Films Directed By Women That Will Change your Life (Maybe)
As we head forward into a future of unlimited media it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what to watch. The newest film in theaters sounds great, but the limited series that came to streaming last month is all anyone will talk about. The collection of films from that director that you’ve been meaning to check out for forever finally came to the Criterion channel, but maybe you aren’t in the right mood for that right now. It’s not only easy to settle into the well worn grooves of the familiar, it can also be comforting.
The problem with those grooves is that if we aren’t careful, the media presented to us, the media that we are familiar with, can all come from the same type of voice. Very often that familiar voice is male. Without trying, we can overlook films made by a great variety of voices and perspectives in assembling either watchlists or best of lists.
The following is exactly what the title describes, films made by women that have changed my perspective on film and will hopefully serve as a guide for you if you notice a lack of female representation in your own film journey. No shame there, friend. There are only great opportunities ahead.
The Long Walk (2019) Directed by Mattie Do
I love science fiction, and I love horror.Discovering this film at random felt like peeking into a real world populated with people I was interested in and fiction I could believe. Do has a fascinating story and an incredible eye for what excites us and what scares us. As the first female Laotian director she isn’t just breaking ground in a genre, but in an entire country. Watch this movie.
Wanda (1970) Directed by Barbara Loden
For Americans, the 1970’s remain a high watermark for filmmaking. Gone was the golden age, the beach party dance fests and what was left was dark, dirty and oftentimes criminal. Written, directed and starring Loden, Wanda deserves more recognition for helping kick start the decade of dread and revelation about the American dream. Something dreadful, beautiful and unforgettable was emerging, and Loden delivered all three in Wanda.
The Rider (2017) Directed by Chloe Zhao
What would you be willing to sacrifice to show something honest? How much is telling the truth worth, on a gamble? Zhao answers these questions by filling her cast with untrained actors and the screen with the simultaneously empty and teeming American wilderness to breathtaking results. By removing all of the excess we are left with humanity, but it’s humanity dressed in beauty and drama so brilliantly bright that it leaves the screen and helps you see those around you with as much care as you see the people in the story.
Girlfriends (1978) Directed by Claudia Weill
Watching Girlfriends for the first time felt like discovering a missing puzzle piece, the piece that pulled together all of the disjointed chunks that were already assembled but not making an entire picture yet. Simple, relatable and a fantastic snapshot of old New York, Girlfriends would inspire an entire genre of filmmaking that is not incredibly commonplace: the meandering half-adult. When I interviewed director Carl Joseph E. Papa in 2023, a man from the Philippines, he had a poster for Girlfriends hanging directly behind him. This stunned me, as it isn’t the greatest known film, but it cemented the film as foundational material for storytellers that want to tell the story of people as they are, without flashing lights and superpowers.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) Directed by Lotte Reiniger
A sense of wonder is something to be held in great esteem and should be pursued by all lovers of film. To set aside our boredom, our experiences with the craft that leave us jaded in the face of miracles and embrace the magic of the moving image is one of the great joys in life. Reiniger pulls from Chinese methods of paper cutting and shadow play while helping to push the entire medium of filmed animation forward during her career, all the while producing images that in their simplicity draw the corners of our mouths back into a smile. Watch this film, then read about her life, her career and her contribution to animation. It’s ok to love Walt, but Lotte get here first.
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) Directed by Amy Holden Jones
If you are a fan of horror you are well aware that for every masterpiece there are about a dozen or so … not masterpieces. The Slumber Party Massacre isn’t here because it defines a genre or deserves awards, it’s here because the same material can be handled in incredibly different ways by people with different perspectives. Female writers, editors and director give The Slumber Party Massacre a unique enough feel to banish any doubt that “The Male Gaze” isn’t only real but that it is rampant. Double points for the refrigerator gag.
The Ascent (1977) Directed by Larisa Shipetko
When we talk about the great films about war our conversation can be incredibly limited to American films, and almost exclusively films directed by men. This is a tragedy, because one of the greatest films about war, and one of the greatest films ever made is from Russia and director Shipetko. Focusing on the fringes of battle and the bureaucracy of murder, The Ascent fully displays how war removes our humanity in order to accomplish its mission. Years before Private Ryan was saved and Metal Jackets were Full, Shipetko helped define a genre for all time.
Pariah (2011) Directed by Dee Rees
Heartbreaking, humorous and unforgettable, Dee Rees makes us look at the whole picture with Pariah. For Alike, to live honestly is to live riskily and to speak openly could cause too much of what she has spent her lifetime hiding to come to the surface. Pariah is a small, slow moving meditation on not only escape, but the pain felt by all members of Alike’s family and friends. Are there easy answers? No, but moments that make us stop and see ourselves in a myriad of ways and faces.
Hive (2021) Directed by Blerta Basholli
Hive takes its time to reveal what kind of a movie it is. As an audience we feel fear, pity, joy, hopeless and hopeful in only 84 minutes. The film is grounded by Yllka Gashi as Fahrije, a woman that faces odds that to us seem unbeatable, but thankfully she is not us. To tell the story more is to partially ruin the power of this film, and while it is incredibly localized and of it’s time and setting it holds the power to show the truth of love and community in the face of wicked apathy. Watch it.
