Table of Contents
- Antonia: A Symphony
- Mary Shelley
- Radioactive
- Shirley for President
- nyad
- Sister Dulce
- Stars Beyond Time
- The suffragettes
- Suprema
- Colette
- Frida
- The iron Lady
- Evita
- A Very Special Team
- The War of the Sexes
- The Miracle of Anne Sullivan
- queen of katwe
- Nise: The Heart of Madness
- Erin Brockovich – A Woman of Talent
- Temple Grandin
Women are responsible for extraordinary inventions and great feats that have shaped the modern world as we know it. Their stories deserve to be told, and lucky for us, some of these inspiring women have had their lives turned into films that have the power to motivate a new generation of young people to follow in their footsteps.
With this in mind, we have prepared a curation of the best films about women that tell the stories of real women who made a difference. Check out:
Antonia: A Symphony
Original: The Conductor
71% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Netflix
Launched in 2018 and directed by the Dutch Mary Peters, the film is based on the story of a Dutch woman living in the United States, Antonia Brico, the first female conductor to succeed in leading a large orchestra.
The film tells the story of how Brico got teachers who believed in his dreams, as well as personal dramas that he had to overcome to become the first successful female conductor in the world, at a time when society did not believe that this would be possible. It also tells how she formed a female orchestra for her second show in New York, managing to once again break barriers for women at the time.
Mary Shelley
41% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,4/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Unavailable on streaming platforms
Launched in 2018 and directed by Saudi Arabian Haifa al-Mansour, the film's story is based on the life and achievements of the British writer Mary Shelley, author of the bestselling Frankenstein. The film tells in detail the events that led the writer to write about the monster, events that followed by years the event at Lord Byron's house, where the work actually began to be written.
Radioactive
62% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Netflix
Launched in 2020 and directed by Iranian Marjane Satrapi, the film tells the story of a Polish physicist and chemist who became naturalized in France, Marie Curie. For years, she and her husband, Pierre Curie, dedicated themselves to understanding radiation, research which continued even after Pierre's death in 1906.
The story tells how the couple met and started working together. In addition to how Marie's contributions to the research that led the world to understand radioactive elements (radium and polonium) was snubbed by the Nobel because she was a woman, but due to the weight of the discovery, the winner was her husband – who refused. Years after Pierre's death, however, she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her contributions.
Shirley for President
Original: Shirley
71% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Netflix
Released in 2024 and directed by American John ridley, the film is based on the story of Shirley chisholm, the first black congresswoman in the United States, who, in 1972, campaigned to become the Democratic Party's candidate for president.
The story begins with Shirley taking over as congresswoman, fighting from the beginning to find a committee with which she could actually help the people who elected her. The majority of the film, however, focuses on Shirley's campaign for president and how she managed to inspire people from different groups to support her. Her candidacy, however, did not come without drama. Among the ups and downs of her campaign, Shirley faced a racist and misogynistic world that didn't believe in her, as well as an attempted murder and personal dramas.
nyad
85% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1/10 on IMDb
Where attend: Netflix
Released in 2023 and directed by Americans Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi e Jimmy Chin (III), the film is based on the story of Diana Nyad, an athlete who at the age of 64 was the first to swim from Cuba to Florida (a total of 160 km in open water).
The film focuses not only on physical preparation, but all the work that went into choosing the perfect day to accomplish the feat, such as meteorological research. It also tells the terrifying episode during one of her attempts to cross where she ended up being burned by a jellyfish from the Cubozoa class – a poisonous type – which almost killed her.
Sister Dulce
Unavailable on Rotten Tomatoes | 7/10 on IMDb
Where attend: Netflix
Launched in 2014 and directed by the Brazilian Vincent Amorim, the film is based on the story of Maria Rita de Sousa Brito Lopes Pontes, known as Sister Dulce, a nun who became a saint of the Catholic Church, dedicating her life to helping the sick and people in need.
The film focuses on her life between the 1940s and 1980s, a period in which she became a nun and officially began dedicating her life to helping everyone in need. From an early age, Dulce showed sweetness and resilience even in the face of diversity and danger, often breaking protocols.
Stars Beyond Time
Original: Hidden Figures
93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,8/10 on IMDb
Where attend: Disney +
Released in 2017 and directed by American Theodore Melphi, the film was based on the story of mathematics Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn e mary jackson, employees of NASA (United States Space Agency) who made the calculations responsible for taking man to the moon.
The film tells the story of how these three black women, during the Cold War, at a time of great racial segregation in the United States, were hired by NASA, suffering prejudice and changing the world while making history. The work of the three women was vital to one of the greatest moments in human history, which gave NASA international status and relevance.
The suffragettes
Original: suffragette
73% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,9/10 on IMDb
Where attend: Play globe
Launched in 2015 and directed by the British Sarah gavron, the film is based on the story of a group of women from Women's Social and Political Union who fought for freedom, women's equality and the right to vote.
The story tells how this movement and its manifestations were created at a time when the International Woman Suffrage Alliance — more peaceful and anti-rebellion than the WSPU — was not having effective effects. Its creation, however, ushered in real change.
One of the film's most memorable moments is the scene in which Emily Wilding Davison died during Derby Epson Downs — an important horse racing event in the country — by entering the racetrack campaigning for women's suffrage. This historic event made her a martyr and was a trigger for British women to gain the right to vote.
Suprema
Original title: On the Basis of Sex
72% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Prime Video
Launched in 2019 and directed by the American Mimi leder, the film is based on the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, lawyer and judge who became the second woman appointed to the US Supreme Court.
The film tells how Ruth graduated from the most prestigious universities in the United States — Harvard e Columbia — and prevailed over the misogyny of the time, which even though she was at the top of her class at both universities made up mostly of men, did not give her the chance to practice her profession.
Ruth worked for years as a teacher and specialized in gender rights, having founded the women's rights project in 1972 in ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). He became a well-known figure for overturning several laws that allowed gender discrimination. And in 1993, she was appointed to the Supreme Court.
Colette
87% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,7/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: YouTube Movies
Launched in 2018 and directed by the British Wash westmoreland, the film is based on the life of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known only as Colette, a French author induced by her husband to become a ghostwriter for him, but years later decided to fight for the rights to her intellectual property.
The film tells how Colette wrote Claudine, a semi-biographical bestseller that was written by her husband, as well as 2 more books in the trilogy. However, when she asked to share the credit in the next books, her husband refused, which led to moments of tension in the marriage, as he was enjoying the fame he had achieved due to his wife's book, even trying to force her to continue.
Frida
90% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Apple TV
Launched in 2002 and directed by the American Julie Taymor, the film is based on the story of Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, known by her stage name Frida Kahlo, Mexican surrealist and PCD artist known for her self-portraits.
The film tells the story of the accident that left her in a wheelchair, her troubled romance with the artist Diego Rivera, the rise of her career and recognition, as well as personal dramas such as her romance with the communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky, whom he welcomed into his home in Mexico when he was exiled.
The iron Lady
Original title: The Iron Lady
52% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,4/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Unavailable on streaming platforms
Launched in 2012 and directed by the British Phyllida lloyd, the film is based on the story of Margaret Thatcher, first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The film tells several fragments of Thatcher's story, from her entry into politics, her career marked by her conservatism that guaranteed her the position of Prime Minister in a misogynistic world, her strong will to defend her sometimes unpopular choices, to her last years of life.
Evita
64% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Star +
Launched in 1996 and directed by the British Alan Parker, the film is based on the story of Eva Duarte de Perón, known as Evita, former first lady of Argentina, known to this day for her activist legacy that led to the approval of feminist suffrage in her country and her philanthropic work.
The musical film tells her story in flashbacks, highlighting important points in her story such as her humble childhood, her most important romantic relationships, her move to Buenos Aires, the success in her career as an actress, the moment she meets Juan Domingo Peron, when she becomes first lady, her philanthropic work, until the moment she falls ill and is immortalized in history.
A Very Special Team
Original title: A League of Their Own
81% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Prime Video
Launched in 1992 and directed by the American Penny marshall, the film is based on the story of the group of women who were part of the first women's baseball league.
The film is set during World War II and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (Women's American Professional Baseball League) was created in 1943 because men were busy fighting in the war. The story illustrates the challenges and conflicts that women faced, accompanied by a lot of misogyny, to be there, fulfilling their dream.
The War of the Sexes
Original title: Battle of the Sexes
84% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,7/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Star +
Released in 2017 and directed by Americans Valerie Faris e Jonathan Dayton, the film is based on the story of the iconic tennis match between Billie Jean King e Bobby Riggs, where King defeated Riggs affirming the power of women and their contributions amid the great debate generated about gender equality by the match.
The film tells how Bobby, already irrelevant, used misogynistic speech to pressure the then leader of the world ranking Billie Jean King to face him — in addition to his training, the discovery of King's sexual orientation, personal dramas and, of course, the victory of Billie in the tournament.
The Miracle of Anne Sullivan
Original title: The Miracle Worker
96% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Prime Video
Released in 1962 and directed by American Arthur Penn, the film is based on the story of anne sullivan, the teacher responsible for teaching Helen Keller — a blind and deaf girl — to communicate and understand the world around her.
The film tells how Sullivan worked hard—often against the wishes of Keller's parents—to educate her using sign language through touch. However, she prevailed and was successful in her method, which later led Keller to become the first deaf-blind person to receive a bachelor's degree in history.
queen of katwe
Original title: Queen of Katwe
94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Disney +
Launched in 2016 and directed by the Indian woman based in the United States Mila Nair, the film is based on the story of Phiona Mutesi, chess player who became a candidate for master at just 14 years old.
The film tells of her humble origins in Uganda, her first contact with the game and how she became an international champion in the sport, participating in competitions around the world.
Nise: The Heart of Madness
88% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,6/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Star +
Launched in 2016 and directed by the Brazilian Robert Berliner, the film is based on the story of Nise da Silveira, a Brazilian psychiatrist known for being a pioneer in the treatment of mental disorders in a non-violent way, having been a great critic of the methods of the time that used electroshock and lobotomy.
In the film, Nise refuses to use violent treatments on patients with mental disorders, which results in her “demotion” to coordinator of the occupational therapy sector, a sector that was discriminated against at the time.
However, this was the beginning of the change in the area of mental health that we know today, based on the work of Carl Jung, created a humanized treatment, with a great focus on artistic production with different raw materials – which resulted in a great improvement in the clinical status of patients.
Erin Brockovich – A Woman of Talent
85% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4/10 on IMDb
Where to watch: Netflix
Launched in the 2000s and directed by the American Steven Soderbergh, the film is based on the story of Erin Brockovich, a woman who, without formal higher education, discovered that a city's water supply was being contaminated by a large corporation and, with the collaboration of citizens, ended up creating a million-dollar lawsuit against the company.
The film tells how Erin, a divorced mother of 3 children, got a job at a small law firm and discovered contamination in a city's water supply and how it was affecting the health of its inhabitants. Brockovich then fought giants to make a difference, leading to a $333 million lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Temple Grandin
Where to watch: Max
100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,2 on IMDb
Released in 2010 and directed by English director Mick Jackson, the film is based on the story of an American zootechnician and autistic psychologist Temple Grandin, known for having revolutionized the practice of using live animals in American agriculture.
Starring American actress Claire Danes, the made-for-television film was nominated for 7 awards Emmy, having taken home 5 of them: Best film, Best direction, Best actress (Claire Danes), Best supporting actor (David Strathairn), Best supporting actress (Julia Ormond).
The film captures everything from Grandin's first experience with animals on her aunt's farm, her mother's struggle for her to have a formal education, her academic career and her creations to deal with her panic attacks.
Which of these films about women have you seen? Tell us in the comments below.
See also other features
Check out 20 great movies starring women
Sources: Spindrift l I love cinema
Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim
