Wonder women: Female-fronted films we know are go this year

The gender-swapped Ocean’s 8 opened in 2018 to a strong reception, with a better than expected box office pull of $41,500,000. “That’s more than acceptable for a $70 million franchise entry with built-in international appeal,” noted IndieWire. The film was just one of a collection making up the female-fronted movies leading the box office during the early June weekend, competing with the likes of hyped horror Hereditary and crime thriller Hotel Artemis, starring Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine) and Jodie Foster (Bugsy Malone) as the leads respectively. “For the past three years, women have dominated Hollywood’s peak season,” added IndieWire. And with the likes of these three films boasting strong female leads, it’s clear 2018 was continuing the trend. With this in mind, we’re looking at some of the best female-fronted films that came out over the following year. It’s a hodgepodge of cinematic styles, but one thing that draws these films together is they’re led by the fiercest of female characters. Let’s hear it for the girls!

Suspiria

Release date: October 26, 2018. Yes, girls can lead horror films and yes, they can be fucking terrifying. With a cast boasting Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange), Mia Goth (Everest), Ingrid Caven (Looping), and Angela Winkler (Danton), Luca Guadagnino’s bone-crunching remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 supernatural horror follows a young ballerina who enrols in a prestigious European dance academy, only to discover occult secrets hidden within the department. Exclusive footage of the remake shown at CinemaCon reportedly had the audience “looking away in horror”, portraying a young woman being brutally torn apart until there was nothing left but “a mess of broken bones, urine, spittle, and blood”. The film ultimately grossed approximately $8 million worldwide, and a planned sequel was canceled due to the modest box office performance.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Release date: August 3, 2018. Tackling the ever-controversial concept of gay conversion camps, the Sundance indie hit from writer and director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) is adapted from Emily Danforth’s coming-of-age novel. The narrative centers around a girl who is sent to a conversion center after being caught hooking up with the prom queen and goes on to develop mutual feelings for a girl she meets at Sunday school. The cast features strong female talent, including Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick Ass) and breakout star Sasha Lane (American Honey). The film won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for US Drama, earned an 86 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossed roughly $2 million worldwide.

Captain Marvel

Release date: March 6, 2019. It’s something that’s been discussed one million times over the past several years and we were starting to lose hope, but it finally looked like Marvel had got its ass in gear and was putting together a female-led superhero flick, with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel at the helm. As one of the most powerful cape-wearers in the MCU, we were excited to see her kick some ass in her own standalone movie. The finished film grossed $1.13 billion worldwide, making it the first female-led superhero film to reach the billion-dollar mark. Sequel The Marvels arrived in 2023, and Larson is confirmed to return in Avengers: Doomsday.

Madeline’s Madeline

Release date: August 10, 2018. Described as original and perplexing, Josephine Decker’s (Butter on the Latch) drama received high praise at that year’s Sundance festival, focusing on a theater director and a sixteen-year-old New York star (played by Helena Howard) who takes her performance far too seriously. With reviews suggesting Decker had crafted “one of the freshest and most exciting films of the 21st century,” best keep your eyes peeled for when this one hit the theaters. The film ultimately scored 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and Helena Howard won multiple festival awards including honors at Sarasota and Montclair.

Never Goin’ Back

Release date: August 3, 2018. Directed by Augustine Frizzell, this scrappy comedy follows two Texas teens who dream of escaping their dead-end jobs for a beach getaway, only to face one obstacle after another. The film earned a 76 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the natural chemistry between leads Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone. It received a limited release and grossed under $62,000 at the domestic box office.

Female-Directed Films on the 2026 Slate

The conversation around women behind the camera has only grown since those 2018 releases. Greta Gerwig is set to direct Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew for a November 2026 release, bringing her signature wit and emotional depth to C.S. Lewis’s classic tale. Olivia Wilde is helming The Invite, a July 2026 thriller that promises sharp social commentary wrapped in genre trappings. Maggie Gyllenhaal is directing The Bride, reimagining the Frankenstein story with a focus on female autonomy. Emerald Fennell is taking on Wuthering Heights, adding her signature blend of dark humor and psychological bite to the Brontë source material.

Evolution of Female Superhero Leads Post-Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel proved that a solo female superhero could carry a blockbuster without compromise. The milestone opened doors for Supergirl, scheduled for June 2026 as part of the new DCU Chapter One. The film is positioned to explore Kara Zor-El’s journey with the same scale and stakes previously reserved for male-led entries. Brie Larson has confirmed she will continue appearing in the MCU, including a return in Avengers: Doomsday, ensuring Captain Marvel remains a central figure in the larger franchise narrative.

LGBTQ+ Coming-of-Age Stories After The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The themes explored in The Miseducation of Cameron Post have continued to surface in subsequent films and series. Boy Erased, released the same year, examined conversion therapy from a male perspective and added to the cultural conversation. More recent projects have built on that foundation, reflecting real-world legislative battles over conversion therapy bans. These stories keep the spotlight on queer youth navigating identity under pressure, showing that the questions raised in 2018 remain urgent and unresolved.

Arthouse Horror Legacy of Suspiria

Guadagnino’s Suspiria helped shift perceptions of what arthouse horror could look like when centered on female experience. Its influence can be felt in the wave of elevated horror that followed, where female leads drive both the narrative and the terror. Later entries in the 2020s have leaned into similar territory, featuring prominent final girls and perspectives that refuse easy catharsis. The film’s legacy lies less in box office numbers and more in the conversations it sparked about women as both victims and agents of horror.