lives after discovering the kids who partied through school also got into Ivy League universities.
Olivia Wilde's directorial debut is the ultimate feel-good teen adventure which sees two best friends unintentionally tripping on acid, hunting future lovers down via Snapchat and strengthening their sisterhood.
6. Spirited Away, 2003
Considered one of the greatest anime films ever made, crossing generations and cultures, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away sees 10-year-old Chihiro as its hero. After her parents are turned into pigs in an abandoned theme park, it's up to Chihiro to break the spell.
Taking you on a truly enchanting journey through the spirit world, this film might start a new anime obsession.
7. Little Women, 2019
Greta Gerwig's adaptation of the literary classic, starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen, will have you weeping for the entire second half. In perhaps the most explicitly feminist take to date on the Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel – highlighting the value of women’s joy and labour – we are reunited with sisters Jo, Amy, Meg and Beth.
Following their passage from childhood to adulthood, the star-studded cast also includes Call Me By Your Name's Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern,
Though Greta was snubbed at the 2020 Oscars, this film rightfully received critical acclaim. It will make you more grateful for opportunities we are given as women in 2020, whilst inspiring you to keep pushing the glass ceiling in the name of the women who pushed long before.
8. The Runaways, 2010
In The Runaways – a biographic about the band of the same name – periods take centre stage in a glorious opening scene that sees droplets of Cherie Currie's (Dakota Fanning) period blood hit the pavement. She runs into a petrol station bathroom to relatably stuff toilet paper in her knickers as a makeshift sanitary towel, and the film continues to smash stereotypical onscreen representations of women.
Kristen Stewart plays the co-lead, Joan Jett, to tell the story of the world's first rock and role (girl)band, directed by Floria Sigismondi.
9. Erin Brockovich, 2000
Showing Julia Roberts at her finest, this film will have you scouring eBay and Depop for every killer 90s / 00s look. Every outfit is a total moment for the single mother and legal assistant seeking justice for a town poisoned by their water supply.
Robert's tells the true story of a woman who transcends her humble surroundings, a force of nature who takes on the big dogs and wins.
10. Kill Bill
Quentin Tarrentino doesn't often give much airtime to women in his movies (except Jackie Brown, another must-watch), but Uma Thurman is the ultimate, bad ass hero in this cult-classic, revenge-fuelled two parter.
A pregnant assassin - nicknamed The Bride - is beaten into a coma by husband-to-be boss Bill on their wedding day. When she wakes up four years later, she is hellbent on revenge against him and his associates.
11. Whitney, 2018
Set against the backdrop of previously unseen personal home videos, Kevin Macdonald’s incredibly intimate portrayal of the life and music of a young Whitney Houston creates an honest, unapologetic depiction of the icon’s stratospheric rise to fame and subsequent self-destructive fall.
Not only does Whitney chronicle how the Queen of Pop fought for independence in a male-dominated industry, but the film also acts as a raging commentary on racial politics from the eighties through to the noughties. Get ready, it’s going to be So Emotional…
12. Generation Wealth, 2018
You’ll be stifling some awkward laughter at this hilariously bizarre, yet dark and twisted documentary on the psychology of the money-hungry society that we live in. Through a series of photographs and candid first-person interviews with people from Los Angeles to Moscow, we're confronted with the question: is the world of luxury really all that it seems?
Written and directed by all-round wonder woman Lauren Greenfield, the film also focuses on her own struggle between pursuing her wild career (as an artist, photographer and documentary maker) and staying at home to help raise her kids.
13. Matangi/ Maya/ M.I.A, 2018
This documentary starring M.I.A is drawn from a never-before seen store of personal footage spanning from her teenage years through to present day. An exploration of her ever-evolving identity, the title reflects the many names that the singer Maya… Matangi, or M.I.A, goes by.
Like Whitney, the film creates an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist, musician and activist as she utilises the platform that fame has given her in order to fight for the rights of the disadvantaged – all while perfecting her own original sound.
Spoiler alert: Prepare for some real nineties nostalgia: Maya does dance in her room in front of a Wu Tang Clan poster.
14. Disobedience, 2018
Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams take the lead in this daring exploration of female sexuality within the Orthodox Jewish community in London; more specifically, Hendon and Golders Green.
When the outlandish, though dedicated photographer Ronit (Weisz) returns to the community that shunned her for her attraction to a childhood friend (McAdams), their passions reignite as they attempt to navigate the boundaries of faith and sexuality. Hard-hitting and erotic, this film is one to watch on the LGBTQ+ front.
15. Widows, 2018
Based on the 1983 ITV series of the same name, Steve McQueen’s Widows is set in present-day Chicago in which four women, whose dead husbands’ criminal activities have left them in crippling debt, band together in order to secure their own fates.
Written by Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn, the film features an all-star cast including Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki. Now that’s some kick-ass female casting. Oh, Colin Farrell and Daniel Kaluuya also make appearances, just to let you know.
16. If Beale Street Could Talk, 2018
This modern take on the classic novel by James Baldwin is written and directed by Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins, and stars Kiki Layne, Dave Franco and Pedro Pascal. Based in 1970s Harlem, the plot follows 19-year old, pregnant Tish (Layne) as she desperately tries to prove her fiancé Fonny (Pascal) innocent of an accusation of rape.
Though suspenseful and hard-hitting at times, as the systematic racism of 70s New York is laid bare, the story is ultimately a must-see celebration of love, family and the importance of community during times of crisis.
17. Second Act, 2018
Jennifer Lopez returns to the screen in this new romantic comedy as 40-year-old store worker Maya who ditches her job and tries to prove herself as a Madison Avenue PR wizard. Think Working Girl meets Maid in Manhattan.
Also starring Vanessa Hudgens and Annaleigh Ashford, this is the latest move by entertainment company STX Films in their active attempts to produce more female-led films, and we’re in full support.
18. The Girl in The Spider’s Web, 2018
The Girl in The Spider’s Web follows computer hacker Lisabeth Salander (Claire Foy) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Sverrir Gudnason), as they find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.
This highly anticipated revamp of the fourth novel of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series sees Foy add her own unique twist to the hardened, merciless vigilante against an intense, dystopian backdrop. Prepare for a wild ride.
19. The Hate U Give, 2018
Originally a YA novel by Angie Thomas, this film follows a young teen named Starr (Amandla Stenberg), who is drawn to activism after witnessing the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend. With community pressure mounting on all sides, Starr finds herself in the centre of a political upheaval while standing up for what she believes in.
Incredibly relevant and brutally honest, this movie will strike a chord across all audiences.
20. A Star Is Born, 2018
Though written and directed by leading man Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born also marks Lady Gaga’s feature film debut, following the huge success of TV series American Horror Story that propelled her into the acting world.
The film tells the story of seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Cooper) and his love affair with relatively unknown singer-songwriter Ally (Gaga). While the plot sounds like a Nicolas Sparks-esque romance, the film also tackles the taboo around mental health within the celebrity world, bringing to light how many continue to suffer in silence; an issue Gaga is known to speak up about.
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