Wonder women: Female-fronted films we know are go this year
The gender-swapped Ocean’s 8 opened this weekend 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 is 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 is continuing the trend. With this in mind, we’re looking at some of the best female-fronted films coming out over the next 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: November 2, 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”. Yikes!
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 & 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).
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 looks like Marvel has got its ass in gear and is 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’re excited to see her kick some ass in her own standalone movie.
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 this 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 has crafted “one of the freshest and most exciting films of the 21st century,” best keep your eyes peeled for when this one hits the theaters.
Never Goin’ Back
Release date: August 3, 2018
Director Augustine Frizzell’s girls-gone-wild flick follows two high school dropout BFFs turned waitresses (Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone) who plan a trip to the beach. However, their house gets robbed, rent’s due, and they’re about to be fired – to avoid eviction, stay out of jail, and get to the beach, they’ve gotta hustle the only way they know how. Never Goin’ Back echoes The Florida Project and Spring Breakers, featuring a confident visual style and fearless lead performances.
Nasty Women
Release date: May 10, 2019
Although it’s got a polished new title, Nasty Women is the upcoming gender-swapped remake of the Steve Martin & Michael Caine starring classic comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. In this female-led update, Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect 3) and Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) will take the place of Martin and Cane as conartists who agree to a winner-takes-all bet where the loser has to leave town forever.
Skate Kitchen
Release date: 10 August, 2018
The Wolfpack director Crystal Moselle made her narrative feature debut at this year’s Sundance with this story about a girl whose life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of badass girl skateboarders in New York City. Be sure to check it out when it hits theaters this August.
Nancy
Release date: Now
Yes, Christina Choe’s imposter thriller opened last weekend so if you haven’t already, go check it out! Nancy follows a troubled woman – played by the ever-wonderful Andrea Riseborough (Black Mirror) – who catfishes internet users with elaborate identities under pseudonyms online in a bid to seek connection. However, when she meets a couple whose daughter went missing three decades ago, her reality starts to blend with fantasy as she convinces herself these strangers are her parents. As their bond strengthens, reasonable doubts give way to willful belief.
Girls of the Sun
Release date: TBA
Director Eva Husson’s war drama was well-received at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, presenting Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) as a Kurdish combatant who leads a battalion of female resistance fighters as they unite to take back their small town that has been taken over by extremists.
Wonder Woman 2
Release date: November 1, 2019
As one of the most successful movies to have come from the DC Extended Universe and an absolute feat for female representation both in front of and behind the camera, it’s no surprise the comic book franchise is giving us a sequel. Set in the 80s, Wonder Woman will be up against her comic book enemy Cheetah. The only downside is we have to wait until 2019 – at least you’ve got plenty of other female-fronted films to keep you entertained in the interim.
