entertainment
With New Year’s just round the corner, while many of us have many exciting plans, those who prefer to have a quiet night and want to stay in, it’s the perfect time to catch up on some of the best movies and shows. And the best way to end this year on a positive note and get inspired for the upcoming year is by watching solid badass women doing it all on screen. From heart-warming tales of courage in the face of adversity to inspiring stories of travel and adventures, strong female leads are refreshing to watch and give women the hope that it’s possible to rise above the hurdles that life and society throw our way.
So, put your feet up for some well-deserved rest and celebrate womanhood with these best women-centric movies and shows. If you’re looking for a reminder of just how amazing women truly are, this week You! has gathered series and movies with strong female leads to inspire and entertain you…
'Maid' is an unflinching portrait of a single mom's will to survive. Adapted from a memoir by Stephanie Land, ‘Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive’, a 10-episode Netflix adaptation brings her story to the digital screen. The show revolves around single mother, Alex, who turns to housecleaning to make ends meet as she escapes an abusive relationship and overcomes homelessness to create a better life for her daughter, Maddy. The show brilliantly deals with the hardship of female poverty with a straight approach. It is always centred through the experiences of this sympathetic character that you want to root for. In the moments of joy that surface, the small victories, the unexpected showings of support, the real message of ‘Maid’ is that small acts of kindness is indeed what kept Alex going.
If you’re looking for a thriller which manages to somewhat intrigue, this is it. The storyline revolves around the underlying themes of the sibling bond and the sacrifice made for a loved one. This one is going to keep you hooked. A 2-hour long movie shows a woman Ruth Slater, played by Sandra Bullock, is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind. The film is saying all crimes should be forgiven, because many crimes are unforgivable, especially for the victims, but maybe the film wants viewers to stop and analyse a situation or person before immediate judgment. Without giving away too much, we will just say that the ending adds an extra layer of must-watch.
After meeting her perfect match on a dating app, an L.A. writer learns she's been catfished when she flies 3,000 miles to surprise him for Christmas. ‘Love Hard’ is a 2021 American romantic comedy. The film stars Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang and Darren Barnet. Natalie is a woman in L.A. who has made a career out of writing about her terrible love life. After a string of particularly rough disappointments, a friend widens her dating app’s search radius to include the whole country. Finally, she matches with a smiling face who’s exciting to talk to and charming. At her friend and boss’ insistence, Natalie travels across the country to Lake Placid, New York, to meet the man of her dreams. But when she gets there, Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) doesn’t look like the pictures he sent her. He used the photos of a former friend, Tag (Darren Barnet), to talk to women after being ignored on dating apps for so long. Outraged but now stuck in Lake Placid without her luggage, Natalie decides to stay and pass herself off as Josh’s girlfriend in order to impress his family. In turn, Josh promises to help her win over the man whose photos she originally fell for even if it’s as deceptive as what Josh did to her. With some unexpected laughs and charm, this light-hearted rom-com is sure to lighten up your mood.
‘Fatma’ is a Turkish crime drama television series. Working as a cleaner, Fatma's life takes a completely different turn with the sudden disappearance of her husband Zafer, who was released from prison recently. In her attempt to find her husband, Fatma finds herself unexpectedly committing a murder. Her husband's connections to criminals and outlaws pose a great danger to Fatma's life. In order to survive, Fatma has no choice but to continue to eliminate her enemies. As she continues to kill in disguise using her appearance as a cleaning lady, Fatma turns this situation into a ritual of taking revenge for what she has experienced in her life. An underrated, hidden gem on Netflix which should definitely make it to your list.
‘Good Girls’ is an American crime comedy-drama television series which concluded in July, 2021. The series follows three suburban Michigan mothers, two of whom are sisters, who are having a hard time trying to make ends meet. They are tired of having everything taken away from them so they decide to pull off an unlikely heist by robbing a supermarket, only to discover that they are in for more than they expected. Their successful robbery attracts the attention of the store manager after he recognises one of the women. Now caught in a series of gang heists, debts, secrets, and familial crises, the others slowly descend down a path they never thought of going down before. The show provides entertaining and complex female protagonists who are neither good nor bad, they are perfectly human. The strong performances from its lead actresses make the show believable and enjoyable to watch.
If you’re a fan of animated movies, then ‘Arcane’ is the perfect choice for you with praiseworthy animation, story, world-building, characters, and voice acting. ‘Arcane’ is a 2021 animated television series. It is set in the ‘League of Legends’ universe. Amidst the escalating unrest between the advanced, utopian city of Piltover and the neglected, repressed under city of Zaun, sisters Vi and Jinx find themselves on opposing sides of a war over twisted ideologies and mysterious technology. The series has 1 season containing 9 episodes, around 45 minutes long. This hidden gem is binge-worthy.
‘Moxie’, stylised as MOXiE! is a 2021 American comedy-drama film directed by Amy Poehler. The screenplay has been adapted from the 2015 novel of the same name by Jennifer Mathieu. It is about 16-year-old Vivian (played by Hadley Robinson), who starts a feminist zine to empower the young women in her school, as they contend with bullying, sexual harassment, and rape.
This sweet coming-of-age story is easy to like and a good watch.