To All the Boys Film Trilogy (Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)
International Women’s Day today ranges from being a public holiday in some countries to being largely ignored elsewhere. It is a day of protest in some places and a day that celebrates womanhood in others. No matter where you live, you can always celebrate women and Women’s Day in your own way. Here are eight options of films on highlighting womanhood, our camaraderie and our shared struggles, to begin with.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Directed by Amy Poehler and based on the novel of the same name by Jennifer Mathieu, Moxie follows a high schooler who starts an underground zine as she finds herself both fed up with the sexist, inappropriate behaviours of her classmates and inspired by her mother’s rebellious past. The cast is packed with famous faces and exciting newcomers!
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Bombay Begums revolves around five ambitious women from various walks of life who navigate dreams, desires and disappointments in modern Mumbai. They are connected by “ambition, desire, struggle for power and vulnerability”. While challenging societal norms, they fight obstacles in their careers and relationships.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Available on Netflix since February, Sisyphus is a Korean sci-fi series that focuses on a time travel story between a genius engineer Han Tae-Sul (Cho Seung-Woo) and his savior from the future Kang Seo-Hae (Park Shin-Hye). Rarely seen by female leads, Seo-Hae exhibits impressive close combat fighting and a variety of shooting skills. Sisyphus is packed with action and inspiring female empowerment.
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Based on a young adult detective novel series, the story begins when Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) wakes to find that her mother has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she’s gone or why. The predicament leaves Enola under the supervision of her strict older brother who desires to send her off to boarding school for “proper” young ladies. Refusing this fate, Enola escapes and embarks on a journey to London to find her mother, ending up on a thrilling adventure with a new friend.
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Based on the true story of Madam CJ Walker, Self Made is a four-episode limited series about an African American woman who rises from poverty with her six siblings to build a beauty empire and become the first female African-American self-made millionaire. Walker’s story is inspiring and shows her courage and dedication against racial segregation and gender inequality. Octavia Spencer received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her exceptional performance in this series.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Based on Jenny Han’s trilogy of novels of the same name, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is Netflix’s original American teen romance. The plot revolves around a shy teenager Lara Jean Song-Covey (Lana Condor) who writes five love letters to boys she has had crushes on, including one she never intended to send. One day, those letters are accidentally sent out, which leads to confrontation with the boys. Following the success of the first film released in 2018, Netflix has created two sequels, one released in 2020 and one this year.
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Based on the Louisa May Alcott classic, this 2019 adaptation stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen as the four March sisters and became instantly iconic. Spotlighting the challenges of being a woman in the mid-1800s when a woman’s worth was often measured by her ability to get married, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is one of the best movies to watch today and does a stunning job paying homage to the beloved 1994 film adaptation while also creating its own cinematic legacy.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
Hidden Figures is an inspiring film based on a true story about three brilliant African-American women at NASA: Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson served as the brains behinds one of the greatest operations in Space Race history—the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Their journey to overcome prejudice and sexism to achieve this great feat sends an important message about not being limited by skin colour or gender.
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