Women’s History Month Film Recommendations

Hannah Smith ’26

Staff Writer

As Women’s History Month comes to an end, now is a great time to look back at some brilliant films made by incredibly talented female filmmakers that you should definitely add to your watchlist.

Three of the most recent films on this list are “Shiva Baby,” “Jenny Slate: Stage Fright,” and “Queen & Slim.” “Shiva Baby,” directed by Emma Seligman, starring Rachel Sennott, is a hilarious, quick story about a girl who runs into her sugar daddy and his family and her ex-girlfriend at a family party. Jenny Slate, known for her roles in “Big Mouth,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Parks and Recreation,” released her comedy special directed by Gillian Robespierre as a mix between stand-up and a reflection of her childhood set in Milton, Massachusetts. This Netflix special is an utterly charming look into adolescence and adulthood. “Queen & Slim,” directed by Melina Matsoukas, famed music video director for videos including Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,” is a striking visualization of police brutality against Black people in America. Starring Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya, the two are forced to go on the run after being pulled over for a minor traffic which incident turns fatal.

Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman in history to win an Academy Award for Best Director in 2009 (incidentally beating out her ex-husband James Cameron for the award for her film “The Hurt Locker” over his “Avatar”) has directed some incredible films over the years. One of her earliest films, “Blue Steel,” stars Jamie Lee Curtis as a New York City cop caught up in a tampered crime scene in this 1990 thriller. Her next film the following year was “Point Break.” This epic surfer FBI crossover with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze has been one of my favorite films for years. One of Bigelow’s more recent films, “Zero Dark Thirty” with Jessica Chastain tells the story of one woman’s involvement with the Navy S.E.A.L. team responsible for killing Osama bin Laden after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Three of the oldest films on this list are Agnès Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7,” Elaine May’s “A New Leaf” and Lina Wertmüller’s “Love and Anarchy.” These films each have a very different perspective on love and relationships: “Cléo from 5 to 7” combines music and everything you love about the French New Wave to create a truly excellent film. “A New Leaf” is a comedic love story that has similar aspects to “Crazy Stupid Love,” which is some of the highest praise I can give. “Love and Anarchy” is an absolutely wild Italian film from the first woman to be nominated for the Best Director Academy Award.

On March 29, 2024, Cinestudio will be playing Jessica Hausner’s latest film “Club Zero.” This comedy thriller stars Mia Wasikowska as the newest hire at an international boarding school. She builds a relationship with five of her students, but things take a turn for the worse as the school year continues. “Club Zero” will be screening until Wednesday, April 3, 2024, so make sure you get a ticket while you still can.