Several films champion feminism and girl power. These films, which range from classic teen comedies to biographical dramas, uplift, motivate and even educate the general public on crucial issues like gender rights, equality, and equity. In addition, these films stand out from the many male-centric ones because the leads are played by women, who aren’t just props or accessories to help the male actors portray their roles more effectively. What better way to spend your weekend than binge-watching some girl-power movies on Netflix? Here are five movies that are well worth seeing:
1. Little Women
The coming-of-age period drama film Little Women, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, is based on Louisa May Alcott’s book of the same name. Little Women is a masterwork that not only satisfies the lovers of the original novel but is also creative enough to have become an enormously significant component of contemporary popular culture. It has strong female characters who have dynamic personalities outside of their romantic interests. It is able to depict the socio-cultural and political reality of the women of that era by contrasting the sisters’ various personal tales with one another. The film deviates from the norm in a society where women are objects of want or pity and are progressive for the time and setting in which it is set.
2. Moxie
The same-named novel by Jennifer Mathieu inspired Amy Poehler’s American comedy-drama Moxie. The story’s protagonist is a 16-year-old girl named Vivian, who promotes a feminist zine by piling copies of it up on the hand dryers in the bathrooms of their high school. The zines start a club, and soon a movement is born. It also tells the tale of Vivian, an only child whose mother is alone herself. Because Lisa’s feminism of the 1990s was not “intersectional enough,” it is indicative of the larger story about how feminist movements varied between generations. Students of colour, a female with a disability, and a transgender person - a prominent figure in the film - all belong to Moxie’s group. They get together to oppose sexism, bullying, and dress-code discrimination at school. Additionally, it addresses more serious concerns like rape and sexual harassment.
3. Booksmart
In her feature film debut, Booksmart, Olivia Wilde cast Beanie Feldstein as Molly and Kaitlyn Denver as Amy as two high school seniors. As the last day of courses draws near, the story follows these accomplished students as they decide to break the law. The high school president, Molly, is despised by her fellow students. However, on the eve of graduation, Molly experiences a dread of missing out, so the best friends set out into the night to visit several parties to have a good time. It also features two female leads who, although not had any, support diversity and are open-minded about sex. Additionally, the movie never minimizes Amy’s queerness because she is a lesbian who came out in the tenth grade and has not yet had a girl kiss her.
4. No One Killed Jessica
The real-life murder of model Jessica Lal and the protracted judicial battles that followed are depicted in Raj Kumar Gupta’s Bollywood thriller. The film emphasizes how patriarchy is inextricably tied to corruption. It is a story that is unapologetically about women’s rights and sisterhood, both by choice and by need.
5. Soni
Ivan Ayr’s film Soni depicts the professional and personal lives of two female police officers, Superintendent Kalpana Ummat and Soni, who are navigating patriarchal norms at work and in daily life. The Jyoti Singh case, also known as the Nirbhaya case, in which a 22-year-old lady was brutally raped and tortured in a private bus, served as its inspiration. Ayr depicts a dystopian Delhi that is somewhat representative of how it may be in real life, especially for women. The struggle of a female police officer trying to rise to the top in a patriarchal society is portrayed in the movie. The movie depicts a time when misogyny is pervasive, and women are banding together to fight against oppressive forces.
