Combustible Celluloid - 100+ Great Films by Women Directors
Combustible Celluloid
 

100+ Great Films by Women Directors

Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie and Ben Foster in Leave No Trace (Courtesy Bleecker Street Media)

Preach Her Films

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

I've long admired women directors. Maybe this is a simplistic analysis, but I have noticed that women storytellers are often able to grasp opposing viewpoints and mysterious gray areas that more literal-minded male filmmakers overlook. I have been honored over the past decade or so to be able to include a few films by women filmmakers on my annual top ten lists, although far too few. Things have improved and are steadily improving more and more, but there's still a long way to go. Meanwhile, let's honor these achievements. I'll be updating this page from time to time as I discover new and/or notable films.

  1. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926, Lotte Reiniger)
  2. Aftersun (2022, Charlotte Wells)
  3. American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron)
  4. The Apple (1998, Samira Makhmalbaf)
  5. Away from Her (2007, Sarah Polley)
  6. The Babadook (2014, Jennifer Kent)
  7. Barbie (2023, Greta Gerwig)
  8. The Beaches of Agnes (2009, Agnès Varda)
  9. Beau Travail (1999, Claire Denis)
  10. Big (1988, Penny Marshall)
  11. The Blot (1921, Lois Weber)
  12. Booksmart (2019, Olivia Wilde)
  13. Boys Don't Cry (1999, Kimberly Peirce)
  14. Bright Star (2009, Jane Campion)
  15. Cameraperson (2016, Kirsten Johnson)
  16. Candyman (2021, Nia DaCosta)
  17. Certain Women (2016, Kelly Reichardt)
  18. La Ciénaga (2001, Lucrecia Martel)
  19. Clemency (2019, Chinonye Chukwu)
  20. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962, Agnès Varda)
  21. Clueless (1995, Amy Heckerling)
  22. Daisies (1966, Věra Chytilová)
  23. Desert Hearts (1985, Donna Deitch)
  24. Detroit (2017, Kathryn Bigelow)
  25. Dogfight (1991, Nancy Savoca)
  26. Earth Mama (2023, Savanah Leaf)
  27. Eve's Bayou (1997, Kasi Lemmons)
  28. First Cow (2020, Kelly Reichardt)
  29. Fish Tank (2010, Andrea Arnold)
  30. The Fits (2016, Anna Rose Holmer)
  31. Friday Night (2003, Claire Denis)
  32. Girlfight (2000, Karyn Kusama)
  33. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014, Ana Lily Amirpour)
  34. The Gleaners and I (2000, Agnès Varda)
  35. Happening (2022, Audrey Diwan)
  36. Harriet (2019, Kasi Lemmons)
  37. The Heartbreak Kid (1972, Elaine May)
  38. The Hitch-Hiker (1953, Ida Lupino)
  39. Holy Smoke (1999, Jane Campion)
  40. The House Is Black (1962, Forough Farrokhzad)
  41. The Hurt Locker (2009, Kathryn Bigelow)
  42. The Intruder (2004, Claire Denis)
  43. The Invitation (2016, Karyn Kusama)
  44. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975, Chantal Akerman)
  45. The Joy of Life (2005, Jenni Olson)
  46. The Kids Are All Right (2010, Lisa Cholodenko)
  47. Lady Bird (2017, Greta Gerwig)
  48. A League of Their Own (1992, Penny Marshall)
  49. Leave No Trace (2018, Debra Granik)
  50. Little Women (1994, Gillian Armstrong)
  51. Lost in Translation (2003, Sofia Coppola)
  52. Love & Basketball (2000, Gina Prince-Bythewood)
  53. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005, Miranda July)
  54. Meek's Cutoff (2011, Kelly Reichardt)
  55. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943, Maya Deren)
  56. Mikey & Nicky (1976, Elaine May)
  57. Morvern Callar (2002, Lynne Ramsay)
  58. Mudbound (2017, Dee Rees)
  59. Near Dark (1987, Kathryn Bigelow)
  60. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020, Eliza Hittman)
  61. A New Leaf (1971, Elaine May)
  62. Old Joy (2006, Kelly Reichardt)
  63. One Night in Miami (2020, Regina Hall)
  64. Orlando (1992, Sally Potter)
  65. Pariah (20011, Dee Rees)
  66. Paris Is Burning (1990, Jennie Livingston)
  67. Passing (2021, Rebecca Hall)
  68. Past Lives (2023, Celine Song)
  69. Petit Maman (2022, Céline Sciamma)
  70. The Piano (1993, Jane Campion)
  71. Point Break (1991, Kathryn Bigelow)
  72. Priscilla (2023, Sofia Coppola)
  73. Private Life (2018, Tamara Jenkins)
  74. Ratcatcher (1999, Lynne Ramsay)
  75. Ravenous (1999, Antonia Bird)
  76. Red Road (2006, Andrea Arnold)
  77. The Rider (2018, Chloé Zhao)
  78. The Royal Hotel (2023, Kitty Green)
  79. The Royal Road (2015, Jenni Olson)
  80. Saint Maud (2021, Rose Glass)
  81. Saint Omer (2022, Alice Diop)
  82. The Savages (2007, Tamara Jenkins)
  83. Selma (2014, Ava DuVernay)
  84. She Dies Tomorrow (2020, Amy Seimetz)
  85. Showing Up (2023, Kelly Reichardt)
  86. Somewhere (2010, Sofia Coppola)
  87. Stories We Tell (2013, Sarah Polley)
  88. Strange Days (1995, Kathryn Bigelow)
  89. Take This Waltz (2012, Sarah Polley)
  90. Talk to Me (2007, Kasi Lemmons)
  91. Tank Girl (1995, Rachel Talalay)
  92. 13th (2016, Ava DuVernay)
  93. 35 Shots of Rum (2009, Claire Denis)
  94. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2019, Issa López)
  95. Titus (1999, Julie Taymor)
  96. Vagabond (1985, Agnès Varda)
  97. The Virgin Suicides (1999, Sofia Coppola)
  98. Waitress (2007, Adrienne Shelly)
  99. Wayne's World (1992, Penelope Spheeris)
  100. Wendy and Lucy (2008, Kelly Reichardt)
  101. Whale Rider (2002, Niki Caro)
  102. Whip It (2009, Drew Barrymore)
  103. Winter's Bone (2010, Debra Granik)
  104. Women Talking (2022, Sarah Polley)
  105. Working Girls (1986, Lizzie Borden)
  106. Your Sister's Sister (2012, Lynn Shelton)
  107. You Were Never Really Here (2018, Lynne Ramsay)
  108. Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Kathryn Bigelow)
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