Movies throughout history have traditionally featured women in supportive roles or as “damsels in distress,” especially older films. However, that stereotype has been challenged more often in recent decades, and several recent movies have shattered that glass ceiling by creating daunting portrayals of female strength.
These audacious and gutsy “girl power” films celebrate the full range of what women are capable of. Heroines now do so much more than just react to their male counterparts. Today, we see characters inhabiting power in refreshing and imperfect ways.
Often, typical feminist films show girls as superheroes, or challenging societal norms and expectations. These films do something else — whether it’s seeing women thriving in complex villainous roles in horror or thrillers, displaying their vibrant strength and power, or portraying the raw ferocity of refusing to conform.
Either way, these movies and their characters deepen our understanding of women and their capacities.Celebrated actresses likeNatalie Portman, Rosamund Pike and Margot Robbie have time and again breathed life into deeply flawed, human characters wrestling with inner demons and human constraints. They are unafraid to get messy, as long as they stay true to themselves.
In this list, we honor 20 unconventional movies about “girl power” that showcase women as their rawest, most complex, and mesmerizing selves.
20Wild Child (2008)
Having been expelled from yet another boarding school because of a thoughtless prank, sixteen-year-old Poppy Moore is sent to an all-girls school in England as a last resort.
Naturally, she tries to push boundaries and rebel against the strict traditional environment. However, after encountering the students at Abbey Mount, Poppy starts to see that there may be more to life than pulling pranks and pissing off parents.
A Celebration Of Rebellious Individuality
Clearly falling in the chick flick category,this fun film from the 2000sis a testament to a young woman’s range of emotion, especially when she is struggling to find her way.
Emma Roberts plays Poppy perfectly. She adds layers of insecurity beneath the rebellious and unruly spirit and makes sure Poppy’s inner worth and potential stay untainted.Wild Childis a delightful celebration of individuality and nonconformity.
Rent Wild Child on Apple TV
19Carrie (1976)
Based on the Stephen King novel,Carrieis a beloved cult horror that tells the story of a socially awkward high schooler named Carrie White. She’s a shy girl living a quiet life, never once speaking up against her abusive, controlling, and deeply religious mother.
At school, too, she is pranked and bullied by her peers. Things get worse when she’s humiliated by a vicious stunt during prom. When Carrie discovers she has telekinetic powers, she unleashes her wrath in a terrifying finale.
An Inferno Of Vengeance
Despite being committed to screen several times, it is the 1976 adaptation of King’s tale by director Brian De Palma that remains one of themost chilling coming-of-age talesof all time.
Carrie is played by Sissy Spacek, whose transformation from an empathetic, mistreated teenager drowning in a well of pain and confusion to a raging girl channeling all her wrath into a rampage of violence and revenge in the climactic scene is remembered even today.Carrieasserts female rage and its portrayal in film.
Stream Carrie on Max
18Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)
Far from the Madding Crowd
Far from the Madding Crowdis an adaptation of the 1874 novel written by Thomas Hardy. It takes you to Victorian England, to meet the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdeen, who is the only heir to a large farm.
She attracts three very different suitors: a gentleman farmer named Gabriel Oak, the rogue sergeant Frank Troy, and the captivating bachelor William Boldwood. The movie navigates the heartbreak and passion of making significant life choices.
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The restrictions upon women living in a man’s world date back centuries. Thomas Vinterberg’s retelling of the vibrant tale brings to life one woman’s longing for freedom and independence.
Carey Mulligan radiates strength and sensitivity as Bathsheba. Despite the era, she crafts a feminist heroine far ahead of her time because she refuses to be defined or constrained by marriage. The lush cinematography and pioneering spirit makes the film a standout.
Stream Far from the Madding Crowd on Max
17Raw (2016)
AFrench-language horrorcomedy,Rawfollows Justine, a nervous yet intelligent sixteen-year-old starting her first year at veterinary school.
Justine has been a dedicated vegetarian all her life, and as the new term begins, she faces experiences that are discomforting. When a hazing ritual goes wrong and Justine tastes raw meat for the first time, it awakens dark and hungry impulses inside her.
Brilliant, Tasteful, And Horrifying
Rawis a coming-of-age story by all means, but it is also a fascinating tale of discovery. Julia Ducournau is a brilliant director, and she crafts this shocking and captivating narrative about a woman embracing her power on her own terms with absolute precision.
Garance Marillier delivers a breakout performance as Justine. She celebrates female desire and explores themes of identity by fearlessly setting foot in an uncharted territory. Overall,Rawproves that female-led horrors have the potential to incredibly tasteful — pun intended.
Rent Raw on Apple TV
16The Menu (2022)
Read Our Review
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, and Anya Taylor-Joy,The Menuis a satirical horror that sees Taylor-Joy in the role of Margot Mills, an escort on a date with Tyler as they take a boat to the restaurant Hawthorne on a private island to taste the exclusive dining menu prepared by celebrity chef Julian Slowik.
But as the host and his eccentric servers welcome the guests to this remote location, each course steers from gourmet to grisly. Trapped — purely by accident — with some awful people, Margot must outwit Chef Slowik and find a way to escape.
Anya Taylor-Joy Is Our Favorite Final Girl
For a movie that is all about punishing the rich, or as Chef Slowik addresses them, “the ruin of his art, his life,”The Menumanages to upend all expectations. And it comes mainly from final girl Anya Taylor-Joy.
Director Mark Mylod does not allow Margot to descend into madness or show desperation. Instead, he crafts an unconventional heroine who remains unfazed by the escalating horror and outsmarts the toxic masculinity on display, by playing the game better than the man who orchestrated it — and calling him out in the process.
Stream The Menu on Hulu
15Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Jennifers Body
Best friends Jennifer and Needy have nothing in common, but they’ve got each other. While attending a concert at a local dive bar, a fire breaks out and Jennifer, much to Needy’s disappointment, leaves the premise with the rock band, only to return as a newly-possessed high school girl with a voracious hunger for flesh.
As Jennifer targets her male classmates one by one, embracing her new power, Needy tries to understand what is happening to her friend and help her if she can — until her boyfriend, Chip, becomes next in line.
Empowerment Through the Monstrous Murders
Way ahead of its time andoften perceived wrongly,Jennifer’s Bodyis a horror comedy that reclaims the “final girl” model and twists it around.
Megan Fox delivers her most memorable performance to date as Jennifer, who relishes her dark urges and stays unapologetically hungry in spite of moral norms. Directed by Karyn Kusama, the aptly-titled movie is basically a thoughtful and terrifying examination of what it means to be a voracious, or timid, teenage girl.
Stream Jennifer’s Body on Max
14Last Night in Soho (2021)
Last Night in Soho
Eloise is an aspiring fashion designer passionate about 1960s London. Moving to Cornwall to study at the London College of Fashion, Eloise finds herself mysteriously able to enter the Swinging Sixties, in the body of her idol, a confident young blonde woman named Sandie.
In real life, Eloise designs dresses inspired by Sandie’s style. However, as she travels to this dream-like world every night, she realizes that 1960s Soho is not as glamorous as it appears and soon, Sandie’s life starts to bend and crack.
Timely Tale Of Female Harmony
Last Night in Sohois Edgar Wright’s chilling psychological thriller, and the director crafts it into one of cinema’s most relevant metaphors for women’s struggles in the past and present.
Eloise and Sandie have an intersecting reality, which is enacted superbly by Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie. Their duality reveals a hidden solidarity, which mirrors women across eras. Beyond its piercing view on misogyny, the movie is also enhanced by the well-chosen music and fashion.
Stream Last Night in Soho on Freevee
13Heathers (1989)
Veronica Sawyer is a disgruntled teen and a part of her school’s most popular clique of wealthy and elite girls, all of whom share the same first name, Heather. However, she is bored out of her mind with their scheming nature and abuse of power.
When transfer student Jason “J.D.” Dean shows up and catches her eye, he woos her into more and more rebellious acts, culminating in pushing her to help him enact a unique brand of social revolution by murdering the mean girls and bullying jocks.
Related:Best Films About Troubled Youth
Classic Study on Self-Awareness
Heathersis a very cleverly written and humorous movie that, for being set in the ‘80s, was way ahead of its time. Its abundance of iconic lines and hardcore anti-heroines make it a cult classic.
Under Michael Lehmann’s sublime direction, Daniel Waters’ unconventional script allows the freak flag to fly high. The heart of the movie, however, is Winona Ryder (and Shannen Doherty). She detonates teen tropes as a self-aware, complex, and morally gray teenager who paves the way for future pioneering women on screen.
Stream Heathers on Prime Video
12Moxie (2021)
Sixteen-year-old Vivian Carter is tired of the anti-feminist vibes at her strict high school. Every day, she witnesses sexism in the classroom and harassment in the halls, with those responsible slipping away without any consequences.
That is until she discovers her mother’s rebellious punk-rock past and is inspired to channel those DIY values into a feminist zine calledMoxie, which she publishes anonymously. Vivian’s defiant act sparks a school-wide protest, and it all swells into an impactful finale.
Underrated Flick That Amplifies Youth Voices
Directed by Amy Poehler in her second feature,Moxieis arebellious and underrated film about female empowermentthat probably got lost in the streaming arena. Regardless, the movie endorses the idea of raising one’s voice for change.
Hadley Robinson shines as Vivian, a teenager courageous enough to ignite a revolution in her school. Despite having a simple premise,Moxiestays grounded for the most part. It deserves more praise for celebrating collective action where the younger generation empowers one another in unstoppable ways.
Stream Moxie on Netflix
11Fresh (2022)
Directed by Mimi Cave in her directorial debut,Freshcenters around Noa, a young woman who has been unlucky in love. Scrolling past dating apps has not been rewarding at all, but after connecting with the charming Steve at the produce section of a grocery store, Noa decides to give their meet-cute a shot.
The two hit it off, and Noa finds herself agreeing to go on a weekend getaway to Steve’s luxury home in the woods. That’s when their whirlwind romance takes a sinister turn, because her new boyfriend has an unusual appetite.
Unconventional Look At Modern Dating
After her celebrated turn in Hulu’sNormal People, Daisy Edgar-Jones shreds conventions and emerges as a heroine who refuses to give up even in the direst of situations.
Her significance in the industry as a rising star only becomes more pronounced with the project.Freshis not just an examination of modern dating, but a genre-mash that balances romance, comedy, horror and thriller into a neatly crafted narrative. It explores the role of women as victims of men, playing along to stay safe — and how that can turn a victim into something else, over time.
