While International Women's Day officially began in 1977, its roots stretch back to the early 1900s during women's battle for fair labor practices and voting rights. Now celebrated on March 8th, it's a time to spotlight women's accomplishments across the globe. International Women's Day serves as a day of celebration and reflection. As far as women have come, there is still work to do.
Movies offer a powerful platform to tell women's stories. Whether empowering, heartbreaking, or filled with rage, they offer insight into women's issues, relationships, and how the world chooses to view and categorize them. Here are 10 of the best movies to watch on International Women's Day and where you can find them on HBO Max, Disney+, and even Shudder. Each film spotlights women, whether in front of or behind the camera.
Jakob's Wife (2021)
Starring horror icon Barbara Crampton, everything you need to know about Jakob's Wife is right in the title. Crampton plays Anne, a minister's wife who lost her sense of self in her 30-year marriage until a vampire bite changes everything. Here, vampirism becomes a metaphor for a middle-aged woman rediscovering her agency and grappling with the female rage she'd learned to suppress for the benefit of her husband.
While more general audiences might not like all the blood and gnarly practical effects, those who dig movies like Fright Night (2011) will find a similar vibe with a feminist twist. With a campy undertone honoring old-school horror, Jakob's Wife is a hidden gem within the genre. Trust me, I've watched it multiple times.
Hidden Figures (2016)
Hidden Figures recounts the true story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), the mathematicians responsible for pushing the US forward in the Space Race. Equally inspiring and tragic, Hidden Figures offers a compelling story of overcoming adversity that will appeal to anyone who appreciates a good biopic.
Unfortunately, men taking credit for women's scientific achievements is so common that it has a name: the Matilda effect. While getting credit as a woman is never easy, it was a near-impossible feat for Black women in 1960s America. Critically acclaimed performances aside, the best part about Hidden Figures is learning the names of three women that history so desperately tried to conceal.
Mulan (1998)
In a retelling of the famous Chinese legend, Fa Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) impersonates a man to take her aging father's place in battle. Mulan might be an animated Disney movie aimed at younger audiences, but it nonetheless packs a dazzling amount of depth for adults, too—something not quite captured by the 2020 live-action remake.
Mulan's resourcefulness and independence are demonstrated right from the start. Even when discredited by her fellow soldiers, she remains dedicated to saving her country, proving that bravery isn't just synonymous with "manliness." In fact, the film frequently questions gender stereotypes, both masculine and feminine. Fun for kids and mature enough for adults, Mulan is the ultimate watch for family movie night.
Lady Bird (2017)
If you could capture girlhood in a bottle, you'd get something similar to Lady Bird. The film follows a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) during her senior year of high school, chronicling her explosive relationship with her mother and her desire to pursue her own dreams.
Even in her directorial debut, Greta Gerwig shines at showcasing authentic female relationships and how societal expectations can shape women, something she'd become acclaimed for in her future movies, Little Women (2019) and Barbie (2023). Perhaps one of the best picks for International Women's Day, Lady Bird delivers an authentic and emotional coming-of-age story that will resonate with so many women, even if in just bits and pieces.
The Last Showgirl (2024)
A middle-aged showgirl (Pam Anderson) goes on a journey of self-reflection after her stable gig comes to an unexpected end in The Last Showgirl. Fast-tracked for award nominations, the Gia Coppola-directed film explores being middle-aged in the youth-obsessed entertainment industry. Being too young to retire and too old to start over leaves Anderson's character in a tough place. Still, the film offers plenty of endearing moments, rhinestone-soaked drama, and even fun.
Pam Anderson—a woman who has all too publicly experienced sexism—steals the show with what might be her most vulnerable and nuanced performance to date. Like Lady Bird, there is a focus on complex female relationships, just at a different life stage. Emotional, deep, and engaging, The Last Showgirl will appeal to anyone in search of a good character-driven drama.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Taxes are hard, right? Well, in Everything Everywhere All at Once, they are multiverse-level hard. When Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh) can't finish her taxes, she must work with parallel versions of herself to stop the destruction of her universe. It's fast. It's weird. And it's an absolute blast!
Everything Everywhere All at Once is loaded with deep, juicy themes, from intergenerational trauma to immigrant struggles. However, Evelyn's journey of personal growth and empowerment resonates as powerfully feminist, especially when navigating her complex relationship with her daughter (Stephanie Hsu). Fans of martial arts movies will undoubtedly appreciate the action, but really, Everything Everywhere is for audiences wanting unique storytelling with an emotional core.
Foxy Brown (1974)
Foxy Brown has a relatively standard revenge plot: A woman (Pam Grier) takes on a gang that killed her boyfriend. However, "shattering the glass ceiling" is an adage frequently paired with Pam Grier's name. For starters, there weren't as many gun-wielding action heroes of the female variety in the early '70s. More importantly, Grier became known for subverting gender stereotypes. She showed skin and brandished heavy artillery while playing characters who used their sexuality against men.
While Grier has the acting chops for dramatic roles, her ability to reclaim power in Blaxploitation movies like Foxy Brown launched her career and status as a feminist icon. That alone makes Foxy Brown worth checking out. However, the movie also has ample amounts of action and social commentary to earn a spot in the hearts of audiences looking for another cult classic to devour.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Chronicling the all-male members of a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, The Hurt Locker sits on this list for a reason other than strong female characters. In 2009, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director. Considering the countless women-directed movies throughout history, 2009 feels extraordinarily late for the first female Best Director Win.
While The Hurt Locker marks a major milestone for women, it's, ironically, very much a story about men. Still, Bigelow manages to capture the struggles of men while delivering an unsettling story about the damages of war. Tense, violent, and dripping with realism, The Hurt Locker is for war movie fans craving an immersive watch.
Real Women Have Curves (2002)
Based on the Josefina López play, Real Women Have Curves stars America Ferrera as Ana García, a Mexican-American teenager navigating the complexities of growing up in a society that likes to tell women how they should look. Although comedic at times, the film delves into body image and how cultural expectations can further complicate it.
Real Women Have Curves earned director Patricia Cardoso a well-deserved Sundance Audience Award, making her the first Latina to receive the honor. If the accolades aren't convincing enough already, consider pressing play for an empowering story about learning to love yourself (and your body) no matter the size.
Frances (1982)
Long before Jessica Lange's resurgence on American Horror Story (2011), she starred in Frances. The biographical film shines a light on old Hollywood actress Frances Farmer, dramatizing her career, personal life, and later involuntary commitment to psychiatric hospitals. Although Farmer struggled with mental illness and substance abuse, the movie highlights the injustice and stigma she encountered as an outspoken, headstrong woman in the 1940s.
While admittedly, much more somber than other entries on this list, Frances (whether an accurate biopic or not) provides impactful insight into history's troubling treatment of women's mental health. Fans of biopics won't be disappointed, just make sure to expect heavy themes when going into it. Even those less fond of biographic dramas might be tempted to watch for another powerfully compelling and nuanced Jessica Lange performance.
