The Craft (1996)View full post on YouTube“The Craft takes a deep dive into the empowering side of witchcraft and teenage girlhood. The cult classic closely follows Sarah, a new student who finds solace among outcasts Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle, who quickly develop a sisterhood driven by magic. Together, the group fights back against racism, bullying, and slut-shaming after coming into their powers and asserts their agency in the process. Of course, there are moments of female rage, too—but is it a feminist movie if it isn’t a little angry?”—Starr Bowenbank, contributing culture writerWatch Now on Apple TVWatch Now on Prime VideoParty Girl (1995)View full post on YouTube“Decades before Parker Posey graced our screens in The White Lotus, she gave a charismatic performance as Mary in 1995’s Party Girl. Mary is a free-spirited partygoer who, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have plans beyond attending the hottest events alongside New York City club kids. But after getting arrested for throwing an illegal rave, her godmother forces her to work at the library in exchange for paying off her bail. As she attempts to repay her debt, Mary discovers a passion for library science and looks into getting a graduate degree in the field, proving that she doesn’t have to leave her party lifestyle behind to become a mature, goal-oriented professional. As a plus, Mary never fails to uplift members of the LGBTQ+ community, treating them as equals amid the peak of the AIDS crisis.”—SBWatch Now on TubiWatch Now on Apple TVAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowHamnet (2025)View full post on YouTube“Instead of focusing on the life and background of William Shakespeare, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet turns the camera on Agnes and lifts her story out of obscurity. Agnes is presented as an equal parts intelligent and intuitive mother who goes through the loss of her child, which sees her confined to the household and wracked with grief due to the limiting nature of 16th-century gender roles. Hamnet also challenges the traditional role of the provider—while Shakespeare is away from home and earns praise for his literary genius, Agnes performs both physical and emotional labor, and she doesn’t shy away from confronting her husband about his lack of presence at home.”—SBWatch Now on PeacockMarie Antoinette (2006)View full post on YouTube“Marie Antoinette might be one of French history’s most incendiary female characters, but Sofia Coppola humanized her in her 2006 reimagining of the historical figure’s story. Kirsten Dunst’s Marie is effervescent, young, and, most importantly, lonely. Her passion for fashion, food, and other luxuries—perceived as shallow by her detractors—serves as a coping mechanism against a patriarchal world that sees her as nothing more than a vessel to bear an heir to the throne. She leans into female friendships and sisterhood to escape her gilded cage, leading viewers to empathize with her instead of vilifying her, much like history has done through the ages.”—SBWatch Now on HBO MaxAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowBut I’m a Cheerleader (1999)View full post on YouTube“In But I’m a Cheerleader, Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan, a doe-eyed teenage girl who has questionable thoughts about other girls and is sent to an anti-gay conversion therapy camp to stamp out her lesbian urges. While many queer stories often lean into tragedy, the film instead offers an extreme, camp, and satirical take on society’s heteronormative views and challenges traditional roles within both straight and queer communities. Through Megan’s time at the camp, she learns not to love the opposite sex, but to embrace herself as she is, realizing that she doesn’t have to leave her femininity behind to be validated as a queer person.”—SBWatch Now on Apple TVHedda (2025)View full post on YouTube“In Hedda, writer-director Nia DaCosta puts a modern, feminist twist on Henrik Ibsen’s iconic 19th-century play, Hedda Gabler. What was once a story about an unfulfilled wife caught between two men is reimagined by DaCosta as a tale centered on a Black woman with a penchant for luxury, now navigating a love triangle between her husband (Tom Bateman) and a former female lover (Nina Hoss). Tessa Thompson is a revelation as the titular Hedda. The film is sexy, dark, and clever, with plenty to say about women’s desire and interiority.”—Juliana Ukiomogbe, contributorWatch Now on Prime VideoAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowOne of Them Days (2025)View full post on YouTube“The complex portrayal of female friendship is one of cinema’s most valuable currencies, and when Black women are at the center of those stories, their worth increases tenfold. From Issa Rae, Syreeta Singleton, and Lawrence Lamont, One of Them Daysfollows best friends Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) over the course of 24 hours as they attempt to recover their stolen rent money before they get evicted. It’s a hilarious look at how strong friendships rarely buckle under pressure, and how powerful the connection between two besties can be. I’m already seated for the upcoming sequel.” —JUWatch Now on NetflixSet It Off (1996)View full post on YouTube“Let’s make some noise for a classic. Set It Off, featuring an all-star cast of Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise, follows a tight-knit group of friends who band together to start robbing banks in order to create better lives for themselves and their families. It’s intense and charming, with just the right amount of badass stunt sequences.”—JUWatch on Prime VideoAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowA League of Their Own (1992)View full post on YouTube“When the men went to war, the women went to the factories…and the baseball diamond. A League of Their Own tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that was created to prop up the sport during World War II. Though many men—even the team’s coach (played by Tom Hanks)—scoffed at the idea of women playing a ‘man’s game’ at first, the players win their doubters over through their talent, sweat, and determination. The film serves as a powerful reminder that women can truly do anything men can do, if they are given the opportunity.”—Kayla Webley Adler, features directorWatch Now on Prime VideoWaiting to Exhale (1995)View full post on YouTube“Where were you when you first watched Angela Bassett blow up her cheating husband’s car? That iconic scene tells you everything you need to know about the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. Based on the novel by Terry McMillan, the story follows four friends (Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine) as they take their power back from the men who’ve done them wrong. Come for the female rage, and stay for the ode to friendship and sisterhood.” —JUWatch Now on Apple TVAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowThelma & Louise (1991)View full post on YouTube“Thelma & Louise, written by Callie Khouri, is an amazing film for its portrayal of two women who embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. There are so many beautiful, raw scenes, but the most iconic and satisfying is when they set a truck ablaze in self-defense against a man who had been harassing them for most of the film. Their journey, though at times challenging to watch, is ultimately a testament to the enduring bond between women and the importance of supporting each other in times of struggle. I first saw this film with my best friend, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!” —Leah Romero, senior digital designerWatch Now on Prime VideoClueless (1995)View full post on YouTube“Like the Jane Austen novel on which it’s based, Clueless is an undeniably feminist work. The beloved 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling finds a worthy protagonist in Cher Horowitz, who doesn’t need a man to make her happy—she has better things to do, like go to the mall, make a cameo at the Val party, or play matchmaker for her two lonely teachers at Bronson Alcott High School.”—Claire Stern, senior digital directorWatch Now on Paramount+Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowHidden Figures (2016)View full post on YouTube“Astronaut John Glenn might have been the first man to orbit the earth in the 1960s, but his achievement was made possible by female mathematicians (literal computers) working on his mission. Hidden Figures tells the amazing true story of three Black women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson (played respectively by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe), who helped give the U.S. a leg up in the space race. This 2016 film, and the Margot Lee Shetterly book it’s based on, shed light on the often-overlooked people who shaped history.” —Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital contentWatch Now on HBO MaxWatch Now on Prime VideoBooksmart (2019)View full post on YouTube“Booksmart opens with Molly (Beanie Feldstein) listening to a motivational speech in her bedroom before one of her last days of high school. She’s surrounded by photos of Michelle Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and feminist slogans line her walls. The movie, which follows two best friends and straight-A students who attempt to make up for lost time by partying with their classmates on graduation night, has been called ‘the feminist Superbad’ for a reason.”—CSWatch Now on Prime VideoAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowNow and Then (1995)View full post on YouTube“Now and Then follows four girlfriends in the summer of 1970 as they cope with death, divorce, and budding sexuality, by solving a local mystery. It is firmly a coming-of-age story, told through their adult future selves (played by an incredible lineup: Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, and Melanie Griffith), but the portrayal of teen girls (a cast that includes Gaby Hoffmann, Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, and Ashleigh Aston Moore) as fully realized humans with deep emotional lives gives the film a feminist bent. This is a movie that takes teen girls seriously (as we all should!) and shows the power of young women as they learn to stand on their own, leave their shitty families behind, and conquer the world.”—KWAWatch Now on Prime VideoWatch Now on Apple TVThe Cheetah Girls (2003)View full post on YouTube“In all honesty, I think The Cheetah Girls was my introduction to intersectional feminism. Yes, it was a star-making vehicle for many Disney It Girls, and it’s chock-full of pop hits and aspirational 2000s fashion, but it also centered predominantly on young women of color, who supported one another, pursued their dreams together, and even held each other accountable when necessary. It’s kind of incredible how, in between catchy numbers like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Cheetah Sisters,’ the film also explored privilege, racial identity, adoption, wealth disparity, and being a child of a single parent. The coordinating tracksuits were great, too.”—EGWatch Now on Disney+Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowBarbie (2023)View full post on YouTube“Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie somehow turned a story of a plastic doll into an entertaining (not to mention billion-dollar-making) commentary on how women must navigate the patriarchy in their daily lives. No matter how you feel about America Ferrera’s monologue, there are mountains of truth in it, from the impossible expectations women must live up to to our crippling feelings of self-doubt. Ken’s shenanigans and musical numbers are just a bonus.”—EGWatch Now on HBO MaxLilo & Stitch (2002)View full post on YouTube“I realize this is perhaps an unhinged choice, but I deeply admire Lilo and Nani, the Hawaiian sisters and heroines in Lilo & Stitch. Lilo is outspoken. She’s feisty. She feeds peanut butter sandwiches to fish! And she navigates a difficult circumstance—she’s an orphan who lives with her teenage sister; she’s bullied by the other girls in her class—by showing complete loyalty and love to her mysterious pet, Stitch. At the same time, her sister, Nani, is doing her best to keep the family afloat—working at a tourist trap and refusing to date in order to put Lilo first. Lilo & Stitch, at its heart, is about two girls who stand their ground and change their immediate circumstances, all because of their deep belief in ’ohana, which means no one gets left behind.”—Madison Feller, former digital deputy editorWatch Now on Disney+Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowNever Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)View full post on YouTube“Eliza Hittman’s moving indie came out in 2020, but it’s even more relevant today. Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a pregnant teen seeking an abortion, but there are no viable providers in her hometown. With the company of her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), she embarks on a journey crossing state lines to receive the procedure legally. The duo’s quest shows the many hurdles young women across the country must face to have a safe abortion.”—EGWatch Now on Prime VideoThe Color Purple (2023)View full post on YouTube“Women are at the center of this story based on Alice Walker’s seminal, Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Amid the hardship and struggle is a story of resilience and a celebration of the bonds between women, not only between Celie and her sister, Nettie, but also with the glamorous Shug Avery, the headstrong Sofia, and even the soft-spoken Squeak. Whether in the form of the book, the ’80s film, or the 2023 musical movie, The Color Purple is an invitation to see the beauty in everything, and everyone.”—EGWatch Now on HBO Max