This month I’ve selected movies and television series featuring strong female characters.
They aren’t the typical badass women we’ve come to know and love like Ellen Ripley from Alien or Sydney Bristow from Alias.
The women featured this month have flaws. They struggle with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, yet they show up when needed.
They aren’t the most attractive or exciting characters in the storyline until their inner beauty is unleashed and they rise above the limitations set for them by antiquated standards of femininity and gender stereotypes.
Streaming availability is subject to change at any time.
Red Queen is the adaptation of the Spanish literary trilogy by Juan Gómez-Jurado. Antonia Scott (Vicky Luengo) is the smartest person in the world. Because of her abilities, she is recruited to be the mastermind of a secret police project. Her code name is Red Queen. After a tragedy, she leaves the project. When a wealthy heiress is kidnapped, Mentor, the leader of the project sends disgraced police detective Jon Gutierrez (Hovik Keuchkerian) to persuade her to come back. Gutierrez becomes her protector as they attempt to thwart the kidnappers and rescue the heiress in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Tourist stars Jamie Dornan as the man/Elliott Stanley and Danielle Macdonald as Officer Helen Chambers. The man is driving through the Australian outback when a tractor trailer attempts to run him off the road. After a dramatic chase, the man’s car is smashed, and he’s left for dead. Luckily a passing motorist calls for help and the man is saved; however, he has amnesia. He can’t remember his name or anything about his past. He has no idea why someone wants him dead. Officer Helen Chambers is assigned to follow up on the accident. When she visits him in the hospital, she can’t let it go. The man is kind and when he looks at her, she feels seen not judged. She wants to help him even though it displeases her fiancé, Ethan. Ethan is passive aggressive and constantly puts Helen down about her weight and her abilities as a police officer. The chemistry between the man and Helen is unexpected, but powerful. Macdonald is a real scene stealer which is difficult given she’s playing opposite Dornan who is absolutely gorgeous with an Irish accent to boot. Both seasons of The Tourist are streaming on Netflix.
Falling for Figaro – this film stars Danielle Macdonald as Millie Cantwell and Hugh Skinner as Max Thistlewaite. Millie is a successful executive engaged to another executive at her firm. Millie has always dreamed of becoming an opera singer. She makes the decision to travel to Ireland to persuade a prominent, but difficult voice coach, Meghan Geoffrey-Bishop (Joanna Lumley). to train her to compete in a major competition. Max Thistlewaite who is also training with Meghan resents her presence, but slowly warms to Millie’s personality and talent. Macdonald plays a strong confident character who deals with issues of body image and self-doubt. Streaming on Netflix
Lost Girls – Amy Ryan stars as real-life activist Mari Gilbert. Gilbert is desperate to find her missing daughter, Shannan. She prods local authorities to act. In the course of her search for Shannan, a wave of unsolved murders of young sex workers on the South Shore barrier islands of Long Island comes to light. Also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Gabriel Byrne, and Sarah Wisser. Streaming on Netflix
Maid is a Netflix mini-series based on the true story of author Stephanie Land. He memoir is titled Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. Single mother Alex (Margaret Qualley) flees an abusive relationship with her partner, Sean (Nick Robinson) and becomes a maid to try to build a better life for herself and her daughter Maddy. Strong supporting performances by Andie MacDowell as her mother Paula, who suffers from sever bipolar disorder, and Anika Noni Rose as Regina, Alex’s wealthy client. If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship abuse in any form, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for free, confidential support 24/7/365. Text START to 88788, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or chat online at TheHotline.org.
Someone Great is a romantic comedy starring Gina Rodriguiz (Jenny), Brittany Snow (Blair), DeWanda Wise (Erin), Lakeith Stanfield (Nate), and Peter Vack (Matt). After Jenny, a music journalist in New York City, lands her dream job in San Francisco, Nate, her boyfriend of nine years dumps her. Jenny becomes depressed. To cheer her up before the big move, Jenny’s friends plan an epic day and night of fun, but plans don’t always go smoothly. Jenny must decide to embrace the new challenges and opportunities ahead. Streaming on Netflix.
The Incredible Jessica James – Jessica James (Jessica Williams) is an aspiring playwright in New York City trying to get over a bad break-up. Jessica tries to rebound using Tinder to arrange a date at a location where her ex-boyfriend will be. She hopes to make him jealous, but the plans go awry. Further attempts at dating are equally disastrous. Her friend arranges a blind date for her with Boone (Chris O’Dowd) who is recently divorced. This date also seems doomed for disaster, but something clicks. They begin a relationship, but are still obsessed with their exes. Jessica and Boone agree to stop following their exes on social media, but decide to keep tabs on each other’s exes. What could possibly go wrong? Streaming on Netflix
Enola Holmes is the first of a series of films featuring Milly Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes the youngest sibling of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Enola is brilliant, rebellious, and out of control as far as most of her family is concerned. When Enola’s mother disappears, Mycroft and Sherlock meet with her to decide how to proceed. Stodgy Mycroft wants to ship Enola off to finishing school to make her a proper Victorian lady. Sherlock is amused by his younger sister and impressed by her abilities. Enola sets out to solve the case and find her purpose in life. Available on Netflix
Moxie is a comedy-drama directed by Amy Poehler. Sixteen-year-old Vivian (Hadley Robinson) confronts bullying, sexual harassment, and rape at her high school by anonymously starting Moxie, a feminist zine, meant to empower the girls at her school. Vivian uses Moxie to call out the unfair treatment of girls at her school in an effort to end the “boys will be boys” mentality of the administration. Before things get better, they always seem to get worse, and Vivian must find a way to keep the movement her zine has started alive. Available on Netflix
To The Bone – Ellen (Lily Collins) is a rebellious twenty-year-old college dropout battling anorexia. She has spent the majority of her teen years in and out of recovery programs as her weight dwindles alarmingly low. With nowhere else to turn, Ellen returns to her father’s house. When Ellen’s dad fails to act, Ellen’s stepmother Susan (Carrie Preston) gets her an appointment with a specialist, Dr. William Beckham (Keanu Reeves). Beckham insists that Ellen join his treatment program and move into a group home with six other patients, five women and one man, a ballet dancer recovering from anorexia and a serious knee injury which threatens his career. This movie is controversial. Some critics felt it glorified Ellen’s eating disorder while others recognized the complex nature of eating disorders and praised the strong performances of the actors. Available on Netflix