To celebrate International Women’s Day in 2020, take some time to celebrate some amazing work women have done in film whether they’re in front of or behind the camera. The day marks a time to celebrate the accomplishment of women and highlight the need for gender equality. You can’t finish these in one day, so make a marathon out of it taking as much time as you need. The list focuses on films made about women across all genres, from action to comedy, and featuring amazing female characters and performances, as well as several titles directed by women. See the list below, and also check out Sidewalk Cinema’s “Women in Film Week,” showcasing works about and by women like “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” “Bridesmaids” and much more.
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American Honey (2016)
Writer/director Andrea Arnold’s critically acclaimed road odyssey chronicles a teenage girl with nothing to lose as she joins a traveling magazine sales crew and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she crisscrosses the Midwest with a band of misfits. Starring Sasha Lane and Riley Keough.
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A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
The follow-up to the very funny “Bad Moms” brings Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn back, this time visited by their own mothers during Christmas season. Also stars Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon and Cheryl Hines.
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The Bling Ring (2013)
Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes. From “Lost in Translation” and “Marie Antoinette” writer/director Sofia Coppola. Stars Katie Chang, Emma Watson, Claire Julien and Leslie Mann. You can also watch Coppola’s special “A Very Murray Christmas” on Netflix.
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By the Sea (2015)
Angelina Jolie wrote and directed this drama about a couple who tries to repair their marriage while staying at a hotel in France.
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Charlie’s Angels (2000) & Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
The first film adaptations of the popular 1970s television series stars Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore in a pair of action/comedies (with killer stunts) that don’t take themselves too seriously.
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The Craft (1996)
A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who anger them. Stars Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True.
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Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
An old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years. Jessica Tandy won an Oscar in this best picture-winner.
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Dumplin’ (2018)
The plus-size teenage daughter of a former beauty queen, signs up for her mom’s Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town. From director Anne Fletcher and screenwriter Kristin Hahn, this comedy stars Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston.
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Eat Pray Love (2010)
Julia Roberts stars as a married woman who realizes how unhappy her marriage really is and that her life needs to go in a different direction before taking a journey around the world to find herself in this adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s popular book.
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The Edge of Seventeen (2017)
High-school life gets even more unbearable for a young woman when her best friend starts dating her older brother. Hailee Steinfeld stars in this excellent coming-of-age film from writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig.
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Elizabeth (1998)
The early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch. Cate Blanchett was a Hollywood newcomer when she scored her first of many Oscar nominations in this acclaimed piece of historical fiction.
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Frances Ha (2013)
Greta Gerwig gives a wonderful performance as a New York woman learning one awkward misstep at a time how to live independently in New York City.
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Haywire (2009)
Former UFC fighter Gina Carano plays a black ops super soldier seeking payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission in this crackling spy thriller.
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Heartbreakers (2001)
Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt star as a mother and daughter con who team seduce and scam wealthy men in this well-liked comedy.
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Ibiza (2018)
Gillian Jacobs (“Community,” “Love”) plays a young American woman who brings her two best friends on a wild trip to Spain. Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson also star.
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Julie & Julia (2009)
Julia Child’s story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in this film from late director Nora Ephron.
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Kill Bill (2003-04)
You can stream “Vol. 1” and “Vol. 2” of this blood-spattered saga about a woman who wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her. A terrific showcase for Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah and Vivica A. Fox.
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Miss Americana (2020)
Director Lana Wilson’s documentary takes a look at iconic pop artist Taylor Swift during a transformational time in her life as she embraces her role as a singer/songwriter and harnesses the full power of her voice.
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Monster-in-Law (2005)
A woman’s love life is an endless string of disastrous blind dates, until she meets a man whose merciless mother will do anything to destroy their relationship. Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda go toe-to-toe in this comedy.
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Mudbound (2017)
Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war. Director Dee Rees earned widespread acclaim, as did her stars Carey Mulligan and double-Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige. You can also now stream Rees’ newest film “The Last Thing He Wanted” starring Anne Hathaway on Netflix.
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Otherhood (2019)
This comedy explores the stage after motherhood when women must to redefine their relationships with adult children, friends, spouse and themselves. From director Cindy Chupack, this stars Angela Bassett, Patricia Arquette and Felicity Huffman.
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Private Life (2018)
An author is undergoing multiple fertility therapies to get pregnant, putting her relationship with her husband on edge. From writer/director Tamara Jenkins, this stars Kathryn Hahn and Gabrielle Reid.
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Resident Evil sequels
You can stream “Apocalypse,” “Extinction” and “Afterlife,” the first three sequels from the “Resident Evil” horror/action franchise starring Milla Jovovich as a covert operative who battles her way through a zombie apocalypse. Based on the video game.
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Room (2015)
Held captive for seven years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. Brie Larson won an Oscar for her harrowing performance.
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Sex and the City 2 (2010)
While wrestling with the pressures of life, love, and work in Manhattan, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte join Samantha for a trip to Abu Dhabi. The second film adaptation of the popular HBO series starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.
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Someone Great (2019)
After a bad break-up on the eve of her cross-country move, a woman enjoys one last NYC adventure with her two best pals. Fun rom-com starring Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow and DeWanda Wise. Written and directed by Jennifer Katyin Robinson.
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Tall Girl (2019)
But after years of scrutiny and anxiety, a young woman finally decides to find the confidence to stand tall in high school. Starring Ava Michelle, from director Nzingha Stewart.
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13th
Director Ava DuVernay’s powerful in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality.
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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
A teenage girl’s secret love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her love life. You can also now stream the sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.” From director Susan Johnson and screenwriter Sofia Alvarez, based on the novel by Jenny Han. Starring Lana Condor.
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20th Century Women (2017)
The story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979. Starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig.
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Under the Skin (2014)
Scarlett Johannson plays a mysterious young woman who seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery in this unusual and meditative sci-fi flick.
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W.E. (2011)
Madonna’s directorial debut chronicles the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and a contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.
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When They See Us (2019)
Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they’re falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park in Ava DuVernay’s limited series based on a true story.
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Young Adult (2011)
Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her happily married ex-boyfriend. Charlize Theron gives an amazing performance, thanks in large part to Diablo Cody’s script.
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