The Top 10 Best Films Directed by Women

Did you know that out of the top 100 grossing films of 2018, women represented only 4% of the directors? In 85 years, there is currently only one woman to have won an Academy Award for Best Director and I can count the total number of female nominees on one hand. It is crazy to think and even easier to forget that the stories that we watch are told by those representing half of our population. As ridiculous as the statistics are, women have been taking Hollywood by storm and showing the world that no matter the boundary, the genre, or the lack of representation, incredible films are being made. Let's take a look at some of my all-time favourite female-directed films.

Winter's Bone stars my favourite version of Jennifer Lawrence and in my opinion, the best performance she has given on screen. Granik takes the audience to the rural Ozarks of Missouri, where she cast locals and no sets were built. She shows us the struggle Lawrence's character faces acting as the caregiver and provider for her family. When her estranged father is needed for his court date, she must seek him out on her own. Granik shows us true womanhood cast in a different light and isn't afraid to check "pretty" at the door. If you are interested in seeing how Jennifer Lawrence would really win the Hunger Games, check out this great 2010 mystery drama.

Winter's Bone

Debra Granik

The iconic piano scene alone in this film has the power to take us all back to our own childhood. Big was the first film to be directed by a woman that grossed over $100 million at the box office. Penny Marshall has helped contribute to the family classic genre, and Big is only one of her many, many notable films, including A League of Their Own, Awakenings, and Cinderella Man. It was difficult to choose one for this list, but Big pretty much sums up everything I love in a rainy-day classic: 80s fashion, Tom Hanks, and just the right amount of fantasy. There are two things for certain if you watch this or any one of Marshall's other films, you will laugh and you will cry.

Big

Penny Marshall

Kathryn Bigelow and Jessica Chastain are a duo that should never be messed with. Zero Dark Thirty was my favourite film of 2013 and in my opinion, this was the deserving Best Picture winner for the Academy, not Ben Affleck's Argo. The movie is demanding and complex, telling the real-life hunting and killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Bigelow shows the realities of war in an unconventional way, depicting the daily tough reality for years. With a greater scope, Bigelow is still able to bring the detail-oriented nature of her filmmaking and the personal connection the audience feels to Chastain's character. The realities of this story are not lost on us and it deals with blurred moral decisions. Be sure to check this out - not for the faint of heart!

Zero Dark Thirty

Kathryn Bigelow

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola

The Piano

Jane Campion

Okay so I am going to be completely transparent with all of you and admit that I have not seen this one. I know, I know, why would I include this on my list if I haven't verified it yet? I have heard from many that this movie is incredible and emotional with outstanding performances across the board. Anna Paquin's role as Holly Hunter's daughter gained her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 11. The story follows a mute, single mother and her daughter's journey to New Zealand in this melancholic period piece. If you've seen it, please let me know what you thought! Making this list reminds me that I should probably watch this soon.

Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig

To my own embarrassment, I used to only know Greta Gerwig as Danny Castellano's Christina look-a-like girlfriend in The Mindy Project. When I realized she was the woman behind the camera on Lady Bird, my worlds collided! I didn't think I would like Lady Bird as much as I loved it, and I think it is due to the women that brought it to life. The relationship between Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf is the mother-daughter pair we didn't know we needed. You will feel for both women and feel like you understand the love they have for each other more than they ever will. Be sure to look out for Gerwig's upcoming remake of Little Women, also starring Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.

American Psycho

Mary Harron

This one probably surprised me the most in finding out that it was female-directed. Taken aback by even my own preconceived notions, the thought that this robust thriller was directed by a woman pleasantly surprised me. Those who know me know that Christian Bale is a favourite of mine, and his portrayal as Patrick Bateman has become iconic. The film takes on the vapid lives of corporate America while exposing the deviant behaviour of this deadly psychopath. It is hard to believe that Christian Bale is a Welsh native, and how this role was initially given to Leonardo DiCaprio. Because of this movie I am still unable to listen to Phil Collins in the same way. Thank you for gifting us with this cult classic Mary Harron.

Sleepless in Seattle

Nora Ephron

Sofia Coppola is a household name, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and sister of Roman Coppola, she comes from a dynasty and continued the family tradition of filmmaking. No one can deny the pressure of her father's past work, but Sofia paved her own way and has not only directed movies to great success, but left her trademark on them all. Her films explore the female experience and have been categorized as postfeminist, reclaiming traditional girlish spaces. Coppola has said that "I think you can be substantial and still be interested in frivolity," in reference to her 2006 film, Marie Antoinette. Lost in Translation is the epitome of a Sofia Coppola-esque film, the story of a platonic friendship that stems from the pairs insomnia. It takes place in Japan, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, and great music - check it out!

Nora Ephron is the woman behind classic romantic comedies such as You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and of course Sleepless in Seattle. Sleepless in Seattle is timeless to me. It is endearing, funny, sweet, and Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are falling in love! It begins with real tragedy and loss but from these tough obstacles an uncanny love story is born, taking long distance relationship to a whole new level. As much as you don't believe in love-at-first-sight, it's easy to believe the chemistry between Sam and Annie when they meet in person. And the naysayers that can't see Tom Hanks as a romantic lead are people that you do not need in your life!

The Hurt Locker

Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow's second film to appear on this list and the movie that brought her the Academy Award for Best Director (currently the only woman to have won). The Hurt Locker introduced me to Jeremy Renner and even though he's made some duds in the past few years, his role as Sergeant First Class William James is impressionable. This movie made me sweat as much as the on screen cast and brought me into a world I never thought I would see. The film contains some inaccuracies, but shows the power and danger of the addiction to war. Please check out the film that beat out (Bigelow's ex-husband)  James Camerons' terrible Avatar movie.

Monster

Patty Jenkins

I still remember asking my mom if she had ever seen Monster with Charlize Theron. Her face can only be described as an equal look of terror and delight, keep in mind this woman's Netflix queue is filled with Planet Earth or Grace & Frankie seasons. Monster is a masterpiece and Patty Jenkins really goes there. To any skeptics (sexists) that say female directors can't work with the same amount of violence and gore, Jenkins proves them all wrong with this biopic of Aileen Wuornos. Jenkins takes the story one-step further than sheer violence and terror, but shows the tender side of a death-row criminal. This role earned Theron her first Academy Award and if you can make me and my mom sympathize with a serial killer, you have told quite a story.

I hope you check out some of these movies on my list and if I'm missing out on some big ones (which I probably am) please let me know of your favourite female-directed films!