Underrated movies from female directors that you need to watch NOW
Happy Women's History Month, everyone! March may be going 10 MPH in a 60 MPH zone as of late due to everyone having to be in quarantine, but that shouldn’t excuse anyone from not supporting these movies and women directors in general. Every movie I’m going to mention is on a streaming service, so they’re easy to find!
It’s important to support these films, as female directors don’t get to have much of a spotlight in Hollywood as male directors. Right now it seems as if Hollywood is hiring more female directors, but the ratio of male directors who are hired by Hollywood compared to women directors is still not equal. It’s not even close. That’s a big problem in the industry. Some of my favorite movies of all time are directed by women, and they deserved to be mentioned because most of them have flown under the radar due to lack of advertisement for their films. Hopefully, after looking at this list you’ll find some of your new favorites, too. These are all films that have something important to say about feminism, the current state of the USA, or just life in general. This list is in no particular order. It’s not ranked, it’s just a collection of movies that I recommend.
Lovesong, directed by So Yong Kim (Netflix)
This is a film that I found out about just a couple weeks ago and I’ve been watching it on repeat ever since. This is an LGBT film about a woman feeling confused about the current state of her relationship with her husband who’s constantly on business trips and not making an effort to spend time with her and the family. Her friend comes to visit and they start to realize they’ve had deep feelings for each other all along. This is a film that’s quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. It’s a movie that seems quiet on the surface but after multiple re-watches you start to realize how loud and powerful it actually is. The heart of the film is just everywhere, I want to live inside every frame. This is a film about wanting more than what life already gave you, and that elated feeling you get when you finally realize what you want and easily grab it. You very much buy the chemistry between Riley Keough and Jena Malone. The simple feeling of love and ease they feel just by something as simple as staring at each other is some of the most beautiful aspects of visual storytelling you will ever see. It’s a powerful, yet calming film and I can’t recommend it enough. Also, I must say, this movie has the cutest kid in the history of movies.
Booksmart, directed by Olivia Wilde (Hulu)
Ah yes, one of my very favorite movies from 2019. I can finally gush about it. Two high school girls are at the brink of graduation when they suddenly realize they didn’t have much fun during their high school careers. So to prove they’re fun, they try to find the party hosted by the most popular kid at school. This film is truly wonderful and just feels like a new classic to me. It’s a film that perfectly depicts the newer generation and this script is one of the best of 2019. The characters of Molly and Amy are some of the most relatable and funniest in recent memory but really, the movie is just overall sweet. It feels like a giant compliment to everyone and the movie finds love in just about everything. It doesn’t want to waste a single moment and if you ask me, it didn’t. Every character here gets their own great, funny moment and they find a way to work with just about everything they’re given. I heard everyone in the cast really got along on set, and it shows! Everyone works off each other so well! Booksmart is a movie that just does what it wants to do with a story as small scaled and generic as this. It finds its way to make it its own thing and it’s never in your face about it. People have compared this to Superbad saying it’s the female version, and you could make that comparison, but to me, they are two very different movies. Booksmart is special and funny in its own way and stands on its own two feet. Olivia Wilde should be especially proud that this is her directorial debut.
Skate Kitchen, directed by Crystal Moselle (Hulu)
Imagine Mid90s but significantly better in almost every aspect. Skate Kitchen is very quickly becoming a new favorite of mine as I watched it a couple of days ago and it hasn’t left my head since. In fact it’s gotten BETTER the more I think about it. The story follows a young woman named Camille as she befriends a group of skaters that call themselves the “Skate Kitchen.” Camille starts to feel happy and wanted for the first time in ages, the problem being that her mother doesn’t approve of skateboarding. This has an energy that caught me off guard. Every character is always talking and always wants to be heard, and they won’t stop until they are heard and that’s what makes them so fascinating; their determination and passion. Each character is written so carefully and everyone is developed in their own way but no one every felt above the other. Somehow, with the amount of people that are in the “skate kitchen” it felt like every single character got an equal amount of screen time. There’s also a new reason thrown at you to care for these people, and it’s always so satisfying watching them skate and talk about their passion for skating, even if their society shuns them. It has a very beautiful aesthetic to it for a setting that’s very dirty. You really feel like you’re joined by this group and you experience everything they experience. Also, the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. It introduced me to genres that I never thought I’d get in to. Also, Clairo is in the soundtrack and Clairo is the best. I think the song she wrote for the movie, “Heaven,” is the best song she’s ever written.
The Edge of Seventeen, directed by Kelly Freemon Craig (Netflix)
Nadine is at the peak of her adolescence where she feels that the universe is going against her, from then on we follow days in her life as she deals with certain situations that come her way. The Edge of Seventeen is a film that’s meant a lot to me for a long time. From countless rewatches, I have yet to become bored watching this. In fact there are scenes that I keep rewatching they’re THAT effective. I just think this is beautifully written film that’s not only very heartfelt and honest, but genuinely hilarious. The comedic timing here is near perfect as the way these characters banter with each other feels very unscripted, in a good way. It feels like these people genuinely have had an effect on one another in real life and it gets to a point where the relatability just skyrockets (again, in a good way). You truly feel for these characters as each one has a burden of their own to carry and the way they react to certain situations had me going like “I would say they’re being overly dramatic, but honestly if I were in that situation I probably would’ve done/said the exact same thing.” Hailee Steinfeld in this movie continues to prove that she’s one of the most talented actresses we have working right now, and the scenes with her and Woody Harrelson make the movie. This was also my introduction to Haley Lu Richardson who has since become one of my favorite celebrities working right now! She’s great as always!
The Farewell, directed by Lulu Wang (Amazon Prime)
A family travels back to China after learning that the grandmother is dying of cancer. However, they have no intention of telling her. I cried…a lot. This movie is such an emotional rollercoaster of a film that does not let go. Lulu Wang writes and directs the hell out of this film, and it blows my mind how the Academy Awards had the nerve to snub her for a screenplay AND directing nomination. Not only that, it was completely ignored by the Academy. What I love most about The Farewell is Lulu Wang’s direction. Not only are all of these characters developed on an emotional level. But her hometown in China was developed the most as if it’s a character in of itself. She teaches the viewer a lot about the culture in China! How some people deal with trauma, certain expressions they use, even how some people celebrate! Wang not only made us sympathize for the characters but gave justification for their actions due to their culture and she wasn’t afraid to teach us about it. It’s consistently interesting and always emotional. Awkwafina deserves everything for this performance, the emotional weight her character has to carry was incredibly heartbreaking and she pulled it off seamlessly. I’ve always been a fan of hers, but this performance solidified it.
Pariah, directed by Dee Rees (Amazon Prime)
A teenage girl living in New York goes day in and out of her life as she discovers more about her sexuality and place in the world. This is one of the most honest films you can watch, and one where I think director Dee Rees is giving us a reflection of herself. This film is a slice of life that does not hold your hand and tell you that life is always going to go your way. It’s actually quite a powerful watch. but never in a way that feels like it’s shoving its message and themes down your throat. It starts and from then on says to you, “Yeah, sure, it’s emotionally powerful and slow, but I dare you not to appreciate any of this.” And I know I definitely appreciated everything about this. I love when directors just tell stories of their personal lives because I believe the most personal is the most artistic and Pariah is art in one of its purest forms. Dee Rees has since made Mudbound, which I also think is great but Pariah just feels special.
Greener Grass, directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe (Hulu)
This is honestly one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. It’s 100% my humor, and while it might not be for everyone, it certainly was for me. It’s one of those weird movies, you know? Imagine if Wes Anderson made an Adult Swim comedy after being inspired by a bunch of Tim and Eric skits and somehow, it ended up being really good. That’s what this is. Not only do most of the jokes work insanely well, but what I appreciate most is that it’s one of those movies that requires multiple viewings in order to pick up everything. They don’t let go of this energy for a second. Every time I watch it, I find something new, whether it’s a new joke or even just something new on the commentary of suburbia and identity. It’s not for everyone. It’s definitely cringe/awkward humor but that’s absolutely my kind of humor.
American Honey, directed by Andrea Arnold (Netflix)
A teenage girl joins a group of teenagers on a road trip across the country selling magazines and that’s all I’ll say about the plot. Seriously. Go in blind. Thank me later. I’m still mad at myself for not seeing this on a theater and only watching this at home on my couch. The aesthetic of it all and the cinematography make it all worth it to see it in a theater. It’s truly an experience. This film has an energy that can’t be topped and a sense of realism that’s so haunting yet so engaging it forces you to keep watching all the way through. Andrea Arnold immediately puts you in this road trip with all of these people and by the end you feel a bit breathless, like you had some emotional punch to the gut and you want to experience this all over again. Every time I watch American Honey it gives me this high that I’ve been longing for. A kind of feeling that very few films have given me, and I’m happy to call this one a new favorite.
Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chada (Amazon Prime)
Javeed is a teenager living in England and feeling lost in his life. That is, until one of his friends introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. His music speaks to Javeed and finally makes him feel heard. Blinded by the Light is one of those movies that’s just sweet all the way through. Everyone in this film (minus the father) is so supportive and kind, you start to adopt that kind of behavior as well. Personally, I can honestly relate to this movie on a spiritual level. In a time in my life during high school where I felt I was misunderstood and ignored, I discovered the music of Death Cab for Cutie through a friend of mine. Ben Gibbards lyrics made me feel like I was finally part of a crowd of people who heard me and to this day Death Cab for Cutie remains my favorite band. How Javeed feels about Springsteen is how I feel about Ben Gibbard (okay maybe not that obsessed, but I’m a humongous fan). Chada captured that burst of life of finally being heard through musical lyrics beautifully, case and point music is much more impactful and personal than you may think. It feels so great that a movie like this exists, a movie that’s so supportive while also simultaneously vents to us.
13th, directed by Ava Duvernay (Netflix)
This wouldn’t be a list made by me if it didn’t include a documentary. This is a documentary about the prison system in the United States and how it affects African Americans specifically. From the time the 13th Amendment was signed by Lincoln, to present day. Duvernay makes it 100% clear that even though the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, it was pretty ineffective. It didn’t abolish racism. This is such a hard film to watch and it should be. If you are not angry and wanting to make a change by the time this is over, then it’s clear you weren’t paying attention. Duvernay has proven time and time again that she’s not only a spectacular director, but an angry one, with good reason. Something like Selma was her going step by step to tell you what went on to get a reaction out of you. In 13th, she is demanding that you to pay attention to what’s going on in the USA. Racism is still alive and well, and you should be furious. 13th is her best film to date, and it’s one of the most important films on the subject that you’ll ever watch.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl, directed by Marielle Heller (Amazon Prime)
Another slice of life movie about a young woman just going through life, entering (what she calls) her first relationship, learning about sex and herself along the way. I don’t want to brag, but I called Marielle Heller as a promising director back in 2015 when this movie came out. She also directed Can You Ever Forgive Me and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. I still think her directing debut Diary of a Teenage Girl is her best film. I’m a sucker for coming of age films and this is one of the finest examples I can think of in recent memory. It’s so impeccably written and so well presented. The film takes place in the 1970s and Heller did a great job putting you in the time period. It feels like a film that was made in the 70s and the time period and San Francisco setting I believe plays an important role here. Our main character Minnie feels so bored with everything around her, everything feels so old to her and it feels like she’s seen everything within San Francisco and is longing for something new. I feel like anyone can relate to that. There are scenes here that I think anyone can relate to. It may not be for everyone because it is slow, and some may find it a bit risqué, but I honestly wasn’t bored for a second, and the character of Minnie is one of my favorites in recent memory.
Overall
I really hope you take the films on this list into consideration and I hope I introduce you to a new favorite. More importantly though, I hope this list inspires you to support more female directors and feminist films in general. A woman has only won a Best Director Oscar once. Also, a woman of color has never been nominated for Best Director, and only a handful have been nominated for Best Screenplay. They had every opportunity to nominate Ava Duvernay for Selma but they didn’t. They had every opportunity to nominate Lulu Wang and The Farewell in general for any Oscar, but they didn’t. Not only that, but they hardly even get advertisements. You could make the argument that they’re low budget independent films, but that’s not an excuse. You can be independent yet still be well known. It was only recently when Hollywood started listening and started hiring women directors for big budget films, but it’s still very few. The ratio between male directors and female directors is still not equal at all. It’s time for equality in the film industry, and I hope by supporting more female (and other diverse) filmmakers, it sends that message to Hollywood.
