The Ultimate Guide to Movies to Inspire Women by Women

In history, the director's chair has predominantly been occupied by men. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in female directors and writers.

Women have brought fresh perspectives and stories to film, reshaping society's view of who can be a storyteller. Allowing women to make movies to inspire women.

Men often don’t depict women in a realistic light. Too afraid to make them messy or angry. The beauty of female filmmakers is that they aren’t afraid. Women written by women get to be complex female characters.

Several amazing films empower women. For instance, Legally Blonde, Hidden Figures, The Devil Wears Prada, and Mona Lisa Smile. But this movie guide introduces inspirational movies made by female writers and directors.

Films that capture women's brilliance and force in front of and behind the camera.

Barbie Empowering Women

Since the beginning of childhood, dolls have played a pivotal role in a woman's life.

Dolls allowed girls to use their own imagination to create stories. The most famous doll is Barbie, the epitome of girlhood. A doll that showed young women can have any career they want. 

In 2023, a live action Barbie movie premiered, written and directed by Greta Gerwig. A highlight from the movie is how it featured a diverse cast: America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Nicola Coughlan, and Hari Nef. Women who show Barbie come in all shapes and colors.

Additionally, Gerwig wrote an all female Supreme Court, thus showing women can do it all.

Gerwig demonstrated how women ruled Barbieland compared to the real world, where it is dominated and made for men. As a result, Gerwig had phenomenal success in balancing representation and demonstrating the challenges that women face.

Barbie resonated with several women worldwide, so became a blockbuster hit. This gave Gerwig the honor of being the first woman in history to direct a movie that grossed $1 billion at the box office. 

Thus, her movies should be on everyone’s radar because she is a director who cares about making movies to inspire women.

In comparison, her past films Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019) are praised for their authentic depiction of female experiences. So, continue to stay on the lookout for Greta Gerwig, no doubt a future Academy Award winner. 

Importance of Overcoming Challenges

America Ferrera seems to be a common factor in movies to inspire women. 

Real Women Have Curves, directed by Patricia Cardoso, was a 2002 Sundance Film Festival Winner. Cardoso directed a film where the protagonist is a Mexican-American woman, Ana, who struggled to balance her dream of going to college with overcoming family expectations. 

With the film, Cardoso sparked conversation about identity, female empowerment, and body positivity.

Cardoso gave the world a protagonist that, no matter the race or gender, anyone can relate to. Every girl and boy can relate to how Ana is determined to accomplish her own ambitions and doesn’t want to stay in her family's business. Even though it led to challenges between mother and daughter, Ana overcomes them.

Ana stands up for herself and inspires young women all around the world to raise their voice. Because in the eyes of others, it is terrible to be a smart and ambitious woman.

The truth is that there is difficulty in being ambitious, but there is also beauty. Be empowered to focus on your dreams.

Fighting the Patriarchy in Sports 

Similar to Real Women Have Curves, Bend It Like Beckham is a movie to inspire women to fight and overcome challenges to accomplish their dreams.

Over the decades, sports have been heavily associated with men, leaving women having to fight for equality. The film directed by Gurinder Chadha empowers women to take a step into a male dominated field, soccer. 

In the film, the protagonist, Jess, comes from a British Indian family. Her parents believe soccer makes Jess too masculine. Her mother wishes her focus on soccer would shift to finding a husband. Thus, her parents do not approve of their daughters' dreams of playing soccer.

This leads to the event of the girls' soccer team not being taken as seriously.

Women in sports not being taken seriously is a common challenge. This event can also be seen in the latest season of Ted Lasso (Apple TV). The girls' soccer team has to prove themselves worthy of being supported.

Both Ted Lasso and Bend It Like Beckham teams are doubted, but in the end they prevail through their determination and power. Therefore, women should not be quick to dismiss because of their gender.

Women are as strong as men and deserve the same respect.

She's Angry: Community is the Key

Hamnet, a story written by a man, but when brought to film, it was written and directed by Chloe Zhao, who is only the second woman (also the only woman of color) to win an Academy Award for Best Director. 

The most famous name in the movie is William Shakespeare, but it was his wife, Agnes, who left an emotional impact. Reminding the world of the beauty of community and the pain of grief.

Agnes is a free spirited woman. She feels a connection with nature, which makes the world see her as an angry and quirky woman.

In other films, these women are referred to as witches. A word that, for centuries, was used to shun women. 

Zhao did a beautiful job of capturing the importance of connection with one’s community. Agnes' connection to nature protected one of her children; therefore, one should feel empowered to be referred to as a witch.

Agnes may not have been able to save all her children, but in the end, she was part of something bigger. Through the play Shakespeare put on for Hamnet, Agnes knew her child's story united them all.

Grief doesn’t have to break a human; it could make them stronger. 

Inspirational Movies Lead to Empowering TV

This guide focuses on films directed by empowering women who have made movies to inspire women. But it is important to take a moment to speak about television.

As fall is approaching, Gilmore Girls is going to be the show on everyone's screens. The creator, Amy Sherman Palladino has another show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It focuses on a housewife no longer married in the 50s but has the ambition to become a stand up comedian. 

It isn’t an easy journey for the protagonist, Midge, as she has to deal with society's pressure of no longer being in a marriage. But through all the challenges, Midge perfectly captures why it is important to take a big leap in life.

Age or a husband should never stop anyone from their journey of self-discovery. Therefore, if there’s a passion you have yet to pursue, be like Midge and be brave. 

Conclusion: The True Story on Female Directors and Writers

Take a look at the films that have come out in 2026. Most are made by men.

Dr. Stacy L. Smith said that data from 2025 reveals women directors have been underrepresented; men still outrank female directors 20 to 1.

The true story is that to bring about a rise in female directors, it is important to watch their movies. When women support women, it makes room for growth. Thus, there will be a rise in movies to inspire women. 

So, as Nicole Kidman says, go watch a movie at AMC for magic.

🪽 Written by Nashali Linares