5 Movies Directed By Women To Watch During Women’s History Month
March is the celebration of women. It celebrates how far we’ve come, the changes we’ve made, and the paths we have carved for all women everywhere.
While the job is never done and we will continue to strive forward, we can recognize all of the greats that have come before us and shown women that they can literally do anything they set their mind to. It’s so inspiring and tears swell in my eyes thinking about how powerful all women can be. During this month, take the time to celebrate the women around you and mention them in rooms they aren’t in. You’re here, so you likely love film, so this is the perfect list for you to celebrate women’s history month. Here are 5 amazing movies directed by women that you need to watch this month.
The Substance (2024)
The Substance is one of the hottest movies of 2024 and is still being talked about into 2025. Directed and written by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a mind-bending film that critiques and brings attention to unrealistic societal beauty standards and how ageism affects every woman. In the film, a fading actress played by Demi Moore becomes desperate when she realizes she is being fired from her aerobics show. She wants to avoid drifting into obscurity, so she takes an extreme measure to find a drug that makes her a younger and better version of herself. Of course, there’s a price to pay and you must respect the balance. This is Fargeat’s 2nd feature film she has written and directed, and she has also written and directed two short films.
Lady Bird (2007)
Greta Gerwig has had other great movies outside of Barbie, Lady Bird being one of them. Lady Bird is a story about adolescence growing up, class struggles, and a relationship between mother and daughter. It’s about everything and nothing all at once and can be deeply relatable for some that watch it. Gerwig has been directing and writing movies since 2007, but really started to gain some traction with Lady Bird before Barbie was made.
American Psycho (2000)
Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? If you don’t understand that reference, I implore you to go watch American Psycho, which was directed by Mary Herron. American Psycho is about Patrick Bateman, a man living in 1987 NYC who is actually an undercover sociopath. By day, he’s an urban professional and by night he goes on grisly killing sprees. Mary Herron has directed 6 movies, written 4, and been nominated for numerous awards such as Best Film, Best Screenplay, and was even nominated for Director of the Year for American Psycho.
Pariah (2011)
Pariah is a story about a young Black lesbian struggling to come to terms with her identity and being open with her parents about it while growing up in Brooklyn. Wanting to explore her sexuality and not having the guidance from her broken family is tough, so she finds companionship in an unexpected friendship. Pariah was directed by Dee Rees. Dee Rees has directed 3 short films, 3 feature films, and has written all of those films herself. She has also won 19 awards for her films and has been nominated 45 times for her beautiful work.
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Eve’s Bayou is set during the summer in a Louisiana town and follows the trials and tribulations of the Batiste family. Throughout the film, themes of familial trauma, infidelity, secrets, and voodoo can be seen as we get an intimate look into a rural family’s life. Eve’s Bayou was directed by Kasi Lemmons. Lemmons is a director and actor, notably known for her work directing Harriet and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Eve’s Bayou won Lemmons three awards, including Best Director, Best Directorial Debut, and Best First Feature.
