The Feminist Film Guide: 100 Great Films to See

by Mallory Andrews

Become a film buff and enjoy your night in with this guide to feminist approved films.

Have you noticed something about every '100 Greatest Movies Ever Made' or '100 Films to See Before You Die' list? The people in those movies... they're almost all men. With so much incredible cinema to choose from, there's only so many movies you can watch about a bunch of white guys struggling with their daddy issues, right?

It's time to push past the male gatekeepers of what makes a movie 'great' or 'culturally significant' and get a broader view of what's out there. These aren’t just good films: they’re Bechdel test approved. Yes: women talk to each other, about something other than men, in every one of these 100 movies. (We know we shouldn’t still need this guide, but here we are.)

A curated selection of great films that span genres, this illustrated guide is the perfect gift for everyone from film buffs to your friends who can’t stop arguing about which movie to choose. From overlooked female trail-blazers of the silent era and the iconic triple-threat performers of classic Hollywood, to gun-toting badasses of the eighties and nineties and the funny women absolutely dominating comedy in the new millennium, The Feminist Film Guide offers a fresh take on what defines great cinema and lends a voice to the women who've defined the artform.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Feminism, Art, Media Tie In, Pop Culture

208 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2022

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely and thorough introductory text written by a friend of mine

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las ilustraciones de este libro son hermosas y también la selección de películas me gustó mucho, ya que habían varias que no conocía o que hace tiempo que están en mi lista de pendientes. Es una buena lectura para quienes aman el cine y también se disfruta por su bella gráfica.

[brietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because it was a gift and i love it and i’m 36% done the list from the get go

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction explains that the purpose of this book is to illustrate the history of film using only movies that pass the Bechdel Test which as I’m sure you know is a movie that a) features at least two women who b) talk to each other c) about something other than a man.

It stretches from “The Patsy” (1928) to “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar” (2021) and from such household names as “Thelma and Louise" and “Clueless” to such obscurities as “Black Girl” (Senegal 1966) and “Only Yesterday” (Japan 1991). And there is no flinching away from difficult films either – “Celine and Julie Go Boating” (3 hours 15 minutes of whimsy) and “Jeanne Dielman” (3 hours 20 minutes of minimalist agony) are included along with the crowdpleasers. I have seen 59 of the 100 films listed here. I added a bunch of titles to my own Must Watch list.

As always, there are a few buts.

- It would have been much lovelier to have photos & stills from the movies instead of only graphic illustrations (apologies to Bea Crespo) but I guess there were budgetary considerations.

- several of these movies have very low imdb ratings, if that’s a consideration at all (some people put a lot of weight on imdb ratings).

- Mallory Andrews doesn’t seem to be 100% enthusiastic about some of these movies! Take “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. I’m not myself clear how this movie passes the Bechdel test given that the leads are all male (and played by straight actors). I liked this movie well enough when I saw it way back when, can’t think how it stands up now. Mallory says it was a landmark in LGBT filmmaking, and that has got to be right. She adds “which isn’t to say that the movie doesn’t have some issues…Terence Stamp’s portrayal of a transperson…would especially not sit right today”. Then she adds that “the absolute worst of the film’s flaws is a totally useless subplot involving a Filipino mail-order bride that strays into out-and-out racism”. I’m thinking why include such a problem movie in a best feminist films list at all?

But heck - It’s a pretty neat book and is Recommended for all film fans.



(yes, she makes the list)

[Julia Modde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading is great. But so is watching a movie. And if you are tired by watching the same plot with the same male characters over and over again, you should start here. Andrews introduces 100 movies, which passes the bechdel test (two women with names talking about something else than men for more than 30 seconds). She writes little summaries and great insights about everyone of them. A movie a page, gorgeously illustrated by Bea Crespo.
If you already are a film pro: fantastic, you will have the satisfaction of tick the movies you already seen, BUT you will find lots of fresh ideas for your watchlist as well.
If you are a beginner: fantastic, there are so many different movies from different genres in here, you will easily find a good one to start.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent list, however I can't give full stars due to the constant use of the bisexual erasure...unfortunately the authors fall into the trap of only imagining characters as either gay or straight. Their reviews of Garbo's Queen Christina and Doris Day's Calamity Jane both fall victim to this. Is it so hard to accept that these characters (and real life people!) can love women and men equally? Bisexuality isn't dependent on the gender of one's current partner.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm not really reading this book as a book, per se. i'm more or less using it to watch more movies and maybe get some ideas for the podcast i want to start, so it was good. i ended up skipping parts of each page because there was so much information, but i made a list of films to watch.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible survey of films directed, written, and starring women throughout the decades.

[Jeffrey Greening · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent …now go watch all those movies .

[maisie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got me into film but why wasn’t pitch perfect in this book