Best Movies for Women: 25 Movies Everyone Should Watch

With the beginning of a new season there are so many things to do, you probably don’t even know where to get started. But as the flowers start to bloom and the weather warms up we’re pretty sure you just want to relax and either go out or stay home and curl up with a great movie.

There’s no better way to celebrate the season of renewal than with a great list of movies, right? Luckily, we compiled a list of some of the best movies you could watch right now, that will leave you feeling empowered and asking for more.

From powerful dramas to action-packed adventures and hilarious comedies, these films will have you laughing, crying, and feeling inspired all at once. Not only made for entertaining purposes, they all contain some positive message and try to teach you valuable life lessons about the power and strength of women.

So get your popcorn ready, grab a blanket and get ready for a couple of hours of enjoyment.

These are the best 25 movies every female on the planet should watch.

25. Love & Basketball

Monica, played by Sanaa Lathan, has big dreams. Along with Quincy McCall, played by Omar Epps, Monica wants to become a professional basketball player. Quincy and Monica love each other while being loyal to their common ambition. This movie is a cute love story that challenges two young adults in different directions.

24. Legally Blonde

In this Reese Witherspoon film about a young woman who refuses to be underestimated, Legally Blonde follows pink-loving, hair-flipping Elle Woods through Harvard Law School. She proves that the “dumb blonde” is nothing but a sexist stereotype. Cute while at the same time sending a clear message, it is one of the best modern times feel-good rom-coms to watch.

23. Queen of Katwe

Disney’s Mira Nair’s feel-good drama about a Ugandan girl’s path to chess champ is a great movie to watch for any young female. Although life in the slums of Kampala might be hard for some to digest, it otherwise delights the viewers. The way the young girl’s life changes once she discovers the game of chess is the highlight of the film.

22. Real Women Have Curves

Ana Garcia, played by America Ferrera, has dreams of going to college. She wants to live a full, rich life that aligns with her principles. But her family needs her to pause her dreams and work in her sister’s textile factory. That summer working in the overheated factory, Ana and her mother clash on how a woman should act.

21. Thelma & Louise

Two buddies, played by Geena Davies and Susan Sarandon, embark on a road trip that is meant to be a short fishing trip. Very quickly it becomes a run from the law, caused by Louise killing a man who tried to take advantage of Thelma. A very important movie to watch, with themes of feminism that were viewed as controversial at the time of the movie’s release back in 1991.

20. The Secret Life of Bees

Dakota Fanning plays 14-year-old Lilly Owens in this movie that takes place in the middle of the civil rights movement in 1964. She runs away from her abusive father with her caregiver, Rosaleen, played by Jennifer Hudson. They are taken in by the Boatwright sisters , where Lilly experiences the power of women uniting together.

19. Bend it Like Beckham

Eighteen-year-old Jess Bhamra’s parents have her whole life planned out for her. She’s going to live by their strict values and get married to a man they have chosen for her. But Jess wants to play soccer.

Without her family’s knowledge, Jess follows her dream and joins the local women’s soccer league. While she discovers that she has a natural knack for the game, she challenges her family to accept her.

18. Erin Brockovich

This Steven Soderbergh film is based on a true story. It’s the story of a very vibrant single mother, played by Julia Roberts, who blew the whistle on Pacific Gas & Electric after it knowingly poisoned local residents. With a great cast and an important story to tell, the inspiring movie is a must watch. Its underlying theme is a woman’s resilience in her quest for the truth.

17. Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé

In Beyonce’s Homecoming you will get an interesting glimpse at what it took to pull off one of the most popular and celebrated Coachella festivals in history. Anything queen B touches turns to gold, and this documentary is no different.

Her creative process and talent are portrayed in this intimate glimpse into her life. Empowering women everywhere, especially African American women, this movie is a must watch by all females in the world.

16. Frida

Frida’s portrait, with the un-waxed upper lip and thick unibrow, has become an iconic symbol of feminism. The activist, artist, revolutionary portrayed in Julie Taymor’s biopic takes us behind the popular canvas. Knowing what we do now about her life’s experience, this film proves an even greater victory. A very forward thinking woman who proved ahead of her time makes this an important film to watch.

15. The Hate You Give

Based on Angie Thomas’s best-selling young-adult novel, in The Hate You Give Starr lives in a mostly Black neighborhood while attending a predominantly white prep school.

Until she witnessed a white police officer kill her black best friend during a traffic stop, she was balancing things pretty well. But that event turned Starr, a typical teenager, into a fierce advocate for the rights of African Americans living in the USA.

14. Fried Green Tomatoes

This movie is all about finding your inner strength. Evelyn Couch, played by Kathy Bates, encounters an eccentric old woman in a nursing home. The old lady tells her stories about powerful female friendships and finding the courage to swim against the tide. These stories inspire Evelyn to change her own life for the better. A female empowerment movie worth watching.

13. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

A pro-choice gem that is still very relevant today, 4 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days is a movie made by the Romanian filmmaker Christian Mungiu. It is a brutal drama that follows two friends over the course of one night in 1980s Romania. Gabita is nearly five months pregnant, and her friend Otilia helps her get an illegal abortion.

At the time, under Ceaucescu, it was a crime punishable by death. Seeing how things regressed in the US in the last year concerning this subject, the movie is very a-propos.

12. Silence of the Lambs

Women like psychological thrillers just as much as the next guy. And Clarice Starling is one of the most clever and brave FBI rookies the big screen has ever seen. Premiered in 1991, Silence of the Lambs is still one of the best psychological thrillers ever made.

Dark and gritty, it gives you a glimpse into the criminal mind of one of the most horrific serial killers to ever exist. The courage and determination this young woman possesses is downright empowering. If you haven’t seen it yet, we strongly recommend it.

11. His Girl Friday

Released in 1940, His Girl Friday is filled with progressive themes that shape this Howard Hawks rom-com that still resonate today. Starring Rosalind Russell as Hildy, a star journalist who has her own ideas about what she wants for her life, this movie is a must see.

Women had non-traditional ideas for decades before things started to change. Strong willed Hildy didn’t let her husband who also happens to be her boss, played by Cary Grant, get in the way of achieving her dreams.

10. The First Wives Club

Although the movie came out in 1996, some of its themes are still very relevant today. It’s about women standing up to the men in their lives who wronged them and getting back their self-worth.

With an amazing cast of three of the most popular female actresses of all times, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler make this film so much more entertaining. It may be about revenge, but the plot is very well written and even better executed.

9. The Help

Based on the book by Katrine Stockett, Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, returns from college to her hometown in Mississippi. She dreams of being a writer, and embarks upon interviewing the black women of the area who are caring for children of local white families.

Showing the resilience of those women who remain dignified despite the injustices set against them, The Help is an eye-opening story with a heartwarming core. It is one of the few movie adaptations based on a book that is excellent.

8. The Joy Luck Club

In The Joy Luck Club, eight individual journeys of Chinese American immigrants play out. Four relationships developed between four women who immigrated from China by gathering weekly for gossip and mahjong games.

Their daughters are a mystery to them and in this movie, the joys and bittersweet realities of motherhood are the predominant themes. Totally relatable, this movie is beautifully presented and has a strong cast. It shows that the relationship between mothers and daughters can be bridged.

7. A League of Their Own

This movie is about the very first female professional baseball league. Directed by the late Penny Marshall and Starring Geena Davis, A League of Their Own takes place at the turn of World War II. This bold catcher fights patriarchy, with Tom Hanks playing the cranky team manager with a heart of gold.

The inspirational film encourages female viewers young and old to embrace their ambitions, regardless of what they are. We all have a champion inside of us, we just need to awaken them.

6. Moana

In case you’re not aware, it takes a strong female character to join the single-moniker club. And Moana, this super cute Polynesian princess is definitely worthy of her membership to the club. This near-perfect Disney film is filled with a splendid solid Lin-Manuel Miranda soundtrack.

Yes, the movie might be a fairy tale, but the happily ever after here has nothing to do with a prince. Rather, it has everything to do with self-discovery and female empowerment. A cute modern day cartoon that appeals to all ages and teaches young girls the power of self-worth.

5. 9 to 5

Made in 1980, this movie still rings true today. While identifying the toxic power balances in the workplace, the movie approaches the subject with humor. With an amazing cast, Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin turned this movie into a classic. It is a real delight watching these female powerhouses act alongside each other.

The three assistants and secretaries dream of running the business themselves and kicking their chauvinistic boss to the curb. Armed with lots of funny situations and clever plots, their fantasy accidentally becomes reality.

4. Wild

Reese Witherspoon is another role model that women from all over applaud. One of the most clever and creative actresses, producers, and all around humans, every project she’s involved with turns to gold. This movie is based on the book written by Cheryl Strayed in 2012.

Due to Witherspoon’s creative process, Wild became an inspiration to all women who want to get their lives on track. The journey of self-discovery and self worth was important to the author, who became who she is today after embarking on this three month trek across the pacific coast trail.

3. Everything Everywhere All At Once

A hard movie to categorize into any particular genre, every woman should still watch it. If you like complex characters and downright weird plots, then you will definitely like Everything Everywhere All At Once. It is an action packed movie and the clever dialogue will keep you highly entertained.

The main character is played by the talented Michelle Yeoh. She owns a laundromat with her husband, who is played by Ke Huy Quan, and they owe the IRS lots of money. Her relationship with her daughter, played by Stephanie Hsu, is strained. The whole family performs on-screen stunts and martial arts in order to save the planet in this mystifying, sci-fi parallel universe.

2. The Color Purple

Based on the 1962 novel with the same name written by Alice Walker, The Color Purple is a remarkable story of endurance and survival. The most prominent theme of the film is the relationships women build with each other, which is what kept them afloat through some challenging times. Following Celie’s life, the story expands over 40 years.

Starting when Celie is a young girl abused by her father to her unhappy marriage, all the way to the liberation she finds through the companionship of her best friend Sug. The lives of Celie’s friends and peers in the rural Mississippi town are also portrayed in this sad tale of the South.

1. Hidden Figures

Based on a true story, this movie is heartwarming and empowering to all women in science, especially women of color. Back in 1961, three African-American female mathematicians and friends helped bring a man to the moon thanks to their exceptionally clever minds.

Played by an amazing cast that includes Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, this movie shows the struggles these scientists had to endure back in those days. But their brilliant minds are something that finally got the recognition they deserved. A movie well deserving of a first spot on our list.

Final Words

In conclusion, we really think these are the 25 movies for women that every woman should watch at least once. That’s because they all prove that women are truly a force to be reckoned with both on and off the screen.

From inspiring true stories to empowering comedies, each movie on this list offers a unique perspective and message that speaks to the strength, resilience and power of women. So whether you’re in the mood for a feel-good comedy, a thought provoking drama or a classic tear jerker, these movies will surely leave you motivated and inspired.